April 5, 2024 – Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release
PEARL – The Atlanta Braves and their Double-A Affiliate, the Mississippi Braves, announced the 2024 opening-day roster. The squad includes four MLB Pipeline Top-20 Prospects and 17 players who made at least one appearance for the M-Braves last season.
The Top 20 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, include RHP Hurston Waldrep (No. 2), INF Nacho Alvarez Jr. (No. 6), C Drake Baldwin (No. 11), and LHP Luis De Avila (No. 20).
Waldrep, set to make his first start on Sunday in Pensacola, was Atlanta’s first-round selection (24th overall) in 2023 out of the University of Florida. In his first season in the Braves system, Waldrep rose four levels, posting a 1.53 ERA (5 ER/29.1 IP) in eight starts. His 41 strikeouts were more than any other 2023 MLB Draft class hurler.
Alvarez is set to make his Double-A debut in 2024. In 2023, The youngest member of the 2024 club at 20 years old, Alvarez, spent the entire season with High-A Rome, slashing .284/.395/.391 (119-for-419) in 116 games. He hit seven home runs and logged 24 doubles while recording 66 RBI and 62 runs. The Fontana, CA native led all South Atlantic Leaguers in hits, ranked third in games played; tied for third in walks (66); fourth in batting average and on-base percentage – among qualifiers; tied for sixth in RBI; seventh in doubles; eighth in at-bats and had 31 multi-hit games.
Baldwin was named the 2023 Hank Aaron Award recipient given annually to the top offensive performer in the Braves’ minor league system. The Madison, WI native slashed .270/.385/.460 (108-for-400) in 109 games – 92 with High-A Rome, 14 with Double-A Mississippi, and three with Triple-A Gwinnett. He hit 16 home runs, 26 doubles, and one triple while recording 61 RBI and 63 runs.
De Avila was a two-time Southern League Pitcher of the Week last season. The 22-year-old made a career-high 26 starts, going 6-10 with a 3.28 ERA over 123.1 innings with 125 strikeouts to 61 walks in 25 M-Braves starts. De Avila made one start for Gwinnett at the end of the season. The Southern League postseason All-Star finished among the leaders in ERA (2nd), starts (4th), innings pitched (5th), opponents average (3rd, .223), strikeouts (8th), and WHIP (8th) … Ranked among the top 10 Atlanta farmhands in starts (1st, 26), ERA (2nd, 3.26), innings (T-2nd, 127.0), BAA (2nd, .224), strikeouts (3rd, 128), and WHIP (8th, 1.32) … Over his final three starts with the M-Braves, he threw 14.0…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at OurSports Central Southern League SL News…