To begin the season, the Braves had two prospects that stood out above the rest in AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep. Both took part in Spring Training and looked impressive in their respective outings. Six weeks later, another Braves arm has entered that top tier of prospects, 20-year-old Owen Murphy.
I’ve written about the 2022 first-round selection a few times already this year, and it’s because every time he toes the rubber, something special seems to happen. Last night, Murphy made his seventh start of the season, going 6.1 innings without allowing a run. He gave up just three hits and no walks while striking out 11.
On the season, Owen Murphy has now struck out eight or more batters in six of his seven starts. He has 60 strikeouts in just 41 total innings to go along with an ERA of 1.54, and opponents are hitting just .129 against him.
Murphy isn’t the kind of pitcher who’s going to blow batters away with high-90s heat. His fastball sits in the low-90s but he pairs it nicely with three plus secondary offerings — a curveball, slider, and changeup. Velocity is nice, but guys who can pitch generally end up having a lot more success at the highest levels.
The Braves look to have found another good one in the draft. Owen Murphy may be a few years away from reaching Atlanta, but this is an organization that loves moving their young talent through the system quickly. I’m not sure what else Murphy has to prove at the High-A level. A move to Double-AA Mississippi could be in his near future, which is a level where we will get a real good idea of how close he is to being major-league ready.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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