Braves 2025 Prospect Year in Review: Didier Fuentes' Complicated Debut

It might be a while before we see him again, but the Atlanta Braves prospect shouldn't be defined by his rocky welcome to the majors

Fuentes got his chance with the Braves, but well before he was ready | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

One of the more complicated storylines we witnessed during the 2025 Atlanta Braves season is the debut of prospect starter Didier Fuentes. Before this year, most were unfamiliar with him entirely. By the summer, he epitomized the troubles plaguing the team. 

Of no fault of his own, he was put in a position to fail. Every fifth day, he was put out there in the hope of getting five innings, and maybe those five innings went well enough that the team wasn’t outright punting the game. 

The thing is, he only made it five innings once, and the Braves picked up a win in one of his four starts. In total, he allowed 20 earned runs in 13 innings pitched (13.85 ERA). But to say he was anything more than a rushed young pitcher who flopped would be misleading. 

Fuentes was called up for a reason. He was and is still a rising prospect in the Braves system. He just donned a Braves uniform quicker than should have been allowed. He first burst onto the scene during the MLB Spring Breakout during Spring Training. He dominated Detroit Tigers hitters during the final innings of a prospect game over in Lakeland, Fla. After that, he was officially on the map. 

The promise of what he could bring to the table saw him quickly move up from High-A Rome to Triple-A. Due to the lack of starting pitchers on the staff, the Braves tried to ride the hot hand. It turned out to be a bad dice roll. 

It was evident that his confidence was rattled for a time after he went back down to the minor leagues. He allowed seven runs over 6 2/3 combined innings in his first two starts after returning to Triple-A Gwinnett. 

Sure enough, he turned the corner. He allowed an earned run across 11 innings over the following two starts. That would be all she wrote his season, though. He hurt his shoulder and was out for the final two months of the season. 

In all, he was dealt a wasted season from a development perspective, and despite his effort to try and do his part, he was rewarded with not being able to even finish the season. You feel for the guy. He is going to come into 2026 with doubts just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, to put it lightly. 

He’ll likely be a Spring Training getting work in. It’s doubtful he’ll start the season with the big league team. However, there is no reason to doubt he won’t get another chance. Remember, he’s 20. If he’s in Triple-A for two or more years before we see him again, he would still be very young when he gets back. 

So, keep that in mind. This was a massive bump in the road for him, but he’s very early on in his path. Until next time.