Despite a sluggish start to the season, the Atlanta Braves are still earning praise for their player development. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter recently ranked Atlanta as the No. 3 team in Major League Baseball for homegrown talent — the highest-ranked National League team on the list. Only the Cleveland Guardians (No. 1) and Baltimore Orioles (No. 2) were ahead of them, with the Cincinnati Reds (No. 6) as the only other NL team in the top 10.
Reuter evaluated teams based on players they drafted or signed as amateur free agents and developed through their farm systems. By that metric, the Braves boast 14 homegrown players on their current 40-man roster. For example, former shortstop Dansby Swanson wouldn’t qualify under these rules, as he was originally drafted by the Diamondbacks.
Atlanta’s top five homegrown standouts include Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Spencer Strider, Michael Harris II, and Ozzie Albies. Reuter noted that the team’s talent pool is even deeper, highlighting rising stars like Spencer Schwellenbach and rookie catcher Drake Baldwin as names to watch.
Between those five core players, the Braves have amassed 10 All-Star selections, two Rookie of the Year awards, five Silver Sluggers, one NL MVP, and 10 total seasons receiving MVP votes. Acuña Jr. and Albies were also part of Atlanta’s 2021 World Series championship.
While teams take different paths to success—some thriving through trades or free agency—the Braves continue to show that building from within remains one of the most reliable blueprints for long-term competitiveness.
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