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3 Atlanta Braves prospects to call up this September, 1 who isn’t ready

By Mark Powell

ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 09: AJ Smith-Shawver #62 of the Atlanta Braves smiles while in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on June 09, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was Smith-Shawver's first career start. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 09: AJ Smith-Shawver #62 of the Atlanta Braves smiles while in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on June 09, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was Smith-Shawver's first career start. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) /
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Braves, Braden Shewmake
NORTH PORT, FL – FEBRUARY 23: Braden Shewmake #83 of the Atlanta Braves fields during the Spring Training game against the Detroit Tigers at CoolToday Park on February 23, 2020 in North Port, Florida. The Tigers defeated the Braves 5-1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

Braves prospects to promote: Braden Shewmake

Braden Shewmake would be new to the major leagues. He made an appearance this season, and struggled some at the plate. With Orlando Arcia manning shortstop regularly, there’s really no spot for the 25-year-old on the roster under normal circumstances.

However, Shewmake is excellent defensively, and when the roster becomes slightly larger, could have a role as a defensive replacement. Yes, Atlanta did just call up Vaughn Grissom, but his defensive struggles limit his playing time. Shewmake is decent enough with the bat, and offers the Braves some versatility at the position.

Shewmake has a leg up over Grissom for any backup shortstop role because of his defense. Jake Mastroianni of Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation illustrated this in a recent column:

"“The defense is real, the Braves just need to see a larger sample size to see if what he showed with the bat in Spring Training is for real. If he has a good couple of months in Triple-A with the bat, then he probably has a leg up on the shortstop job over Vaughn Grissom who still has a ways to go defensively. Atlanta has already said Shewmake will play a lot of second base as they feel like they already know what Shewmake can bring them there.”"

Shewmake could cover for Ozzie Albies and/or Arcia on any given day as the season draws to a close. With Atlanta likely having the NL East wrapped up by then, don’t be surprised if Shewmake gets a look.

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