When rosters expand come September, the Atlanta Braves should call up a few of their top prospects, including A.J. Smith-Shawver.
The Braves called up Vaughn Grissom when Ozzie Albies was placed on the injured list this week, so he does not make the cut as the 22-year-old is already in the big leagues. However, Alex Anthopoulos still has some tough decisions to make with his roster heading into the postseason.
September offers front offices a chance to add some of the best players from their minor-league system in hopes of chasing a playoff spot, or perhaps getting said players a cup of coffee in the bigs. The Cardinals, for example, called up top prospect Masyn Winn, though they aren't competing for the postseason.
The Braves are in a far different position. Atlanta is arguably the best team in baseball. They cannot just add talent for fun. Still, some prospects could aid their playoff run.
Braves prospects to promote: A.J. Smith-Shawver
A.J. Smith-Shawver has pitched exceedingly well in the minor leagues, and the top-100 prospect per MLB Pipeline has earned another call to the bigs. Smith-Shawver features an impressive pitch arsenal, and if Brian Snitker prefers not to use him as a starting pitcher, then the bullpen should work just fine.
Smith-Shawver is raw, which is likely why the Braves are being cautious with him. 2022 was his first year fully focused on baseball. When Atlanta called him up, he'd made just four starts above Single-A. Yet, it didn't backfire, and Smith-Shawver wasn't rushed.
With a fastball that tops out in the upper-90's, as well as a nasty slider and improving changeup, Smith-Shawver is just scratching the surface of his abilities and can help Atlanta win now.
Braves prospects to promote: Michael Soroka
Calling Soroka a prospect is being generous, as he is 26 years old and has made an All-Star team. Still, Soroka has spent the majority of the last three seasons reinventing himself as a pitcher post-injury. He's finally found a bit of sustained success in the minor leagues of late, and ought to be called up for a spot start or two while Atlanta waits for Kyle Wright to come back healthy and fill out their starting rotation.
Soroka is in the middle of a service-time dilemma, as his contract is set to run up in 2025 if he spends 20 or more days in the majors for the remainder of the season. Soroka is pitching very well in Gwinnett, and the Braves need pitching. However, it would seem Atlanta prefers to have that extra year on Soroka's deal rather than the rotation help now.
As FanSided's John Buhler wrote on Sunday, Anthopoulos is between a rock and a hard place here:
"Although the Braves have the likes of Bryce Elder and Spencer Strider under team control for the foreseeable future, it would be such a shame if their pitching staff could not keep pace with Atlanta's most potent lineup down the line. We have seen the type of big-game pitcher Soroka can be at times, albeit that was several years ago. It is all about extending their championship runway.
To be frank, what would you do if you were in general manager Alex Anthopoulos' shoes? You would probably do the same exact thing. The hope would be to do right by Soroka ahead of his next one or two contracts to get him slightly more money than he would out on the open market. Anthpoulos does not overpay, but he will dole out mega deals to younger players on the come-up."
MLB can be a dirty business at times. However, Soroka should contribute to this Braves team again before the end of the season.
Braves prospects to promote: Braden Shewmake
Braden Shewmake would be new to the major leagues. He made an appearance this season, and struggled some at the plate. With Orlando Arcia manning shortstop regularly, there's really no spot for the 25-year-old on the roster under normal circumstances.
However, Shewmake is excellent defensively, and when the roster becomes slightly larger, could have a role as a defensive replacement. Yes, Atlanta did just call up Vaughn Grissom, but his defensive struggles limit his playing time. Shewmake is decent enough with the bat, and offers the Braves some versatility at the position.
Shewmake has a leg up over Grissom for any backup shortstop role because of his defense. Jake Mastroianni of Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation illustrated this in a recent column:
"The defense is real, the Braves just need to see a larger sample size to see if what he showed with the bat in Spring Training is for real. If he has a good couple of months in Triple-A with the bat, then he probably has a leg up on the shortstop job over Vaughn Grissom who still has a ways to go defensively.
Atlanta has already said Shewmake will play a lot of second base as they feel like they already know what Shewmake can bring them there."
Shewmake could cover for Ozzie Albies and/or Arcia on any given day as the season draws to a close. With Atlanta likely having the NL East wrapped up by then, don't be surprised if Shewmake gets a look.
Braves should not promote Hurston Waldrep
In past years, I wouldn't have even considered Waldrep a call-up candidate, but 2023 has surprised me. The Angels called up their first-round pick just months after selecting him, and this class is proving to be a good one.
Waldrep was considered near MLB-ready when Atlanta selected him in the first round out of Florida. The former Gator has some things to work on, however, before he should be considered for an MLB roster spot.
As MLB Pipeline noted when Waldrep was drafted, he has some control issues thanks to his up-tempo delivery. Waldrep has frontline starter potential, but he'll never get there if he can't find the strike zone consistently.
"While Waldrep is generally around the strike zone, there is a little effort in his up-tempo delivery. That has caused some inconsistencies with his command and control, which led to an uptick in his walk rate this spring. Those kinds of things can be ironed out, and his pure stuff gives him the chance to develop into a frontline starter."
Waldrep is just 21 years old and with another year in Atlanta's system, he could be ready. That time is not now, though, and MLB Pipeline considers 2026 a likely debut date. Give him time.
