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Less than 48 hours ago, the Atlanta Braves jettisoned 25% of a 40-man roster that won an MLB-high 104 regular season games and set pretty much every franchise record in domination of the rest of the league.
This included saying goodbyes to two players that have graced the upper echelons of past prospect lists like ours, pitchers Michael Soroka and Kyle Wright. Baseball will break your heart, to paraphrase former commissioner Bart Giamatti.
Perhaps that’s why some fans are always looking forward, eagerly watching the young players trying to take the next steps to become major leaguers. Baseball will break your heart, but every new spring, every new Opening Day, every new amateur draft or signing period we can dream again.
But enough of that, let’s look at the list.
Changes From 2023
From the most recent prior list, updated during spring training, there was only one graduation, #3 Jared Shuster, who has now been moved on to the Chicago White Sox. In that same trade went #12 Braden Shewmake (who would have dropped to #23 on this list).
Reliever Victor Vodnik, #13 on the last list, was sent to Colorado in the mid-season Pierce Johnson trade while #19 Roddery Munoz was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster and is now with the Washington Nationals.
Newcomers to the list include 2023 draftees Hurston Waldrep (#2), Cade Kuehler (#5), Drue Hackenberg (#9), Sabin Ceballos (#14), Isaiah Drake (#22), Garrett Baumann (#23), and Lucas Braun (#29).
Preview for 2024
If you like pitching, you probably won’t be disappointed in 2024 with the newly rebranded high-A Rome Emperors. The Pontificating Penguins look set to possibly start the season with a rotation that could feature #3 Owen Murphy, #5 Cade Kuehler, #9 Drue Hackenberg, #20 Jhancarlos Lara, and #29 Lucas Braun.
While the Braves have barely begun the free agent process that will include stocking triple-A Gwinnett with some veterans, the Stripers could see a whole a new look with many players that have been toiling away at double-A Mississippi finally taking the step up. This could include #16 Jesse Franklin V, #18 Luke Waddell, as well as just-missed-the-list players like outfielder Cody Milligan, catcher Tyler Tolve, relievers Hayden Harris and Tyler Owens, and first baseman Javier Valdes.
As the old guard moves up, Mississippi could look invigorated with a young group of position players headed by shortstop Nacho Alvarez Jr. (#7), AFL stars David McCabe (#10) and Keshawn Ogans, and the multi-positional Geraldo Quintero.
Finally, down at low-A Augusta the Greenjackets will see the fruits of the first full-scale international signing periods as outfielder Douglas Glod (#24), shortstop Diego Benitez (#25) and several others for that class take position player spots.
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