Braves Acquire Mederos from Angels, Option Him to Triple-A Gwinnett

Víctor Mederos, a 2025 Triple-A All-Star whose fastball can reach 99 mph, joined the Atlanta Braves organization after the club acquired the 24-year-old right-hander from the Los Angeles Angels for international bonus pool money and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett.

The move addressed an immediate innings-depth problem at the Triple-A level. AJ Smith-Shawver, who underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2025 after tearing his UCL, was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open the roster space for Mederos. Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has pegged the All-Star break in July as a possible return timeline for Smith-Shawver. He is one of three Atlanta starters, alongside Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach, currently on the 60-day IL entering the 2026 season, leaving the Gwinnett rotation in genuine need of reinforcement.

Mederos is a starter by usage but a reliever by projection. Baseball America grades both his fastball and slider at 60 on the 20-80 scale, giving him two legitimate plus pitches. His sinker carries well above average velocity and his mid-to-upper-80s slider works with two-plane break to both sides of the plate. What keeps him from a long-term rotation role is a control grade of 45. The below-average command was on full display during his 2025 MLB stint with the Angels: a 7.41 ERA across 17 innings before right shoulder inflammation cut his season short in late August.

His Triple-A résumé reads quite differently. Mederos earned his All-Star selection while pitching for Triple-A Salt Lake, demonstrating that when his mechanics align, he is one of the more difficult arms to square up at that level. That credibility is precisely what Gwinnett needs now, regardless of whether he functions as a rotation piece or a high-leverage multi-inning option out of the bullpen.

Born in Santa Clara, Cuba, Mederos immigrated to the United States as a child under the wet feet, dry feet policy and settled in Miami. He graduated from Westminster Christian School and attended Oklahoma State, where the Angels selected him 178th overall in the 2022 draft. He made his MLB debut on June 30, 2023, and exceeded rookie eligibility limits during the 2025 season.

For Atlanta, the cost was minimal. International bonus pool money rarely disrupts a club's competitive architecture, making Mederos a low-risk, high-ceiling depth bet. If his shoulder is fully healthy and the command tightens from where it sat last season, he gives the Stripers an innings anchor while the organization waits on its injured big-league starters to return.