Didier Fuentes is just 20 years old, and clearly not ready for big-league ball. After a brutal start against the Athletics on July 8, in which Fuentes was pulled after just an inning of work, fans rightly called out the front office for putting the top prospect in such a position this early in his career. While the Braves pitching depth is undeniably in a bad place, that does not give them an excuse to stunt a promising young player's career.
Fuentes had made just one start in Triple-A and a few more in Double-A prior to his promotion. Unsurprisingly, he has struggled to adjust to the big leagues, which is why he was sent back down, but only after his confidence was ruined.
“Didier Fuentes was a speculative promotion based on arm talent and potential. He is not ready to pitch, let alone contribute in the major leagues right now,” Braves reporter Grant McAuley posted to X. “Yes, the Braves have lost four starters, but they need to try something else.”
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Didier Fuentes wasn't ready to pitch for the Braves
That's one way to put it. McAuley is right in that Fuentes should not be pitching in the bigs. I would argue he shouldn't have been called up in the first place, at least not until Atlanta was confident he could handle the challenge. Braves fans, for the large part, felt bad for Fuentes and took aim at the front office for forcing him into a bad situation.
“Genuinely feel so bad for Didier Fuentes,”a Braves fan posted to X. “The kid has so much potential, but his stuff is just not ready for the big leagues yet. Every inning he throws in the bigs is hurting more than helping. The Braves are not helping this kid at all.”
This did not stop one member of the media, Braves reporter Mark Bowman, from taking a shot at Fuentes on his way out the door, however. "The Braves said Fuentes got optioned, but I think he got traded to the A's," Bowman wrote. Unsurprisingly, Atlanta fans roasted this post, which has yet to be deleted.
Braves fans turning on Alex Anthopoulos is a bad sign
When it comes to developing young pitchers, there are some mistakes you cannot walk back. The Braves have often forced top prospects like AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep and now Fuentes to the big-league level before they were ready based on the needs of the big-league club. That's not how this works, and in Fuentes case in particular, throwing a 20-year-old into the fire is bound to come with long-term consequences.
Atlanta's season is, by most accounts, over barring a surprising second-half run. Rather than forcing top prospects into an uncomfortable environment, Anthopoulos' best route forward is to trade expiring contracts at the deadline and prepare for next year. It's a painful reality, but it's better than the alternative.