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The Atlanta Braves are in a bit of an interesting place entering the 2023 MLB season. Some of their key pieces departed for other teams in the offseason. Most notably Dansby Swanson, who signed with the Chicago Cubs.
Despite that, the Braves look like a strong contender for the National League East. Atlanta boasts a rotation consisting of Max Fried, Spencer Strider, and Kyle Wright. And their lineup contains Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Ronald Acuna Jr.
The Braves are an interesting team in the sense that they are competing while also giving players for the future a shot. Strider and outfielder Michael Harris II are prime examples of this.
What players for the future should Braves fans keep an eye on as Spring Training gets underway? Here are three must-watch Braves prospects ahead of the 2023 MLB season.
3. Atlanta Braves left-handed pitcher Dylan Dodd
Dodd was drafted by the Braves in the third round in 2021. He is 25 years old, and the 10th-best prospect in the Braves system according to The Athletic. The southpaw also has a chance to make Atlanta’s opening-day roster.
Dodd features two plus secondary pitchers, a slider and a changeup. His fastball isn’t anything to write home about, and the secondary pitches have to be on point to keep hitters from sitting on the fastball.
Dodd pitched across three levels of minor league baseball a year ago, reaching as high as Triple-A. He carried a 3.36 ERA across 26 starts through those three levels. Beyond his ERA, his control stood out as promising.
Dodd doesn’t have the potential to be a future ace. However, he could slot in as a reliable backend option in the rotation, or find himself carving a role out of the bullpen with the Braves.
2. Atlanta Braves shortstop Braden Shewmake
Another 25-year-old player in the Braves system, Shewmake is an interesting player. He is Atlanta’s fifth-best prospect but might be approaching a career crossroads sooner rather than later.
Shewmake is a former first-round pick from the 2019 MLB Draft. He is an above-average defender with excellent hand-eye coordination and great contact rates. However, he has struggled in his pro career.
The Braves will likely give Vaughn Grissom the chance to start at shortstop in 2023. However, a promising performance in Spring Training could lead to the 25-year-old landing a bench spot at the major league level. And it would go a long way toward giving him a chance to contribute meaningfully for Atlanta.
1. Atlanta Braves left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster
The Athletic has Shuster as the best prospect in the Braves system. The 23-year-old has some upside, and could also find himself at the major league level in 2023.
Shuster has an above-average slider and plus changeup that work well with his fastball. He doesn’t have a ton of velocity, but he has excellent control over his pitches, allowing them to get batters out when needed.
Shuster can run into issues pitching against left-handed hitters. He faced lefties just 31% of the time in 2022, but 10 of the 18 home runs he surrendered came against lefties.
The 23-year-old Braves prospect spent most of his season in Double-A. He pitched to a 2.78 ERA in 17 appearances, striking out 106 batters he faced. He made the jump to Triple-A last season but didn’t replicate his Double-A numbers.
Shuster is a long shot to make the Braves rotation out of Spring Training. However, he could change minds if he excels in camp. If not, expect to see him in the majors sometime in the summer of 2023.