Braves' Top Pitching Prospect Looks Sharp in Scoreless First Start of June

His last start before this came on May 27

May 31, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of the hat and glove of Atlanta Braves center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (not pictured) against the Detroit Tigers in the fourth inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves' highest-ranked prospect delivered a solid performance in his first appearance on a minor league mound this month.

Left-handed pitcher Cam Caminiti, Atlanta's No. 1 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline, tossed four shutout innings for the High-A Rome Emperors on Thursday. The 19-year-old gave up two hits and one walk while striking out six in Rome's 8-7 victory over the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the High-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The young southpaw threw 38 of his 52 total pitches for strikes to complete his four scoreless innings efficiently.

This was Caminiti's first start since May 27, which likely played a role in his lower pitch count on Thursday. The young lefty was also dealing with a "minor wrist issue" that forced him to miss a start earlier in June, according to MLB Pipeline's Clark Fahrenthold. But the 2024 first-round draft pick didn't miss a beat in his first outing back on the High-A mound.

How has Braves prospect Cam Caminiti performed in 2026?

Jul 14, 2024; Ft. Worth, TX, USA; MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred takes a photo with Cam Caminiti after he's drafted by the Atlanta Braves with the 24th pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

So far this season, Caminiti has produced a 4.74 ERA in 11 High-A games (10 starts) with 50 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings. This comes after the young lefty's first full year as a pro in 2025, when he had a 3.09 ERA in 17 starts across two minor league levels. The southpaw notably posted a 2.08 ERA in 13 Single-A starts last year, racking up 75 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings.

Atlanta selected Caminiti with the 24th overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft. So, regardless of any stats he's produced so far in the minors, it's probably easy to forget that the 19-year-old was playing high school ball around this time roughly two years ago. With that in mind, it'd make sense if the Braves kept a close eye on the young hurler's workload this season. He's just over 20 innings away from matching his total from last year, after all.

Atlanta pitching prospects Didier Fuentes and JR Ritchie have been among the organization's young arms making the most noise in the first half of the 2026 season. But many Braves fans will undoubtedly be curious to see how Caminiti builds on his latest outing as the team's No. 1 prospect continues his development at High-A.