The Braves handed out a pair of seven-figure bonuses at the start of the 2022 international signing period to hitters Diego Benitez and Douglas Glod. They may have found a bargain on the mound when they inked Fuentes out of Colombia for $75,000, the second largest bonus they gave to a pitcher that year. After making a strong first impression in the Dominican Summer League, he made his United States debut with full-season Augusta. A return to the Carolina League in 2024 has resulted in a much stronger performance overall.
Still a teenager, Fuentes is a six-foot right-hander who is athletic on the mound and has the chance to have a solid three-pitch mix. He can run his fastball up to 96 mph, and while he doesn’t have a super-projectable frame, added strength could lead to more consistent velocity. He has two secondary offerings in his slider and splitter, with the breaking ball ahead of the offspeed pitch.
With the exception of his shorter time in Augusta, Fuentes has shown the ability to fill up the strike zone with all three of his pitches while missing a good amount of bats. Further development of his secondary stuff and continuing to show he can pitch deeper into games could give him the chance to stick in a rotation.
