Braves outfield prospect Jesse Franklin missed a lot of time during his Draft year in 2020, so he'll jump at any opportunity he has to play more.

Atlanta’s third-round pick in the 2020 Draft and now its No. 17 prospect, Franklin missed the shortened 2020 college season at Michigan with a broken collarbone, and there was no Minor League season to go to post-injury, though he did get some work in at the club’s alternate site and instructs. Getting to play over 100 games with High-A Rome in 2021 was a huge gift for the left-handed power-hitting outfielder.

“It was awesome to get a full season in Rome,” said Franklin, who hit 24 homers in High-A and is getting more swings in with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League. “It was a long season, a lot longer than anything I’ve done before. It was filled with a lot of learning experiences, a lot of growth, and I’m really pumped for this offseason and to get after it next year.”

• AFL stats | Peoria roster | Arizona Fall League coverage

He’s learning a lot this fall against a high level of competition, going 3-for-39 over his first 11 games, though one of those three hits was a home run. The 22-year-old is seeing more velocity and better breaking stuff, perhaps getting an early glimpse at what he might have to adjust to as he moves to the upper levels in 2022.

“Throughout the year, there are a lot of things you end up trying,” Franklin said. “I’m learning what works, what doesn’t. Especially hitting, there were a lot of ups and downs. Just navigating that and taking it into my offseason and trying to work on the things I need to improve.”

He wants to progress so he can join in the fun in Atlanta, especially after watching the club win it all in 2021. The outfield is crowded, with young talent in the big leagues as well as at the upper levels of the Minors, and Franklin wants to be a part of it.

“There are a bunch of studs out in the outfield up and down in the organization and at the big league level,” he said. “It’s really cool to look up to all of them, and it was so awesome to see the Braves playing in the postseason. They play with tons of energy, guys playing, guys on the bench. It looks like a great experience.”

Braves hitters in the AFL

Luke Waddell, SS (No. 29): A contact-oriented standout at Georgia Tech for four years, Waddell was a fifth-round pick of the Braves in this year’s Draft. He signed an under-slot deal, hitting well (and showing more power) during his time in High-A Rome. He ended his first summer of pro ball in Double-A and the Braves are hoping his time in the AFL, where he’s gone 8-for-37, will get him ready for his first full season and perhaps an assignment to Double-A.

Drew Lugbauer, C/1B: Lugbauer was a replacement for Shea Langeliers, who ended up on the Braves’ taxi squad for their entire postseason run. And, boy, is he making the most of the opportunity. Formerly a catcher who now plays first almost exclusively, he’s coming off a solid year at Double-A, where he showed above-average power (18 homers). The Braves wanted to continue to expose him to a higher level of pitching and he’s responded by hitting .433 with four homers over his first nine games.

Braves pitchers in the AFL

Victor Vodnik, RHP (No. 20): One of several Braves pitchers who missed time with injury, Vodnik had performed well in big league camp last spring but threw only 33 2/3 innings in Double-A and had two different stints on the injured list. His Fall League has been a bit uneven, but he was very sharp in his last start Thursday, tossing five shutout innings.

Indigo Diaz, RHP (No. 21): MLB Pipeline’s relief pitcher of the year, Diaz is coming off a season in which he absolutely dominated across High- and Double-A, finishing with a 1.20 ERA and a 16.6 K/9 rate. He’s working on refining his breaking ball against a higher caliber of hitter and he’s struggled with his command at times, though he turned in a scoreless inning with two strikeouts on Nov. 2 and again on Saturday.

William Woods, RHP (No. 28): There was excitement surrounding Woods, a late-round 2018 junior college draftee after his velocity and stuff ticked up in 2019 and he impressed at Atlanta's alternate site in 2020. But he only collected 10 2/3 innings in 2021 due to injury, and he’s in Arizona getting more work in. There’s been some rust as he’s struggled to command his stuff, allowing eight earned runs on 12 hits and nine walks over 13 innings.

Jake Higginbotham, LHP: A left-handed reliever who had been a starter at Clemson, Higginbotham is another Braves arm making up for lost innings. He amassed just 11 1/3 frames during the 2021 season. It’s been rough sledding for the southpaw, giving up eight runs on 10 hits and seven walks in 4 2/3 Fall League innings.