Andrés Galarraga Atlanta Braves (1998-2000)
What position did he play with the Braves?
What position did Andrés Galarraga play with the Braves?
During his first season in Atlanta in 1998, Galarraga silenced his critics. He proved that he could still have great power production at lower altitudes, hitting .305 with 44 home runs and 121 RBI. This made Galarraga the first player in Major League history to hit 40 or more homers in consecutive seasons for two different teams.  During 1999 spring training, Galarraga developed a sore back. Treatment from the team's trainers and team doctor included hydrobaths, massages, muscle relaxers, and stretching, but would not stop the nagging soreness. He was referred to a medical oncologist at Atlanta for a thorough physical exam and an MRI. When the diagnosis came in, the famous Galarraga smile disappeared. On his second lumbar vertebra in his lower back he had a tumor known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of lymphatic cancer. He missed the entire 1999 season receiving cancer chemotherapy. Rockies third baseman and ex-teammate Vinny Castilla switched briefly from his traditional number 9 to number 14 on his jersey to honor Galarraga's cancer fight.  Galarraga returned to the field in the spring of the year 2000 in high spirits and good shape after undergoing chemotherapy and a strict workout routine. In his third at-bat of opening day of the 2000 season, Galarraga knocked in the winning run with a home run, and he showed his big smile again. In April and May, he was tied for first place in home runs in the National League and he was batting .300.  At the end of the season, Galarraga had batted .302 with 28 HRs and 100 RBIs. He was awarded his second National League Comeback Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News.  Galarraga asked the Braves ownership for a two-year contract, but the most that it would offer was a one-year contract. Hence, Galarraga decided to become a free agent, and he signed with the Texas Rangers for two years. CANNOTANSWER
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Andrés José Padovani Galarraga (; born June 18, 1961) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball first baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos (– and ), St. Louis Cardinals (), Colorado Rockies (–), Atlanta Braves (–), Texas Rangers (), San Francisco Giants (2001 and ) and Anaheim Angels (). He batted and threw right-handed. During his playing days, Galarraga stood  tall, weighing .

Galarraga began his professional career in Venezuela at the age of 16. He was nicknamed The Big Cat (textually translated from English as El Gran Gato, although his nickname in his native Venezuela was El Gato) for his impressively quick reflexes and seamless defensive skills as a first baseman in spite of his large physical size. Galarraga was a five-time National League (NL) All-Star, won two NL Gold Glove Awards and two NL Silver Slugger Awards, and won two MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award, the second time after his successful return to baseball following cancer treatment.

Career

Venezuelan Winter League
Galarraga was signed by the Leones del Caracas  as a catcher and third baseman. He made his debut in the – season. Some of the players Galarraga had as teammates included big-leaguers Tony Armas, Bo Díaz, Manny Trillo, Gonzalo Márquez, and Leo Hernández. Galarraga originally started as a utility player, but three seasons later he became the regular first baseman of the team. At the recommendation of team manager Felipe Alou, he was signed by the Expos in 1979. At that time, some MLB scouts thought the 17-year-old power-hitting prodigy was too overweight to play professionally.

Galarraga played with this team until 1993, when he retired from Venezuelan Winter League.

Minor leagues
In Minor League Baseball (MiLB), Galarraga played for the West Palm Beach Expos (, –), Calgary Expos (1979–), Jamestown Expos (), Jacksonville Suns (), and Indianapolis Indians ().

Galarraga was named Double-A Southern League Most Valuable Player for Jacksonville in 1984, with a .289 batting average, 27 home runs and 87 runs batted in (RBI). He also led the league in total bases (271), slugging percentage (.508), intentional base on balls (10), hit by pitches (9), and in double plays (130) and total chances (1428) at first base. Prior to his  major league promotion, Galarraga hit .269/25/85, in 121 games with Indianapolis, being named as the Triple-A International League (IL) Rookie of the Year.

Montreal Expos (1985–1991)
Galarraga made his debut with Montreal on August 23, 1985. During that season’s last six-plus weeks, he struggled, hitting .187 (14-for-75), with two homers, and four RBI, in 24 games. Galarraga had a promising start in , but it was interrupted, when he suffered a knee injury; at the time, he had already posted eight home runs and was leading all NL rookies with 25 runs batted in. Galarraga underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, on July 10. He was activated one month later, only to be re-injured the following day after pulling muscles in his rib cage. Galarraga returned to action in September, ending with .271, 10 home runs, and 42 RBI, in 105 games.

Overshadowed by some teammates, Galarraga survived a tough rookie year and quietly enjoyed a consistently strong  season. He hit .305 with 13 home runs, 90 RBI, and finishing second in the league in doubles (40). Despite his size, Galarraga displayed solid defense, being adept at scooping throws out of the dirt and excellent quickness turning the 3-6-3 double play. Cardinals' manager Whitey Herzog called him "the best-fielding right-handed first baseman I've seen since Gil Hodges."

In , Galarraga emerged from the shadows to become the best player on the Expos. He had an MVP-caliber season with a .302 batting average, 99 runs, 29 home runs, and 92 RBI. Galarraga also led the league in hits (184) and doubles (42), and earned an All-Star berth for the first time in his career. He was named the Montreal Expos Player of the Year at the end of the season.

 was a rough season however for the Big Cat. Galarraga became a target of Montreal fans' frustration when he tailed off after the All-Star game. That year, Galarraga led the league in strikeouts (158), dropping his production to .257, 23 home runs, and 85 RBI. He fell five RBI short of becoming the first Expo to string together three straight seasons with 90 or more RBI. Despite the rough season, Galarraga blasted his first grand slam, stole home for the first time in his career, and was rewarded with a Gold Glove Award for his stellar play at first base.

Galarraga's  season had Expos mumbling that the team should lower its expectations for the slick-fielding first baseman. For the second consecutive season, the Big Cat failed to repeat the standards he set in his first two full seasons. Galarraga hit .256 with 20 home runs and 87 RBI, almost a mirror image of his previous season. For the third consecutive year, he led the league in strikeouts; pitchers exploited Galarraga’s impatience at the plate and didn't give him good pitches to hit. Even without any improvement with the bat, Galarraga continued to make tremendous contributions on the field, scooping up infielder's errant throws, starting 3-6-3 double plays, and winning his second Gold Glove. That season he also had a six-RBI game, two four-RBI games, and hit his first career inside-the-park home run.

Slowed by injuries, Galarraga struggled through the worst offensive season of his career in . Disabled with a strained left hamstring between May and July, he later had arthroscopic surgery to repair damage to the undersurface of his left kneecap. Montreal missed Galarraga‘s glove as much as his bat, committing 43 infield errors in 53 games without him. That season, Galarraga hit .219, 9 home runs, and 33 RBI, in 107 games. He stole home for the second time in his career and hit his 100th career home run. At the end of the season, Galarraga was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for starting pitcher Ken Hill.

St. Louis Cardinals (1992)
Galarraga had a second chance with the  Cardinals; however, a pitch broke his wrist early in the season and he didn't recover until July. Galarraga batted .296 after the All-Star break and hit all ten of his homers after July 1 for a .497 second-half slugging percentage. He finished with a .243 batting average and 39 RBI, but made a good impression on Cardinals batting coach Don Baylor. When Baylor became the first Rockies manager in the off-season, he recommended that Colorado take a chance on Galarraga and sign him as a free agent.

Colorado Rockies (1993–1997)

National League batting champion (1993)

By joining the Rockies, Galarraga was given new life for his career. In a  season full of remarkable individual achievements, he solidified his stature as an accomplished hitter, and flirted with the .400 mark for much of the season. Galarraga‘s final .370 batting average was a 127-point increase over his previous year mark. He led National League batters in batting average, and it was the highest average by a right-handed hitter since Joe DiMaggio batted .381 in .

Despite missing 42 games with assorted injuries, The Big Cat compiled 56 multi-hit games to lead the league. He added 22 homers, 98 RBI, 71 runs, 35 doubles, four triples, a .403 on-base percentage, and his .602 slugging percentage was second in the league. Galarraga‘s .370 mark made him the first player on an expansion team as well as the first Venezuelan to win a batting title. Tony Gwynn hit .358 to finish as runner-up in the title race.

Galarraga finished 10th in the MVP selection, but won The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award. After the season, and for third time, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.

In the strike-shortened  season, Galarraga set a new National League record in April by driving in 30 runs in a month. He seemed to be on his way to a terrific year again, but he fractured his right hand on July 28. At the time of Galarraga‘s injury, Colorado had climbed to within a half-game of the first place Los Angeles Dodgers. Without him however, the Rockies went 3–10 the rest of the way. Galarraga paced the club with 31 homers (fifth in the league), and batted .319 with 85 RBI.

On June 25, 1995, Galarraga hit a home run in three consecutive innings to tie an MLB record. He finished the season hitting .280, with 31 homers, and 106 RBI. Galarraga’s numbers were helped by the fact that he stayed healthy for the first time in four years. That season, the Rockies had four players with 30 or more home runs, matching the  Dodgers. On August 29 of the same season, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Galarraga spoiled Paul Wagner's bid for a no-hitter, by singling with two out in the ninth; it was the only hit Wagner would allow in defeating the Rockies 4–0.

Over the next few seasons, Galarraga developed into one of the best RBI-men in baseball, driving in a combined 411 runs between  and  (150, 140, and 121). In the same period, he batted .304, .318, and .305, with 47, 41, and 44 home runs, respectively. Some critics argued that Galarraga‘s achievements were possible thanks to the thin-air, mile-high, hitter-friendly Coors Field, but he also belted many homers on the road that traveled over .

NL RBI leader (1997)
Perhaps the most famous home run Galarraga hit was a mammoth grand slam off Kevin Brown on May 31, 1997, which landed 20 rows deep into the upper deck at Florida Marlins' Pro Player Stadium.  It may also be his most debated home run with a distance initially measured at  and then .  At the time, it set a record for both the Rockies and the stadium. In 2011, ESPN's Home Run Tracker recalculated the distance to . Previously, Galarraga smashed two homers in two games that traveled  and  respectively, totaling , an average of  each.

The Rockies released Galarraga at the end of the season to make room at first base for prospect Todd Helton. At the time of his release, Galarraga was the club's all-time leader in home runs (172) and RBI (579). As a free agent, he signed a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Atlanta Braves (1998–2000)
In Galarraga’s first season in Atlanta (1998), he hit .305, with 44 home runs, and 121 RBI. This made him the first player in MLB history to hit 40 or more homers in consecutive seasons for two different teams.

During  spring training, Galarraga developed a sore back. Treatment from the team's trainers and team doctor included hydrobaths, massages, muscle relaxers, and stretching, but would not stop the nagging soreness. Galarraga was referred to a medical oncologist in Atlanta for a thorough physical exam and an MRI.  On the second lumbar vertebra in his lower back, Galarraga had a tumor known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of lymphatic cancer. He missed the entire 1999 season receiving chemotherapy treatments. Rockies third baseman and ex-teammate Vinny Castilla switched briefly from his traditional number 9 to number 14 on his jersey, to honor Galarraga's cancer fight.

In Spring , Galarraga returned to the field after undergoing chemotherapy and a strict workout routine. In his third at-bat of opening day of the 2000 season, Galarraga knocked in the winning run with a home run. In April and May, he was tied for first place in home runs in the National League and he was batting .300.

At the end of the season, Galarraga had batted .302, with 28 home runs, and 100 RBI. He was awarded his second National League Comeback Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News.

Galarraga asked the Braves’ ownership for a two-year contract, but the most that it would offer was a one-year contract. Hence, he decided to become a free agent, and signed with the Texas Rangers, who were willing to offer Galarraga the contract for two years that he sought.

Rangers, Giants, and Expos (2001–2003)
The change of baseball leagues affected Galarraga badly in . At age 40, he found himself "lost" in a different league, facing different pitchers, and stuck in a back-up position with the star Rafael Palmeiro as the main first baseman for the Texas Rangers. Galarraga was used mainly as a designated hitter (DH), as a pinch-hitter, and occasionally as a starter against left-handed pitchers. After a disappointing .235 batting average, 10 home runs, and 34 RBI, in 72 games, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants, at mid-season.

In , Galarraga signed with the Expos for the full season. He then returned to the Giants in , after signing a minor league contract, prior to the season. As a part-time player with the Giants, Galarraga batted .301, with 12 home runs, and 42 RBI.

Anaheim Angels (2004)
In , Galarraga's cancer recurred and he underwent two three-week periods of chemotherapy and was hospitalized for 23 days for additional treatment. This was the same non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that had sidelined Galarraga in 1999, but he beat it for the second time and began play with the Anaheim Angels' Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stingers. When rosters were expanded in September, Galarraga came back to the major leagues. Although he served mostly as a bench player in Anaheim, Galarraga was highly regarded in the clubhouse, especially among younger players such as Vladimir Guerrero, for whom Galarraga became a voice of experience. He saw action in a few games, hitting one home run — the 399th and final home run of Galarraga's storied big league career.

New York Mets (2005)

In , Galarraga again found himself with a new team, the New York Mets, who had invited him to spring training, not knowing if the 43-year-old would be a good fit for their roster. Galarraga showed that he had some gas left in the tank offensively by socking 3 home runs, but appeared very tentative on the defensive end. Galarraga eventually retired during spring training on March 29, 2005, saying it was "the right time to give a younger guy a chance to play." He finished his career with a .288 batting average, 399 home runs, and 1,425 RBI. Falling just one home run short of 400 career home runs, Galarraga ranked 36th all-time at the time of his retirement.

Highlights
 Led National League in Hits (184 in 1988)
 Led National League in Total Bases (329 in 1988)
 Led National League in Doubles (42 in 1988)
 Led National League in Runs Created (113 in 1988)
 Led National League in Extra-Base Hits (79 in 1988)
 Led National League in Batting average (.370 in 1993)
 Led National League in Home Runs (47 in 1996)
 Twice led National League in RBIs (150 in 1996 and 140 in 1997)
 Ranks 69th on MLB All-Time Total Bases List (4,038)
 Ranks 83rd on MLB All-Time Doubles List (444)
 Ranks 43rd on MLB All-Time Home Run List (399)
 Ranks 57th on MLB All-Time RBI List (1,425)
 Ranks 58th on MLB All-Time Extra-Base Hits List (875)
 Ranks 95th on MLB All-Time Intentional Walks List (106)
 Was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2007(1st Rockies Baseball Player to be inducted)
 Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award 2001 (Atlanta Braves)
 The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award winner 1993 (Colorado Rockies) 2001 (Atlanta Braves)
 First Rockies player ever represented at All-Star Game (1993)
 Rockies Career Leader in At Bats per Home Runs with 15.5.
 His 150 RBI season in 1996 is still a single season record for the Rockies.
 Won the three Triple Crown categories (BA, HR, RBI) although in different seasons
 Set Rockies record for RBI before the All-Star break (84 in 1997)
 Became the first player in history to win two NL Comeback Player of the Year Awards
 Honored in the docudrama movie Galarraga: puro béisbol (Galarraga: Nothing But Baseball – Venezuela, 2000)
 Honored in the book Andrés Galarraga – Real Life Reader Biography, by writer Sue Boulais (2003)
 Gained induction into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (2010)

See also

 List of athletes on Wheaties boxes
 List of Colorado Rockies team records
 List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
 List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
 List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
 List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
 List of Major League Baseball career putouts leaders
 List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
 List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
 List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
 Major League Baseball titles streaks
 Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

References

External links

Andrés Galarraga at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
Andrés Galarraga at Baseball Almanac
Andrés Galarraga at Baseball Library
Andrés Galarraga at Stars IQ
Smiles and homers are plenty—the Big Cat is back - Andres Galarraga, baseball player The Sporting News

1961 births
Anaheim Angels players
Atlanta Braves players
Calgary Expos players
Colorado Rockies players
Gold Glove Award winners
Indianapolis Indians players
Jacksonville Suns players
Jamestown Expos players
Leones del Caracas players
Living people
Louisville Redbirds players
Major League Baseball first basemen
Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
Montreal Expos players
National League All-Stars
National League batting champions
National League home run champions
National League RBI champions
Salt Lake Stingers players
San Francisco Giants players
Silver Slugger Award winners
Sportspeople from Caracas
Sportspeople from West Palm Beach, Florida
St. Louis Cardinals players
Texas Rangers players
Venezuela national baseball team people
Venezuelan baseball coaches
Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Canada
Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States
West Palm Beach Expos players
The 2003 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 38th season in Atlanta and 133rd overall. The Braves won their 9th consecutive division title, finishing 10 games ahead of the second-place Florida Marlins. The Braves lost the 2003 Divisional Series to the Chicago Cubs, 3 games to 2. The Braves finished 2003 with their best offensive season in franchise history, hitting a franchise record 235 home runs. Atlanta also had one of the most noteworthy combined offensive outfield productions in league history. 

The Braves' starting rotation had new faces in 2003, but aged pitchers. Opposite of what they were traditionally known for in years earlier. Greg Maddux was joined by trade acquisitions Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz, free agent Shane Reynolds and rookie Horacio Ramírez. Critics noted had Atlanta had a younger staff with this offense, they would've been more likely to win the World Series. Marcus Giles had an All-Star season as the Braves' second baseman and Gary Sheffield as the Braves' right fielder. Sheffield finished with a top 5 voting in NL MVP voting. 2003 also marked the last season for Maddux, ending his tenure in Atlanta after 11 seasons.

Offseason
 November 18, 2002: Mike Hampton was traded by the Florida Marlins with cash to the Atlanta Braves for Ryan Baker (minors) and Tim Spooneybarger. (Hampton had been traded to the Marlins from the Colorado Rockies on November 16, 2002) 
 November 20, 2002: Donzell McDonald was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.
 December 16, 2002: Ray King was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Atlanta Braves for John Foster and Wes Helms.
 December 17, 2002: Russ Ortiz was traded by the San Francisco Giants to the Atlanta Braves for Damian Moss and Merkin Valdez.
 December 18, 2002: Paul Byrd was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves. (Byrd did not play for the Braves in 2003)
 December 19, 2002: Greg Maddux was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.
 December 20, 2002: Johnny Estrada was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Atlanta Braves for Kevin Millwood.
 January 6, 2003: Robert Fick signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves. 
 January 8, 2003: Julio Franco was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.
 January 23, 2003: Roberto Hernandez signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.
 April 10, 2003: Shane Reynolds signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.

Regular season
 In 2003, John Smoltz set a Major League record (since tied) by having 34 saves before the All-Star Break.
 May 23, 2003 – During the Atlanta Braves 15-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, Braves players Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield hit consecutive home runs to start the game.
 On August 10, 2003, Rafael Furcal of the Braves had an unassisted triple play. He caught the liner, touched second base, and tagged the runner going back to first base.

Opening Day starters

Season standings

National League East

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions
 August 29, 2003: Jaret Wright was selected off waivers by the Atlanta Braves from the San Diego Padres.
 Notable draft signings in 2003 include Jarrod Saltalamacchia (36th overall) and Jonny Venters (30th round).

Roster

Player stats

Batting
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Other batters

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

N/A

Relief pitchers

2003 National League Division Series

Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago Cubs
Chicago wins the series, 3-2

Award winners
2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Rome, GCL Braves

References

 2003 Atlanta Braves at Baseball Reference

National League East champion seasons
Atlanta Braves seasons
Atlanta Braves Season, 2003
Atlanta Braves Season, 2003
Atlanta Below are the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Atlanta Braves:

Prospects

Corbin Clouse

Corbin James Clouse (born June 26, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Clouse attended Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and played college baseball at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2016, as a redshirt sophomore, he went 5–0 with a 1.62 ERA. After the season, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 27th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.

Clouse made his professional debut that year with the Danville Braves, and after pitching  scoreless innings, was promoted to the Rome Braves where he finished the season, posting a 1.52 ERA over 15 relief appearances. He began 2017 with the Florida Fire Frogs and was promoted to the Mississippi Braves during the season. Over 41 relief appearances between both teams, he was 5–4 with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League. He began 2018 with Mississippi and was promoted to the Gwinnett Stripers in August. Over 45 appearances (three starts) between the two clubs, he went 6–2 with a 1.94 ERA, striking out 83 batters in 65 innings. He returned to Gwinnett for the 2019 season, going 0–3 with a 5.65 ERA over  relief innings, striking out 37. Following the season's end, he underwent shoulder surgery.

Clouse did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to undisclosed reasons, Clouse did not make his 2021 debut until mid-August, with Mississippi. Over 13 games (three starts), he went 1–0 with a 1.48 ERA and 33 strikeouts over  innings.

Jasseel De La Cruz

Jasseel De La Cruz (born June 26, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

De La Cruz signed with the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent on June 1, 2015. He spent his first professional season of 2015 with the DSL Braves, going 0–1 with a 7.11 ERA in 6 innings. He split the 2016 season between the DSL and the GCL Braves, going a combined 4–0 with a 2.18 ERA in 41 innings. He split the 2017 season between the GCL and the Danville Braves, going a combined 2–4 with a 3.80 ERA in  innings. He played for the Rome Braves in 2018, going 3–4 with a 3.83 ERA in 69 innings. De La Cruz split the 2019 season between Rome, Florida Fire Frogs, and Mississippi Braves, going a combined 7–9 with a 3.25 ERA over 133 innings.

De La Cruz was added to the Braves 40–man roster following the 2019 season. On September 15, 2020, De La Cruz was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He was optioned down the next day without making a major league appearance. On May 8, 2021, De La Cruz was again promoted to the majors but was again sent down on May 10 without playing. Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, De La Cruz was not tendered a contract, making him a free agent.

Indigo Diaz

Indigo Dunham Diaz (born October 14, 1998) is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Diaz played Little League baseball with the Forest Hills team, then participated in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League as a member of the North Shore Twins and Coquitlam Reds. He attended Handsworth Secondary School, and continued playing baseball. Diaz began his collegiate baseball career at Iowa Western Community College, where he pitched two seasons, then transferred to the Michigan State Spartans baseball team. In the midst of his junior season with the Spartans, Diaz became the team's closer. Diaz was subsequently selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 27th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. Diaz started his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Braves after signing with the Atlanta Braves organization. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 minor league season was cancelled. Diaz began the 2021 season at the High-A level with the Rome Braves. He threw 18 walks over 18 relief appearances, spanning 27 innings.  Diaz was promoted to the Mississippi Braves in July 2021.

Michigan State Spartans bio
Diaz at Iowa Western: 1 and 2

Bryce Elder

Bryce Cason Elder (born May 19, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Elder attended the Decatur High School in Decatur, Texas and played college baseball at the University of Texas at Austin. In 2019, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Elder was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft and signed.

Elder made his professional debut in 2021 with the Rome Braves and was promoted to the Mississippi Braves and the Gwinnett Stripers during the season. On July 10, 2021, Elder threw a combined no-hitter with Daysbel Hernandez. Over 25 starts between the three teams, Elder went 11–5 with a 2.75 ERA and 155 strikeouts over  innings.

Joey Estes

Joseph Lee Estes (born October 8, 2001) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Estes attended Paraclete High School in Lancaster, California. As a freshman in 2016, he compiled a 1.05 ERA, and as a sophomore, he went 9–1 with a 0.31 ERA over ninety innings. In 2019, as a senior, he went 8–0 with a 0.91 ERA and 124 strikeouts. He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 16th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. He signed, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at Long Beach State University.

Estes made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Braves with whom he gave up nine earned runs over ten innings. He did not play a game in 2020 after the minor league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Estes spent the 2021 season with the Augusta GreenJackets of the Low-A East, starting twenty games and pitching to a 3–6 record, a 2.91 ERA, and 127 strikeouts over 99 innings. His .181 batting average against was ninth in the minor leagues. He was named the league's Pitcher of the Week twice during the season, and was named the league's Pitcher of the Year following the season's end.

Jesse Franklin V

Jesse Owen Franklin V (born December 1, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Franklin attended Seattle Preparatory School in Seattle, Washington. As a sophomore in 2015, he hit .532. In 2017, his senior year, he batted .571 with four home runs and was named Washington's Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year. He was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 37th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign and instead enrolled at the University of Michigan where he played college baseball.

In 2018, Franklin's freshman year at Michigan, he appeared in 47 games in which he hit .327 with ten home runs and 47 RBIs. He was named Player of the Week once and Freshman of the Week three times throughout the season. He played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Brewster Whitecaps that summer. As a sophomore in 2019, he batted .262 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs over 68 games. He returned to Brewster after the season's end. Franklin did not make an appearance during the 2020 season due to a collarbone injury and the season being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the third round with the 97th overall selection of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. He signed for $497,500.

Franklin made his professional debut in 2021 with the Rome Braves of the High-A East, slashing .244/.320/.522 with 24 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases over 101 games. His 24 home runs were most among Atlanta minor leaguers and were also tied for first place in the league. He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas after the season.

Vaughn Grissom

Vaughn Anthony Grissom (born January 5, 2001) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Grissom attended Paul J. Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Florida. As a senior in 2019, he batted .389 alongside pitching to a 0.82 ERA. He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 11th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft and signed, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at Florida International University.

Grissom made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Braves, batting .288 with three home runs and 23 RBIs over 44 games. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the season. He began the 2021 season with the Augusta GreenJackets of the Low-A East and was promoted to the Rome Braves of the High-A East during the season. Over 87 games between the two teams, he slashed .319/.418/.464 with seven home runs, 43 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.

Living people

Michael Harris II

Michael Machion Harris II (born March 7, 2001) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Harris attended Stockbridge High School in Stockbridge, Georgia. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Braves, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at Texas Tech University.

Harris started his professional career that year with the Gulf Coast Braves before being promoted to the Rome Braves. Over 53 games between the two teams, he batted .277/.344/.393 with two home runs and 27 RBIs.

Due to the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League Baseball season due to COVID-19, he did not play for a team. In 2021, the Braves invited him to their Spring Training. He spent the 2021 season with the Rome Braves, slashing .294/.362/.436 with seven home runs, 64 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases. In June, he was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game.

Trey Harris

Terone Sevante Harris (born January 15, 1996) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Harris attended McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia. In 2014, his senior year, he hit .487 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs. Undrafted in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, he enrolled at the University of Missouri where he played college baseball.

In 2015, Harris' freshman year at Missouri, he hit .263 with four home runs and 22 RBIs over 53 games, earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team. As a sophomore in 2016, he batted .213 with one home runs and 36 RBIs in 53 games. After the season, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and also played in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. In 2017, as a junior, he compiled a .268 batting average with a career-high 12 home runs and 48 RBIs in 52 games. In 2018, Harris' senior season, he slashed .316/.413/.516 with 11 home runs, fifty RBIs, and 12 stolen bases over 56 games. After the season, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 32nd round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.

Harris signed with the Braves and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Braves, and, after 22 games, was promoted to the Rome Braves of the Class A Short Season South Atlantic League, with whom he finished the year. Over 53 games between the two teams, he hit .302 with one home run and 29 RBIs. In 2019, he returned to Rome, with whom he was named an All-Star. In June, he was promoted to the Florida Fire Frogs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, and in July, he was promoted to the Mississippi Braves of the Class AA Southern League, with whom he finished the season. Over 131 games between the three clubs, Harris slashed .323/.389/.498 with 14 home runs and 73 RBIs. He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions following the season and was named an All-Star.

Harris did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2021 season, he returned to Mississippi, now members of the Double-A South, slashing .247/.317/.354 with eight home runs and fifty RBIs over 96 games.

Greyson Jenista

Greyson Douglas Jenista (born December 7, 1996) is an American professional baseball right fielder in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Jenista attended De Soto High School in De Soto, Kansas, and Wichita State University, where he played college baseball for the Wichita State Shockers. In 2017, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named the league's most valuable player.

The Atlanta Braves selected Jenista in the second round, with the 49th overall selection, of the 2018 MLB draft. He signed and played ten games for the Danville Braves of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, and was promoted to the Rome Braves of the Class A South Atlantic League. After 32 games in Rome, he was promoted to the Florida Fire Frogs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. In 61 total games between the two teams, he hit .265 with four home runs and 34 RBIs. He returned to Florida to begin 2019, and was promoted to the Mississippi Braves in June. Over 130 games between both teams, he batted .233 with nine home runs and 55 RBIs. He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions following the season.

Nolan Kingham

Nolan Ray Kingham (born August 18, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Kingham grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and initially attended Sierra Vista High School before transferring to Desert Oasis High School before his senior year. Kingham was selected in the 39th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, but opted not to sign.

Kingham played college baseball for the Texas Longhorns for three seasons. He pitched mostly in relief during his freshman season and appeared in 21 total games and finished with a 2–3 record and a 3.79 ERA. As a sophomore, Kingham was moved to the starting rotation and was named first team All-Big 12 Conference after leading the Longhorns with a 10–4 record and a 2.84 ERA.

Kingham was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 12th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft. After signing with the team he was assigned to the Rookie League Danville Braves. Kingham began the 2019 season with the Class A Rome Braves before being promoted to the Florida Fire Frogs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League after allowing one earned run over 16 innings pitched. After throwing three complete game shutouts with Florida, he was promoted a second time to the Double-A Mississippi Braves and had a 3.79 ERA over six starts. Kingham did not play during 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kingham returned to the Mississippi Braves for the start of the 2021 minor league season before being promoted to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers.

Texas Longhorns bio

Jacob Pearson

Jacob Taylor Pearson (born June 1, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves organization.

Pearson attended West Monroe High School in West Monroe, Louisiana. As a senior, he batted .519 with 12 home runs. He was named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year and the most valuable player of the All-State team. Pearson committed to attend Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college baseball for the LSU Tigers.

The Los Angeles Angels selected Pearson in the third round, with the 85th overall selection, of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Angels rather than attend LSU, earning a $1 million signing bonus. Pearson spent his first professional season with the Arizona League Angels where he batted .226 with 13 RBIs in 40 games.

After being told they would not sign Shohei Ohtani during the 2017–18 offseason, the Minnesota Twins traded $1 million in international signing bonus money to the Angels for Pearson on December 6, 2017. Pearson spent the 2018 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, hitting .237 with seven home runs and 36 RBIs in 78 games. He returned to Cedar Rapids to begin 2019 before being promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle in July. Over 117 games between the two clubs, Pearson slashed .233/.303/.338 with five home runs, 41 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases.

On December 10, 2020, Pearson was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Pearson was assigned to the Mississippi Braves for the 2021 season. Over 53 games, he batted .171 with four home runs and 19 RBIs.

Alan Rangel

Alan Eduardo Rangel (born August 21, 1997) is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

The Braves added him to their 40-man roster after the 2021 season.

Freddy Tarnok

Frederic Michael Tarnok (born November 24, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Tarnok attended Riverview High School in Riverview, Florida, where he played baseball. In 2017, his senior year, he went 7–0 with a 0.66 ERA while also batting .393. Following his senior season, he was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Braves, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at the University of Tampa.

Tarnok made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Braves, going 0–3 with a 2.57 ERA over 14 innings. In 2018, he pitched with the Rome Braves of the Class A South Atlantic League, with whom he was named an All-Star. Over 27 games (11 starts), Tarnok went 5–5 with a 3.96 ERA, striking out 83 batters over  innings. Tarnok missed time during the 2019 season due to injury, but still started 19 games for the Florida Fire Frogs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, pitching to a 3–7 record with a 4.87 ERA. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tarnok missed the beginning of the 2021 season while rehabbing and made his first appearance in mid-June for Rome, now members of the High-A East. After  innings pitched with Rome, he was promoted to the Mississippi Braves of the Double-A South in mid-July with whom he finished the year. Over 16 games (14 starts) between the two teams, Tarnok went 6–4 with a 3.44 ERA and 109 strikeouts over  innings.

On November 18, 2021, the Braves selected Tarnok's contract and added him to the 40-man roster.

Luke Waddell

Luke Waddell (born July 13, 1998) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Waddell was born in Loveland, Ohio, on July 13, 1998, to parents Eric and Lisa. His older brother is Reid. Luke Waddell attended Loveland High School. He set several school records in baseball and American football, and as a high school freshman in 2013, was a member of the Loveland Tigers team that won Ohio's Division II state championship in football against Glenville High School, which featured future National Football League player Marshon Lattimore. While a high school student, Waddell also played on the Midland Redskins travel baseball team for three years. In 2017, his final year with the team, Waddell won a Connie Mack World Series championship. After graduating from high school in 2017, Waddell joined the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball team. Following the 2018 NCAA Division I baseball season, he played for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League. His second year in Cape Cod was cut short by his selection to the USA Baseball collegiate national team, which played in Japan and Taiwan. Waddell was named Georgia Tech's first solo captain since 1991 during the 2020 NCAA Division I baseball season, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2021 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball season, Waddell was honored with an All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team selection.

Waddell was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 32nd round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, but returned to Georgia Tech. He was eligible for, but not chosen in the 2020 draft, and instead focused on completing his bachelor's degree in business administration. He was subsequently selected by the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, and accepted a signing bonus of $247,500, which was approximately $85,000 under slot. Waddell was assigned to the Rome Braves, where he played 21 games, hitting .304/.372/.580. In September 2021, Waddell was promoted to the Mississippi Braves, and became the first Braves' draft pick of the 2021 class to reach the Double-A level. After the 2021 Double-A South season ended, the Braves sent Waddell to the Arizona Fall League, where he played for the Peoria Javelinas.

William Woods

William Woods (born December 29, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Woods attended Peabody High School in Trenton, Tennessee, where he pitched to a 12–2 record with a 0.84 ERA and 119 strikeouts as a senior in 2017. After graduating, he enrolled at Dyersburg State Community College where he went 7–3 with a 3.64 ERA over 12 starts for the 2018 season. Following the season's end, he was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 23rd round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.

Woods signed with Atlanta and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Braves, going 0–1 with a 6.10 ERA over  innings. In 2019, Woods pitched for the Rome Braves of the Class A South Atlantic League in which he went 1–5 with a 3.35 ERA and 58 strikeouts over 51 innings. Woods did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He appeared in only five games in 2021 due to an elbow injury.

On November 18, 2021, the Braves selected his contract and added him to the 40-man roster.

Full Triple-A to Rookie League rosters

Triple-A

Double-A

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Low-A

Rookie

Foreign Rookie

References

Minor League Players
Lists of minor league baseball players
Year of birth missing (living people)