At the beginning of the 2026 season, I’ll admit that the Double-A Columbus Clingstones weren’t exactly at the top of my list of Braves minor league teams to put on the TV. It’s not that the roster lacked intriguing players, but rather that many of the organization’s most exciting prospects were starting the season at the levels below.
Well, that changed pretty quickly. As some of Atlanta’s top prospects continued playing their way through the system, they inevitably found themselves in Columbus. Suddenly, a roster that didn’t initially grab my attention became one of the more interesting teams to follow.
As I’ve mentioned throughout this series, the jump from High-A to Double-A is arguably the most difficult transition a prospect will make before reaching the majors. The pitching is better, the hitters are more advanced, and the room for error gets considerably smaller.
Because of that, several players who appeared on my previous lists weren’t necessarily able to replicate their production once they reached Columbus. And that’s perfectly fine. The experience they gained against more advanced competition is invaluable, and it should put them in a better position to hit the ground running in 2027.
Still, there were a handful of players who didn’t seem particularly bothered by the jump in competition. Some were highly regarded prospects living up to expectations, while others were overlooked names who may have put themselves into legitimate big league consideration.
Let’s get into the guys who caught my attention.
The Bats That Stood Out
John Gil (2023 | IFA | DR | $110,000)
When talking about the position players who stood out in Columbus this season, I don’t think there’s a better place to start than John Gil. Even Braves fans who don’t spend their free time obsessing over prospect rankings have probably heard his name by now.
Gil was part of Atlanta’s 2023 international free agent class, a group headlined by Luis Guanipa. Despite receiving the fifth-highest signing bonus in the class, Gil signed for just $110,000. Looking back, that investment is starting to look like quite the bargain.
As a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League, Gil appeared in 48 games, posting a .795 OPS and 127 wRC+. He followed that up by splitting the 2024 season between the complex and Single-A Augusta, showing early signs that there might be something special developing.
In 2025, Gil spent the majority of his season back in Augusta, posting a .731 OPS, 118 wRC+, and an impressive 0.89 BB/K ratio. He also swiped 50 bases across 100 games, giving us a pretty good idea of just how much his speed can impact a game. Atlanta rewarded that performance with a brief taste of Double-A to finish the year.
Entering 2026, the Braves invited Gil to major league Spring Training, where he recorded three hits in 19 at-bats, including two home runs, four walks, and two stolen bases. He opened the regular season with High-A Rome, posting a .724 OPS, 100 wRC+, and 43 stolen bases before earning another promotion to Columbus.
And that’s where things got really interesting. Across 35 games in Double-A, Gil slashed .315/.385/.427 with an .812 OPS, 120 wRC+, and another 17 stolen bases. Remember how I said the jump to Double-A is typically the toughest in the minor leagues? Apparently, nobody told John Gil.
What impressed me even more than the improved production was what happened underneath the surface. After striking out at a 21.6% clip in Single-A, Gil lowered that number to just 16.8% in Double-A. His 85.8% zone contact rate ranked in the 85th percentile at the level, while his 24.7% chase rate landed in the 74th percentile and his 24.5% whiff rate ranked in the 73rd percentile. That’s a pretty encouraging combination for any player, let alone a 20-year-old facing competition roughly four years older than him.
The one area where I’d still like to see Gil take another step is his power. To his credit, he’s made progress every season, and he’s clearly been working to add good weight and strength to his frame. That showed up in a career-high 14 home runs this year. Still, I think there’s more in the tank.
Ideally, I’d love to see Gil become more of a consistent gap-to-gap threat in 2027. Something in the neighborhood of 15 home runs and 25 doubles would be a fantastic next step. Combine that with his plus-plus speed, which essentially allows him to turn any walk or single into a double, and we’re talking about a player who could start getting serious national attention.
I’d expect Gil to open next season back in Columbus for his age 21 campaign, potentially rotating around the infield with Tate Southisene and Alex Lodise. Atlanta’s long-term future at shortstop remains uncertain, but having those three competing for the opportunity is a pretty good problem to have.
David McCabe (2022 | R4 P125 | UNC Charlotte | $476,400)
When talking about the Atlanta Braves and talent pipelines, most fans immediately think of Curaçao. And for good reason. Andruw Jones, Jair Jurrjens, Ozzie Albies, and Kenley Jansen are just a few of the names who have represented the organization over the years.
(LC: I’m shocked/dismayed you didn’t include Andrelton Simmons in this list.)
But recently, Atlanta has quietly been building another pipeline a little farther north. Canada.
David McCabe is just one of several examples of the Braves finding intriguing talent north of the border. A native of Oshawa, Ontario, McCabe attended UNC Charlotte, where he was named a Freshman All-American during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. By 2022, he had developed into one of the better hitters in Conference USA, posting a ridiculous 1.297 OPS and 201 wRC+ while earning Third Team All-American and First Team All-Conference USA honors.
Atlanta selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and he’s been working his way through the system ever since. McCabe posted a .697 OPS in 26 games with Single-A Augusta following the draft before breaking out in 2023, when he combined for an .835 OPS and 17 home runs between Single-A and High-A. He struggled after making the initial jump to Double-A in 2024, but bounced back last season with an .813 OPS across 105 games before earning his first promotion to Triple-A.
This year, McCabe spent 53 of his 78 games back in Columbus, and frankly, he looked like a player who didn’t have much left to prove at the level. He slashed .282/.382/.580 with a .962 OPS, 149 wRC+, and 16 home runs. He eventually returned to Triple-A Gwinnett, where he continued hitting, posting a .319 batting average and .867 OPS.
Across both levels, McCabe finished with 20 home runs and 13 doubles, showing exactly why his bat has always been the most intriguing part of his profile.
And that’s important, because McCabe doesn’t have much defensive flexibility to fall back on. He’s essentially limited to the corner infield positions or designated hitter, meaning his bat is going to have to carry most of his value. Fortunately, it can be a pretty dangerous one.
McCabe posted a solid 13.2% walk rate this season, but the 24.5% strikeout rate and 28.8% whiff rate were a little higher than I’d like from someone who needs to produce offensively to remain valuable. As a switch hitter, he also showed considerably better results from the left side of the plate than the right. Neither issue is necessarily a deal breaker, but both are worth monitoring as he gets more exposure to Triple-A pitching.
The bigger question might be whether there’s actually a spot for him in Atlanta. With Matt Olson and Austin Riley firmly established at the corners, McCabe doesn’t have an obvious path to everyday playing time. The Braves have also expressed interest in moving away from having a permanent designated hitter, which could complicate matters further.
Still, I wouldn’t completely dismiss the possibility of McCabe forcing his way into the conversation. For a team that could use a little more consistency and power throughout the lineup, having a switch hitter with legitimate pop waiting in Triple-A isn’t the worst insurance policy.
If McCabe continues mashing, Atlanta may eventually have to find a way to get his bat into the lineup. At the very least, I think he’s an underrated internal option worth keeping an eye on in 2027.
Lizandro Espinoza (2019 | IFA | VEN| N/A)
Not every player on this list followed the traditional path through Atlanta’s farm system. In fact, Lizandro Espinoza’s journey to Columbus looks quite a bit different from most of the names we’ve discussed throughout this series.
Espinoza originally signed with the St. Louis Cardinals during the 2019 international signing period for a small, undisclosed bonus. Because of the pandemic, he didn’t make his professional debut until 2021, when he appeared in the Dominican Summer League as an 18-year-old. The Cardinals brought him stateside to the complex in 2022 before he spent the following two seasons at their Single-A affiliate.
Near the end of the 2024 Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft, Atlanta decided to take a few chances on players from other organizations. Espinoza was one of them.
At the time, he was a relatively light-hitting infielder without much prospect buzz. The Braves assigned him to High-A Rome in 2025, where he struggled to a .201 batting average and 87 wRC+. However, there was one notable development.
For the first time in his professional career, Espinoza started showing some legitimate power, recording 15 doubles, three triples, and 10 home runs. He received a 12-game look at Double-A to finish the season, adding another four doubles and two home runs.
That improvement carried over into 2026. Espinoza opened the year with Columbus and put together the best offensive stretch of his professional career, slashing .278/.404/.500 with a .904 OPS across 37 games. Atlanta rewarded him with a promotion to Triple-A, although the success didn’t immediately follow him. He struggled to a .206 batting average and 75 wRC+ at the highest minor league level.
Still, I found his Double-A performance particularly interesting because of the improvements in his approach. His strikeout rate remained somewhat elevated at 24.4%, but he also posted a career-best 14.1% walk rate. Espinoza continued to deal with some swing-and-miss, although he was clearly making an effort to generate more damage when he connected.
His 17.8% pull air rate was a particularly encouraging development. Getting more baseballs into the air to the pull side is one of the most effective ways for hitters to unlock additional power, and Espinoza seemed to be finding some success doing exactly that.
Since acquiring him for virtually nothing, Atlanta has experimented with Espinoza at second base, shortstop, and even center field. That versatility may ultimately be just as important as the offensive improvements.
He’ll be entering his age 24 season in 2027, so he’s still relatively young despite already having several years of professional experience. My biggest hope is that he can find his footing in Triple-A, continue building on the additional power, and make some improvements to his bat-to-ball skills.
I don’t necessarily envision Espinoza developing into an everyday starter in Atlanta. However, there’s absolutely value in a player who can move between the infield and outfield while providing some offensive upside off the bench. The Braves have historically valued that type of versatility, and I think a utility role is a realistic outcome if Espinoza continues developing. For the price Atlanta paid to acquire him, that would be a pretty nice return.
Adam Zebrowski (2021 | R13 P397 | St John Fisher College | $125,000)
One of the biggest power breakouts in Atlanta’s minor league system this season came from a name that probably isn’t familiar to most Braves fans: Adam Zebrowski.
The Braves selected Zebrowski in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of St. John Fisher College, a small school in Rochester, New York. And when I say he dominated the competition there, I mean he dominated. Across 38 games in his final college season, Zebrowski slashed an absurd .500/.594/.993 with a 1.587 OPS. Yes, you read that correctly.
Naturally, those numbers earned him an opportunity in professional baseball, although the transition wasn’t quite as smooth.
Zebrowski posted a .597 OPS in 17 games between the complex and Single-A after being drafted. He improved to a .747 OPS between Single-A and High-A the following season, but failed to reach a .700 OPS in either of the next two years while bouncing between High-A and Double-A.
At that point, there wasn’t much reason to believe a significant offensive breakout was around the corner. Then 2026 happened. Zebrowski spent 62 of his 83 games with Columbus and finally put everything together at the plate, slashing .271/.343/.589 with a .932 OPS, 138 wRC+, and a career-high 19 home runs. Atlanta also gave him some time in Triple-A during the middle of the season, although he struggled to a .200 average and .717 OPS.
There’s no denying the power was impressive. What makes Zebrowski’s season particularly interesting, however, is that he managed to produce those numbers despite some pretty significant swing-and-miss concerns.
He’s an aggressive hitter, posting a 51.6% swing rate, which contributed to a 32.1% chase rate and a concerning 38.6% whiff rate. His 32.2% strikeout rate with Columbus was also the highest of his professional career.
That’s a lot of empty swings. And yet, when Zebrowski did make contact, he made it count.
This is where evaluating his season gets a little tricky. On one hand, a catcher capable of hitting nearly 20 home runs in fewer than 100 games is intriguing. On the other, striking out nearly a third of the time against Double-A pitching doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that the production will translate against better competition.
He will also be entering his age 27 season in 2027, meaning he’s not a young prospect with several years to iron out those issues. However, I don’t think we should completely overlook what he accomplished.
I’d like to see Atlanta give Zebrowski an extended opportunity between Double-A and Triple-A next season to determine whether this power breakout is sustainable. The swing and miss may simply be part of who he is as a hitter, but even modest improvements could make a meaningful difference.
If he can trim the strikeouts while maintaining this level of impact when he connects, there’s value in having a power-hitting catcher available as organizational depth. You can never have too many of those in your back pocket.
Jordan Groshans (2018| R1 P12 | Magnolia | $3,400,000)
I’m not sure there’s a player on this list who did more to change the narrative surrounding his career than Jordan Groshans. And considering where his career was just a year ago, that’s saying something.
The Toronto Blue Jays selected Groshans with the 12th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, immediately making him one of the organization’s most highly regarded young players. For a while, he looked every bit the part. Groshans posted at least a 124 wRC+ in each of his first three seasons in Toronto’s organization, including stops at Single-A and Double-A. However, he struggled after reaching Triple-A in 2022 and was eventually traded to the Miami Marlins at the deadline.
Things never really came together in Miami, either. He was designated for assignment before the 2024 season and subsequently bounced through the Athletics, Yankees, and Royals organizations as he tried to work his way back to the major leagues.
By the time Atlanta signed him to a minor league contract in January 2026, Groshans was a former top prospect looking for another opportunity. The Braves assigned him to Double-A Columbus, and suddenly, something clicked.
Groshans slashed .282/.344/.588 with a .932 OPS, 138 wRC+, and a ridiculous 30 home runs. To put that into perspective, he had hit just 31 home runs across his entire professional career entering the season. In other words, Groshans nearly doubled his career home run total in a single year. That’s a pretty remarkable turnaround.
What makes the breakout even more interesting is that it wasn’t simply a case of a hitter selling out for power and hoping for the best. Yes, Groshans walked at just an 8.3% clip, but his underlying contact numbers were legitimately encouraging. He posted a 29.0% chase rate, 23.9% whiff rate, and 84.3% zone contact rate.
He wasn’t constantly chasing pitches outside the strike zone, and he was making consistent contact with pitches inside it. The biggest difference was what happened when he connected. Groshans was suddenly doing considerably more damage, turning a profile that had previously lacked impact into one of the more productive power bats in the organization.
Now, we have to acknowledge that he was an experienced player facing Double-A competition. That context matters, and it’s part of why I wouldn’t immediately assume this breakout means he’s going to become a major league regular. But I also don’t think you can simply brush aside 30 home runs, especially when the underlying contact numbers provide some support for the improvement.
Groshans eventually earned another opportunity at Triple-A, where he posted a respectable .796 OPS and 104 wRC+.
I’d love to see Atlanta bring him back next season and give him an extended opportunity in Gwinnett. If he can carry even a portion of this power into Triple-A, he could put himself right back into the conversation for a major league bench job.
Of course, after a resurgence like this, he may have earned an opportunity with another organization. Either way, it’s been pretty cool watching a former top prospect rediscover some of the potential that made him such a highly regarded player in the first place.
The Arms That Caught My Attention
Cam Caminiti (2024 | R1 P24 | Saguaro | $3,553,800)
There weren’t many pitchers in Atlanta’s farm system entering 2026 with more excitement surrounding them than Cam Caminiti. And somehow, he managed to exceed those expectations.
Widely considered one of the top three prospects in the organization, Caminiti has been on an accelerated development path almost from the moment the Braves selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Originally regarded as one of the premier prep arms in his class, Caminiti reclassified to enter the draft at just 17 years old. Fortunately for Atlanta, that decision helped him fall right into their lap.
The Braves wasted little time getting him into professional baseball, giving him one start with Single-A Augusta after the draft. He pitched three innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, and no walks while striking out four. A small sample, sure, but it was an encouraging first impression.
Caminiti returned to Augusta in 2025 and immediately looked like one of the more advanced young pitchers in the system. Across 13 starts, he posted a 2.08 ERA, 2.74 FIP, and 31.9% strikeout rate. Oh, and he was just 18 years old.
Atlanta has never been particularly shy about aggressively promoting its pitching prospects, and Caminiti quickly showed why the organization felt comfortable pushing him.
He opened the 2026 season with High-A Rome for his age 19 campaign, making 17 starts and posting a 3.89 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, and 26.1% strikeout rate. Those numbers might not immediately jump off the page compared to his dominant 2025 performance, but the context is important. Caminiti was facing considerably more advanced competition while continuing to miss bats at an impressive rate.
Eventually, Atlanta decided he had shown enough and promoted him to Double-A Columbus. And once again, Caminiti didn’t look particularly intimidated.
Across six starts, the young lefty allowed just eight hits and seven runs, finishing with an impressive 2.01 ERA. His walk rate did climb to 12.5%, but he maintained a 25.0% strikeout rate despite facing some of the best competition he’d seen in his professional career.
For me, the most encouraging part of Caminiti’s brief Double-A stint was his continued ability to generate swings and misses. He posted a 34.5% chase rate, ranking in the 94th percentile at the level, while his 29.5% whiff rate landed in the 60th percentile. I know I keep bringing up his age, but I think it’s impossible to properly evaluate Caminiti without emphasizing just how young he is relative to the competition.
We’re talking about a teenager who has already demonstrated the ability to miss bats against Double-A hitters. That’s not something you see every day. Of course, there are still areas where I’d like to see improvement.
Caminiti’s command took a bit of a step back after the promotion, particularly when it came to consistently finding the strike zone. The increased walk rate is something Atlanta will need to address as he continues moving toward the majors. When he’s attacking hitters and getting ahead in counts, Caminiti has the arsenal to be a legitimate strikeout artist. The next step is learning how to consistently put himself in those favorable situations rather than relying on his stuff to work around unnecessary baserunners.
He’ll still be just 20 years old for the majority of the 2027 season, and I’d expect him to open the year back in Columbus. From there, things could get interesting pretty quickly. If Caminiti can regain the command he displayed at High-A while maintaining his ability to miss bats, I wouldn’t completely rule out a major league debut at some point in 2027.
Would that be aggressive? Absolutely.
But we’ve seen Atlanta reward young pitchers who force the organization’s hand before, with Didier Fuentes and AJ Smith-Shawver serving as recent examples. A 2028 debut might be the more realistic expectation, but Caminiti has already shown an ability to move through the system faster than most. At this point, I wouldn’t put much past him.
Drue Hackenberg (2023 | R2 P59 | Virginia Tech | $1,997,500)
I’ll be the first to admit that Drue Hackenberg was a draft selection I wasn’t particularly fond of when Atlanta made it. And I know I wasn’t alone.
After two seasons at Virginia Tech, including a final campaign in which he posted a 5.70 ERA, the Braves selected Hackenberg in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft. For me, the profile simply didn’t warrant that level of investment at the time. There were legitimate questions surrounding his command and overall effectiveness, and I wasn’t convinced the Braves were getting the type of pitcher who could justify such a high selection.
A few years later, there have certainly been some ups and downs, but I’m beginning to understand what Atlanta saw in him.
The organization gave Hackenberg brief looks at Single-A and Double-A following the draft, but his first full professional season in 2024 was when things started getting interesting. He opened the year at High-A, posting a 3.64 ERA across 12 starts, before improving to a 3.13 ERA in nine Double-A starts. Atlanta then promoted him to Triple-A, where he finished the season with a 1.52 ERA across four starts.
It was an encouraging progression, and one that gave plenty of people reason to believe the Braves might have found something.
Unfortunately, 2025 didn’t exactly go according to plan. Hackenberg returned to Double-A Columbus for 18 starts and saw his ERA balloon to 6.99. His walk rate climbed to 16.1%, while his strikeout rate dropped to just 17.3%.
That’s a pretty concerning combination for any pitcher, particularly one who had shown so much promise the year before. To his credit, Hackenberg responded with some encouraging performances in 2026. He spent time at the complex, Double-A, and Triple-A, but it was his five starts with Columbus that really caught my attention.
Across those outings, Hackenberg allowed just 14 hits and three earned runs while walking five and striking out 26. He allowed no more than four hits or one run in any of those five starts, showing the type of consistency that had been missing the previous season.
Even more encouraging was how he accomplished it. Hackenberg posted a 51.2% zone rate and generated ground balls at a 57.1% clip. For a pitcher whose biggest struggles have often revolved around throwing strikes, seeing him consistently attack the zone was a welcome development. And the ground ball production is an added bonus.
Of course, we can’t ignore that Hackenberg struggled again during his time in Triple-A. Much of that came down to the same problem we’ve seen throughout his professional career: an inability to consistently throw strikes.
That’s what makes him such an interesting, and at times frustrating, pitcher to evaluate. The stuff is there. His curveball and cutter give him legitimate weapons to generate chase and swing-and-miss, and we’ve seen stretches where he looks like the pitcher Atlanta envisioned when selecting him in the second round. The challenge has been putting it all together consistently.
I’d expect Hackenberg to spend time between Double-A and Triple-A again next season, with the primary focus being on improving his command. If he can carry over the strike-throwing ability he displayed in Columbus this year, there’s still a pathway for him to develop into a useful major league arm.
I’m not completely sold on the profile just yet, but I’m certainly more interested than I was when Atlanta originally drafted him. And after watching his progress this season, I’m willing to give him some more time to prove me wrong.
Herick Hernandez (2024 | R4 P129 | Miami (FL) | $472,500)
One of Atlanta’s more intriguing young lefties was quickly working his way up the organizational ladder before running into some familiar developmental issues. Herick Hernandez has the type of swing-and-miss ability that immediately catches my attention. The question now is whether he can consistently throw enough strikes to make the most of it.
Atlanta selected Hernandez in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Miami, giving him one start at both Single-A and High-A before the season ended.
His first extended opportunity came in 2025, when he made 22 appearances, including 21 starts, at High-A Rome. Hernandez posted a respectable 3.57 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and an impressive 28.7% strikeout rate. The stuff was clearly there, but so were some significant command issues, as evidenced by his 15.3% walk rate.
That was the tradeoff. He could miss bats with the best of them, but he also had a frustrating tendency to put hitters on base without making them earn it.
Unfortunately, that trend continued in 2026. Hernandez made at least one start at Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, with 11 of his 18 starts coming in Columbus. During that Double-A stint, he posted an impressive 2.80 ERA and 32.5% strikeout rate. And if you thought those numbers were encouraging, the underlying data was arguably even better.
Hernandez generated a ridiculous 37.5% whiff rate, ranking in the 92nd percentile at the level. His 16.2% swinging strike rate and 31.3% called-strike-plus-whiff rate (CSW) also ranked at least in the 78th percentile. In other words, hitters had a difficult time making contact with his pitches.
The problem was getting those pitches into the strike zone in the first place. Hernandez walked 15.7% of the batters he faced in Double-A, and that number increased to 17.1% after reaching Triple-A. His 42.6% zone rate was another indication of just how much work remains in that area. Even with his impressive strikeout numbers, that’s simply not a sustainable formula as he moves closer to the major leagues.
The frustrating part is that his arsenal is legitimately exciting. Hernandez features a low- to mid-90s four-seam fastball and a slider that generated a 40.6% chase rate and 48.4% whiff rate. He also throws a curveball that produced a remarkable 69.2% whiff rate, along with a sinker that generated a respectable 31.3% whiff rate of its own.
There’s no shortage of pitches capable of getting hitters out. However, his four-seam fastball was arguably his biggest problem this season, as he managed to throw it in the strike zone just 38.1% of the time. And for me, that’s where the focus needs to be moving forward.
I’d expect Hernandez to open 2027 back in Triple-A, where Atlanta can continue working with him on his command, particularly with the fastball. There’s also a legitimate argument that his long-term future might be in the bullpen rather than the starting rotation. I tend to agree with that possibility.
With the type of swing-and-miss he generates, Hernandez could eventually become a pretty dangerous left-handed reliever, especially if Atlanta allows him to lean more heavily on his best secondary offerings in shorter appearances. And considering the Braves’ continued need for reliable bullpen options, there’s certainly an opportunity for someone with his profile.
But whether he’s starting games or coming out of the bullpen, the same issue remains. The walks have to come down. If Hernandez can figure that part out, I think there’s a legitimate major league arm here.
Tyler LaPorte (2025 | MiLB FA | Independent | N/A)
Every once in a while, you come across a prospect whose journey to professional baseball is so unusual that you can’t help but root for him. For the Braves, that seems to happen every other year. This time, it’s Tyler LaPorte. And when you look at the path he took to reach Double-A Columbus, it’s pretty remarkable that he’s even in this position.
LaPorte spent four years playing baseball at Southern University, although pitching wasn’t exactly his primary responsibility. He actually appeared in more games at shortstop (41) and third base (55) than he did as a pitcher (4).
After going undrafted, LaPorte continued pursuing professional baseball through the independent leagues, playing with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League while also joining the MLB Draft League in 2021, where he began transitioning into a pitcher.
He returned to Lancaster in 2022, but appeared in just 4.1 innings. In 2023, LaPorte made 18 appearances for the Barnstormers, posting a 7.36 ERA. He also joined the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Frontier League, where he found considerably more success, posting a 0.84 ERA across nine appearances.
That improvement carried over into 2024. LaPorte returned to Windy City and put together an impressive season, posting a 3.03 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 13.1 K/9 across 39 appearances.
Apparently, someone in Atlanta was paying attention. The Braves brought LaPorte into the organization for the 2025 season, initially assigning him to High-A Rome. He made an immediate impression.
Across 24 innings out of the bullpen, LaPorte allowed just four earned runs and seven walks while striking out 21. Atlanta rewarded him with a promotion to Double-A, although he struggled to maintain that same level of success across his final 21 appearances.
Then came 2026. LaPorte spent the entire season in the Columbus bullpen, making 43 appearances and posting a phenomenal 1.84 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .140 batting average against, and 36.3% strikeout rate. Those are some pretty ridiculous numbers. And somehow, the underlying data might be even more impressive.
LaPorte posted a 30.1% chase rate, 33.8% whiff rate, and allowed opposing hitters to make contact with just 72.8% of pitches they swung at in the zone.
But here’s my favorite part. On the occasions hitters actually managed to put the ball in play, LaPorte generated ground balls at an absurd 70.4% clip. That ranked in the 100th percentile at the Double-A level.
Think about that for a second. Not only was LaPorte striking out more than a third of the hitters he faced, but when opponents managed to make contact, they were overwhelmingly putting the ball on the ground. That’s about as encouraging a combination as you can ask for from a relief pitcher.
His arsenal is pretty intriguing, too. LaPorte features a fastball that sits between 94 and 97 mph, a slider that approaches 3,000 rpm, and a sinker that operates in the mid-90s. He’s also shown some feel for a changeup, curveball, and sweeper. That’s a pretty interesting collection of pitches for someone who was primarily a position player in college.
Now, there is one obvious thing working against LaPorte. He’ll be entering his age 30 season in 2027. Nobody is going to mistake him for a young, emerging pitching prospect with years of development still ahead of him.
But here’s the thing: I’m not sure that matters all that much.
If LaPorte can continue generating this level of swing and miss while keeping the ball on the ground, there’s absolutely a role for him in professional baseball. And we’ve already seen Atlanta get meaningful major league contributions from pitchers who took unconventional paths to get there.
Tyler Matzek, Grant Holmes, and Ray Kerr are all examples of pitchers who found success after their careers took unexpected turns with the Atlanta organization. I’m not saying LaPorte is guaranteed to follow in their footsteps, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.
For someone who spent years grinding through independent baseball just to earn an opportunity, the fact that we’re even discussing a potential major league future is pretty impressive. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on him in 2027.
Luis Vargas (2018 | IFA | DR | N/A)
The final name on this list is a pitcher who has been in the Braves organization since before the pandemic, but somehow is still just 24 years old: Luis Vargas.
Atlanta signed Vargas out of the Dominican Republic during the 2018 international signing period for a small, undisclosed bonus. It was during the organization’s international free agent restrictions, with Rolddy Muñoz being another notable name from that class.
Vargas spent the early portion of his professional career working through the lower levels of the system, not pitching above Single-A until 2023. That season, he made 14 appearances, posting a 4.37 ERA and 22.2% strikeout rate.
He followed it up with a solid 2024 campaign, recording a 3.87 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 25.8% strikeout rate across 23 appearances split between Single-A and Double-A. Nothing particularly eye-popping, but enough to show there was still something worth developing.
Then, in 2025, things started to change. Vargas opened the season with five appearances at High-A Rome, allowing just four hits, two earned runs, and two walks while striking out 13. That performance earned him a promotion to Double-A, where he experienced some growing pains. However, even as the overall results fluctuated, one thing became increasingly clear. Vargas was developing into a legitimate swing-and-miss pitcher.
The transition into a full-time relief role appeared to be helping him maximize his stuff, and that progress became even more evident in 2026. Vargas made 44 of his 49 appearances out of Columbus’ bullpen this season, posting a 3.23 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and an outstanding 37.8% strikeout rate. And much like Tyler LaPorte, the underlying numbers tell an even more encouraging story.
Vargas generated a 33.17% chase rate and an impressive 40.3% whiff rate, while opposing hitters managed just a 77.4% zone contact rate. Those were some of the better swing-and-miss numbers at the Double-A level this season.
What makes Vargas particularly interesting is that he doesn’t necessarily need an extensive arsenal to generate those results. He’s primarily a two-pitch pitcher, featuring a mid-to-upper-90s fastball and a slider that produced a 38.9% whiff rate this year. It’s a relatively straightforward combination, but one that has become increasingly effective as he’s settled into the bullpen.
I wouldn’t necessarily describe Vargas as having an elite arsenal, especially compared to some of the other arms we’ve discussed throughout this series. But at some point, the production has to speak for itself.
Over the past two seasons, Vargas has shown significant improvements in his ability to miss bats, and he’s now generating strikeouts at a rate that makes him difficult to ignore.
He’ll be entering his age 25 season in 2027, and I think there’s a legitimate opportunity for him to work his way into Atlanta’s bullpen conversation. The Braves have made it pretty clear that finding dependable internal relief options remains important, particularly given how quickly bullpen depth can disappear over the course of a season.
That doesn’t mean Vargas is going to arrive in Atlanta and immediately become a reliable late-inning weapon. However, a pitcher who can consistently miss bats with a decent-velocity fastball and an effective slider is exactly the type of arm worth giving an opportunity.
I’d expect him to see time in Triple-A next season, and if the strikeout numbers continue looking anything like they did in Columbus, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get a shot in Atlanta at some point.
For a pitcher who entered the organization eight years ago without much fanfare, that would be a pretty impressive accomplishment.