Here are the Braves' 2026 Top 30 prospects
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The Braves missed the playoffs in 2025 and finished under .500 for the first time since 2017, unacceptable for a team used to competing annually for the NL East crown.
All that winning in the past, along with a willingness to trade young players to help keep it going, has made it tougher to maintain a really strong system. But it did provide last year’s National League Rookie of the Year in catcher Drake Baldwin, and there could be some intriguing arms coming up to throw to him to help right the ship.
No. 3 prospect Didier Fuentes was rushed up last year out of need and had trouble finding his footing. He has Top 100-caliber stuff if he can put it together and should learn from the adversity he faced last year. Right ahead of him on the new Top 30 is JR Ritchie, who has put previous Tommy John surgery way behind him, starting last year’s All-Star Futures Game and reaching Triple-A. Both of these right-handers should be ready to help if there are rotation holes to fill. Further down the list, there are arms like Lucas Braun and Blake Burkhalter who might be prepared to answer the call this season.
On the position player side of the ledger, there isn’t a right-now impact player like Baldwin was last year, but the 2025 Draft did net the Braves two intriguing infielders in high schooler Tate Southisene, their first-round pick, and college shortstop Alex Lodise, taken in Round 2. And keep an eye on Diego Tornes, their top signee from the 2025 international class who’ll be coming stateside for the first time.
Here's a look at the Braves top prospects:
1. Cam Caminiti, LHP (MLB No. 68)
2. JR Ritchie, RHP (MLB No. 90)
3. Didier Fuentes, RHP
4. Tate Southisene, SS/OF
5. Alex Lodise, SS
Complete Top 30 list »
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2025 preseason list to the 2026 preseason list:
Jump: Owen Carey, OF (2025: NR | 2026: 19)
As a 15th-round pick out of the New Hampshire high school ranks in 2024, Carey entered pro ball with few expectations, especially not right out of the gate. But playing much of his first full season at age 18, he spent all year with Single-A Augusta and showed a solid feel for hitting, rarely striking out. There’s some raw power for him to get to if he can start lifting the ball in the air more as he adds strength.
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Fall: Jose Perdomo, SS (2025: 10 | 2026: 25)
A top-five prospect in the 2024 international class, Perdomo got $5 million to sign with the Braves that January. Since then, he’s had trouble staying on the field with hamstring issues limiting him to just 62 combined games. He can play a solid shortstop but the rest of his game, from his speed to his potential impact at the plate, is an unknown at this point.
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools – 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is plus and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 55 -- Diego Tornes
Power: 50 -- Conor Essenburg (Alex Lodise, Diego Tornes)
Run: 70 -- Isaiah Drake (John Gil, Patrick Clohisy)
Arm: 60 -- Conor Essenburg
Defense: 60 -- Owen Carey
Fastball: 65 -- Jhancarlos Lara (Rolddy Muñoz, Raudy Reyes)
Curveball: 60 -- Briggs McKenzie
Slider: 60 -- Herick Hernandez (Jhancarlos Lara, Rolddy Muñoz)
Changeup: 55 -- Cam Caminiti
Control: 55 -- Lucas Braun (Didier Fuentes)
How they were built
Draft: 20 | International: 9 | Free agent: 1
Breakdown by ETA
2026: 8 | 2027: 5 | 2028: 8 | 2029: 6 | 2030: 2 | 2031: 1
Breakdown by position
2B: 1 | SS: 5 | OF: 7 | RHP: 12 | LHP: 6