Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Three Braves prospects trending closer to the major-league level

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 6:24 PM ET

The Atlanta Braves could experience a youth movement after the trade deadline, as several key pieces of the active roster might be on their way out the door.

The starting rotation is desperate for arms, and a couple of the club’s top prospects have really been making some strong impressions recently.

JR Ritchie kicked off All-Star weekend as one of the starting pitchers in the Futures Game. He only pitched one inning, but it was enough to turn heads, as he struck out two and issued just one walk in a scoreless frame.

JR Ritchie (ATL) looked excellent in his Futures Game start today as he flashed a deep arsenal highlighted by a strong changeup and hard 2-plane curveball pic.twitter.com/EU3dUWP024

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) July 12, 2025

The fastball is really starting to jump off the page as it sits around 96 MPH, and he pairs it with possibly the best secondary stuff of any prospect in the organization.

Relief pitcher Hayden Harris also represented the Braves in the Futures Game, striking out the only batter he faced. It feels like it is just a matter of time before he’s in Atlanta, as he’s been downright electric on the farm, boasting a 0.84 ERA and 13.4 K/9. Harris has the makeup to be a critical piece to a Braves bullpen will need a lot of TLC this upcoming offseason.

Additionally, Blake Burkhalter was promoted last week and made his Stripers debut, going five innings and allowing just one run on four hits and three walks. A second-round pick in 2022 out of Auburn, he’s on the short list of prospects that could make their MLB debut in the second half of the season.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: