By John A. Tures, Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College

The third installment of the movie franchise “Major League III” is titled “Back to the Minors.” It may be a fitting moniker for the 2025 Atlanta Braves, not because they’ll be bad, but that they’ll have some minor leaguers getting ready for the big leagues that could provide a spark, similar to what the team experienced in the years leading up to their great World Series run in 2021.

Over the Winter Break, Hot Stove baseball heated up as a lot of high-priced free agents kept being plucked off the market while the Braves stood pat, allowing others to swoop to get the alleged goodies, and even let a few stalwarts from the 2021 championship slip away, like Charlie Morton and Travis D’Arnaud, who we’ll really miss. A few fans, and some in the media, began to question A.A. to see if Alex Anthopoulos still has it as a General Manager.

No one knows for sure, but the Braves do have some impressive prospects who may do more than earn lineup spots. They may contribute to a 2025 season where Atlanta needs to have a few stars recover from injuries, and make the playoffs again, defying the odds.

Everyone is sure that Drake Baldwin can do more than replace D’Arnaud. Based on his line from the minor leagues, he may push starter Sean Muphy in the catcher slot. The guy’s left-handed, has a cannon arm, and a pretty decent batting average (.276), which is always appreciated.

In a column I wrote two years earlier, I touted A. J. Smith-Shawver. Injuries kept us seeing what he could really do on the mound. We’ll find out in 2025 now that there may be a few roster spots open on the pitching mound, especially among starters. And if players like Ian Anderson can make a heroic comeback, maybe the high-upside Smith-Shawver plugs a hole in the bullpen.

Ignacio “Nacho” Alvarez Jr. has the flexibility to challenge Orlando Arcia at shortstop, or to help if Ozzie Albies or Austin Riley miss any time for injuries, which is always a possibility in Major League Baseball, given the high speeds and wildness of too many (unprepared) rookie hurlers on other teams.

And doesn’t it feel good to have pitchers Cam Caminiti and Hurston Waldrep waiting in the wings for their shot at making a difference in pitching, along with Herrick Hernandez and Ian Mejia, and Luis De Avila. And though the Braves lineup is stacked, injuries might give Robert Gonzalez, Junior Garcia, Isaiah Drake and Mario Baez, all according to Battery Power.

Right now, you might think I’m being a bit of an optimist. Well, in that column from two years ago, I noted that Spencer Schwellenbach looked pretty good. I pointed out that Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider, who weren’t even among the top 40 baseball prospects in 2023, and finish first and second in the Rookie of the Year voting with over 100 votes, with third place getting 22. And though Vaughn Grissom helped with landing Chris Sale in a trade. Sale, of course, became a Cy Young winner for Atlanta.

The Braves’ rookies have a history of defying the odds; preseason pickers will be wary of picking whoever Atlanta calls up for starters and reserves. Get enough rookies, and we’ll be back to those World Series rings. Underestimate the Braves’ talent, and you’ll be looking up at them….again!

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. His views are his own. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His “X” account is JohnTures2.