Braves sign shortstop who could make big impact in the future

The Atlanta Braves did endure a rough 2025 season in which they won just 76 games, snapping their seven-year postseason drought in the process. But they are primed to bounce back in 2026 provided that their best players are healthier this year, and they are already setting themselves up for a brighter future amid the bleak Los Angeles Dodgers-dominated present.

On Thursday, the Braves have to be very proud that they won out in the race for coveted 17-year-old shortstop Jose Manon from the Dominican Republic. As per MLB Pipeline on X (formerly Twitter), the Braves signed the 15th-ranked prospect on the top 50 international prospects list for a sum of $1.5 million.

Manon is a ways away from the big-league level, but there really isn’t much for the Braves in their farm system that suggests that he’ll be having difficulties cracking the big-league roster once he’s ready.

Scouts rate Manon for having an all-around game, with his best asset being his ability to make good contact with the baseball. Perhaps once he rounds into shape, he could end up having 15 to 20 home run seasons provided that his development all goes according to plan.

How do the Braves look like at shortstop?

The Braves do have Tate Southisene and Alex Lodise as top prospects who could take the mantle at shortstop eventually. But their production in the minor leagues don’t suggest that they’re anywhere close to doing so. But they’re so young (Southisene is 19, Lodise is 21) that it’s too early to tell just how far they could go.

On the big-league level, Ha-Seong Kim is looking like their likely starter at shortstop. Kim fell off last year, but Atlanta is bullish on him if the one-year, $20 million deal they gave him is any indication. Kim has considerable power production, and he put up a 4.2 fWAR season not too long ago (2023).

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