Braves Prospect Report: Finding Finishing Pitch Next for Ethan Bagwell

Ethan Bagwell is just 20 years old and is already 6-foo-4 and 230 pounds. It's not often that a team drafts a pitcher out of high school with not a lot of projection left in his frame, but that's what the Atlanta Braves got with Bagwell.

Atlanta selected him in the 6th round in 2024 out of Collinsville High School in Illinois – the same school that has produced four Major Leaguers, including Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck.

Bagwell had a solid year in 2026, with his best start coming right from the jump while pitching with Augusta. On April 3 against the Fredericksburg Nationals, Bagwell went six no-hit innings, striking out six and walking only one. He finished the year with a 3.17 ERA in 108 innings with 105 strikeouts and 32 walks.

He relies mostly on a fastball that sits in the low to mid-90s with carry up in the zone. That pitch showed the ability to reach 96 mph and 97 mph in his senior year, but he struggled to hold it there, and an oblique injury didn't help either.

He also features a slider that ranges from 77 mph to 81 mph, and while it's not very sharp, it does have a nice shape that sweeps away from right-handed hitters and misses bats. His changeup sits in the mid-80s, and although he doesn't use it much, it's effective at getting ground-ball outs, especially against lefties. He still needs to refine his off-speed stuff, because he doesn't yet have a true out pitch.

Bagwell has struggled with control at times, but he manages to keep walks relatively in check. He has a career walk rate of 7.7%, which is actually better than average, but consistently staying there is key. Mechanics may be part of the issue. Bagwell pitches exclusively out of the stretch, often falling off the mound on the left side in the follow-through. It is reminiscent of Corbin Burnes at times, but the amount of movement in his pitching motion may be the root cause of some of his control issues.

If Bagwell can clean up his mechanics and sharpen his breaking pitches, I think he has a solid foundation. As of now, though, I see him destined for a bullpen role, and even then, finding a home could be challenging without a true out pitch.

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