Welcome to the Braves Farm Report, where we will take a look at the Braves farm system and look at trends and players that seem interesting, and give first hand accounts of what we’re seeing down on the farm.
Be sure to check out the OFR Farm Report Podcast on Monday, and the Midseason Top 30 Prospect List.
Life On the Farm
DSL BRAVES:
The Way-Down-South Braves had a strong 4-1 week thanks primarily to strong pitching, which held opponents to one or fewer runs three times this week. RHP Rainiery Rodriguez made his first start of the season on Monday after 7 relief appearances and delivered 6 shutout innings. LHP Lisandro Santos also delivered a scoreless start, going 5 innings and striking out 5.
Outfielder Deivi Estrada was once again the offensive star of the week, this time going .357/.471/.429 with a stolen base.
GCL BRAVES:
The North Port crew only managed to get 3 games in last week thanks to Tropical Storm Barry’s track up through the Gulf of Mexico. The Braves went 1-2.
SS Vaughn Grissom looked strong in the abbreviated week, with the 18-year-old launching his first professional home run, and also getting a double and a triple in only 2 games played. RHP Luis De Jesus pitched 3 hitless innings in his start this week, while RHP Carlos De La Cruz continues to impress with 2.1 scoreless relief innings.
Rehabbing Fire Frog Freddy Tarnok pitched 4.2 innings and only allowed 2 hits and one run on a solo homer, striking out 5. Tarnok threw 30 pitches.
DANVILLE:
The D-Braves went 2-5 on the week, including an active 4-game losing streak, which drops the team to last place in their Appy League division, though they are only 4.5 games out of first.
RHP Alex Aquino did yeoman’s work out of the bullpen, throwing 5.1 scoreless innings over two appearances and allowing only one baserunner. The converted infielder has only allowed 2 earned runs in six outings so far this season. Overall however the pitching was an issue this week, with only Alec Barger‘s 2 inning scoreless “opener” perhaps the only successful start.
At the plate it was 1B Bryce Ball with another big week, going 6-for-19 with 2 more home runs; that makes 7 in 20 games and an overall batting line of .361/.447/.764. Just for reference, CJ Alexander had a .354/.439/.488 battling line through 22 games with Danville last season before getting promoted to Florida. Willie Carter continued his good work, hitting .333/.450/.412. 2B Cody Milligan, C Mitch Calandra, OF Brandon Parker, and IF Ray Hernandez also notched strong offensive performances.
ROME:
Rome went 3-3 on the week, briefly holding first place in the division by themselves after a win on Thursday before dropping the first two games of a series in Kannapolis on Friday and Saturday. Instead, they are now tied for first place with Augusta with the rest of the SAL Southern Division only separated by 2.5 games or fewer.
RHP Jose Olague continued his string of strong starts for Rome, this week pitching 7 innings of one-run ball, and he has allowed only 3 earned runs in his last 22 innings pitched. LHP Dilmer Mejia had a similar 7 inning, 1 run start last Sunday, but gave up 4 runs in 4.1 innings in a loss to Kannapolis on Saturday. RHP Alan Rangel had a particularly tough start, surrendering 7 earned in 5.1 innings against Charleston. Three different Rome relievers earned saves this week, with Jake Higgenbotham and Tanner Lawson each providing scoreless appearances.
Rome’s top of the line-up had been the driving force behind the offense for most of the second half, but this week they were powered by the heart of the line-up. First baseman Griffin Benson went .333/.538/.556 with a home run and 5 RBI this week, while catcher Ricardo Rodriguez went 7-for-14 with 2 doubles; the defensive stand-out is now riding a career-high-tying 7-game hitting streak. Rome’s other catcher, first-rounder Shea Langeliers, continues to have his struggles at the plate however and through 18 games is batting .180/.282/.311.
FLORIDA:
The Fire Frogs had a rain-soaked week though they managed to get their schedule caught up by Saturday with two doubleheaders. They went 2-4 on the week thanks to sweeping a doubleheader on Saturday against Clearwater.
When the calendar flipped to July, first baseman Drew Lugbauer was only hitting .167/.229/.300 on the year, but he has exploded in July. This week he went 7-for-29 with 3 homers and two doubles and is currently on a 7-game hitting streak. OF Andrew Mortiz also continues to do good work at the top of the order, this week hitting .304/.333/.304 and he owns a .356 OBP for the Fire Frogs since his promotion three weeks ago. For the first time all season however, outfielder Trey Harris is struggling at the plate, and is only hitting .194/.237/.222 for the month of July, though he does have a modest 3-game hitting streak.
In his second start for Florida since return from the IL, Tristan Beck had another strong outing, coming one out away from a 7-inning complete game in the back-half of Saturday’s doubleheader. Instead he ended up with 6.2 scoreless innings while striking out 8. RHP Nolan Kingham (7 IP, 2 ER, 5 SO) and LHP Phil Pfeifer (7 IP, 2 ER, 7 SO) also provided Quality Starts. RHPs Daysbel Hernandez and Lukas Young both tossed two scoreless innings in a relief outing apiece.
MISSISSIPPI:
The M-Braves were down two significant contributors in outfielder Cristian Pache and pitcher Ian Anderson due to the Futures Game but still managed to go 3-2 for the week. The best start of the week went to Jasseel De La Cruz, who threw six innings of shutout ball on Sunday, scattering just six baserunners while striking out ten and nabbing OFR Pitcher of the Week honors. Rehabbing Kevin Gausman also had a very good start in giving up no earned runs in six innings of work on Thursday while throwing 75 strikes in 91 pitches. Kyle Muller had a quality start on Tuesday although he was inefficient with 106 pitches in six innings with a wild pitch and two hit batsmen. Tucker Davidson had a rough start on Saturday by lasting just one inning after throwing forty pitches and giving up two runs.
Drew Waters continued to lead the offense in Pache’s absence with a 12-for-21 (.571/.591/.667) week while striking out just twice in 22 plate appearances. Outfielder Tyler Neslony also provided support with a 6-for-16 week (.375/.412/.813) where four of his six hits were for extra bases while infielder Riley Unroe was 4-for-14 (.286/.444/.286) with four walks. Pache was just 2-for-9 in abbreviated action with a double, an HBP and two walks. Outfielder Greyson Jenista was 4-for-14 with a double and a home run although he struck out five times while catcher William Contreras continued to struggle on offense with a 1-for-12 week. The rehabbing Ender Inciarte was 2-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored in his brief two-game stint at Mississippi before moving on to Gwinnett.
GWINNETT:
The Gwinnett Stripers played an abbreviated schedule this week, having Monday-Wednesday off due to the AAA All-Star Game. In the four games they did play, they were 3-1 primarily due to bludgeoning teams with offense, scoring 36 runs and averaging nine per game. The one game they did lose was in a 15-12 slugfest in Charlotte. Offensively, the Stripers were led by catcher Alex Jackson, this week’s OFR Position Player of the Week going 6-for-14 with three home runs and ten RBI. Outfielder Rafael Ortega also had a significant contribution with an 8-for-17 week with two home runs and five RBI. Travis Demeritte, who only played in three games due to playing in the AAA All-Star Game and participating in their home run derby, was 3-for-12 with two home runs and five RBI while Adam Duvall was 5-for-11 with two home runs and four RBI. Ender Inciarte’s rehab assignment was transferred to Gwinnett late in the week and he was 3-for-15 with a walk and an RBI.
Huascar Ynoa had the standout pitching performance of the week with a seven-shutout inning performance on Sunday where he gave up just two hits and walked no one. Kyle Wright (6.1 IP, 3 R) and Mike Foltynewicz (5 IP, 4 R) also had decent starts but Bryse Wilson was hammered in an outing between MLB starts for nine runs in just 2.2 innings. In the bullpen, Wes Parsons tossed 3.2 scoreless innings over two outings and Corbin Clouse had a dominant outing after missing more than two months with an injury in pitching two perfect innings with five strikeouts. Thomas Burrows and Jeremy Walker each made just one appearance for the week and, unfortunately, were hammered in the Charlotte slugfest. Burrows gave up two home runs and three runs over two innings of work and Walker lacked the great control he had displayed all season in giving up three walks and three runs in just two-thirds of an inning.
POSITION PLAYER of the WEEK:
PITCHER of the WEEK:
Transaction Round-Up
7/8/2019: 1B Mahki Backstrom signs with the Atlanta Braves
Backstrom was the Braves’ 18th-round pick, one of a plethora of high-school players who were projected to go much earlier signed to overslot deals. Backstorm was the last major draft pick to come to terms, leaving only four picks not signed. Backstrom has not yet been assigned to a team, but is expected to join the GCL Braves.
7/8/2019: RHP Kurt Hoeskstra assigned to A+ Florida from AAA Gwinnett
As expected, Hoekstra’s first AAA go-’round was abbreviated, providing a much needed extra arm after a tough doubleheader before heading back. The results were good however, and Hoesktra has definitely put himself on the map of Braves relief prospects in his first season after converting from the infield.
7/11/2019: LHP Corbin Clouse and RHP Jose Rafael De Paula activated from the 7-day injured list; RHP Shane Carle placed on the 7-day injured list.
Clouse had been out since April 30 with an injury. After one rehab outing for the GCL Braves, Clouse is back and will hopefully once again seize the title of top Braves relief prospect.
De Paula has been effective for Gwinnett in 2019 after being drafted in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft, but has had to be placed on the IL or sent to extended spring training twice over the last two months.
7/12/2019: RHPs Greg Leban and Tyler Owens promoted to Rk+ Danville from Rk GCL Braves.
7/12/2019: RHP Walner Polanco and LHP Andy Samuelson assigned to GCL Braves from Danville
Owens is the first prep draftee promoted to Danville after 4 innings in the GCL. Leban, out of Austin Peay, also got a GCL tune-up.
To make room, Polanco and Samuelson slide back down to the GCL. This is Samuelson’s second stint there, and has only pitched one inning so far in his pro career. Polanco got a longer look, getting three starts (one of which was abbreviated by a line drive that hit him, but did not cause serious injury) to an 8.22 ERA.
7/12/2019: RHP Brett Burgess signed by Braves as a non-drafted free agent; assigned to GCL Braves
7/12/2019: LHP Zach Guth released from GCL Braves
The Braves signed Atlanta-area prospect Burgess out of Georgia Gwinnett. Burgess both pitched and played multiple positions in college, but it looks like the Braves will look at him first as a pitcher.
To make room, the Braves released Guth, who was drafted in the 26th round in 2018.
7/12/2019: RHPs Indigo Diaz and Ben Thompson sign with the Atlanta Braves
It had been reported that both players had agreed to terms several weeks ago, but they and the team made it official on the last day to sign draft picks. Diaz was a 27th-round pick and Thompson a 28th. Both are non-Americans (Diaz is Canadian, Thompson from New Zealand) and my uneducated guess is that it’s taking time for them to secure work visas.
Both players are still pending assignment, but will likely end up in the GCL.
Leave a Reply