Two Braves Prospects Ranked in Baseball America's Top 100

Baseball America released its top 100 prospects for 2025 and two members of the Atlanta Braves cracked the list. Catcher Drake Baldwin came in at No. 53 and right-handed pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver at No. 83. 

Baldwin is a rising potential star in the minor leagues. MLB Network ranked him seventh in their top-10 catching prospects ahead of 2025. At the end of the 2o24 season, he was named the Braves top prospect and their Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. 

The catching prospect batted .298 with an .891 OPS, 12 home runs and 55 RBIs during his 2024 Triple-A stint. His on-base percentage was .407. He showed solid plate discipline with a 16.2% strikeout rate. He had nearly as many walks (52) as strikeouts (54).

Then, he dominated in the Arizona Fall League. He had a .942 OPS over 13 AFL games and then represented Team USA in the Premier12 tournament in Mexico and Japan.

With the Braves not having a definitive backup catcher for Sean Murphy, we should be seeing Baldwin in the Majors at some point this upcoming season. 

Braves fans have seen Smith-Shawver from time to time in the last couple seasons. 

He could have potentially graduated from his prospect status last season, but he sustained a Grade 2 oblique strain after one start last season and missed a couple months before returning to Triple-A. 

In 20 Triple-A starts, he had a 4.86 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, a .215 opponent’s average and 104 strikeouts in 87 innings. 

Smith-Shawver started Game 1 of the Wild Card Series for the Braves after Chris Sale was sidelined by back spasms. He allowed three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. 

Assuming he’s not part of a trade for another player, it’s safe to project he’ll have some type of roll with the Braves at the big league level at some point in 2025.