Full-squad spring training workouts are just two weeks away, and though there will be acquisitions before (and possibly after) pitchers and catchers report, this series will take a look at the players mostly likely to suit up at each level of the organization. Look for new installments every Tuesday and Friday until all players officially report on February 17.
While the outfield has the makings of being a productive unit in 2020, there is some uncertainty at the major league level about how that alignment shake out. The good news is that the Braves top prospect, and one of the top prospects in all of baseball, is now at the AAA level and could seize a spot at some point this year.
First Base | Second Base | Third Base | Shortstop | Catcher | Left Field
ATLANTA BRAVES
STARTER: Ender Inciarte
For his first three seasons for Atlanta after being acquired in the Shelby Miller deal from Arizona, Inciarte had been a steady contributor for the Braves, putting in on average 3.0 fWAR seasons while providing Gold Glove center field defense. A streaky hitter, Inciarte can be an offensive sparkplug when on a hot streak. In an ideal world, he would be able to hold down the center field spot for the Braves, allowing superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. to man right field to take advantage of his plus arm. Working against Inciarte is the recent memory of an essentially lost 2019 campaign, in which he was mired in a long slump to begin the season, then missed nearly two month with a lumbar strain. When he returned he got on one of his hot streaks (.293/.411/.520) for 25 games before once again going on the injured list, this time with a severe hamstring strain. While rehabbing, Inciarte then suffered a quad strain that effectively ended his season.
Spring training may determine just how the outfield will align. Nick Markakis, and to a lesser extent Adam Duvall, will no doubt get time in right field, with Acuña sliding over to center field. The better defensive line-up has Inciarte in center however, and he can secure more starting assignments by avoiding his usual slow start at the plate.
Back-up: Acuña will play center field when Inciarte doesn’t, and he’s more than capable at the position. Marcell Ozuna also has experience in center and can fill in a pinch, but if either Inciarte or Acuña ends up missing any significant time the Braves would likely make a call to Gwinnett.
GWINNETT STRIPERS (CLASS AAA)
STARTER: Cristian Pache
The top prospect in the Braves system, Pache has been ready for the majors from a defensive standpoint since he turned 18 years old. On the offensive side its been a longer road, but now at the ripe old age of 21 he is close to making his major league debut. Pache is leaps and bounds ahead as an offensive player than he was in Rome not too long ago. As his body has filled out, his raw power has increased, and he has the bat speed to let it play in games. Pitch recognition remains the main area for improvement, and because of this he likely will return to Gwinnett, the same level where he ended his 2019 season. How long he remains in Gwinnett will be determined in part by the impression he makes in spring training and how veteran players like Inciarte, Markakis, and Duvall are playing. Pache will only be called up when the team is ready for him to take over center field.
Back-up: Drew Waters will play his fair share of centerfield, and if Pache is called up Waters would likely take the position. Rafael Ortega can also man centerfield if necessary.
MISSISSIPPI BRAVES (CLASS AA)
STARTER: Justin Dean
Justin Dean was a prime offensive catalyst for Rome in the leadoff spot, and a midseason promotion to Florida would likely have happened if not for an ill-timed hand injury at the end of June which caused Dean to miss about a month of the season. Despite the missed time Dean lead all of low-A in stolen bases with 47, and his .386 OBP meant the was often an annoyance for opposing pitchers. At age 23, Dean would seem to be a strong candidate for a double promotion to Mississippi, especially given the necessity of having a strong defender to man the spacious TrustMark Park outfield.
Back-up: Shean Michel will spell Dean on occasion in center, but if the Braves elect on the conservative approach with Dean and have him start in Florida, expect Trey Harris to cover centerfield on an everyday basis until Dean is deemed ready for advancement.
FLORIDA FIRE FROGS (CLASS A+)
STARTER: Andrew Moritz
Mortiz is a slap-hitting outfielder and a solid defender at all three outfield positions. After struggling with injuries in Rome for the first two months of the 2019 season, Moritz was promoted to Florida and actually saw an upturn in production, perhaps also aided by the ability of opposing pitchers to throw near the strike zone more often.
Back-up: Jose Bermudez is a good candidate to move up to Florida and be the reserve center fielder. Going into his fifth season in the organization and owning a .244/.319/.304 career slash line, he is purely organizational depth.
ROME BRAVES (CLASS A)
STARTER: Brandon Parker
Parker got the Braves attention by hitting 38 homers for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in two seasons, and an overslot signing bonus pulled him from a commitment to Dallas Baptist. The book on Parker was that along with the power would be plenty of swing-and-miss, and his season with Danville backed up those observations. Parker’s an extreme pull-side flyball hitter who struck out over 32% of his plate appearances. What was better than advertised was his outfield defense, and while he’ll likely move to a corner full-time at some point, for now the 20-year-old is capable of holding down center.
Back-up: There’s a very good chance that Drew Campbell, an overslot 23rd-round pick out of Louisville, may accumulate more outfield playing time in Rome than anyone, spreading across all three spots. Campbell was aggressively placed directly in Rome last season, bypassing the rookie leagues. Campbell only played in 28 games before an injury sent him to the injured list in mid-August and ended his season.
ROOKIE LEAGUES
Jose Palma
A strong defensive centerfielder who can cause a little havoc on the basepaths, Palma hasn’t shown enough stick to be a player that would command significant playing time, but he could be a part-time player in Rome early on if the organization decides to aggressively promote one of the 2019 college-drafted outfielders or keep one back in extended spring training.
Stephen Paolini
A northeast prep draftee taken in the 5th-round of the 2019 draft, Paolini was notable mostly for being the first player drafted to stump draft analysts Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis on MLB Network’s coverage of the draft, but don’t let that dampen your enthusiasm. Paolini’s athleticism and power/speed potential make him an intriguing project for Braves player development.
Kadon Morton
Speaking of athleticism, Morton was a three-sport start in high school before the Braves used an overslot bonus to entice Morton away from a strong Oklahoma commitment. Morton is even more raw than Paolini, but getting him focused on one sport and one side of the sport (he also pitched in high school) could see Morton develop quickly.
Deivi Estrada
Estrada signed with the Braves in 2017 out of Venezuela at the age of 16, but busted out in 2019 with a strong performance with the DSL Braves, hitting .307/.433/.366. A stateside promotion is almost certainly in the cards, though he may not be able to stick in centerfield.
Centerfield Depth Chart
- Ender Inciarte
- Ronald Acuna Jr.
- Cristian Pache
- Drew Waters
- Rafael Ortega
- Justin Dean
- Shean Michel
- Andrew Moritz
- Jose Bermudez
- Brandon Parker
- Drew Campbell
- Jose Palma
- Stephen Paolini
- Kadon Morton
- Deivi Estrada
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