Notable Players on Braves' Triple-A Opening Day Roster

The Gwinnett Stripers, Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, get their season underway on Friday. When they take the field, some notable names will be on the roster. 

Here is the breakdown of the top familiar names to keep an eye on. Some are older veterans, standout prospects or noteworthy members of the 40-man roster. 

Jesse Chavez, Relief Pitcher 

It’s deja vu all over again, as the great Yogi Berra once put it. The Former Stripers’ pitcher is back with the Braves organization for the umpteenth time in his career. He starts off as one of the veteran righties on the staff. 

Last season with the Braves, he finished with a 3.13 ERA in 63 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was as low as 1.17 on June 21 but he struggled the rest of the season. In his final 22 games, he had a 4.96 ERA. 

He was released by the Texas Rangers after Spring Training. So, the Braves have a chance to see, once again, what he has to offer.  

Bryce Elder, Starting Pitcher 

He was an All-Star in 2023, but he struggled in his Major League appearances last season. Elder was back and forth between Atlanta and Gwinnett, mainly helping to fill in for injured starters. 

In 10 starts, he had a 6.52 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. 

Elder was named an International League Postseason All-Star last season after going 10-6 with a 3.73 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and .239 opponent’s average in 17 Triple-A starts.

Garrett Cooper, Infielder 

Cooper, a National League All-Star in 2022 with the Miami Marlins, is one of two former MLB All-Stars on the club, joining Elder. 

He played in 14 Spring Training games with the Braves in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. He had a slash line of .219/.342/.469 with six extra base hits and five RBIs. 

Hurston Waldrep, Prospect Starting Pitcher

Waldrep enters the season as the Braves' No. 4 prospect on MLB.com. He had a brief stint with the Braves in Spring Training, pitching a scoreless inning before being optioned to Triple-A. 

He’ll continue to work on his craft in Triple-A before the Braves give him another shot. That’ll likely happen sometime this season. He made his Major League debut last season and gave up 13 earned runs over seven combined innings in two starts. 

He made eight starts for the Stripers last year, going 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and .234 opponent’s average.

Dylan Dodd, Starting Pitcher 

Ahead of last season, Dodd was named the Braves No. 15 prospect. However, he’s now unranked. 

He made one appearance with the Braves, giving up two earned runs over two innings pitched.  In 25 appearances, 20 starts, with Triple-A Gwinnett, he had a 5.35 ERA. 

Other 40-man roster members: RHP Davis Daniel, RHP Domingo Gonzalez, RHP Amos Willingham 

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