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<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto by Scott Audette\/MLB Photos via Getty Images<\/p>\n
11. Jhancarlos Lara – RHP<\/p>\n
How he got to the Braves: 2021 international free agent<\/p>\n
After catapulting onto the scene with a monster second half in 2023, Jhancarlos Lara has consistently found himself in the conversation surrounding the most talented pitchers in the Braves system. At the time featuring a fastball that sat in the mid-90\u2019s and could touch triple digits, Lara has only added strength and velocity and now regularly sits in the upper-90\u2019s and has touched 102. Lara pairs that blazing fastball without a sharp, wipeout slider in the low-to-mid 90\u2019s which has made year-over-year strides and become one of the most effective pitches at producing whiffs in all of minor league baseball. That pairing made him a force to be reckoned with at the minor league level, but after Lara failed to develop a consistent third pitch or make significant progress with his command the Braves settled on making him a reliever long term. He still got time as a starter in 2025 in order to get him more reps on the mound, but ultimately Lara\u2019s future is in the bullpen where he has star closer potential with his two 70 grade offerings. Lara\u2019s biggest red flag is his abysmal command, which backed up in 2025 and saw him walk nearly 20% of the batters he faced despite otherwise stellar numbers. Lara\u2019s struggles have largely come in his ability to repeat his release point, leading to bouts of him spraying pitches with no real feel for where the ball will end up, but mechanical adjustments in the second half of the season had him moving in the right direction. For a stretch in the second half of the season he was the most dominant reliever at the Triple-A level, posting a 2.29 ERA\/2.28 FIP with a strikeout rate of 42.7% and a more respectable 12% walk rate. He had trouble when shifted back into a starting role at the end of the season, but that should not reflect too poorly on his overall projections in the bullpen. Lara has a chance to win a major league job in 2026, and could be the anchor to a bullpen if he can find consistency closer to what he showed in 2024. He is a risky prospect even for a reliever, but given his ceiling and dominant pitch mix he has the upside of a top five closer in baseball.<\/p>\n
GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 31: Jhancarlos Lara #92 of the Glendale Desert Dogs pitches during the game between the Peoria Javelinas and the Glendale Desert Dogs at Camelback Ranch – Glendale on Friday, October 31, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall\/MLB Photos via Getty Images) MLB Photos via Getty Images<\/p>\n How he got to the Braves: 2025 2nd round pick (60th overall)<\/p>\n The Braves drafted Alex Lodise in the second out of Florida State even though many thought he would go somewhere late in the first round after winning the Dick Howser Award. After hitting .394\/.462\/.705 with 17 homers for FSU, Lodise went straight to Rome and hit .252\/.294\/.398 with 10 doubles, a triple, and a homer plus five walks to 42 strikeouts in his 109 plate appearances. Lodise showed some real pop in his bat, though it was more for the extra base variety than over the fence, however his pre-draft questions about his strikeouts also really showed up in a big way in the small sample size. Lodise is a guy some were hoping could move fast based on his ACC production, though his Rome stint showed he may need a bit more time to work on his hit tool to cut down on the strikeouts. Lodise projects to be a below average to potentially average hitter with average to a tick above power and average speed. Defensively he may or may not be able to stick at shortstop, but would be able to slide over to second base if necessary. His spring will likely determine if he opens the year back in Rome or moves up to Columbus, but if he can get the hit tool to progress he could move quickly to Atlanta. His ceiling is an above average middle infielder with solid power for the position.<\/p>\n Florida St. infielder Alex Lodise (1) reacts to his double at second base during the first inning of an NCAA college baseball matchup Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, Fla. FSU rallied to defeat UF 8-4 off a walk-off grand slam from Alex Lodise in the ninth inning. Corey Perrine\/Florida Times-Union \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n How he got to the Braves: 2023 international free agent<\/p>\n While Luis Guanipa came into the 2025 season as the most exciting prospect for Augusta, it was ultimately John Gil who stole the show and became the GreenJackets most consistent offensive threat. It took about a month and a half and the passing of his 19th birthday for Gil to find his stride at the top of the order, but once he did he put an emphatic stamp on his prospect status with more walks than strikeouts over his final 70 games and a .146 isolated power that 47% higher than the Carolina League average. Gil is still a raw product, but his ability to recognize the strike zone, recognize spin, and get his barrel to contact is light years ahead of his age. Gil also made a significant jump in his footwork and throwing accuracy, helping him take advantage of his elite speed and settle in as a reliable shortstop who can project as an average or solid average defender at the position on an everyday basis. If Gil is forced off of the position given the arrival of high draft picks Tate Southisene and Alex Lodise, he also has double plus speed and a good first step that should allow him to transition to center field if needed. Gil also made the transition to Double-A to finish out the season, and though his number took a dramatic hit in the one series he played there, he didn\u2019t seem overwhelmed and was able to adjust well enough to the much higher level of competition. Gil\u2019s biggest limitation to his ceiling is a lack of elite top end exit velocity, which will likely cap his power at maturity around average. His swing plane doesn\u2019t generate much lift and he\u2019s likely to see continued adjustments to his mechanics as he progresses, with most of his extra base hit production at the moment coming gap-to-gap. He is still a bit aggressive in the zone at this stage and has a tendency to swing on top of the ball and hit too many ground balls. Still, he is going to start 2026 as a 19 year old at High-A coming off of a strong season of production, and is one of the system\u2019s candidates to have a breakout and get himself into top 100 contention. Gil has the upside of an everyday shortstop with a solid all-around game and an approach that takes him another step above his raw hitting ability.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n