Braves’ Lucas Braun Shines As Durable Strike-Thrower
Righthander Lucas Braun has become an unexpected developmental success story for the Braves.
Drafted in the sixth round in 2023, Braun has surpassed modest expectations. His command and strikeout prowess have primed him for not only a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett, but perhaps even major league consideration.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Cal State Northridge native has arguably been the system’s fastest riser.
Last season, Braun led all Braves minor leaguers with 162 strikeouts and 143.2 innings across High-A Rome and Double-A Mississippi. His unique delivery and well-honed repertoire have allowed him to find instant—and sustained—success.
Braun’s fastball peaks in the mid 90s, and it is complemented nicely with a slider and curveball that he consistently throws for strikes.
The Braves have routinely rewarded strike-throwers in their system, which bodes well for Braun’s trajectory. Through seven starts for Double-A Columbus this year, the 23-year-old held a 3.95 ERA with 38 strikeouts, eight walks and six home runs allowed in 41 innings.
Braun’s swing-and-miss ability and mature understanding of nuance has helped him enter the Braves’ Top 10 Prospects. His likeliest ETA is 2026, but the Braves have promoted prospects seemingly out of the blue before.
While the Braves don’t have a clear-cut top 50 pitching prospect, they’ve collected an array of promising arms who are beginning to blossom. Braun is joined by Cam Caminiti, Hurston Waldrep, Owen Murphy, JR Ritchie and Drue Hackenberg, among others.
NOTES
— Righthander JR Ritchie tossed a 95-pitch shutout for High-A Rome in early May. This season, he has shown an explosive right arm and might end up the most promising of the aforementioned group by year’s end.
— Outfielder Carlos Rodriguez hit .341/.404/.366 in 10 games for Double-A Columbus to earn a quick promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett. The former Brewers prospect qualified as a minor league free agent last offseason. The Braves signed him to a major league deal in November. Given how dreadful Atlanta’s outfield has been, it’s possible that Rodriguez finds his way to the majors this season. The 24-year-old Venezuelan has no previous MLB experience.
