Two intriguing Braves prospects earn big promotions

Alex Lodise deserves more credit for the season he’s having. He answered a really slow start with two months where he did nothing but tear the cover off the ball for Low-A Augusta. That earned him a promotion to Rome, where he hit .343 with four home runs and a 1.005 OPS over his first 17 games.

Now he’ll join Columbus, and at 22 years old, he has an opportunity to really put himself on the radar for the major-league club heading into 2027 with a strong finish to the season. He was an absolute superstar at Florida State, and now that his feet are wet in the professional ranks, he looks like he could be one of the more underrated prospects in the entire system.

Carter Beck didn’t need as much time to make a first impression. He was just drafted by the Braves in the first round and assigned to Augusta, where he hit over .400 in his first 11 games.

That’ll play every day of the week — and so has the Braves’ recent change in draft philosophy. For as long as I can remember, they spent almost all of their top selections on pitchers, stockpiling them throughout the system. But over the last two cycles, they’ve placed more of an emphasis on great athletes with plus hit tools. So far, it’s led to some really impressive results, with guys like Tate Southisene, Alex Lodise, Conor Essenburg, and Carter Beck already hopping levels.

The next few years are going to be very exciting as they continue to develop. The next wave of great Braves is on its way.