Notable Braves Players to Watch in Arizona Fall League

Action in the Arizona Fall League is getting underway. The Atlanta Braves reps on the Glendale Desert Dogs will look to make the most of the extra playing time starting on Tuesday.

Here are some key names to watch in the AFL. We'll look at current Major Leaugers, top prospects and under-the-radar talent.

Nacho Alvarez Jr.

It's atypical for a Major Leaguer to get time in the AFL, but it's for a valid reason.

The time out in Arizona will help Alvarez make up for lost time. He missed Spring Training and the first couple of months of the season due to a wrist injury. He played well considering the time he missed, but the Braves want to make up for some of it.

Alvarez got the chance to play consistently in the Majors this season after Austin Riley went down with an abdominal injury.

Luke Sinnard (No. 16 Prospect)

The Braves' 2024 third-round pick is coming off his first season in professional baseball. He missed all of 2024 due to recovering from Tommy John surgery, but the Braves liked what they saw and took a flyer on him.

He dominated across seven starts with Single-A Augusta, posting a 0.92 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He had a simlar WHIP (1.19) with High-A Rome, but his ERA jumped to 4.19 in nine starts. A few more big hits here and there made a difference.

Since he hasn't played very much in the pros yet, this will be a chance to him to get innings under his belt for next season. The Braves have had a few rising pitching stars in their system lately. It would be huge for them if Sinnard could join that group.

Jhancarlos Lara (No. 21 Prospect)

Lara is a late addition to the Desert Dogs roster, being assign well after the initial roster was announced. He was called up to the Majors for the first time late last season but didn't see any action.

His arsenal continues to make him an intriguing prospect, even if the stats have translated yet. He has to highly rated pitches, a four-seamer and a slider. While he's been used as a starter to get him innings, the expectation is that he'll be a bullpen arm.

Jim Jarvis

Jarvis joined the Braves organization ahead of the trade deadline when Rafael Montero was shipped off to the Detroit Tigers. His stats weren't jumping off the screen, but the Braves saw something in him, and he helped justify it.

He saw an improved performance after arriving in Columbus. His OPS went up to .705 from .652 when playing with Columbus vs when he was up in Erie with the Seawolves. Once he reached Triple-A, he went 3-for-9 with two doubles and two RBIs.

As we get into next season, the team's middle infield could be a discussion point. A strong performance in the AFL could help put Jarvis on the map for next season.

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