The Braves top prospect returns to Triple-A
Minor League Baseball season is here, and the Gwinnett Stripers will be opening their season along with the Braves on Friday. Gwinnett released their official opening day roster on Friday, featuring a number of names likely to make appearances at the big league level this season. Most notable among these is AJ Smith-Shawver, who we rated as the top prospect in the system on our preseason top 30 list.
Position players
There is only one prospect among the Stripers infield, with most of the players being veterans who are acting just as system depth for the Braves. JP Martinez is the only position player member of the Braves 40 man roster that isn’t in the major leagues, and leads the Gwinnett outfield. He will also be joined by Eli White, whose 2023 season ended in disappointment after a shoulder injury while trying to field a ball in center field. Luke Waddell is the only position player prospect on the team, and he figures to get the starting job at shortstop or split it with David Fletcher. Fletcher and Luke Williams are the most likely among the position players to make their way to the major leagues this season, and starting catcher Chadwick Tromp acts as the organization’s third catcher. (pending the results of the Murphy injury)
Pitching
Pitching for the Stripers is by far the most entertaining part of the team, with Darius Vines getting the opening day start. Vines made six appearances in Gwinnett last season with a 2.36 ERA after coming back from an injury that knocked him out of most of the first half of the year. Vines also made five appearances at the big league level with a 3.98 ERA across 20 1⁄3 innings. He is one of nine pitchers that are on the Braves 40 man roster. AJ Smith-Shawver was pushed quickly to Triple-A last season, and the cracks showed a bit in his ten starts at the level. He had an ERA of 4.17 and most notably his walk rate ballooned to 15.2% and acts as his focus this season. Dylan Dodd will be looking for a bounce back season after struggling at Triple-A and in Atlanta last year, with his numbers regressing in every category with the Stripers during 2023. Dodd had a 5.91 ERA and 5.46 FIP, with a stark increase in walks and decrease in strikeouts both of which he will look to reverse. Bryce Elder, Allan Winans and Huascar Ynoa will round out the rotation, with Ynoa looking to take back the starting spot he earned in 2021 with his good first couple of months, then lost following a broken hand and then Tommy John surgery. Elder hopes to earn back a starting spot as well, as he is likely disappointed to be relegated to a minor league role following an all star appearance in 2023. Winans was the best pitcher in the Stripers rotation last year and had flashes of success with Atlanta, but in such a stacked pitching room may find it hard to earn a big league spot. Ian Anderson will be starting the season on the injured list. In the bullpen there are two players with 40 man spots, most notable between them being Daysbel Hernandez. Hernandez will almost certainly get big league looks this season and will have a legitimate shot at the postseason roster if he reproduces the success he had in 2023. Ray Kerr was picked up in a trade this offseason and provides further left-handed relief depth. Kerr had a 2.25 ERA with the Padres Triple-A affiliate last season and a 4.33 ERA in San Diego in 27 innings.