Another Atlanta Braves starting pitching prospect impressed in his debut with Triple-A Gwinnett. No. 13 prospect took the mound for the Stripers and delivered six innings of two-run ball on five hits and a walk while striking out four.
He became the second pitcher this season to pick up the win in their first start with Gwinnett. The other was JR Ritchie back on July 19.
Braun was assigned to the Stripers earlier this week after spending the entire season up to that point with Double-A Columbus. In 24 games, 23 starts, he had a 3.99 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 130 2/3 innings pitched.
His numbers are slightly inflated by a rough patch that occurred in the months of May and June. He had a 2.94 ERA in his last six starts before his promotion.
Braun was taken in the sixth round by the Braves in the 2023 draft out of Cal State Northridge. In each of his seasons in the pros, he has received a promotion. Naturally, it’s put his projection for an appearance in the Major Leagues around 2026, according to his prospect profile on MLB.com.
The highlight of his skillset is his command, which is rated a 55 (plus) on the 20-to-80 scale.
“All of Braun’s stuff plays up because he can throw any pitch for strikes, with a 67-percent strike rate in 2024, and it was encouraging to see him be more effective as he moved up a level with the promotion to Double-A. He doesn’t have that high of a ceiling because of the lack of big stuff, but his feel for pitching gives him a pretty high floor, with a chance to be a solid back-end starter in the big leagues.”
His arsenal is viewed as a perk as well.
“The six-footer now has as many as five pitches he mixes well to keep hitters guessing. His four-seamer averaged 93 mph in 2024 and topped out at 95 mph with some arm-side run to it, and he added a two-seamer with sink at the end of the season and into instructional league play. His 83-84 mph slider is his go-to secondary offering, and it elicited a 39-percent miss rate last year, and he also mixes in an upper-70s curve and mid-80s changeup effectively.”
So, while they aren’t expecting him to do big things in the majors, he’s projected to be a reliable guy to help anchor the rotation. Right now, the Braves would take that in a heartbeat.
