HOLLY SPRINGS – What started as a usual day for former Savannah Bananas player Braden Shewmake (photos courtesy of Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves) quickly escalated into one of the most memorable moments of his lift. Up to change his baby’s diaper while his wife slept, an early-morning phone call would lead to a trip to Atlanta and his Major League debut with the Braves that evening.

“I was at the apartment, about to change the baby’s diaper when I got the call,” Shewmake told The Athletic’s David O’Brien. “You get the call and it’s kind of a moment that you’ll remember forever. It’s super awesome. It’s something that I didn’t know was coming at all, I had no idea. So, it was a really cool moment to share with my wife, that’s for sure.”

Shewmake started at shortstop Friday night (5/5) and finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout, but impressed defensively. He should see additional playing time at short over the next few weeks, splitting action with Vaughn Grissom as the two fill in for the injured Orlando Arcia.

The Braves took Shewmake 21st overall in the 2019 draft. He started his professional career off solidly, sporting a combined .300/.371/.425 clip across Single-A Rome and Double-A Mississippi. He spent all of 2021 with the M-Braves before getting promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett a year later. Last season, Shewmake batted .259 with a .715 OPS and featured a .967 fielding percentage across 65 games. He would continue with the Stripers to start 2023 and was slashing .243/.282/.456 with 17 RBIs and 17 runs scored before joining Atlanta Friday night.

Shewmake, hailing from Texas A&M, had a brief stint with the Bananas in 2016. Playing in 10 games, nine of them starts, he batted .290 with nine hits, seven RBIs and six runs scored. He walked six times and swiped a couple of bags as well.

His debut gives the CPL 171 Major Leaguers now, including seven in 2023 alone. He is also the fourth former Savannah player to reach the big leagues.

About Coastal Plain League:
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. The CPL is currently comprised of 14 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had nearly 1,750 alumni drafted and 170 alums make their Major League debut. Most notable alumni include Justin Verlander, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, Chris Taylor, Alec Bohm, Jake Cave, Chas McCormick and NFL Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @CPLBaseball.