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The Atlanta Braves Non-Roster Invitees Primer

Originally posted on Just Baseball | By Taylor Greenhut | Last updated Feb 14, 2026 12:35 PM ET

The Super Bowl has wrapped up, congratulations to Seattle, which means baseball season is officially around the corner. Spring training is ramping up and the focus for Braves fans have shifted to North Port, Florida.

Last week, the Atlanta Braves released their list of non-roster invitees joining the big-league camp. The volume invited itself turned heads, and so did several of the names. The reaction across Braves Country felt noticeably different than it did a year ago.

Heading into last spring, there was much more uncertainty and frustration. The Braves made only one notable signing in Jurickson Profar. There were bullpen spots to fill. The rotation had serious question marks. The outfield was unsettled as Ronald Acuña Jr. continued to rehab his knee injury. Many non-roster invitees were brought in out of necessity rather than excitement.

This year feels different. Even with the injury to Ha-Seong Kim and unknown timelines for Grant Holmes, Joe Jimenez, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Sean Murphy, the roster feels deeper. There are still areas that could be addressed, and roster movement will continue up until Opening Day. But compared to last spring, the Braves are operating more from a position of strength rather than scrambling for answers.

So why did this list generate so much buzz? Let’s dive in.

Big League Returners

Let’s start with the players who have already logged innings in Atlanta.

Hayden Harris was one of the better stories in baseball last season. An undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Georgia Southern, Harris had what most would call a solid but unspectacular college career.

He posted ERAs north of 4.00 with WHIPs of 1.21 and 1.57 in 2023 and 2024, yet the Braves aggressively pushed him from Single-A to Triple-A.

That decision paid off. Across 43 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season, Harris posted a 0.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and a 4.16 strikeout to walk ratio. The 26-year-old completely changed the trajectory of his career, earning a Futures Game selection and a brief three game stint in Atlanta.

He will compete for a bullpen spot this spring, and even if he opens in Triple-A, it feels likely we will see him in Atlanta at some point this year.

Didier Fuentes is a more recognizable name. Signed for just $75,000 in 2022, he has flown through the system and even made his big-league debut just three days after his 20th birthday.

The results were not ideal, and it was fair to question whether the promotion came too quickly. Still, he is only 20 years old. With an electric fastball and slider combination, Fuentes has the tools to re-establish himself with a strong showing in Triple-A.

Rolddy Muñoz has also made a brief appearance in the majors, totaling three appearances. He has yet to fully break out in the minors, and at 25 years old, this season feels important for his long-term outlook. Spring training will be an opportunity to show he can be a real option in the bullpen mix.

Jhancarlos Lara may have the loudest pure stuff of the group. Signed for $10,000 in 2021, the right-hander averages about 98 mph on his fastball and pairs it with a slider that generates elite swing-and-miss.

Tagged as a possible elite back-end-of-the-bullpen arm, control has been the main hurdle. Last season, he also made 14 starts that were more about building innings than results. The Braves selected his contract last season but sent him back down before he made his debut. This spring could be his chance to pitch his way into a bullpen role.

Status	Games	BA	SLG	OPS
Reliever	20	.145	.250	.580
Starter	14	.241	.443	.860

Jhancarlos Lara 2025 Stats

Braves Top Prospects

This is where the excitement really builds.

The headliner is JR Ritchie, Just Baseball’s No. 94 overall prospect.

After returning from elbow surgery this season, Ritchie reminded everyone why he was so highly regarded in the 2022 Draft. He dominated Single-A in seven starts with a 1.30 ERA and 0.79 WHIP, then carried that momentum to Double-A and eventually Triple-A.

He finished the 2025 minor-league season with a 2.64 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and an impressive 15.2% strikeout-to-walk percentage. That performance earned him the starting nod in the Futures Game in Atlanta as well.

Ritchie features a deep arsenal of four to five pitches, with strong metrics on his fastball, slider, and changeup. Given the natural volatility of pitching depth, it would not be surprising to see him in Atlanta sooner rather than later.

Owen Murphy, a prep arm drafted 15 picks ahead of Ritchie in 2022, has often been linked together.

Like Ritchie, Murphy underwent elbow surgery and returned late last season. In seven starts between the Complex League and High-A, he posted an extremely impressive 1.19 ERA and 0.69 WHIP with 10.1 K/9. A 2026 debut may be aggressive, although the Braves are no strangers to that. His trajectory suggests he could be firmly in the conversation by 2027.

Garrett Baumann, a 2023 prep arm, rounds out the pitching prospects in camp. He has yet to pitch above High-A but owns a solid 3.31 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through his two MiLB seasons.

At 6-foot-8, he leverages his frame well, pounding the zone with a mid-90s fastball and an above-average slider. His long-term role remains to be seen, but exposure to big-league camp is an important developmental step.

On the position player side, Alex Lodise may be the most debated name. The 2025 second-round pick won the Dick Howser Trophy at Florida State and was a Golden Spikes finalist. The Braves sent him directly to High-A, where he struggled posting a .692 OPS across his first 25 professional games and showed some swing-and-miss concerns.

Considering he was coming off a long 58-game college season, context matters. With a full offseason to reset, this spring offers his first look at big league competition and a chance to refine his approach.

John Gil may be less talked about nationally than Lodise, but he may actually be closer to the majors.

Signed for $100,000 in 2023, the 19-year-old quickly hit his way out of the DSL and the Complex League. He brings a patient approach — plus speed and defense — and showed improved power last season by doubling his career home run total. After a brief stint Double-A at just 19, he appears to be firmly in the mix for the future shortstop role.

The Veterans

The remainder of the invite list feels more routine. Like I stated earlier on, the situations last year and this year are completely different, so it’s more of a normal formality to invite veterans to camp.

Martin Pérez, a 14-year veteran, signed a minor-league deal after a respectable, but injured, season with the White Sox. He is a soft-throwing lefty who knows how to navigate lineups and could provide valuable innings if needed.

Carlos Carrasco also returns after making three starts for Atlanta last season. The results were rough, as he allowed 15 earned runs across those outings. Still, veteran depth is rarely a bad thing in a long season.

Before Jonah Heim signed a major-league deal, Chadwick Tromp and Sandy Leon were set to compete for backup catching duties while Sean Murphy recovers. Tromp likely entered as the frontrunner given Leon’s extended time in Triple-A last year, but both will now be battling for the third catcher role.

Luke Williams, Jose Azocar, and Ben Gamel will also have the chance to compete for what appears to be one open bench spot. One strong spring could put any of them in position to break camp with the team, or at least one call away.

Overview

Spring training is built on optimism. For the Braves, it is also about restoring expectations. An early wild-card exit followed by a season without a playoff appearance is not the standard in Atlanta.

This camp offers a glimpse of both the present and the future. A healthy Ronald Acuña Jr. The addition of Robert Suárez at the back of the bullpen. The potential rise of JR Ritchie, Alex Lodise, and John Gil.

There are still questions. There always are in February. But this roster has the depth and talent to compete deep into October. Given the organization’s expectations, meaningful baseball in the fall should not feel like a stretch goal. It should feel like the standard.

This article first appeared on Just Baseball and was syndicated with permission.

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