MLB.com Adds Braves Prospect to Top 100 List

Didier Fuentes can add being a top-100 prospect to his resume. Upon Cleveland Guardians left-hander Parker Messick's graduation from prospect status, the Atlanta Braves right-hander found himself ranked No. 100 by MLB.com, just cracking the list.

The Braves now have three prospects in the top 100. Left-hander Cam Caminiti (No. 66) and right-hander JR Ritchie (No. 87) are ranked along with Fuentes. At the start of last season, Fuentes was ranked No. 12. He moved into the top-10 as the season progressed.

"He's got really good stuff," Braves starting pitcher Grant Holmes said over the weekend. "To be his age, really good composure from last year to this year. It's like he's two different pitchers, and I feel like he has a really bright future."

Fuentes continues to carve out his place in the game since he began his recent run. In spring training, he had a 0.66 ERA, a 0.22 WHIP and 18 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings. The fastball was consistently in the high 90s, and he took strides with his breaking pitches. At one point, he retired 27 consecutive batters. It was performance that earned him a spot on the opening day roster.

He made one appearance in the big leagues back on Sunday before heading back to Triple-A. He looked sharp, pitching four innings of one-run ball, allowing two hits with no walks while striking out four, out of the bullpen. His demotion had nothing to do with performance. The Braves want to get him conditioned for a starter's workload, and they felt down in Gwinnett was the logic place for him to do it. He'll be back.

Fuentes hasn't pitched since he appeared in a game for the Braves. His next appearance will likely come in the next couple of days.

He's come a long way since he was thrown to the wolves last summer. We knew he needed more time to get ready. However, the strides he has made in that short of time is nothing short of impressive.

The Braves have their share of potential arms who could make an impact long-term despite having a thin prospect pool. Hurston Waldrep showed he could handle big league bats late last season, once he got another chance. JR Ritchie should see action sometime this year, and Cam Caminiti is impressed at the level he's at. The latter will see action in High-A Rome for the first time.