A primary reason why the Braves farm system has struggled to maintain depth over the last half-decade is because of the international restrictions that once hampered the club following John Coppolella’s dismissal and subsequent ban from Major League Baseball after violating the league’s rules in regards to signing international prospects. The Braves lost a slew of young talent because of that and were essentially not allowed to pursue international players for several years.
Thankfully, that’s all in the past now, and Baseball America is projecting the club to sign several of the top members from this year’s class.
#5 Diego Tornes, OF, Cuba
Tornes is the fifth-ranked prospect in this year’s international class, according to Baseball America. He’s just 16 years old yet stands 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, displaying power from both sides of the plate.
“Tornes is one of the younger players in the 2025 international class but has long stood out for his power,” Ben Badler writes for Baseball America. “He’s a tall, physical switch-hitter with big bat speed from both sides of the plate who is able to drive the ball consistently for impact and projects to have plus power. Tornes’ swing can cut in and out of the hitting zone too quickly at times, but he’s not a feast-or-famine hitter because it’s an accurate swing, and he’s able to pick up spin early with a knack for being on time.”
#19 Raudy Reyes, RHP, Dominican Republic
Reyes is another 16-year-old prospect with the frame of a full ground man, standing 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. Badler projects he’ll garner a seven-figure contract from the Braves, who have to be intrigued by his incredible power on the mound, capable of hitting triple digits already.
“It’s jarring velocity for his age with a fastball that has reached 101 mph from his strong, physically mature frame (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) with a thick lower half. It’s an overpowering fastball against hitters his age, though he will need to show more feel to manipulate his offspeed stuff and land his fastball in the strike zone more often against more advanced hitters.”
#96 Angel Carmona, SS, Venezuela
If there’s a weak spot in the Braves organization now and in the future, it’s at shortstop. Of course, all of these players are extremely young and difficult to project, but it’s a position that needs to be heavily addressed at all levels of the minors in hope of finding long-term answers.
“Carmona is an athletic shortstop with a strong arm who should stick in the middle infield. He’s a righthanded hitter with a high-waist build and significant room to fill out his 6-foot-1 frame. It’s an aggressive offensive approach with a chance to grow into 15-20 home run power once he packs on more size and strength.”
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