Owen Murphy

Murphy, the No. 20 overall pick in 2022, began his rehab assignment in late-July from Tommy John surgery, needing just 14 months to recover. He has now pitched at High-A in parts of three seasons (58 innings at the level prior to last season) and has yet to reach Double-A, but the 22-year-old righty logged a 1.32 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 29:6 K:BB in 27.1 innings at High-A to close 2025. He went five-plus innings in four of his six starts, so Murphy wasn't just padding stats via facing batters once. His low-90s fastball has prototypical movement that will allow the pitch to play up a grade or more beyond its pure velocity, but it would still be ideal for it to tick up into the mid-90s before he reaches the majors. Murphy's second-best pitch is an above-average slider, and he's working on improving his curveball and changeup. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound hurler does a great job repeating his simple delivery, and he has always limited walks in the minors. Atlanta has a handful of enticing pitching prospects, and several are closer to the majors than Murphy, but he could be as good as any of them if he adds a tick to his fastball and develops a reliable third pitch. Read Past Outlooks