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Spring training is in full swing and the beginning of the World Baseball Classic will take place later this week. With it comes our first glimpses of the progress players have made during the course of the offseason, along with top prospects getting their chance to shine and make what they hope will be a lasting impression on those in upper management and fans alike.
The Braves have had several prospects stand out thus far into spring training. For a nice change of pace compared to recent years, there are actual positional prospects that are more than holding their own and standing out.
Let’s dive into some of the more noteworthy performances.
John Gil, IF/DH
If you simply look at the baseline numbers, Gil doesn’t stand out as much as other prospects in camp might. He’s currently carrying a .167 batting average and has struck out in 26.7% of his plate appearances in nine games.
However, the underlying metrics tell a much different story for the 20-year-old. In 15 plate appearances thus far, Gil has posted an OPS of 1.000 thanks to a pair of homers to his credit. He has also posted a wRC+ of 146 so far as well. Gil pulled both homers over the left field wall, but the real testament to how he has refined his approach came on the game-tying homer against the Twins on Sunday.
Gil managed to take a 1-0 fastball on the lower inner-third of the zone and pull his hands in enough to get a little loft on the ball and rifled it over the wall. In years past, that would have been a pitch he more than likely rolled over and grounded out to the left side, but not now. In fact, the homer reached an exit velocity of 110 MPH — an insanely hard-hit ball for Gil.
So far, Gil has only served as the designated hitter in the games he has appeared in. This is likely due to the fact he is more of a sure thing in the field than he is at the plate. The Braves know Gil can hold his own wherever he ends up defensively, whether it be shortstop, third base, second base or in the outfield. Other prospects like Alex Lodise, Tate Southisene and others are less cemented when it comes to their future defensive homes.
Sure, it’s still early in spring training and it’s a very small sample size. But there is plenty to like in Gil and he certainly has the potential to end up as Atlanta’s top prospects — and one of the top 100 in the entire sport — by the time next year’s spring training rolls around.
JR Ritchie, RHP
In a year where the Braves are already in desperate need of talented arms to step up, the savior might be found in JR Ritchie, who has done everything he can to solidify himself as one of the system’s top arms this spring.
So far, the 22-year-old has appeared in two games, tossing a total of four innings. While it may be a small number of appearances, Ritchie has performed excellently when he’s been on the mound. In addition to his six strikeouts, Ritchie has only given up one walk and one hit — a first pitch home run on a 94 miles per hour fastball.
Ritchie’s fastball, aside from the homer, has looked great as he has managed to run it up to 97 MPH. It’s his secondary offerings, though, that have really stood out for the righty.
This spring, Ritchie has really focused hard on throwing his changeup, curveball and his cutter more often. His changeup usage is up by more than ten percentage points, while his curveball is being used by more than 4% clip higher and his cutter is up by 3.6%. His velocity is also up across the board, with every pitch registering higher than it did in his 2025 campaign.
Like we mentioned with Gil and any other prospects, the sample size is simply too small to make any type of real determinations as to how effective these early starts are. Nonetheless, it’s an encouraging sign for a guy who Atlanta may have to call upon sooner rather than later.
Owen Murphy, RHP
Just like his Ritchie, Murphy has seen action in two games during spring training, tossing a combined four innings during that stretch.
Murphy has also struck out six batters while walking only one, and has given up a pair of hits — one of which was a home run.
His fastball has mostly sat in the 92-94 MPH range this spring, but Murphy has really prioritized his secondary offerings. Of his six strikeouts, half have come on breaking balls — including his curveball which posted a solid 19-inch vertical break on it. The one blemish for him so far is that his breaking balls have tended to live up in the zone a little higher than you would like, and veteran players who may not be in the everyday lineup at this point will eventually take advantage of that. But there is plenty of time for him to work and keep the ball down.
The main thing for Murphy is simple: remain healthy this spring and build off the strong start.
Best of the rest
Hayden Harris, LHP — 3 G, 3 IP, 7 K, 1 BB, 2 H
Garrett Baumann, RHP — 2 G, 1 GS, 4 IP, 5 K, 3 H, 2 ER
Alex Lodise, SS — 7 G, 1-8, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB