3 Braves prospects who should excite the fan base in 2026

The Braves are less than two weeks from reporting to spring training, embarking on what they hope will be a season that features an emphatic rebound from their injury-plagued 76-win 2025 campaign.

But behind the scenes, the organization has continued reloading its farm system. The Braves have gathered a bevy of fascinating young pitchers, several of them appearing prime for breakout years. The position-player talent is still lacking, though last summer’s draft injected some depth there.

A year ago, we picked three prospects who could emerge in 2025. One was pitcher Didier Fuentes, who actually made his MLB debut at age 19 and pitched in four games. Fuentes wasn’t ready, understandably so, but his repertoire did impress. He has an important season ahead, one in which he’ll focus on maturing in the minor leagues. He could return to the majors, should the Braves be in a pinch — and that’s often the case as a reality of the 162-game season — but he shouldn’t be a fixture.

As for the other prospects we cited, shortstop Jose Perdomo didn’t realize some of that offensive potential that made him a heralded signee out of Venezuela in the 2024 class, though he’s just 19 years young. He has plenty of time to develop.

Pitcher Blake Burkhalter, 25, had a 3.32 ERA over 32 games (16 starts) in Double-A and Triple-A. He finished the season with the latter, making 18 relief appearances and two starts with a 3.77 ERA. The Braves left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft but he remains in the organization. He needs to exhibit more consistent command, but it’s possible he reaches the majors this season.

It’s important to remember the Braves have benefited greatly from their prospects who never ranked among the industry’s top 100. Players like Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach didn’t have much hype before becoming successful major leaguers.

Now, onto the 2026 prospects who could get your attention this summer:

Right-hander Owen Murphy

This might be the easiest pick of the lot. Murphy appeared to be taking a leap early in 2024 before he required Tommy John surgery in May. He was dominating in High-A Rome, leading the South Atlantic League in ERA (1.54) and ranking second in strikeouts (60).

He returned to the field last season and pitched in seven games — six for Rome — with a 1.32 ERA. He had 29 strikeouts against six walks in 27⅓ innings.

Murphy, a two-way talent in high school who has focused strictly on pitching since joining the Braves as the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 draft, was deemed a potential fast riser by former head of scouting Dana Brown.

The injury stalled him, but Murphy is still just 22 and certainly could ascend quickly if he performs similar to his recent smaller sample sizes. He’s developing a well-rounded repertoire that includes a curveball, change-up and slider that’s becoming a legitimate out pitch.

Shortstop John Gil

If one follows the Braves’ farm system, they’ve likely heard of Gil, who began getting noticed last summer and is now regarded among the better position-player prospects in the system. Gil, 19, was part of the team’s 2023 international class.

Gil’s physical skill set has already impressed at his ripe age. He’s shown remarkable speed and has compiled 114 stolen bases in 245 games, including 50 in 100 games at Low-A Augusta last season. The speed helps him cover ground defensively, too.

He hasn’t yet blossomed offensively, but Gil has shown a good feel for the zone and he makes consistent contact. His growth there will determine what he can be, but the early results are extremely encouraging and give him something upon which to build.

Shortstop Alex Lodise