The third iteration of the now annual Spring Breakout prospect showcase is set to continue on Saturday, and the Atlanta Braves prospects will be taking on the New York Yankees in a game that brings renewed enthusiasm for Braves prospects. After revitalizing the hitting talent with a focus on position player talent in the early rounds of the 2025 MLB draft the Braves will be running out the strongest lineup of the three games, including last season’s first round pick Tate Southisene.

Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL

How to Watch: YES | MLB Network | MLB.tv | MLB.com

Braves prospects to watch

The Braves are not often keen on running their top pitchers out for Spring Breakout, and this year is no exception with only a handful of the best prospects available for the game. Most notably, 2022 first round pick Owen Murphy is kicking off his full season return from his 2024 Tommy John surgery with a spot on this roster. The 22-year old Murphy has been a monster with a 1.39 ERA and 35.5% strikeout rate in 14 games between 2024 and 2025, and though questions still linger around his fastball velocity his elite command has provided promising results when paired with the elite spin and vertical movement on the pitch. For more info on Murphy and many of the prospects in this game, please check out our top 30 Braves prospects for the 2026 season.

While Murphy is the clear number one in the pitching room, there is still a decent group of talent behind him with four other top 30 prospects on the staff. Garrett Baumann is looking for redemption after a poor showing in the 2025 game, in which he walked five batters and allowed four runs in an inning of work, though he also showed off improved velocity. The improvements in his velocity and his slider turned into a solid showing in 2025, when he struck out more batters than in 2024 and had a 3.31 xFIP as a 20 year old in High-A. Baumann is still looking for command consistency and further improvement to that slider, but his mid-90’s velocity, strong changeup, and good control make him an intriguing starting pitching prospect. Herick Hernandez, Jhancarlos Lara, and Hayden Harris are the best of the rest and all have legitimate potential to make impacts in the Braves bullpen in the near future. Lara is the most exciting of the trio with a fastball that regularly clears triple digits and the best slider in the system, though his command has made him a volatile piece in the minor leagues. Lara is on the 40 man roster and has the opportunity to get to Atlanta this season, though he will need to throw more strikes to reach his immense ceiling. Hayden Harris dominated in Triple-A last seasons after improvements to his slider unlocked a new level to this game, and is hoping to lock down a permanent role in the big leagues after making his debut last season. Herick Hernandez is currently starting at the minor league level and had a solid season in 2025 with a 28.7% strikeout rate. Hernandez has a low-90’s fastball with elite carry and an above average slider, though his lack of a clear third pitch and his poor command has cast doubts on his potential as a starter. He could fit well in the bullpen if the Braves make a quick switch, though for now they have remained committed to the strategy of trying him as a starter and getting him more innings and reps.

The offense is where the Braves have a surprising chance to shine, with a position player cast loaded with top 30 talent. On the infield alone there are four 2025 draftees, with five total, and all of the Braves top position players are represented in the field. John Gil turned a 1-3 performance in last year’s game into a breakout 2025 with the 19 year old showing elite hitting talent and improved power and defense in Augusta last season. The Braves top two picks in the draft are also part of a stacked infield. First round pick Tate Southisene will look to take on Single-A ball this season in his first full season at the professional level, and with his all-around offensive game and solid defensive characteristics he is the top infield prospect in the system. Alex Lodise isn’t far behind, however, and he has the potential to move more quickly through the system and be the first of the Braves shortstops to the big leagues. Lodise has solid power potential and is seen as a lock to stick at the shortstop position, and was a great pickup for the Braves in the back end of last draft’s second round. The rest of the infield is rounded out with later draftees Cody Miller and Dixon Williams, as well as 2024’s top international prospect Jose Perdomo. Injuries and regression (somewhat related to injury) have dulled the shine of what was once considered an organization-defining prospect, and Perdomo is looking for a bounceback 2026 to reclaim his place as one of the system’s best prospects. ba

For as strong as the infield cast is the Braves outfield prospects may be even scarier, with the presence of Diego Tornes headlining the prospects in the game. After playing last season in the Dominican Summer League Tornes has yet to get the film and attention of some of the prospects in full season ball, yet the 17-year-old still carries lofty expectations and has a case to be the top position player prospect in the system. While there have a been a few notable international prospects to flame out in recent seasons Tornes seems cut above the rest with elite bat speed and plus hitting traits and the potential for middle-of-the-order power. This game is Tornes’s chance to stamp his name in the consciousness of avid Braves fans and he has the highest ceiling of any Braves prospect.

The youth in the outfield continues to flow, however, with the heart of the 2025 Augusta GreenJackets lineup all making their way to Tampa for this game. Isaiah Drake shook off a dreadful and injury-laden 2024 campaign to make marvelous improvement in 2025, improving his swing, cutting a huge chunk out of the swing-and-miss, and improving his power output at the plate. Drake has elite athletic traits and is a plus defender in center field, and though his power remains a question mark, another strong season would put him in the top half of the system’s top 30 list. Owen Carey didn’t turn 19 until mid-July, yet even still was the GreenJackets’s most consistent offensive threat in 2025. His numbers did dip a touch at the end of the season, but throughout the year he showed above average barrel feel and was able to keep his strikeout rate at an impressive 15.6%. He needs to improve his approach and drive the ball more on the pull side to reach his starter potential, but he has room to grow into more strength and has the foot speed and instincts to fit as an average defender in center field. An elite runner with the ability to play both center field and second base, Eric Hartman had an impressive showing as well in 2025. While his swing-and-miss was a bigger problem than it was for Drake or Carey, Hartman showed the potential to get to average power in the near future with his propensity to pull the ball in the air, and he showed the patience to draw walks and work deep counts. The next in the wave of GreenJackets prospects comes up in this outfield as well with 2025 fifth-round pick Conor Essenburg rounding out the top outfield prospects. Essenburg, despite his fifth-round selection, was still a notable pick receiving a $1.2 million signing bonus, and he has the physical presence scouts look for when projecting middle-of-the-order bats. Essenburg has good enough footspeed to potentially project to center field as well, though right now there are plenty of questions about his ability to make contact. He has the bat speed to catch up to elite fastballs, but didn’t show much consistency at the plate against good secondaries in high school and he has yet to make his professional debut.

We hope you will follow along with us at Battery Power for this exciting event, and for all of our minor league content yet to come this season.