According to the Columbus Clingstones’ (the Braves AA-affiliate) Twitter/X account, 19-year-old Didier Fuentes has earned a promotion to AA.

This is a massive yet well-deserved leap for such a young prospect. Didier Fuentes began turning heads last year when he posted a 2.74 ERA with 98 strikeouts over 75.2 innings in low-A Augusta, and his 2025 kicked off with a bang as he struck out seven batters in just three innings during the Braves Spring Breakout game last month.

Absolute filth from 19 year old @Braves RHP prospect Didier Fuentes during Spring Breakout striking out 7 over 3 innings.pic.twitter.com/J4aFshZPtQ

— Prospect Dugout (@prospectdugout) March 17, 2025

Didier Fuentes’ fastball is up a tick compared to last year, consistently sitting in the mid-90s, very impressive for a 19-year-old that’s still growing into his frame. He also features a plus-slider with a developing splitter/changeup.

The numbers in High-A Rome don’t jump off the page initially. Didier Fuentes boasts a rather unsightly 5.54 ERA over three starts. However, opponents are just hitting .186 against him, and his K/BB ratio has remained outstanding. That’s something all organizations, but especially the Braves, pay close attention to when deciding whether a young arm is ready to be moved up the chain.

Fuentes is currently the Braves 11th ranked prospect, according to MLB.com. By season’s end, it’s possible he finds himself around the top five.

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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire