Braves No. 10 Prospect on Otherworldly Run Since Return

The Atlanta Braves organization has high hopes for the right-hander, but no one could have predicted his return would be this electric

Murphy has been pitching out of his mind | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Owen Murphy’s return to the mound has gone better than the Atlanta Braves organization could have ever hoped it would. 

On Saturday, he pitched another scoreless outing, this time hurling 5 1/3 innings while allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four. It’s the deepest he has pitched into a game this season, throwing 77 pitches with 54 of them being for strikes (70%). 

Including his rehab starts, he has a 0.00 ERA, a 0.30 WHIP, a .060 opponent’s average and 22 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings pitched. The only way it could get better is if he threw a no-hitter or maybe even a perfect game. 

Murphy made his return from recovering from Tommy John surgery less than a month ago, and he rejoined High-A Rome after one rehab start in the complex league. It doesn’t seem that he’s had any need to re-find his footing after the time away, like other pitchers do.  

After the recent update on MLB.com, he’s now ranked as the team’s No. 10 prospect. He was taken 20th overall by the Braves in the 2022 draft. At 21 years old, he’s showing the same promise he did right before he went under the knife. 

With how he’s pitching, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the Braves chose to see how he can handle hitters in Double-A before the season is over. This is speculation, but once he’s able to reach six innings or 90 pitches, that might be when the Braves decide to promote him. 

There is another month and change left in the season, so he can probably get another five or six starts in on the once-a-week schedule he’s currently on. He’s been pitching every Saturday like a college pitcher since he got up to Rome.

It’s a solid strategy to ensure he gets sufficient rest before taking the mound again to stretch out further. 

If Murphy gets promoted before the end of the season, then the organization would have four of its pitching prospects who are ranked in the top-10 in at least Double-A or better. JR Ritchie and Didier Fuentes are in Tripe-A and Hurston Waldrep is in the Majors - should be graduating from the prospect label soon though. 

Top prospect Cam Caminiti is still down in Single-A Augusta. Garrett Baumann is in High-A with Murphy and Briggs McKenzie is officially in the complex league, though he hasn’t actually pitched yet.