Owen

Murphy

Murphy made his MLB debut Monday, and he allowed two runs — one earned — over an inning of work. The 22-year-old will head back to Triple-A with Connor Thomas giving Atlanta a fresh arm. Murphy will likely be back before the end of the summer.

The 22-year-old has a 3.88 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 65/20 K/BB ratio in 60 1/3 Triple-A innings this season. He has a good fastball and slider combination and could conceivably push for a spot in Atlanta’s rotation if he pitches well. However, he will just be a bulk reliever for now, and AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) is about two weeks away from returning to the Braves’ rotation, which will give Murphy another hurdle to overcome. We’d keep him on waiver wires in fantasy leagues for now.

A tough break for one of the Braves’ top prospects. Murphy, 20, had a 1.54 ERA and a 60/12 K/BB ratio for high-A Rome this season. He’ll likely be sidelined until at least the middle of 2025.

Jim Callis of MLB.com reports that Murphy will receive a signing bonus of $2.5569 million, which is notably below the assigned slot value for the No. 20 overall pick of $3.4092 million. Murphy was considered to be one of the more polished high school arms in the Draft.

Murphy is also a hitter who hit 18 homers, but the Braves are selecting him as an arm, and for good reason. There are two plus pitches in his right arm in his fastball and slider, and he also can mix in a curveball and change that flash average. He is considered one of the more polished arms, and he has a chance to throw strike with all four offerings. The Braves have done wonders with this type of profile, and Murphy could be starting for Atlanta by the end of 2025.