The 2025 season saw Atlanta Braves prospect pitcher Didier Fuentes thrust into a Major League starting role that he wasn’t quite ready for. The team’s No. 7 prospect made four starts in an effort to fill in for injured talent to anemic results. He had a 13.85 ERA in 13 innings pitched.
Just as he was starting to regain his footing in Triple-A following being optioned back down, he suffered a season-ending injury. He had right shoulder inflammation. It was so late in the season by that point, the Braves opted to be better safe than sorry.
There is a strong chance that the 20-year-old right-hander will get another chance sometime next season. To help get an idea of what we could expect, there are some early projections for how things could turn out.
The following projections come from FanGraphs and Baseball Reference. Keep in mind past performance, which, for him, was small and wasn’t the best. As a result, the projections aren’t flattering.
FanGraphs: 22 games, no starts, 4.01 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 22 strikeouts, 22 innings pitched
Baseball Reference: 5.05 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 66 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched
What stands out from the FanGraphs projection is that he is expected to exclusively pitch out of the bullpen. He’s not going to get any emergency starts in his simulation. However, he’s at least expected to show an improved grasp of Major League hitters in this scenario. A 4.01 ERA isn’t great, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, Baseball Reference sees him, while technically improving, going through more growing pains. They don’t include starts and appearances in their projections on a player’s profile, so we can’t conclude if they view him as a starter or not.
All we know is that they see him getting significantly more action, about triple the innings pitched. That could imply that he’s a starter, but it could also mean he’s in the bullpen for much of the season.
There are certainly worse fates than getting time early on in the bullpen. For example, on the team, Chris Sale spent his first two MLB seasons in the bullpen before transitioning to the Chicago White Sox rotation.
Some players also just don’t succeed as starters once they reach the Majors and then become quality relievers. That could be a positive scenario for him, too, in the long-term outlook.
Like every year, we’ll see the latest from young pitchers in the Majors. Another stint from Fuentes should be no exception. Can these projections be beaten? Sure. We just have to wait and see.
