This last month-plus of the 2023 regular season is likely to drag for Atlanta Braves fans. Their team's fate has been known for a long time. A first-round bye in the playoffs might as well be etched in stone and home-field advantage throughout is a strong possibility. Translation: World Series or bust.

Every franchise wants to be on that level, but such ambitions come with a great deal of stress. The little moments in a campaign cannot be properly savored. Fans who let their guard down and fantasize about an impending championship celebration risk insulting the baseball gods. The one luxury the MLB-best Braves do have, though, is setting themselves up for October.

While every other postseason hopeful will be fighting for something, the National League East powerhouse can pace itself. The club's regular season dominance has all but served its purpose. Baseball is not a sport conducive to prolonged rest, but manager Brian Snitker can help keep his players fresh until the real battle begins.

September call-ups are a fine way to lighten the burden and also build for the future. Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos can further establish himself as one of the best executives in the business by choosing the right prospects to promote to the MLB roster.

These decisions could be legitimate difference makers as we enter the home stretch. But we're not going to wait until Sept. 1. Here are the two young talents who must be promoted to the Braves' roster.

2. Vaughn Grissom, Infielder

A perennial contender is typically going to have a hard time maintaining a strong farm system. The Los Angeles Dodgers are an anomaly. Atlanta ranks near the bottom, per FanGraphs, but is still fortunate to have plenty of options it can call up to the MLB. The top one, however, is someone who is already in the clubhouse.

No, that is not a typo or a deep, philosophical sentence. Vaughn Grissom is currently playing in the big leagues but presumably won't be there for long. He is merely filling in at second base for the injured Ozzie Albies, who might not be ready to come back until September. That means another position player like Sam Hilliard or Forrest Wall should be getting a call at the beginning of the month.

When Albies does return, though, Grissom deserves a spot on the expanded, 28-man roster. His defense remains an issue, but he has too much offensive upside to be languishing in Triple-A Gwinnett any longer. The 23-year-old's numbers speak for themselves.

Despite serving sporadic stints with the Braves, Grissom consistently produces. He batted .291 in 41 games with the team in 2022 and is posting a solid .280 batting average in 23 games this year. The former 11-round pick just hit his first career triple, as highlighted above by Kevin Keneely. Orlando Arcia earned the starting shortstop job, but this top prospect also belongs in Atlanta. He can still hone his skill set off the bench and in pinch-hit situations.

Vaughn Grissom is not a mere replacement player. If everything goes as planned, he will be a key part of this franchise's future. And it's time to seriously commit to that plan.

1. AJ Smith-Shawver, Pitcher

Let's stay focused on the big picture. Michael Soroka is a strong candidate to climb his way back onto the Braves in 2023. He has spent a good chunk of the year in the minor leagues but is starting to figure things out again. The former All-Star can give Snitker crucial innings and even crack the postseason roster.

That being said, the organization might not think Sorkoa is ready yet. The 26-year-old and former first-round pick looked like a different pitcher after an avalanche of injury problems kept him out for nearly three years. Anthopoulos could feel more comfortable trusting his No. 1 prospect, AJ Smith-Shawver, to take the leap to The Show.

The right-hander already has a small sample size of MLB action under his belt, posting a 4.57 ERA in six appearances this season. He last pitched on July 30 against the Milwaukee Brewers and allowed three runs in five innings. There is no reason why Smith-Shawver can't gain a little more experience by dealing in a few low-stakes matchups in September.

Admittedly, the 20-year-old still needs some polishing before he can become a fixture in the Braves' starting rotation. But If that is going to happen in 2024, he needs some more reps. A couple outings now can significantly accelerate his progression going into next year.

Anthopoulos is praised for proactively paying his top players. Well, this is another area where having foresight is crucial. Taking a chance on these two prospects can pay dividends down the road and might even surprise fans in the present.