Atlanta Braves Top Dynasty Prospects- May Edition

The division reports debuted last year. The goal of this article series is to provide a quick overview of all dynasty-relevant information from each division. Each team has multiple minor league levels, each containing plenty of impactful prospects which can feel impossible to keep up with. This article series, which will be updated once per month, will help dynasty managers stay up-to-date on performances, injuries, promotions, and more. New this season is the inclusion of tiers in the rankings. Next to their rank, each prospect is assigned a tier. The tier range is 1-5.

• Tier 1: A potential difference-making dynasty prospect. Somebody who would rank in the top-20ish prospects for dynasty baseball
• Tier 2: A still very good dynasty prospect who holds plenty of value. This prospect would typically rank in the 21-75 range
• Tier 3: A mid-tier prospect who could be valuable but has questions and concerns present in his profile ranking in the 76-150 range
• Tier 4: A prospect who is worth knowing, but is reserved for deeper leagues. This prospect would rank 151-250
• Tier 5: The rest of the prospects fall into Tier 5

The Braves’ farm system is filled with pitching prospects. Gone are the days of Ronald Acuna Jr, Ozzie Albies, and more recently, Drake Baldwin. Instead, the Braves’ top five prospects on the list below are all pitchers. Keep reading for the latest news and notes from the Braves’ farm system.

Atlanta Braves

Notable Prospect Performances:

• The Braves took a shot with their 20th-round pick in last year’s draft selecting Eric Hartman out of Holy Trinity High School in Canada. Hartman signed with the Braves and is performing well in Low-A. Hartman has a smooth left-handed swing with power projection as he continues to mature. He already has two homers and nine stolen bases on the season. With the bottom of Atlanta’s farm system pretty thin, Hartman moves into ninth, and is a prospect worth keeping an eye on this season.
• The start to 2025 has been one to forget for Hurston Waldrep. Waldrep was considered one of baseball’s top pitching prospects in 2024 before injuries and struggles pushed him down lists. Waldrep returned to Triple-A to start this season and owns a 6.04 ERA through his first five starts. Colleague Martin Sekulski has been down on Waldrep for a while and it appears he may have been right. Waldrep’s four-seam fastball gets very poor PLV grades (4.01) with both his splitter and slider also ranking below the league average. Waldrep takes a steep fall to fifth on this list, moving down into the fourth tier of prospects.
• Blake Burkhalter is an interesting name to keep an eye on. Burkhalter was drafted in the second round of 2022 but missed all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. He returned to the mound last year and is pitching well early on in Double-A. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and gets good arm-side run on it. His cutter also profiles to be a plus offering. The development of his slider remains the biggest question. If he can improve the consistency of this pitch, he could turn into a fantasy-relevant prospect quickly. He does not crack this top ten list yet, but he is a name for dynasty managers to watch.
• Top prospect Drake Baldwin would rank atop this list, but this is reserved for prospects who have yet to debut. Baldwin has performed well in limited plate appearances at the Major League level. Limited playing time limits his 2025 fantasy value, although he remains a strong dynasty option.

Notable Promotions and News:

• Didier Fuentes was promoted to Double-A. Fuentes has seen his name pop up more and more in dynasty circles, and his promotion to Double-A was well deserved. The Braves are no stranger to promoting pitching prospects they believe in quickly through their system. The decision to promote Fuentes speaks volumes as to how the organization views him. He remains the second-best prospect in this system and a mid-tier pitching prospect for dynasty managers.
• EJ Exposito is healthy again. Exposito missed about two weeks worth of action on the IL but returned to the High-A lineup on April 24. After stealing 31 bases last year, Exposito is off to another fast start this year. He hits a lot of line drives and gets to his pull side well. He is up to two homers and has the power/speed combination fantasy managers look for. Making consistent contact against tougher competition will be key to unlocking his full potential.