As we close in on Opening Day for the 2026 season, now is a time to start to take a look at some of the prospects who have seen their stock rise this spring within the Atlanta Braves system. Making this list isn’t just based on what we have seen in spring training games – though that is a big part of it. Reports from the backfields or a player showing up in great shape can also get a player mentioned here.
Owen Carey, OF
Owen Carey has impressed enough this spring that he has been able to earn himself
nine at bats in big league spring training games. He may be just one for nine, but he has had some flashes at the plate against much more advanced competition – making it important to remember he is still just 19-years-old and hasn’t played above Low-A yet.
Didier Fuentes, RHP
Fuentes was brought up to Atlanta a bit too soon last season, and got hit pretty hard – not unexpected for a kid who had barely turned 20 and had limited Triple-A experience at the time. He responded well to that in the minors after being sent back down, and has come back this spring looking like he has completely put that behind him. In five innings over two appearances, Fuentes has a 0.00 ERA and WHIP with nine strikeouts to no walks – the only base runner he has allowed is a single hit by pitch. The Braves may be a little extra cautious with him this year after being a bit too aggressive last year, but he is looking better than we’ve ever seen him look this spring.
John Gil, SS
Gil ended last season with a short look at Double-A after a bit of a power spike to close out this season. He followed that up by coming to camp with a little added weight, and has shown that the power increase may be for real. Although he will never likely be a plus power guy, adding average power to a guy with his speed and hit tool makes him very dangerous. In 19 at bats this spring he is hitting .158, but has two homers and a .778 OPS. That should give him slightly heightened expectations heading into the season, which he is likely to open back in Double-A.
Hayden Harris, LHP
Harris is another arm who made his big league debut last year, but he seems to have built on it this spring. He has pitched five innings over five games, pitching to a 1.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 12 strikeouts to two walks. Harris has already been optioned down on the roster, but his continued success is worth noting, as he will be an in-season promotion candidate anytime the Braves need a relief arm.
Cody Miller, SS
The Braves third round pick out of East Tennessee State last year came in with a Trea Turner-like skill set of contact, speed, and a bit of power from the shortstop position. There were some questions about the adjustments he may need to make as the level of competition is set to really increase for him, and although he did show well in a small sample size after signing last summer, going three for four in big league games this spring is a positive sign that the competition jump won’t phase him.
Jose Perdomo, SS
It’s been a rough couple of years for Perdomo since signing as a top international free agent. Injuries basically wiped out his 2024, and a combination of injury and ineffectiveness ruined his 2025 season. The positive with him is that he showed up to camp in the best shape he has been in since he signed with the Braves – important since there were some reports from scouts last year which said he didn’t look at all like the guy the team expected to sign just over two years ago.
JR Ritchie, RHP
Ritchie came into the spring as a real long shot to make the team out of camp, but between injuries to other starters and his own stuff ticking up, he has pushed himself into the conversation as training camp winds down. Ritchie has pitched 12 innings over four games, with a 2.25 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts to just five walks. As great as his stat line has looked, his velocity has ticked up and his secondary offerings have also been even better than what we saw last year when he shot up to Triple-A after opening the year in High-A. Ritchie has assured himself that even if he doesn’t claim a spot in the opening rotation, he will be up for his big league debut sooner rather than later.
