Another Top Braves Pitching Prospect Dazzles in Spring Training

The Atlanta Braves No. 6 prospect got the ball to start, and given where he is in his development, it makes his debut more impressive

The Atlanta Braves got a nice outing from pitcher Garrett Baumann | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Another day, another promising Atlanta Braves pitching prospect impressed out of the gate. Garrett Baumann made his spring debut on Monday, getting the start against the Orioles in Sarasota, Fla.

He was, by the definition established by Major League Baseball, perfect. He sat down all six batters he faced and picked up a strikeout. He set the tone early for the Braves to route the Orioles, 10-7.

Standing at 6-foot-8, Baumann brings a towering force to the mound.

“He's good. He’s huge," Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, who caught Baumann, said ahead of Monday's game, via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "The presence on the mound – that’s a big guy out there. He’s throwing the ball, kind of, down your throat there.”

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Some pitches were left over the plate and some were well off. However, given some key hitters he faced, he stood tall in his debut. Throwing 60% of his pitches for strikes is rather respectable too.

A notable highlight, too, is the number of pitches he brought to the table in the game. Baumann showcased a total of six pitches: a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a slider, a changeup, a curveball and a cutter.

The sinker and the fastball were his go-to pitches, but having a full arsenal of pitches comes in handy when having to see hitters through the order three or four times. It comes in handy, too when your fastball sits below 94 mph and you aren't getting a lot of swing and misses.

He could build more velocity in time, but to succeed as a starter long-term, a pitcher needs more than a couple of pitches to succeed. All of this is taken into the context of where he's at in his career. Where he stands, he's in a good spot.

Baumann is coming off a full season with High-A Rome. He started the season as teammates with JR Ritchie and finished it as a teammate of Alex Lodise. The 21-year-old right-hander finished with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.

So far, he's managed to limit free passes and the long ball, but hitters are catching pitches hovering in the zone and putting in play for a base hit.