During the winter, there was unfortunate news for David McCabe, the Atlanta Braves’ fourth-round draft pick in 2022.
According to Justin Toscano of the AJC, McCabe underwent Tommy John surgery during the offseason.
This setback implies that McCabe, who was already considered an older prospect for his level, playing in Low A and High A at age 23, will now miss the entirety of his age 24 season.
Despite his age relative to his competition, McCabe demonstrated impressive performance with the bat last season at both Low A and High A levels.
In Low A, he boasted a 145 wRC+ across 176 plate appearances, while in High A, he maintained a solid 128 wRC+ over 348 plate appearances.
The 2024 season was anticipated to be pivotal for his development as he progressed to the upper minors and faced competition closer to his own age. However, this progression will now be put on hold due to his surgery.