The future increasingly has become now with the Braves top-5 ranked farm system as the suddenly competitive big league roster has dipped liberally into it’s prospect reserve. Just since the start of the season, outfielders Ronald Acuna and Dustin Peterson, right-handed pitchers Mike Soroka and Evan Phillips, and left-hander Jesse Biddle have made their major league debuts while right-hander Wes Parsons was added to the 40-man roster but not used. This trend seems likely to continue as the season matriculates into the second half of the season.
The top of this list is dominated by high-ceiling, near-to-the-majors pitchers. The second half of the list is largely farther-away position players that are currently concentrated in Rome and Florida. Three members of the 2018 draft class made it to the Top 30, though there are a handful more that will bear watching. I will discuss them and others that may find their way to the post-season Top 30 with good performance and the graduation of others off this list in a separate post.
Speaking of graduations, the rookies that have graduated this year are former #1 prospect Ronald Acuna, #14 A.J. Minter, #3 Luiz Gohara, and #8 Max Fried. Gohara and Fried at the time of this writing are exactly 1 and 3.1 innings shy of the 50 major league innings that would end their prospect status, so I’m going go ahead and push them over the line.
Also no longer in consideration are three players at the tail end of the post-season Top 30 that are no longer with the organization: #28 Kade Scivicque, #29 Akeel Morris, and #30 Devan Watts were all released or traded at various points this season as the Braves obviously didn’t share my enthusiasm for what they could bring to the table.
Without further ado, here’s the new OFR Top 30.
1. Mike Soroka, RHP
Age: 20 | Throws: R
2.00 ERA | 1.68 FIP | 5 G, 5 GS | 27.0 IP | 2.00 BB/9 | 10.33 K/9 (AAA)
3.51 ERA | 2.81 FIP | 5 G, 5 GS | 25.2 IP | 2.45 BB/9 | 7.36 K/9 (MLB)
Current Assignment: MLB Atlanta (60-day DL)
Acquired: Drafted, 1st Round – 2015
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 2
I was hoping that Soroka would have graduated from the list by now, but shoulder inflammation has limited his action since his May 1 promotion. During his time in Atlanta, Soroka showed he could make adjustments start-to-start and inning-to-inning. Soroka showed greater speed on both his fastball and slider this spring, propelling him to the top of the Braves cache of young pitching prospects. Shoulder inflammation is an affliction that effects nearly every pitcher at some points in their careers, and it doesn’t raise any alarms with me. The Braves appear to be handling it very conservatively, and the latest scuttlebutt has Soroka not available until September. While that’s not an ideal scenario, it behooves the Braves and Soroka not to push the issue.
2. Kyle Wright, RHP
Age: 22 | Throws: R
4.10 ERA | 3.35 FIP | 18 G, 18 GS | 94.1 IP | 3.82 BB/9 | 9.16 K/9 (AA)
Current Assignment: AA Mississippi
Acquired: Drafted, 1st Round – 2017
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 4
Wright is the organization’s top combination of high floor and high ceiling. When Wright has everything working he can completely dominate a line-up with a mid-90’s fastball with glove-side run and a slider that has gained bite this season. He also has a curveball which at this point is more of a change-of-pace, get-over pitch and a change-up that is inconsistent but shows similar run as the fastball. Wright struggles occasionally with control and his walk numbers reflect it. Wright also throws enough across his body with effort that I am concerned about a potential future injury. That said, Wright is performing similarly to Sean Newcomb when Newcomb was at AA, though Wright is doing it a year younger.
3. Austin Riley, 3B
Age: 21 | Bats: R
.311/.378/.565 | 158 wRC+ | 10 HR | 1 SB | 8.1% BB | 29.7% K (AA and AAA only)
Current Assignment: AAA Gwinnett (7-day DL)
Acquired: Drafted, 1st Round – 2015 (pick acquired from San Diego Padres)
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 6
For the first two months of the minor league season, there was no one generating as much excitement as Riley, who carried over a strong second half performance from 2017 and regular play in the Arizona Fall League to scorch the Southern League before a deserved promotion to AAA Gwinnett. Riley cooled down somewhat in his 26 games with Gwinnett before suffering a knee injury that has kept him out of action since early June. Riley is currently rehabbing with the GCL Braves and looks to make his return to Gwinnett soon.
For awhile it appeared that Riley would force his way to Atlanta as the team struggled to find consistency at the hot corner, but the emergence of Johan Camargo plus Riley’s injury and inflated strikeout rate at Gwinnett has taken the air out of those notions. That said, Riley has made tremendous strides as a hitter over the last 12 months, and I expect the strikeout rate to drop to his career-level ~25% by the time the season is over, a rate that would be acceptable given his power and vastly improved defense and situational hitting.
4. Cristian Pache, OF
Age: 19 | Bats: R
.283/.310/.447 | 114 wRC+ | 8 HR | 6 SB | 4.0% BB | 18.3% K (A+)
Current Assignment: A+ Florida
Acquired: International Amateur Free Agent – 2015
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 9
Take arguably the most gifted defensive outfielder in minor league ball and add power. What you get is Cristian Pache, who has enhanced his already burgeoning prospect stock by remaking his swing over the offseason, now hitting from a better base of power and cutting his groundballs by 3%. The result has been career highs of 7 home runs and 17 doubles in only 75 games.
There’s still plenty of room for improvement however, as his meager .302 OBP can attest to. Pache has good bat speed, but it hasn’t been able to compensate for his selling out his swing to generate that power. Pache worked the count better last season in Rome, and it will be interesting to see if he will be able to incorporate better patience and pitch recognition and still retain his power. Nevertheless, Pache’s defensive abilities give him by far the highest floor of any Braves position player, and the upside if he can put his offensive game completely together is off the charts.
5. Touki Toussaint, RHP
Age: 22 | Throws: R
2.82 ERA | 3.47 FIP | 17 G, 17 GS | 92.2 IP | 3.79 BB/9 | 10.88 K/9 (AA and AAA)
Current Assignment: AAA Gwinnett
Acquired: Trade w/Arizona Diamondbacks – 2015
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 10
Nothing has been more satisfying for this writer than watching Toussaint pull together all the progress from his prior three years in the system and focus it into consistent performance, the one thing that has been missing from Toussaint’s resume. In fact, Toussaint has arguably been the Braves minor league pitcher of the year so far.
Toussaint has finally learned to trust his stuff enough to push through starts where he doesn’t have his finest control. Make no mistake, Toussaint hasn’t suddenly developed pinpoint command of his pitches, but now he doesn’t try to be too fine when he gets runners on base and he focuses more on making the most competitive pitch he can make. This has lead to his highest strikeout rate of his career. Now two starts into his AAA career, it’s possible Toussaint makes his major league debut in 2018.
6. Ian Anderson, RHP
Age: 20 | Throws: R
2.96 ERA | 2.62 FIP | 16 G, 16 GS | 76.0 IP | 3.79 BB/9 | 11.13 K/9 (A+)
Current Assignment: A+ Florida
Acquired: Drafted, 1st Round – 2016
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 7
The only pitcher in the organization that can give Wright and Toussaint a run for their money in the upside department is Anderson. Like Toussaint, Anderson has shown a performance uptick, dropping his walk % by two points while keeping an elite-level strikeout rate.
Anderson’s fastball, curveball, and change-up all are above average now and have the potential to be well above average by the time his development is finished. Anderson is already approaching his career high in innings pitched, and it will be interesting to see if the Braves throttle Anderson back once more in the second half.
7. Kolby Allard, LHP
Age: 20 | Throws: L
2.96 ERA | 3.44 FIP | 16 G, 16 GS | 97.1 IP | 2.68 BB/9 | 7.30 K/9 (AAA)
Current Assignment: AAA Gwinnett
Acquired: Drafted, 1st Round – 2015
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 5
Allard has done nothing but shoot up through the organization and now stands on the cusp of the major leagues while also being on the cusp of being able to drink legally. He has demonstrated plus command of three pitches with excellent deception. He’s an International League All-Star and the reigning Southern League Left-Handed Pitcher of the Year.
So why is it that his prospect stock seems to keep falling? Basically it comes down to fastball velocity, or the lack thereof. The feeling of many prospect watchers is that without that velocity, Allard won’t be able to get out of trouble when big league hitters inevitably start barrelling those 89-91 mph high fastballs.
I’m still not quite buying that narrative, though. While Allard’s ceiling may not be as high as the pitchers listed ahead of him here, his feel for pitching is second to no one other than Soroka. Allard’s floor is high enough to make him a valuable commodity.
8. Bryse Wilson, RHP
Age: 20 | Throws: R
3.40 ERA | 2.91 FIP | 17 G, 17 GS | 84.2 IP | 2.87 BB/9 | 9.46 K/9 (A+ and AA)
Current Assignment: AA Mississippi
Acquired: Drafted, 4th Round – 2016
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 11
Wilson pitched to a ridiculous 0.34 ERA through five starts for the advanced-A Florida Fire Frogs before the organization recognized that Wilson required more challenge. Wilson has gotten that challenge at the AA level, and he’s pitched to a 4.81 ERA in 12 starts for Mississippi. This represents the first time he’s actually struggled as a pro, but that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it appears Wilson is pushing through that adversity and has thrown 13.1 scoreless innings over his last two starts.
Wilson’s bread-and-butter is to work down in the zone with his fastball, change-up, and slider to induce both groundballs and swing-and-miss. Southern League hitters learned to lay off some of those low pitches, forcing Wilson to pitch more into the zone or surrender walks. Wilson seems to have made adjustments, both in the location of his pitches and in pitch selection to get ahead of hitters where he can put them away with his devastating change-up.
9. Joey Wentz, LHP
Age: 20 | Throws: L
2.19 ERA | 3.96 FIP | 12 G, 12 GS | 53.1 IP | 3.71 BB/9 | 6.92 K/9 (A+)
Current Assignment: A+ Florida
Acquired: Drafted, 1st Round – 2016 (pick acquired from Los Angeles Dodgers)
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 12
Of the top 4 prep pitchers of the Braves 2016 draft class — Anderson, Wentz, Wilson, and #16 prospect Kyle Muller — Wentz was considered by many to be the most polished of the lot of them. It was therefore surprising when Wentz seemed to lose the feel for his mechanics in May of this season, prompting the Braves to keep him off the mound for a month as Wentz worked on the side to correct his issues.
The good news is that whatever Wentz did, or whatever hurt needed to heal, the results have been very strong since Wentz returned to the mound for the Fire Frogs. In Wentz’s five starts since his return he has pitched to a 0.36 ERA with 18 strikeouts and only 3 walks in 24.2 innings.
When he’s right, Wentz has a repertoire somewhat similar to Kolby Allard’s, with a fastball that sits in the 89-92 mph range, a plus curveball and change-up, and good command. Unlike Allard, Wentz can also occasionally dial the fastball up to the mid-90s when needed, though Wentz doesn’t have the same deception that Allard has. In any case, if Wentz continues to show he’s past whatever was bothering him in May, he may force his way up to Mississippi before the end of the season.
10. Drew Waters, OF
Age: 19 | Bats: S
.287/.336/.507 | 136 wRC+ | 8 HR | 15 SB | 5.6% BB | 19.4% K (A)
Current Assignment: A Rome
Acquired: Drafted, 2nd Round – 2017
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 22
Drew Waters, out of Etowah High School, has seen tremendous development in the year since he was drafted. His lean 6′-3″, 185 pound frame belies surprising power. Waters also runs very well and can both steal a base and hustle for extra bases, and he currently leads the South Atlantic League in doubles. In centerfield he’s an above average defender with a plus arm.
At the plate, Waters is extremely aggressive and likes to ambush first-pitches. This aggressiveness can be used against him however, and he has a tough time laying off high-and-inside and has some recognition issues with good breaking balls. Right now his left-handed swing (.993 OPS) is much more advanced than his right-handed swing (.522 OPS). That all said, Waters is more advanced at the plate than any other Braves teenage position player, and among scouts it’s already discussed that he may be the best prospect in the SAL.
11. Greyson Jenista, OF
Age: 21 | Bats: L
.270/.341/.514 | 126 wRC+ | 4 HR | 1 SB | 9.6% BB | 16.9% K (Rk and A)
Current Assignment: A Rome
Acquired: Drafted, 2nd Round – 2018
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: N/A
Jenista is a big left-handed hitter out of Wichita State and is the highest-round signee of the 2018 draft for Atlanta. Though he played primarily first base in college, Jenista is athletic and has a strong enough arm for either outfield corner. The Braves will be looking at Jenista as a true power hitter, and he has the raw power to be one. In college his bat plane worked against having over-the-fence power, and that will be an area of attention this off-season. Jenista started the season in short-season Danville, but was quickly moved up to Rome to present him with a challenge.
12. William Contreras, C
Age: 20 | Bats: R
.291/.354/.422| 123 wRC+ | 8 HR | 1 SB | 7.7% BB | 22.1% K (A)
Current Assignment: A Rome
Acquired: International Amateur Free Agent – 2015
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 16
Contreras has emerged as the top all-around catching prospect in the Braves system after building on a strong season in Danville last year. Behind the dish, Contreras is fundamentally sound in all aspects of the game though there’s still plenty of room for more polish. At the plate Contreras is patient and has a strong line-drive oriented swing, but he’s able to go down in the zone to get hangers and park them over the fence. Contreras can get fooled at times by good off-speed stuff; being able to recognize that and adjust is his next “to-do” item.
13. Brett Cumberland, C
Age: 23 | Bats: S
.234/.362/.407 | 124 wRC+ | 10 HR | 0 SB | 15.0% BB | 24.3% K (A+)
Current Assignment: A+ Florida
Acquired: Drafted, 2nd Round – 2016 (pick acquired from Baltimore Orioles)
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 17
After an offseason where it was widely speculated that Cumberland would make a move to the outfield, the Braves opted instead to double-down on keeping Cumberland behind the plate. By all accounts Cumberland has responded by taking positive steps with his defensive skills. Being able to stick behind the plate will lessen the burden on his bat. Cumberland has shown extreme three-true-outcomes tendencies this season, showing both improved power and a better walk rate. Last season his excellent OBP was fueled in large part by a ridiculous number of hit-by-pitches, something that Cumberland definitely… let’s say, cultivated. This season the HBPs are more in-line with sanity, and he’s earned those free passes more organically.
14. Patrick Weigel, RHP
Age: 24 | Throws: R
Injured – Has Not Played
Current Assignment: AAA Gwinnett (7-day DL)
Acquired: Drafted, 7th Round – 2015
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 15
Weigel seemed to be on the cusp of a major league call-up last June before he tore his UCL. Weigel is now back to throwing off the mound, and if he doesn’t suffer significant set-backs should pitch in rehab games before the end of the season.
When healthy, Weigel shows three above average pitches, including a fastball that he can push into the high 90s. If Weigel is healthy enough to participate in the Arizona Fall League, he could be a factor for Atlanta as early as spring training.
15. Alex Jackson, C
Age: 23 | Bats: S
.206/.287/.339 | 76 wRC+ | 5 HR | 0 SB | 7.8% BB | 31.1% K (AA)
Current Assignment: AA Mississippi
Acquired: Trade w/Seattle Mariners – 2016
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 13
Jackson has suffered perhaps the biggest blow to his prospect status on the list after a miserable first half of the season in his second tour of duty with Mississippi. After an impressive 2017 campaign after a trade from Seattle that seemed to re-energize the former 1st-round pick, Jackson looked to be on the path to Atlanta, perhaps as soon as late 2018. Those ideas now seem far-fetched as Jackson has seen his plate discipline and pitch recognition go backwards, and his extremely aggressive approach has him often going after pitches out of the strike zone.
Defensively he continues to make strides, with his game calling and pitch-framing skills ahead of his blocking and footwork. That said, he’ll need to continue to progress on the strength of his bat.
16. Kyle Muller, LHP
Age: 20 | Throws: L
2.86 ERA | 3.30 FIP | 17 G, 17 GS | 91.1 IP | 3.35 BB/9 | 7.93 K/9 (A and A+)
Current Assignment: AAA Gwinnett (7-day DL)
Acquired: Drafted, 2nd Round – 2016
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 19
The tall, lanky left-hander simplified his delivery this offseason and has reaped the benefits with a quick pass through the A-ball level and has now joined his draft-mates Anderson and Wentz at the high-A level. The 3/4s arm slot has allowed for greater sweep on his slider and better control over his fastball. Muller still has work to do on repeating his delivery, which manifests itself in elevated pitches that can get barreled.
When Muller has all the parts moving in the right direction, he uses a heavy low-90s fastball and the slider to generate groundballs, which helps his pitch efficiency His change-up lacks consistency, but when he successfully mimics is fastball arm-speed he can make hitters look foolish.
17. Freddy Tarnok, RHP
Age: 19 | Throws: R
2.83 ERA | 4.08 FIP | 18 G, 2 GS | 41.1 IP | 5.88 BB/9 | 11.54 K/9 (A)
Current Assignment: A Rome
Acquired: Drafted, 3rd Round – 2017
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 25
Just last year the Braves had six teenage pitching prospects in their top 20. This year it’s just Tarnok, who secured a South Atlantic League All-Star berth with an overpowering first half performance out of the Rome bullpen. Tarnok only allowed an opposing .163 batting average while striking out over 30% of batters. The plan all along however was to move Tarnok to the rotation, and this was done when the calendar flipped to July.
The results in his two starts haven’t gone quite as plan as he’s allowed 11 hits and 8 earned runs in only 5.2 innings pitched. Tarnok throws his fastball with natural glove-side run and he seems to have backed off the velocity from his relief work; this has allowed him to get more hittable. Tarnok however seems like a fast learner, and I suspect this will be cleaned up in the short term. Tarnok is athletic and has great arm action. His breaking ball is a big curveball that could be a real swing-and-miss offering. His change-up is rudimentary and will be a development emphasis going forward.
18. Izzy Wilson, OF
Age: 20 | Bats: L
.234/.321/.364 | 98 wRC+ | 6 HR | 15 SB | 11.0% BB | 20.0% K (A and A+)
Current Assignment: A+ Florida
Acquired: International Amateur Free Agent – 2015
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 26
Wilson’s raw base of tools remains very tantalizing, and it doesn’t take much imagination to see him develop into a true triple threat of hit/speed/defense. Just as easily it doesn’t take much imagination to see him flame out as he is one of the more streaky performers in the Braves minor leagues. Wilson was hitting only .199/.295/.316 through the first two months of the season before finding himself in June. The organization opened up room in the Rome outfield for Greyson Jenista in Rome by promoting Wilson up to advanced-A Florida and in a short sample size he has continued his solid performance.
Wilson is a relatively patient hitter with good bat speed and extension, but his pitch recognition remains an issue. Wilson will often get caught guessing at a pitch, especially on strike three. But when Wilson guesses right, contract is usually hard, and if it’s not Wilson has the speed to leg out his share of infield singles. Wilson is an advanced basestealer for his level, and could be a top-of-the-order hitter if he can find his way on base more consistently. In the field, Wilson has the range for centerfield and the arm for right; he’s mostly played right this season due to the presence of Waters and Pache at Rome and Florida respectively.
19. Bruce Zimmermann, LHP
Age: 23 | Throws: L
2.53 ERA | 2.95 FIP | 17 G, 17 GS | 103.1 IP | 2.44 BB/9 | 10.36 K/9 (A and AA)
Current Assignment: AA Mississippi
Acquired: Drafted, 5th Round – 2017
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: Not Ranked
Fifth-round senior-signs out of Division 2 schools aren’t supposed to dominate the lower levels, but Bruce Zimmermann out of Mt. Olive College is doing just that. Zimmermann’s combination of above average command of a low-90s fastball with good plane and movement and an advanced change-up was simply too much for South Atlantic League hitters and two weeks after his promotion to AA he’s still second in that league with 99 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched.
I was curious to see Zimmermann get challenged by higher-level competition, and so far Zimmermann has met that challenge with aplomb with three quality starts after a double-promotion to AA Mississippi, giving up only 3 earned runs in 18.2 innings while striking out 20. Zimmermann’s curveball is more of a show-me pitch right now and if any of his pitches elevate he is susceptible to being hit hard by right-handed hitters.
20. Jean Carlos Encarnacion, 3B
Age: 20 | Bats: R
.281/.310/.430 | 107 wRC+ | 6 HR | 4 SB | 4.1% BB | 27.0% K (A)
Current Assignment: A Rome
Acquired: International Amateur Free Agent – 2016
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 27
A skinny, speedy Dominican infield afterthought in the now infamous 2016 signing period is now one of the more intriguing position players in the lower minors. Encarnacion has filled out to become a highly athletic and agile third baseman with speed and power. It’s enough to dream on, though there are holes in his game. He has one of the quickest bats in the Braves system, fast enough that he thinks he can get a piece of anything, which isn’t quite the case. His free-swinging ways lead to more weak contact that one would hope, and Encarnacion will need to improve pitch recognition to take his offensive game to the next level. He recently opened up his stance, and he’s especially deadly to left-handed pitchers.
Defensively he’s a work in progress. Encarnacion was signed as a shortstop and is still learning the finer points of third base. His natural instincts and athleticism allow him to make some sensational plays, and his arm is a true weapon. However, Encarnacion can lapse into times where it seems his attention wavers and he’ll blow easier plays. This should correct itself with experience, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
21. Dustin Peterson, OF
Age: 23 | Bats: R
.255/.319/.389 | 100 wRC+ | 7 HR | 1 SB | 8.3% BB | 25.0% K (A)
Current Assignment: AAA Gwinnett
Acquired: Trade w/San Diego Padres – 2014
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 18
Peterson has come back from the hamate bone injury that ruined his 2017 season. Unfortunately, Peterson hasn’t taken that leap forward many were hoping after he showed he was healthy this spring and showed up with a revamped swing to help generate more over-the-fence power. While Peterson is on pace for career highs in home runs, his emphasis on fly balls, along with a tick up in strikeouts, has brought his other offensive numbers down to the point that it pretty much negates the power improvement.
That said, this is only half a season with a new swing, and Peterson simply may need more time to adjust, especially after an injury wiped out most of his May. Someone in the Braves front office believes in Peterson, and he was added to the 40-man roster for a brief call-up.
22. Tristan Beck, RHP
Age: 23 | Throws: R
2.98 ERA | 2.76 FIP | 15 G, 15 GS | 90.2 IP | 3.08 BB/9 | 7.25 K/9 (NCAA Div 1/Pac12)
Current Assignment: Rk GCL
Acquired: Drafted, 4th Round – 2018
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: N/A
Consider this a holding spot for Beck, who signed with the Braves out of Stanford just two weeks ago and has yet to make his pro debut. Beck has long been a target of Atlanta’s, once being considered for the draft pick that ultimately went to Mike Soroka.
Beck suffered a stress fracture in his back that kept him off the mound his entire sophomore season (the same injury that took almost all of Kolby Allard’s senior year of high school and the first eight months of his pro career). Beck came back last year and got stronger as the season progressed, showing four above average pitches and command. He likely projects as a mid-rotation starter now, but if he comes all the way back to his freshman season form he could be a 4th-round steal for the Braves.
24. Tucker Davidson, LHP
Age: 22 | Throws: L
4.11 ERA | 4.62 FIP | 16 G, 16 GS | 76.2 IP | 4.81 BB/9 | 6.22 K/9 (A+)
Current Assignment: A+ Florida
Acquired: Drafted, 19th Round – 2016
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 31
Davidson caught some prospect buzz last season when he went from having a good run in the Rome bullpen to pitching to a 2.76 ERA as a starter, taking his spot among much higher-drafted rotation-mates such as Anderson, Wentz, Bryse Wilson, and Jeremy Walker. Davidson demonstrated a good three-pitch mix of fastball (91-94 mph as a starter, 95-97 out of the bullpen), change-up, and curveball. When Davidson is working well, all three have good plane and sink and Davidson becomes a groundball machine.
For most of the first half of 2018 season however, those pitches have been elevated, and Florida State League hitters have been able to find holes. He still has been doing a nice job keeping the ball in the park however, and he generally has been able to keep his team in games, avoiding nightmare outings. Davidson has been particularly good in his last nine outings where he’s pitched to a 1.85 ERA and is generating his more customary +50% groundball rate.
23. Huascar Ynoa, RHP
Age: 20 | Throws: R
4.07 ERA | 3.97 FIP | 16 G, 16 GS | 79.2 IP | 4.41 BB/9 | 9.72 K/9 (A)
Current Assignment: A Rome
Acquired: Trade w/Minnesota Twins – 2017
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 35
Ynoa has had an up-and-down season with Rome, struggling early with his control which lead to a few nightmare starts. Ynoa has made adjustments however, and he’s held opponents to a .189/.259/.283 batting line over his last seven starts. In that time he has become Rome’s most dependable starter; with Zimmermann now promoted, if the playoffs were to start next week, Ynoa would likely be the one to get the game one start.
Ynoa has a quick, short-arm delivery that causes his mid-90s fastball to sneak up on hitters. He complements the fastball with a change-up that can be above average and is probably the key to his remaining a starting pitcher. His curveball has good break but Ynoa is still working on dropping it in for strikes.
25. Drew Lugbauer, C
Age: 21 | Bats: L
.233/.320/.370 | 100 wRC+ | 8 HR | 2 SB | 10.1% BB | 34.3% K (A)
Current Assignment: A Rome
Acquired: Drafted, 11th Round – 2017
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 46
Lugbauer played mostly third base in college, and split time between catching, first, and third with Danville and Rome in 2017. As with Cumberland, the Braves nixed the idea of a permanent move from behind the dish. The good news is that also like Cumberland, Lugbauer has steadily improved his work behind the plate to the point where he rates as an average defensive catcher.
At the plate, Lugbauer has very little stride out of a slightly closed stance but swings violently. When he makes contact, he hits rockets to all parts of the ballpark and he’s a threat to go deep at any moment. While Lugbauer has patience, his pitch recognition is fairly poor and he often gets himself out guessing on a pitch. He’s especially vulnerable to left-handed pitchers, who have held him to a .225/.311/.400 line with only 1 home run on the season.
26. Ricardo Sanchez, LHP
Age: 21 | Throws: L
7.53 ERA | 4.52 FIP | 4 G, 4 GS | 14.1 IP | 7.53 BB/9 | 6.28 K/9 (AA)
Current Assignment: AA Mississippi
Acquired: Trade w/Los Angeles Angels – 2014
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 21
Sanchez missed the better part of 3 months with an injury of an undisclosed nature and has only pitched 14.1 innings over four AA starts. It’s a disappointing first half for the talented lefty who is coming off an off-season where he was added to the Braves 40-man roster and attended his first big league spring training.
While it’s too small of a sample size to come to any conclusions about Sanchez’s season, so far he’s been plagued by the same bugaboo as in prior seasons, making poor pitches with runners on base. And with a 16.7% walk rate, it’s been way too easy for opposing teams to get Sanchez into the stretch.
27. Riley Delgado, SS
Age: 23 | Bats: R
.322/.377/.401 | 125 wRC+ | 2 HR | 1 SB | 5.4% BB | 9.1% K (A and A+)
Current Assignment: A+ Florida
Acquired: Drafted, 9th Round – 2017
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: Not Ranked
Consider Delgado the Bruce Zimmermann of position players. A senior sign out of Middle Tennessee State, Delgado was second in the SAL in batting average and third in OBP before getting promoted to advanced-A Florida this week.
Delgado is a solid defensive shortstop without a stand-out tool. He has good, but not great, reactions at the position. He as a good, but not great, arm for the position. Delgado has below average power and he’s not particularly fast. What he does have however is a keen feel for the bat head and the ability to flip a pitch back through the infield wherever there is a hole. This is an especially useful skill with runners on base, and it’s a rare occurrence where Delgado doesn’t bring a runner in from scoring position, a knack that had him leading Rome in RBI at the time of his promotion. There’s room at the higher levels for good situational hitters.
28. Jasseel De La Cruz, RHP
Age: 21 | Throws: R
4.70 ERA | 4.15 FIP | 10 G, 9 GS | 46.0 IP | 3.91 BB/9 | 9.00 K/9 (A)
Current Assignment: A Rome
Acquired: International Amateur Free Agent – 2015
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: Not Ranked
De La Cruz has gotten more prospect buzz as he’s steadily climbed through the system and he’s filled out his body and added velocity to his fastball. That pitch now regularly sits in the mid-90’s with movement. He complements it with a hard-breaking slider that he can snap off for strikes when he’s right.
He was certainly right in the first month of the season, pitching to a 2.04 ERA for Rome with 20 strikeouts in under 18 innings. De La Cruz suffered an injury in his final start in April however and missed five weeks. Since he’s returned, his command hasn’t been quite so good, often missing in the zone. He’s now lost his spot in the starting rotation, and the bullpen may be where he eventually resides anyway as his third pitch, the change-up, is still fairly rudimentary. Nevertheless, the raw materials are there for De La Cruz to potentially be an asset in a number of pitching roles.
29. Jefrey Ramos, OF
Age: 19 | Bats: R
.246/.280/.429 | 97 wRC+ | 10 HR | 2 SB | 4.4% BB | 17.9% K (A)
Current Assignment: A Rome
Acquired: International Amateur Free Agent – 2016
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: 46
Ramos has proven to be a true power threat even at the tender age of 19, and he has also put to rest some concerns about his defense as he has shed some of the baby fat he was carrying last season and has played a solid left field and shown off an arm that is stronger than was advertised. However he has also shown to be a free-swinger who hits far too many groundballs to be an effective hitter overall. Obviously he’s still young enough to improve in this area, but right now he generates too many outs to be counted on as a true middle-of-the-order hitter.
30. CJ Alexander, 3B
Age: 21 | Bats: L
.382/.462/.544 | 173 wRC+ | 1 HR | 1 SB | 11.5% BB | 14.1% K (Rk)
Current Assignment: Rk Danville
Acquired: Drafted, 20th Round – 2018
Post-Season 2017 OFR Ranking: N/A
Alexander was somewhat of a surprise signing in the 20th round of the draft, given that he was expected to go at some point in Day Two of the draft. The Braves have to be delighted with what they’ve seen from him so far.
Alexander has excellent bat speed and a line-drive approach, and so far that’s been enough for him to punish rookie-ball pitching in first the GCL then the Appy League. Listed at 215 pounds in college, he looks slimmer than that now, perhaps to help him in the field. College scouting had him with below average range at third base and may have to move across the diamond to first, but he now looks to have at least average range, plus good hands and a strong arm. Alexander is 6′-5″ and with proper conditioning looks like he could easily get back to the 215 pound range and not sacrifice mobility and help his raw power.
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