The former Braves top draft pick is back in the system and hoping to find a way to re-establish himself as an option among the Braves pitching plans.
Tuesday brings a full slate of five games with a set of new opponents for the Atlanta Braves system. As of this writing most of the starting pitchers aren’t finalized, though one of the two already named is former top prospect and top pick Ian Anderson. Anderson was traded to the Angels for now-teammate Jose Suarez this spring, and will attempt to follow up the big Sunday game from Suarez with a big game of his own.
Gwinnett Stripers @ Durham Bulls – 11:05 AM
Probable starters
GWN: Ian Anderson (N/A)
DUR: TBD
Ian Anderson is set to make his first minor league start with the Braves after coming back over from his brief stint with the Angels. That game will be on the road against the Durham Bulls.
Jarred Kelenic is going to be a player to watch, as he needs to try to establish himself as a candidate for promotion before the return of Jurickson Profar from suspension, or he could find himself buried thanks to Alex Verdugo’s hot start. Kelenic has a .725 OPS through his first seven games since being sent down
Durham is as you’d expect from a Rays affiliate – filled with prospects. Pipeline’s #6 overall prospect in baseball, shortstop Carson Williams, is the headliner for the Bulls. However the lineup also includes Tre Morgan (#4 Rays prospect, #88 overall). The pitching staff is led by Ian Seymour (#19) and Joe Rock (#21).
Columbus Clingstones vs Birmingham Barons – 7:05 PM
Probable starters
COL: TBD
BIR: Noah Schultz — 1-1, 3.42 ERA
David McCabe and Columbus are in for a test with Birmingham coming to town, especially as they go up against White Sox top prospect lefty Noah Schultz, the #13 overall prospect in the game according to Pipeline.
Schultz is hardly the Barons only prospect of note, as the pithing staff also includes Hagen Smith (#3 White Sox prospect, #29 overall), Grant Taylor (#7), and Mason Adams (#12). Jacob Gonzalez (#13), William Bergolla (#15), and Wilfred Veras (#28) are the prospects in the Barons lineup.
It should be fun to watch McCabe face up against premium velocity from the left and right side in this series with Schultz and Smith, though he did hold his own the last time he faced a similar type of prospect in the Reds Chase Burns.
Rome Emperors vs Greenville Drive – 6:00 PM
Probable starters
ROM: TBD
GVL: TBD
Greenville’s biggest star is the recently promoted Franklin Arias. The young infielder is ranked as the Red Sox #4 prospect, just behind their big three bats, which is good enough for #70 overall. Yophery Rodriguez (#11), Miguel Bleis (#13), Nelly Taylor (#22), and Nazzan Zanetello (#25) are also among the Sox Top 30 prospects that will be in the lineup. Payton Tolle (#17), Juan Valera (#19), Jedixson Paez (#21), and Brandon Clarke (#30) are among the pitching prospects on Greenville’s active roster.
Augusta GreenJackets vs Hickory Crawdads – 11:05 AM
Probable starters
AUG: Samuel Mejia — 1-1, 4.97 ERA
HIC: Kamdyn Perry — 0-2, 6.60 ERA
Samuel Mejia will get the start against Hickory. It will be just the second start of the season for Mejia, who made his first three appearances of the year out of the bullpen.
Hickory is the Rangers Low-A affiliate, though only has a pair of their Top 30 prospects in outfielder Yeremy Cabrera (#15) and pitcher Caden Scarborough (#27).
The player to watch is going to be John Gil, who will try to build off the breakout game he had on Sunday. Gil had four hits, and was a triple shy of the cycle, as he hit his first homer of the season. He was hardly the only Augusta prospect hitting well on Sunday, as all of the first seven guys in the lineup reached base multiple times in that win. Augusta’s offense has been a bit up and down in the early going this year, but Sunday gave an example of the kind of damage they can do at the plate and on the bases.
FCL Braves vs FCL Red Sox- 12:00 PM
Probable starters
FCLB: TBD
FCLR: TBD
The FCL Braves are sitting at 1-1 through the first pair of games and the player to watch will always be Jose Perdomo. The top international signing last year, Perdomo is off to a two for six start that includes a double and three walks. It’s way too early to say he’s put his injury plagued 2024 behind him, but this is the kind of start we expected for a prospect like Perdomo.
Another infielder has also grabbed some attention early. That is 17-year-old Juan Mateo, a switch-hitting prospect who posted a .250/.345/.333 slash line in the DSL last summer. Mateo is currently five for eight with a double in the early going. Mateo played 30 of his 41 starts at short last year, though has started at third in both of the early games this season.