2025 Atlanta Braves Prospect Year in Review: Owen Murphy

The Atlanta Braves struggled immensely with pitching on their way to one of the more disappointing seasons in the team’s recent memory. However, help seems to be on the way, at least long-term, in the form of prospects.

In fact, seven of the Braves’ top-10 prospects are pitchers, which bodes well for the future of the team, regardless of whether these prospects are brought to the show by the Braves or traded for other key pieces.

Owen Murphy, the Braves’ No. 8 overall prospect, was drafted with the 20th pick of the 2022 MLB Draft and has been developing in the Minor Leagues ever since. Had he not been drafted out of high school, he was expected to be a two-way player at Notre Dame.

Back in May of 2024, Murphy went down for the season with one of the most dreaded injuries a pitcher can have: Tommy John’s. Despite a diagnosis that can prove to be career-altering, Murphy had quite a strong return to baseball once he was medically cleared to play in 2025. 

Murphy pitched just three innings in rookie ball this year before moving back to High-A, where he’s been for the majority of his professional career. Murphy started all six games he played in High-A and posted a 3-0 record with a 1.32 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP.

Needless to say, Murphy has quite a bit of potential, as he posted the best ERA of his career after returning from an injury that’s ended the careers of many a pitcher. On the 20-to-80 scale, Murphy’s fastball and slider are both rated at a 55, above average for a Major League pitcher.

Overall, Murphy looked quite strong coming off his injury, though he was limited to an average of about four innings per start, so there’s room to grow there.

Murphy is expected to make his debut in 2028, so the Braves certainly have a good pitcher with strong upside on the way if they’re just willing to let him have a little more time in the oven. After all, he’s a young pitcher who’s not only coming off of an injury, but is also still looking to find his footing in professional baseball. 

Once he gets his footing, though, he could prove to be the next in a line of great Braves pitchers. Despite limitations, he showed tremendous grit and dedication, resulting in a great recovery season. The future looks strong for the young righty.

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