MILWAUKEE - The Braves are sending seven prospects to the Arizona Fall League, which begins its six-week campaign Oct. 13. Braves prospects will play for the Peoria Javelinas, who also will feature prospects from the Padres, Pirates, Phillies and Mariners.
Catcher Shea Langeliers headlines the Braves’ group. Langeliers, the team’s top catching prospect, had an impressive season at Double-A Mississippi, resulting in a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett at season’s end. The Baylor product, whom the Braves drafted ninth overall in 2019, showed his budding power (22 homers) and defensive prowess, throwing out 42% of potential base-stealers.
Langeliers is on track to join the major-league club sometime next season. He’ll log valuable reps in Arizona this fall before likely beginning next season in Gwinnett. While the Braves re-signed veteran Travis d’Arnaud to a two-year deal, Langeliers is considered their future at the position, along with fellow backstop prospect William Contreras.
Other Braves prospects with Peoria are outfielder Jesse Franklin, infielder Luke Waddell, right-handers Victor Vodnik, Indigo Diaz and William Woods, and left-hander Jake Higginbotham.
Franklin was part of the 2020 draft class and spent the past season at high Single-A Rome. Waddell, a Georgia Tech product, was a fifth-round pick in this summer’s draft. Vodnik spent much of the season on the injured list, logging only 11 starts in Double-A. Diaz finished the season in Mississippi, where he posted a 1.50 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 18 innings. Woods completed the season in Rome, while Higginbotham, 25, finished with one appearance in Double-A.
Notable prospects who will join the Braves’ youngsters with the Javelinas include lefty MacKenzie Gore (Padres), right-hander Hans Crouse (Phillies), infielder CJ Abrams (Padres), infielder Bryson Stott (Phillies) and infielder Nick Gonzales (Pirates).
