Again in 2020, the Atlanta Braves took Spencer Strider within the fourth spherical of that pandemic-shortened Draft, regardless that he missed all of 2019 following Tommy John surgical procedure and made simply 4 outings earlier than the shutdown. He, in fact, has gone on to be a Rookie of the Yr runner-up and an All-Star (although he did miss almost all of 2024 with extra elbow points).
The group is hoping the system works once more. In 2024, they took Luke Sinnard within the third spherical regardless that he had missed all of that season following TJ surgical procedure in the summertime of 2023. He did return to throw bullpens for groups, in addition to on the Draft Mix, giving the Braves confidence the 6-foot-8 right-hander may very well be a strong upside purchase.
When he took to the mound for the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets on April 8, it was his first aggressive pitching since he blew out in a Regional begin for Indiana in 2023.
“Simply gratefulness, it took a very long time, just a little over 20 months to get again and simply grateful to be on the market,” mentioned Sinnard, at the moment the No. 16 prospect within the system, when requested about what he was feeling when he returned to the mound. “It is the competitors, I actually missed it. It is exhausting to observe. It is easy to root in your teammates, but it surely’s exhausting to observe your teammates on the market competing when you possibly can’t.”
Exterior of lacking one other month and a half with a proper elbow stress response – that missed time is a cause why he’s suiting up for the Glendale Desert Canine within the Arizona Fall League now – Sinnard competed fairly properly throughout the Single-A Carolina League and Excessive-A South Atlantic League. Over 72 1/3 whole innings, Sinnard completed with a 2.86 ERA, a ten.7 Okay/9 price and a .213 batting common towards.
He does it with a four-pitch combine, with a fastball that averaged round 93-94 mph and touched 96, each an upper-80s slider and a low-80s curve, in addition to an 81-82 mph splitter. He was happy that whereas the Braves did work with him on tweaking his arsenal — reshaping some, forcing him to work extra on others — he was in a position to cleared the path in deciding what labored for him.
“I really feel prefer it’s all form of their means of like, ‘This is what that you must succeed within the huge leagues,’ they usually need us to work on that,” Sinnard mentioned. “However we bought just a little bit extra free will with our routines and what we wish to do to get ourselves higher, with the coaches chiming in… It simply wasn’t like that in faculty. I really feel prefer it was, ‘Do that, do that,’ or, ‘No, you possibly can’t do this’ [in college]. Now you are able to do no matter you wish to get higher.”
One factor he gained’t be digging an excessive amount of into to get higher is information. He’s conscious of it, particularly given the truth that his fastball has lengthy been registering excessive RPMs (resulting in 29 p.c miss price on the pitch in 2025, per Synergy), but it surely’s not one thing he mindfully works on, nor does he change grips or deliveries to get higher outcomes.
“It got here naturally all through,” mentioned Sinnard, who registered 9 of the highest 11 spin charges on the Draft Mix in 2024. “The primary time I seen my spin price was in highschool, one in all my outdated pitching coaches instructed me… ‘Hey, you’ve elite spin charges, like upwards, 2,600- 2,700.’ I used to be like, ‘I do not know what which means.’
“I do not actually mess with the analytics. I form of let the coaches simply form of inform me. I do not care the way it strikes. If it really works, it really works.”
Braves hitters within the Fall League
Nacho Alvarez Jr., 3B/SS: It’s not usually a participant who has graduated from prospect standing involves the AFL, however Alvarez missed a ton of time in 2025 with wrist and indirect points. He performed in simply 78 whole video games between Atlanta and the Minors, so he’s making up for misplaced at-bats. He’s able to making a ton of contact and getting on base whereas displaying he can play excellent protection at brief and third.
Patrick Clohisy, OF: Clohisy parlayed a ultimate season at St. Louis — the place he hit .380, posted a 1.150 OPS and stole 24 bases — into being taken in Spherical 11 by the Braves in 2024. He’s now the very best basestealer within the system after racking up 79 steals between Excessive-A Rome and Double-A Mississippi in 2025. That’s the third most of any Minor Leaguer in 2025. There hasn’t been a lot affect (.681 OPS, .091 ISO), however he is aware of his job, getting on base and operating.
Jim Jarvis, SS/2B/3B: Initially drafted within the eleventh spherical of the 2023 Draft by the Tigers, Jarvis had reached Double-A in that group this yr when he was despatched to the Braves on the Commerce Deadline for Rafael Montero. He’s a left-handed hitter with strong contact expertise (13.8 p.c Okay price in his profession) and might supply good protection at shortstop whereas with the ability to deal with second and third as properly.
Braves pitchers within the Fall League
Jhancarlos Lara, RHP (No. 21): Lara truly bought known as as much as the massive leagues this September, however didn’t see any motion in both stint. Command remains to be an enormous drawback (8.5 BB/9), however the stuff isn’t. His fastball touched 102 mph and averaged 98.5 mph this season, and his upper-80s slider missed a ton of bats, resulting in a 13.6 Okay/9 price throughout Double- and Triple-A. He’s doubtless finest suited to a aid position, and he held hitters to a .145 common and struck out 16 per 9 popping out of the ‘pen.
Trent Buchanan, RHP: Signed as an undrafted free agent in January of this yr, Buchanan threw properly in aid throughout two ranges of A ball throughout his debut (2.53 ERA, 10.1 Okay/9). He can run his fastball as much as 97 mph and backs it up with a slider, with each lacking bats at a 35-percent price.
Jacob Kroeger, LHP: A senior signal taken within the tenth spherical of the 2024 Draft, Kroeger managed to pitch his approach right into a rotation and up a stage throughout his full-season debut, ending the yr with a mixed 1.98 ERA and a WHIP below 1.00 between Single-A Augusta and Excessive-A Rome. He is a strike-throwing lefty who has an opportunity as a swingman kind, principally utilizing a fastball-slider mixture.
L.J. McDonough, RHP: One other undrafted free agent, signed in July 2023, McDonough pitched his solution to Double-A in 2025 and has a historical past of lacking bats (11.1 Okay/9) with spotty command (5.8 BB/9). The reliever can miss bats each with a fastball he can run as much as 98 mph and an upper-80s slider, each coming from a cool supply.
Cory Wall, RHP: A senior signal out of William & Mary in 2023, Wall has pitched largely in aid whereas reaching Double-A for the primary time in 2025, although he did combine in some begins with the opportunity of a swingman kind position. He has a fastball, slider and changeup, with the cambio a bit forward of the breaking ball.
