January chugs along and that can mean only one thing around these parts: it’s time to rank minor-league prospects. Every team across the majors is selling hope to their fans: some are selling it in a more immediate fashion, in the form of active offseasons full of free-agent signings and trade acquisitions. Others, meanwhile, are selling it in the personage of prospects who could make the difference over the coming years.
CBS Sports is underway examining the top three prospects in each organization. Our definition of “prospect” is simple: does that player have rookie eligibility remaining for the 2025 season? If so, they’re a prospect; if not, that’s probably why your favorite young player is absent from the proceedings.
As always, these lists are formed following conversations with scouts, analysts, player development specialists, and other talent evaluators around the industry. There’s a fair amount of firsthand evaluation, statistical analysis, and historical research mixed in, too. Plus a heaping of personal bias — we all have certain traits and profiles that we prefer over others, there’s no sense pretending otherwise.
Keep in mind that there’s no one right answer with these sorts of things. Besides, these are merely our opinions, meaning they have no actual bearing on the future. We already published our ranking of the top 25 prospects in all of the minors.
With all that out of the way, let’s get to ranking the top three prospects in the Atlanta Braves system.
The short hook: Walking and bopping left-handed catcher
Originally a third-round in 2022 from Missouri State University, Baldwin now finds himself on the cusp of his big-league debut. He split the season between Double- and Triple-A, hitting .276/.370/.423 with 16 home runs. Baldwin has legitimate thump, recording a handful of balls with exit velocities over 110 mph, including a 111.9 mph entry that would have placed him in the top 90 maximum exit velocities in the majors. That kind of power from a lefty-hitting catcher makes him notable on its own, but that’s not all he brings to the table. He also minds the zone well and grades as an average defender behind the dish. Atlanta’s decision to part with Travis d’Arnaud clears a pathway for Baldwin to enjoy a prolonged big-league stay in the bigs this season, with a chance for him to take the most-days job as his own if Sean Murphy again struggles. MLB ETA: Spring 2025
The short hook: Big righty with good stuff
Smith-Shawver edges out Hurston Waldrep (who has a somewhat similar profile) and first-round lefty Cam Caminiti for the crown as the best pitching prospect in the Braves system. He’s a 6-foot-5 right-hander with a mid-90s fastball and several quality secondary pitches, including a splitter and sweeper. Smith-Shawver has battled his command throughout his professional career, but he threw enough strikes last season to envision him growing into at least a mid-rotation future. MLB ETA: Already debuted
3. Nacho Alvarez Jr., 3B
The short hook: Skilled infielder with on-base chops
Alvarez, a former fifth-round pick by way of Riverside City College, started the season in Double-A and eventually reached the majors for an eight-game stretch in July. He didn’t perform well in that limited sample, but a season-concluding stint in Triple-A saw him rebound by hitting .297/.398/.463. Alvarez’s demonstrated power is unimpressive (he had just one batted ball all season clear 107 mph), but he controls the zone and possesses good bat-to-ball skills. He also profiles as a quality defender, though it’s unclear where he’ll end up defensively given the Braves’ incumbent options. There’s clearly a big-league player here regardless. MLB ETA: Already debuted
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