The Braves Have Another Shortstop Worth Watching in John Gil

John Gil is quickly becoming one of the more interesting prospects in the Atlanta Braves' system, with a toolset that stands out even in a farm system with no shortage of talented infielders.

Speed is the calling card. Gil is a plus runner who's a real problem on the basepaths, having stolen 169 bases since debuting professionally for the organization in 2023. The 20-year-old Dominican-born infielder already understands what his job is offensively: get on base and do damage once he's there. That approach shows up in the numbers — he draws a high number of walks and keeps his strikeouts in check.

Gil opened the 2026 season with a modest .242 average in 95 games at High-A Rome, but 56 walks pushed his on-base percentage up to .346. Then came his promotion to Double-A Columbus on August 4th, and his production took off. In the 28 games since, Atlanta's No. 9 prospect (No. 8 per Baseball America) has hit .313 with a .395 OBP, adding two homers and 12 stolen bases in a Clingstones uniform. Even more impressively, in the last seven days, Gil has collected a grand slam as well as a five-hit game for Columbus. For the season as a whole, he's now up to 14 home runs and 55 RBIs.

The tools go beyond his legs, too. Gil's speed and defensive ability give him an intriguing combination of upside and present skill, and evaluators believe he can stick at shortstop long-term thanks to his quickness and the arm strength to handle the left side of the infield.

One MLB comparison that's stuck with me for Gil is Elvis Andrus. Andrus was never a power hitter — his career high was 20 home runs back in 2017 — but his blend of contact, speed, defense and instincts on the bases made him an extremely valuable everyday player for a long time. That's a believable developmental path for Gil. He doesn't need to hit 40 homers to be a difference-maker. A dependable contact hitter with 15-plus home run power, 30 to 40 stolen bases and reliable defense at shortstop would be a tremendous outcome.

Gil's rise has also invited some natural comparisons to fellow shortstop prospect Alex Lodise, who I profiled recently. The two share plenty of physical similarities, though Gil is the faster of the two while Lodise hits for more consistent power. Both are natural shortstops with some third-base experience, and both carry an MLB ETA of 2028 — which sets up an interesting question for the Braves if they want to keep both in the organization long-term, since one would likely need to slide over to third base or the outfield.

For now, though, the more pressing storyline is just how good John Gil has been. He's having a great second half of 2026, and he's giving the Braves front office a very welcome problem to think through.

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