The Next Big Thing: 19-Year-Old Phenom Dominates in Thrilling Performance
The Atlanta Braves prospects lost to the Detroit Tigers prospects, 6-2, but one right-handed prospect made for a surprise standout.
No. 12 prospect Didier Fuentes took the mound for the final three innings of the game and shut down the Tigers prospect hitters. He pitched a scoreless outing allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out seven.
Four of his punchouts came on fastballs up in the zone. Two came on the slider and one looked like it came off of his splitter. His strikeouts came in a few spots: up in the zone, just off the outside half of the plate and one down at the knees.
At the time of the report, according MLB Pipeline, those seven strikeouts led the Spring Breakout circuit.
In a game that saw two top-10 prospects in the system take the mound, Fuentes prevailed as the standout pitcher, and arguably the standout player, of the game for the Braves.
For the fans who are less familiar with some of the Braves’ top-30 prospects, this is a standout outing that will put him specifically on the map for many.
Fuentes finished the 2024 season with Single-A Augusta. In 18 appearances, 17 of them starts, he finished with a 2.74 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 98 strikeouts across 75 2/3 innings pitched.
He missed almost all of the second half of the season due to injury. While solid throughout, his most dominant stretch came in June. He had a 1.93 ERA in four starts that month. He also pitched 5 2/3 scoreless frames in his final two appearances to end the season.
After two seasons in Augusta, Fuentes could be earning himself a spot at the next level of the minors. Had he been healthier last season, he might have moved up to High-A or Double-A already.
