<img alt="Vanderbilt v South Carolina" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s8ONHjZTv4j41SBqZP2_-AQwyr8=/0x0:4423x2949/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73709003/2118776378.0.jpg">
Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images
Holton made just one appearance after being drafted by the Braves last July. We didn’t see much of Carter Holton in 2024, but there’s a lot to like about the lefty moving forward.
How He Was Acquired
The Atlanta Braves selected the 22-year-old lefty out of Vanderbilt with their second round pick, making him the 62nd player taken in the 2024 draft. Holton received a $1.35-million signing bonus — just underslot of the pick’s value.
Draft Report Card
Prior to the draft, Holton consistently ranked inside the top-70 draft prospects by most major pundits, with ESPN being the outlier putting him as their 108th-best player available.
Injuries plagued Holton’s career with the Commodores, or it’s likely he would have been a top-50 pick as a lefthander who possesses multiple above-average secondary offerings and the ability to ratchet up his fastball to 98 miles per hour.
A bit undersized at 5’11, 190-pounds, there is a higher reliever risk with Holton than a normal draftee. However, the Braves haven’t shied away from taking pitchers with plus offerings and an electric fastball and giving them every ability to last in a rotation spot.
What we saw in 2024
Overall, we didn’t see much professionally from Holton in 2024, as the Braves were most-likely being cautious with him given his injury history.
After appearing in just 15 games — with 13 of those being starts — for Vanderbilt, Holton posted a 5.19 ERA across 69.1 innings. In those frames, the lefty struck out 98 batters while walking just 27 en route to a 6-5 record on the mound.
Professionally speaking, we didn’t see much from Holton after he was drafted by the Braves. Holton was initially assigned to the FCL squad — as most new draftees are — but was soon given the nod to join the Braves Low-A team in Augusta. There, he made one start, going two innings and striking out three. However, while he allowed just one hit, the lefty issued four walks in his two innings of work, which in turn led to three runs being scored against him.
That was the last we saw of Holton before he was shut down by the Braves for the remainder of the year.
2025 Outlook
Given his age and experience, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect Holton to start out his 2025 campaign at High-A in Rome. However, the Braves could easily opt to ease him into things next year by allowing him to make a few starts with the GreenJackets before giving him a promotion.
As we’ve mentioned before, the Braves aren’t shy at all about promoting pitching prospects who perform well and show the ability to handle the challenges each new level throws at them. A good final expectation for Holton in 2025 would be to simply remain healthy and push to try and end his year on a high note with Rome or potentially with Mississippi if he puts up stellar outings.
<img alt="Vanderbilt v South Carolina" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s8ONHjZTv4j41SBqZP2_-AQwyr8=/0x0:4423x2949/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73709003/2118776378.0.jpg">
Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images
Holton made just one appearance after being drafted by the Braves last July. We didn’t see much of Carter Holton in 2024, but there’s a lot to like about the lefty moving forward.
How He Was Acquired
The Atlanta Braves selected the 22-year-old lefty out of Vanderbilt with their second round pick, making him the 62nd player taken in the 2024 draft. Holton received a $1.35-million signing bonus — just underslot of the pick’s value.
Draft Report Card
Prior to the draft, Holton consistently ranked inside the top-70 draft prospects by most major pundits, with ESPN being the outlier putting him as their 108th-best player available.
Injuries plagued Holton’s career with the Commodores, or it’s likely he would have been a top-50 pick as a lefthander who possesses multiple above-average secondary offerings and the ability to ratchet up his fastball to 98 miles per hour.
A bit undersized at 5’11, 190-pounds, there is a higher reliever risk with Holton than a normal draftee. However, the Braves haven’t shied away from taking pitchers with plus offerings and an electric fastball and giving them every ability to last in a rotation spot.
What we saw in 2024
Overall, we didn’t see much professionally from Holton in 2024, as the Braves were most-likely being cautious with him given his injury history.
After appearing in just 15 games — with 13 of those being starts — for Vanderbilt, Holton posted a 5.19 ERA across 69.1 innings. In those frames, the lefty struck out 98 batters while walking just 27 en route to a 6-5 record on the mound.
Professionally speaking, we didn’t see much from Holton after he was drafted by the Braves. Holton was initially assigned to the FCL squad — as most new draftees are — but was soon given the nod to join the Braves Low-A team in Augusta. There, he made one start, going two innings and striking out three. However, while he allowed just one hit, the lefty issued four walks in his two innings of work, which in turn led to three runs being scored against him.
That was the last we saw of Holton before he was shut down by the Braves for the remainder of the year.
2025 Outlook
Given his age and experience, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect Holton to start out his 2025 campaign at High-A in Rome. However, the Braves could easily opt to ease him into things next year by allowing him to make a few starts with the GreenJackets before giving him a promotion.
As we’ve mentioned before, the Braves aren’t shy at all about promoting pitching prospects who perform well and show the ability to handle the challenges each new level throws at them. A good final expectation for Holton in 2025 would be to simply remain healthy and push to try and end his year on a high note with Rome or potentially with Mississippi if he puts up stellar outings.
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