The Atlanta Braves entered the year with five consecutive NL East Central Division Crowns, including one World Series trophy two years ago. The Atlanta Braves entered the year with the worst farm system in baseball, as I noted in The 2023 Prospect Digest Handbook. Both statements are true. Both statements are – more or less – directly tied together.
Since 2019 the organization’s owned just one selection before the 20th pick in the midsummer draft. And that’s only because they failed to come to terms with Carter Stewart, the 8th overall selection the prior year. It’s hard to consistently stock a farm system when you’re always drafting near the back of the first round. Plus, it doesn’t help that they haven’t hit on a first rounder since Kyle Wright in 2017.
The front office – rightfully so – also used a lot of their farm system capital to continually re-stock the big league club – both in terms of promotions and trades.
So, again, Atlanta had the worst ranked system in baseball entering the year.
But that doesn’t mean it’s completely bereft of interesting prospects like AJ Smith-Shawver, who’s rocketed through High-A and Double-A and made it to Triple-A in just five starts this year. There’s also JR Ritchie or Owen Murphy, the club’s two first round picks who happen to star for the Augusta GreenJackets this season.
But the rotation with the club’s Low-A affiliate also happens to be home to Didier Fuentes – who happens to be (A) the youngest hurler in Augusta’s lengthy history and (B) the youngest pitcher in any Low-A league this season.
Signed out Tolu, Colombia for just $75,000 two years ago, the wiry 6-foot, 170-pound right-hander spent his debut season in the foreign rookie league – mostly dominating, of course. He would make 11 brief appearances in 2022, throwing 44.0 innings with 50 punch outs and just 10 free passes.
This season the front office had Fuentes bypass the stateside rookie leagues and shoved him directly into full season action. And, despite an unsightly 6.95 ERA, Fuentes has quietly held his own. Through his first eight appearances, including six starts, the Colombian owns a 24-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 22.0 innings of work to go along with a 4.00 xFIP.
I scouted his May 28th start against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. And here’s what I saw:
| 05/28/23 | CS | SW | Foul | Ball | Contact | Total | % | CSW | Strike % | Velocity |
| FB | 10 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 6 | 46 | 64.79% | 36.96% | 67.39% | 91, 93, 94, 96 |
| SL | 3 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 24 | 33.80% | 33.33% | 45.83% | |
| CH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.41% | 0.00% | 100.00% | |
Fuentes showed a loose, lightning quick arm. He seemed to purposely add-and-subtract from his fastball, throwing it as low as 91 mph before ramping up and touching as high as 96 mph. I’m skeptical of any long term velocity improvement, but there’s enough to suggest a 55-grade offering at the game’s pinnacle level.
The young hurler was mainly a two-pitch pitcher, complementing his fastball with a potentially devastating slider. It’s certainly inconsistent, but it flashed plus (sweeper) movement more than a handful of times during the game. If he can harness the offering, it’s going to be incredibly effective. Fuentes did mix in one changeup – which Bryan Ramos, one of Chicago’s better prospects, quickly deposited in outfield bleachers for a dinger. Fuentes shelved the offering the remainder of the game.
Fuentes has the floor as a middle-relief fastball / slider specialist, but the ceiling could be noticeably higher if he can develop a reliable third pitch that he actually trusts. The command also has some ways to go as well. Still, though, he’s not yet 18-years-old and missing more than a bat per inning in Low-A.
