Two Braves pitching prospects named to MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list

The Atlanta Braves should have two future studs in the Gwinnett rotation

The Atlanta Braves, arguably, need pitching from their farm system more than anything else. 

That's not because the major league pitching is bad, mind you - Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and Chris Sale are four starters who you feel putting on the mound for a postseason game. 

No, the need for prospect pitching is a combination of the long-term control over every defensive position on the diamond, with shortstop Orlando Arcia's pending free agency in 2026 (or 2027, if his team option is exercised) being the first opening on the diamond coupled with the uncertain futures of Max Fried (free agency) and Charlie Morton (free agency and/or retirement) after the season. 

Thankfully, the Braves have multiple options for high-ceiling pitching prospects in the minors, with two of them being recognized amongst the best in all of baseball. 

MLB Pipeline, the official prospect arm of Major League Baseball, released their Top 100 Prospects list on Friday night with two inclusion in RHPs AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep. 

#69 - AJ Smith-Shawver

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Smith-Shawver gets a rather nice placement on the list, coming in at #69 overall. MLB Pipeline gives him a 55 overall grade, remarking that while he debuted last season after starting the year in high-A, he's far from a finished product. But Pipeline had great things to say about Smith-Shawver's four pitch mix, led by a fastball that regularly sits 95 and has been measured as high as 100. It's his highest graded pitch, coming in at 65 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

The slider, a 55 per Pipeline, is the highest graded secondary pitch, with the scouting report noting that it misses a lot of bats, while working on the same horizontal plane as his 50-grade changeup. The curveball, also a 50-grade, was a pitch that Atlanta initially deemphasized early in his career so that the slider could get focus and development, but the curve works well with the fastball to give a vertical look to Smith-Shawver's game. 

AJ Smith-Shawver, Nasty 84mph Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/xkKLq2sgw3

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 10, 2023

But future development is key for Smith-Shawver, with his relative inexperience (he's only been pitching full-time since 2022) and improving command and control suggesting of a top-of-the-rotation ceiling with continued refinement. 

#90 - Hurston Waldrep

Rome Braves

Waldrep gets the same grade as Smith-Shawver, a 55 overall, but does it in a completely different way. 

Waldrep's given two plus or better pitches per Pipeline in the fastball and splitter, both 65s, with phenomenal velocity on both. The third pitch, an upper-80s slider, is currently graded out as above average (55) and their scouting report notes that it is a plus pitch when it's on. 

Hurston Waldrep tonight in his Triple-A debut:
4.1 IP/4 H/0 ER/3 BB/5 K
12whiffs(40%)/37% CSW/61.3% Strikes
FB: 93-97 mph
SPL: 85-89 mph
SL: 85-87 mph pic.twitter.com/5MmxNKplq2

— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) September 23, 2023

The big areas for improvement for Waldrep are identified to be his command and his delivery, with a logical and plausible connection between the two. Having a higher-effort delivery could absolutely lead to command issues, with both the fastball and the splitter losing effectiveness when they're not reliably located in the zone. 

Waldrep's probably a higher ceiling but lower floor option over Smith-Shawver, with those two premium pitches being able to mow down batters from the top of a rotation in the best case scenario but the control issues probably relegating Waldrep to a high-leverage bullpen role if things don't work out. 

Baseball America highlights two 2023 Braves draftee arms with "standout" pro debuts

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