Atlanta Braves All-Org Team - May
Two months into the season, Atlanta's top performers span every level of the organization from the majors to the complex.
With the calendar turning to June, it’s time for another update to our All-Organization teams. If you did not read my article for March and April, it can be found here.
We will once again take a look at the first, second, and third team performers from across the entire Atlanta Braves organization through the end of May.
As a reminder, this is a cumulative list that includes each player's production this season regardless of level. With the Dominican Summer League beginning this month, the next update could feature even more names that Braves fans should familiarize themselves with.
Trust me, you are going to like what you see.
First Team All-Braves
Batters
Let's start on the infield, where last year's first-round pick, Tate Southisene, continues to establish himself as one of the most exciting young prospects in the entire organization. He has been one of the best teenage hitters in the minor leagues this season, as his 160 wRC+ is tied for first among minor leaguers under the age of 21 and ranks 28th among the 1,269 total MiLB hitters with at least 100 at bats this year. Every month it becomes easier to envision Southisene climbing into national Top 100 prospect conversations.
Another player finally delivering on his immense potential is Luis Guanipa. Since signing during the 2023 international free agent period, Braves fans have been waiting for the tools to translate into production. This season, they finally have, leading the Green Jackets in batting average (.313), slugging percentage (.521), hits (60), and RBIs (34). In Double-A Columbus, Lizandro Espinoza is quietly putting together the best season of his professional career. He leads the Clingstones in batting average (.278), OBP (.404), OPS (.904), wRC+ (141), and runs scored (33).
Since arriving from the Detroit Tigers organization last season, Jim Jarvis has become one of Gwinnett's most dependable hitters. His strong start even earned him a brief trip to Atlanta earlier this season. He’s hitting .300 in Triple-A and leads the Stripers with 60 hits.
Matt Olson continues to remind everyone why he remains one of the best players at his position in baseball. While he has cooled off a bit recently, his 16 home runs and .882 OPS still rank among the league leaders. Behind the plate, Drake Baldwin remains the organization’s top catcher despite his injury. Before landing on the injured list, Baldwin was performing like one of the best offensive catchers in all of baseball.
After a strong 2025 DSL season that earned him a brief stateside appearance, Michael Martinez opened 2026 at the complex and immediately forced a promotion, batting 375 with a staggering 1.303 OPS and 204 wRC+ across 11 games. He continues to swing a hot bat in Augusta, recording 11 hits and two home runs in his first 10 games while batting .324.
Eric Hartman may be the biggest riser in the entire organization. The former 20th-round prep selection from Canada is still just 19 years old and is tied for second with 13 home runs for all MiLB players under the age of 21 with at least 100 plate appearances. He also sits near the top of the leaderboard in OPS (.953) and wRC+ (147).
The final outfield spot goes to Brewer Hicklen. This is not meant to take anything away from what Hicklen has accomplished, but the difficult reality is that at 30 years old and with only 10 major league games on his résumé, it’s hard to envision a significant opportunity opening up in Atlanta.
Pitchers
Despite being selected in the fourth round of last year's draft, Briggs McKenzie received the largest signing bonus in Atlanta's draft class. After not appearing in a professional game until this season, McKenzie has looked every bit as impressive as advertised. Across three appearances at the complex, he has allowed just one run while striking out nine and walking only two across 11.1 innings.
Based strictly on this season's production, my highest-rated pitching prospect has been Carter Lovasz. After struggling last year, the Augusta righty has completely turned things around. Through 12 appearances spanning 22.2 innings, he has allowed just four runs while striking out 32 batters. His 38.1% strikeout rate, paired with a 6.0% walk rate, is exactly the type of profile organizations dream of developing. Isaac Gallegos has experienced a similar breakout in Rome. Working out of the bullpen, he owns a 0.81 WHIP while posting a 36.6% strikeout rate.
The final two spots belong to a pair of familiar faces.
Spencer Strider has not quite matched the absurd strikeout pace we saw in 2023, but since that difficult outing at Coors Field he has looked much more like himself. His expected batting average ranks in the 98th percentile, his strikeout rate sits in the 96th percentile, and his whiff rate lands in the 94th percentile.
As for Chris Sale, there really is not much left to say. Every time he takes the mound, he reminds baseball why he remains one of the sport’s elite pitchers.
Second Team All-Braves
Batters
Heading back to the complex, Manuel Campos continues to quietly put together a strong season. Overshadowed at times by bigger bonus signings from the same IFA class, such as Diego Tornes and Raudy Reyes, Campos has steadily worked his way onto the radar. After earning a move stateside following last season, he has recorded 22 hits in 22 games, including four doubles, two triples, and a home run so far this year.
Double-A Columbus is not loaded with nationally ranked prospects, but it has become home to a pair of hitters putting together excellent seasons in Jordan Groshans and David McCabe.
Once considered one of the Blue Jays’ top prospects, Groshans never quite developed into the player many expected. This year, however, he appears to have found something. Through the end of May, Groshans owns a .850 OPS and 10 home runs. McCabe has been every bit as productive. He leads the Clingstones with 11 home runs and has posted an .866 OPS of his own.
Behind the plate, Adam Zebrowski earns the nod as the organization’s second-team catcher. Splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A, he has slugged .511 with an .861 OPS. Rowdy Tellez moves up to the second team in this update. The veteran leads Gwinnett with 32 RBIs and 10 home runs, providing exactly the type of power production you hope to see from a player with major league experience.
In the outfield, Isaiah Drake has taken a significant step forward this season in Rome. Long known for his athleticism and speed, the biggest question surrounding Drake was always whether the power would develop. Through the first two months of the season, Drake is second on the team with a .432 slugging percentage and has already launched eight home runs. For context, he entered the season with just 16 career homers.
Logan Braunschweig slides down to the second team after cooling off somewhat from his torrid start, but his season has still been impressive. He performed well enough in Rome to earn a promotion to Double-A. While he has just one hit in his first seven at-bats with Columbus, his .798 OPS prior to the promotion shows just how productive he was at the High-A level.
The final two outfield spots belong to Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr.
Harris II has been one of my favorite stories on the major league roster this year. Each the past few seasons, he struggled in the first half before turning it on in the second half. This year has been different. Harris has looked comfortable from the jump, and seeing him avoid one of those prolonged early season slumps has been a welcome sight for Braves fans. As for Acuña Jr, his placement on the second team says more about the absurd standard he has created than anything else. By most players’ standards, his season would be considered excellent. By Ronald Acuña Jr. standards, it felt unusually quiet for stretches. That may be changing, as he closed May with seven hits, five home runs, five runs scored, 10 RBIs, and five stolen bases.
Pitchers
Ethan Bagwell continues to look like one of the bigger risers in the organization. The 20 year old has been dominant for Augusta, ranking first among qualified Single-A pitchers under the age of 21 in ERA (1.96), FIP (2.82), and WHIP (1.00). Luke Sinnard has only made four starts as he works his way back from injury, but the early results have been very encouraging. Splitting his appearances between the complex and Rome, Sinnard owns a 3.18 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and an impressive 28.8% strikeout rate compared to just a 3.0% walk rate.
Owen Hackman has also put together a strong campaign and earned a promotion from Rome to Columbus. His 31.6% strikeout rate is the highest mark of his professional career, and the improvement has shown up in both the results and underlying metrics.
The final two spots belong to veteran relievers hoping to work their way back to the major leagues.
Just a few years ago, James Karinchak was one of the better relievers in baseball. Injuries and inconsistency knocked him off that path, but he appears determined to get back. Through the end of May, Karinchak owns a 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 36.6% strikeout rate. If he continues pitching like this, another major league opportunity feels inevitable.
Ian Hamilton has already received a brief opportunity with Atlanta this season, though it did not go according to plan. In his lone appearance, he allowed three runs in one inning. However, in Gwinnett Hamilton has posted a 2.12 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.
Third Team All-Braves
Batters
Starting on the infield, Dalton McIntyre earns a spot after a strong start to the season in Augusta. The infielder posted an .862 OPS across 29 games, which was more than enough to earn a promotion to High-A Rome. Also in Rome is one of the most exciting prospects in the entire system, John Gil. After getting off to a slower start than many Braves fans hoped for, Gil has begun to look much more like the player that generated so much excitement entering the season. The combination of speed and power remains extremely intriguing. He leads the team with 27 stolen bases and has already launched seven home runs while posting a .797 OPS.
Brett Wisely also finds himself on the third team after putting together a solid season in Triple-A. The former major leaguer is hitting .304 with an .825 OPS and continues to make a case for another opportunity at the highest level.
Every year there seems to be a portion of Braves Country frustrated that Alex Anthopoulos favors value signings over splashy acquisitions. Whether you agree with that philosophy or not, two of those so called "bargain bin" additions have played significant roles this season.
Dominic Smith has already delivered several big moments despite seeing his playing time decrease as Atlanta has gotten healthier. He still leads the club with a .325 batting average and perhaps more impressively is hitting .286 against left handed pitching. Jorge Mateo has arguably been even more impactful. While Ha-Seong Kim has struggled offensively, Mateo has made it impossible to ignore his production. The defense has been good, but the offense has been the real surprise. Through the end of May, he is hitting .316 with an .876 OPS and 146 wRC+.
Jonah Heim is still the third best qualified catcher in the organization this season. More than anything, his inclusion highlights the lack of catching depth Atlanta currently possesses.
The outfield features two of my favorite prospects in the system.
Conor Essenburg was another overslot prep selection from last year’s draft and remains one of the more intriguing young hitters in the organization. There is legitimate power potential here. After beginning the season in Augusta, Essenburg spent some time on the injured list before making a brief rehab stop at the complex and returning to the GreenJackets. The strikeout rate remains elevated at 40.7%, which is certainly something to monitor. At the same time, this is his first full professional season as a teenage prep hitter. Development is rarely linear, and the flashes have been encouraging. Since returning to Augusta, Essenburg owns an .857 OPS with three home runs in just 12 hits.
Owen Carey is another young outfielder worth keeping an eye on. The 15th round selection from the 2024 draft impressed enough as an 18 year old in Augusta last season to open 2026 with High-A Rome. Before suffering an injury, Carey was hitting .267 with a .784 OPS through 12 games. He is currently rehabbing at the complex and should return to Rome in the near future.
The final outfield spot goes to Mike Yastrzemski. After a brutal start that had many Braves fans questioning the signing, Yastrzemski has looked much more like the player Atlanta thought it was getting this offseason. The biggest difference has been his ability to get the ball in the air again. During May, he hit .316 with a .953 OPS, four doubles, and three home runs.
Pitchers
The third team pitching staff begins with two arms who have already earned promotions from Augusta to Rome.
Mathieu Curtis has been one of the more effective relievers in the system this season. Overall, he owns a 2.14 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP while striking out nearly 30% of opposing hitters. His work in Augusta was particularly dominant, posting a 0.63 ERA across eight appearances. Drew Christo has followed a similar path. After recording a 2.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in Augusta, he earned a promotion to Rome where he has continued to excel. Through his first five appearances with the Emperors, Christo has allowed just three hits and zero runs.
Drue Hackenberg's development has not been quite as straightforward. After a difficult 2025 season that saw several of his metrics trend in the wrong direction, Hackenberg opened this year at the complex level. While the overall results were mixed, the strikeout ability remained evident as he punched out 12 batters in eight innings. More importantly, his return to Double-A could not have gone much better. In his first appearance back with Columbus, he tossed two hitless innings with one walk and five strikeouts. That is certainly a step in the right direction.
David Rodriguez rounds out the prospect side of the staff. The Rome reliever has quietly put together a strong season, posting a 3.13 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 30.3% strikeout rate across 23 innings.
And finally, we get to arguably the most underrated pitcher in professional baseball. Dylan Lee earns the final spot on the roster, and frankly, he deserves more appreciation than he gets nationally. Since the beginning of the 2024 season, Lee ranks:
7th in BB% (5.6%)
8th in WHIP (0.96)
10th in SIERA (2.64)
13th in ERA (2.49)
14th in Hard-Hit% (32.6%)
15th in K% (30.7%)
28th in FIP (3.16)
The names consistently appearing above him on those leaderboards include relievers such as Aroldis Chapman, Jason Adam, Andrés Muñoz, and Mason Miller. That is elite company. Yet somehow Lee still feels underappreciated outside of Atlanta.
Overall Takeaways
Atlanta currently has the best record in baseball. Drake Baldwin looks like a future star. Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. are beginning to look more like themselves. Matt Olson is once again producing like one of the game’s premier first basemen. At the major league level, there is a lot to be excited about.
The even better news is that the future appears just as bright.
For years, the Braves have been criticized for having one of the weaker farm systems in baseball. Whether that criticism was entirely fair is debatable, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to make that argument in 2026.
When we look back at the 2024 and 2025 drafts a few years from now, there is a real chance we view them as two of the better draft classes in franchise history. Prep selections Tate Southisene, Eric Hartman, Conor Essenburg, Owen Carey, Briggs McKenzie, Cam Caminiti, and Ethan Bagwell have all shown significant promise, while several college arms have developed far quicker than expected.
Time and time again, Atlanta’s scouting and player development departments continue to identify talent throughout the draft, not just at the top. That ability to find impact players in every round is one of the biggest reasons this organization continues to sustain success.
And let’s not forget what is coming next.
The Braves currently hold both the ninth overall selection and the 26th overall selection in the 2026 MLB Draft. That means another infusion of premium talent is on the way for a system that is already trending upward.
As Braves fans, there really has not been a better time to be invested in both the major league club and the farm system since the run to the 2021 World Series.
The present is exciting. The future is exciting.