Braves top prospect honored for outstanding week of pitching in South Atlantic League

admin | April 30, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

One of Atlanta’s finest minor league pitchers impressed in the recent week, receiving high praise.

The Atlanta Braves’ best prospect, Owen Murphy, made headlines last week. South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week was awarded after a strong seven-inning effort that included only one hit, ten strikeouts, no walks, and no runs.

A fantastic performance from the Braves’ fifth-ranked prospect, according to MLB pipeline. Murphy was Atlanta’s first-round pick in 2022 and is only twenty years old. This performance exemplifies what the Braves saw in Murphy when they chose him out of Riverside-Brookfield High School in Riverside, Illinois.

As he should.

Owen Murphy is your South Atlantic League Pitcher of The Week.#RuleTheLand🐧

📖: https://t.co/gAOgkkJXIS pic.twitter.com/kLOgrT2aec

— Rome Emperors (@GoEmperors) April 29, 2024

What makes the performance even more memorable is that it was not a one-time strong performance. Murphy’s great start to the 2024 season culminates in this moment. Murphy has started four games for High-A Rome, pitching 24 innings with a 1.13 ERA, 1.77 FIP, 2.43 xFIP, 41.6% strikeout rate, and 6.7% walk rate.

Murphy currently ranks fifth in minor league baseball with 37 total strikeouts. This contains only six walks issued. His strikeout rate of 46.6% ranks 10th, and his K/BB% of 34.8% places him sixth.

Owen Murphy may have had an award-winning week, but it has been a remarkable month. One that is gaining notice not only in Braves country, but throughout baseball.

Sheer dominance from Owen Murphy 💪

The @Braves' No. 5 prospect takes a perfect game into the 7th and finishes with double-digit K's for the second straight start for @GoEmperors: pic.twitter.com/Gl1dQWR4rW

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 26, 2024

The Braves can be patient with Murphy’s development. There is no present hole in the Braves’ pitching staff. In addition, numerous quality pitchers are already vying for a spot, including Darius Vines, Dylan Dodd, AJ Smith-Shawver, and possibly Hurston Waldrep. This means Murphy can get all of the seasoning he needs.

There will come a time when Rome becomes too easy for him, and the Braves will prefer to see him in Double-A Mississippi. That is typically where we see top prospects differentiate themselves. If Murphy’s development goes as planned, he could end up in Atlanta by the middle of 2025.

For the time being, it appears that the Braves scouting department nailed this first-round pick. Owen Murphy is an entertaining pitcher to watch, so get to Rome if you can when he takes the mound.