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What to Expect from Braves Pitcher Jhancarlos Lara

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 11:04 AM ET

Atlanta will audition 22-year-old pitcher Jhancarlos Lara, as the Braves officially promoted him on September 19. Lara put up gaudy strikeout numbers in the Minors and showcased a blistering fastball/slider combo. But, walks were a significant problem for him this season.

A Look at Lara

The Atlanta Braves signed Jhancarlos Lara four years out of the Dominican Republic as an 18-year-old, older than when more notable amateur internationals out of Latin America sign. Lara didn’t pitch professionally until 2022 but moved up relatively quickly, thanks to plus stuff.

He struck out 96 over 72 frames with Low-A Augusta back in 2023, then spent 2024 between High-A Rome and Double-A Mississippi. He began 2024 with Columbus (AA) and moved to Triple-A after six appearances with the Clingstones.

Lara started 14 more games, split between Double-A and Triple-A. The right-hander worked mainly as a reliever during the middle of the year but worked as a starter again over August and September. He never threw more than four innings in any of his starts with Gwinnett (AAA).

The 22-year-old is a flawed, yet powerful pitcher. Lara has had walk problems dating back to his days in the DSL. He posted BB/9 rates north of 4.5 in 2023 and 2024. And against more advanced competition in 2025, that exploded to 8.5, with 65 over 68 innings combined between Columbus and Gwinnett.

However, the real draw is the stuff.

Lara pumped his fastball as high as 102 MPH this season in Triple-A and was able to work comfortably there as a reliever in May and June. As a starter, he was able to hit triple digits at times but mainly sat in the 97-98 MPH range.

It’s not a high riser (14.5” IVB average) but Lara does get extension in his delivery that makes it play up. Additionally, Lara will also utilize a sinker to mix and match with.

Jhancarlos Lara 2025 AAA Pitch Movement Note that on Statcast’s tracking, the slider and cutter track exactly the same. (via New Baseball Media)

But what really makes Lara a formidable pitcher is the slider (shown above). Lara’s slider sits in the low-to-mid-80s with hard sinking action and is the kind of pitch that works well against both lefties as a backfoot pitch or against right-handers.

Based on the numbers, it was a true force down in Triple-A.

Pitch Type	Whiff%
Four-Seam	22.7%
Cutter/Slider	51.4%

Triple-A data. Cutter and slider (Statcast) are lumped together due to their similar pitch profile. It’s the same pitch.

The Braves called up Jhancarlos Lara on September 19, adding him to the 28-man roster and optioning Dane Dunning to Triple-A. Jonathan Ornelas was DFA’d to make room on the 40-man roster for Lara.

Analysis

Even though Lara worked as a starter and has more than two pitchers, the 22-year-old profiles much better as a reliever. The walks are a key reason why.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Lara, who would have been Rule 5-eligible had he not been added to the 40-man, work as a reliever next season in Atlanta. The Braves’ 2026 bullpen tentatively includes Joe Jimenez, who missed all of 2025, plus Daysbel Hernandez, Aaron Bummer, Pierce Johnson, and Tyler Kinley. Johnson and Kinley have club options.

Raisel Iglesias, meanwhile, is a free agent after this season.

Lara is the kind of arm who could bounce around Triple-A and the Majors next season, simply because he has options.

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

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