Fuentes was originally written up on this cycle’s Braves list as a 40+ FV prospect with a traits-heavy fastball who could break out if improvements to his conditioning facilitated a boost in arm strength. Well, that has happened. To start 2025, Fuentes carved in three High-A starts and was given a quick hook up to Double-A. His fastball was routinely 94-96 and touched 97-98 several times in his first Double-A start, while last year he averaged 93 mph. He explodes way down the mound and generates nearly seven feet of extension, even though the 19-year-old righty is only listed at six feet tall. His drive off the rubber is so explosive that umpires have had to stop the game to talk to him about how far off of it he comes off before release.
Fuentes is still a two-pitch guy and his slider isn’t consistently good yet, but his fastball is going to carry him to a meaningful big league role as a starter, much like Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller or Joe Ryan at the start of their big league tenures. Given the Braves’ penchant for pushing their good prospects, there’s a chance Fuentes keeps climbing and gets moved to Triple-A if he pitches well at Columbus in May. He’s a potential mid-rotation weapon.