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.
Also be sure to check out the OFR Farm Report Podcast where we discuss these events and give opinions and commentary.
Weekly Round-Up
FCL BRAVES:
The Braves had a winning week, going 4-1 and only allowing 7 runs over those 5 games, 6 of them coming in a 7-inning doubleheader game on Saturday.
Jorge Bautista had his longest and best start of the season, going 5 innings and only allowing 2 hits. Reibyn Corona and Jared Johnson had scoreless starts of 4 innings apiece, with Johnson’s his first since his demotion from Augusta last week. Left-hander Jake Higginbotham joined the team on a rehab assignment from AA Mississippi and contributed 2 scoreless innings in relief, while William Woods made his first appearance of the season with a scoreless inning.
Catcher Liam McGill got his first game action of the season, with the 2021 9th-rounder going 2-for-5 with a home run in two games. Shortstop Caleb Durbin also had a good week, going 3-for-7. Outfielder Drew Campbell, on rehab assignment from Augusta, went 6-for-14.
AUGUSTA:
Coming off sweeping at home against Kannapolis, The GreenJackets were challenged this week with a visit to the Central-division leading Carolina Mudcats and got summerly crushed, getting swept in turn. The schedule doesn’t get any easier this week as the Jackets return home to once again face the division-leading Charleston RiverDogs.
The offense did however do some good work this week, and the team scored 29 runs over the 6 games. Recent additions Cal Conley and Justyn-Henry Malloy have settled in nicely to the line-up, going 6-for-20 and 6-for-18 respectively with a home run and a stolen base apiece for the week. Outfielder Willie Carter has lost some playing time in the face of the new additions, but this week made the most of his 4 games, hitting .538 with 2 doubles and stealing 5 bases, earning him the OFR Position Player of the Week. Infielder Vaughn Grissom continued his hot streak, going 6-for-17 with 2 doubles and 3 stolen bases; since coming off the injured list on July 14, he has hit .370/.465/.564. Outfelder Stephen Paolini had his best week as a pro, going 7-for-19 with a double, triple, and 4 stolen bases.
Of course if the offense played well and the team got swept, that means there was a pitching problem. The team allowed 59 runs over the 6 games, with typically strong relievers like James Acuna, Alec Barger, Ben Thompson, and Peyton Williams surrendering crooked numbers. The team did get reinforced with two new Dylans from the 2021 draft class, RHP Dylan Spain and LHP Dylan Dodd. Spain was the most effective reliever on the week, contributing 3 scoreless innings of relief over 2 appearances.
Dodd made his season debut in a start on Sunday, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, walking 1 and striking out 1 in 3 innings of work. Righty Ryan Cusick made his second start of the season, striking out 4 in 2 innings and surrendering 1 run on a hit and 2 walks. Righties Joey Estes and Rainiery Rodriguez were the only starters to even throw 5 innings, surrendering 3 and 5 earned runs respectively.
ROME:
The Romans took two out of six from the Greenville Drive in between several postponements, delays, and doubleheaders. In contrast to Augusta, Rome got solid pitching for most of the games but had trouble putting runs on the board.
Two recent promotes to Rome stood out; right-hander Tanner Gordon turned in the best starting pitching performance of the week, giving up only a run in 6 innings of work while striking out 5, while reliever Benjamin Dum threw 3.1 scoreless innings over two appearances, striking out 6. Darius Vines (7 IP, 2 ER, 7 SO) and Jared Shuster (6 IP, 2 ER, 5 SO) also turned out quality starts, while starters Coleman Huntley and Jake McSteen were victimized by poor defense and contributing to 4 inning appearances for each despite combining to only surrender 1 earned run.
In addition to Dum, righty Trey Riley had two scoreless innings over two games, while Emmanuel Ramirez, Marrick Crouse, Zach Daniels, Tyler Ferguson, and Justin Yeager all kept Greenville off the board in their appearances.
Unfortunately, outside the top of the line-up, there just wasn’t enough offense to sustain rallies most of the week. Outfielders Michael Harris and Jesse Franklin were getting on base at a .400 and .421 clip respectively, but neither hit a home run this week, and if they can’t drive themselves in on occasion, its been hard for the rest of the line-up to pick up the slack. Second baseman and lead-off hitter Cody Milligan had a solid week at the plate, going 5-for-17.
MISSISSIPPI:
The Mississippi Braves hit the road this week to face the second-place Montgomery Biscuits, who were only 2 ½ games back to start off the week. Faced with an opportunity to extend their division lead, the M-Braves did just that in taking five out of six games from the Biscuits and extended their division lead to 6 ½ games with just 24 games remaining in the season. They now return home to face Pensacola in hopes of getting closer to clinching the division.
M-Braves starting pitching was stellar once again as the pitching staff only allowed twelve runs over the six games and the starters had a 2.39 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. Nolan Kingham was sent down from Gwinnett earlier in the week and promptly set the M-Braves consecutive scoreless innings record at 33 with a seven-inning, one-run effort in a victory on Friday night. Alan Rangel continued his fine work at Mississippi, giving up just three runs in eight innings over two starts. Freddy Tarnok was the tough-luck starter of the week, getting saddled with a loss because of two unearned runs over five innings.
The Mississippi bullpen chugged along as usual with two more scoreless innings from Indigo Diaz, who still has not allowed a run as an M-Brave. Odalvi Javier, Matt Withrow, Troy Bacon, and Sean McLaughlin all provided multiple scoreless innings over the course of the week while Corbin Clouse and Daysbel Hernandez each notched a save.
The M-Braves spread the wealth this week on offense: leadoff hitter Justin Dean was 6-for-19 with a triple, three stolen bases, and five runs scored, catcher Shea Langeliers was 5-for-18 with a double, Drew Lugbauer was just 4-for-17 but had a double, two home runs, and five RBI, backup catcher Hendrik Clementina was 4-for-12 with two home runs and four RBI, and third baseman CJ Alexander continued his recent upswing in going 5-for-15 with three doubles and four stolen bases. Alexander is second on the team this season in stolen bases with 13 in 14 attempts.
GWINNETT:
The Gwinnett Stripers visited the Louisviile Bats (and old friend Ender Inciarte) this week and took the first five games of the series before dropping the finale on Sunday. Unfortunately, they only made up one game on first-place Durham over the course of the week, so they are still 6 ½ games back. The Stripers continue their road trip this week at fourth-place Nashville.
Gwinnett starting pitching had several outstanding performances as the pitching staff only gave up 18 runs over their six games this week, including just four in their first three games. Ian Anderson made another rehab start, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings on just four hits and one walk while striking out six in 76 pitches. Kyle Muller made his first start since being optioned from Atlanta and responded well with just one unearned run allowed over six innings, giving up just one hit and three walks. Kyle Wright had a tremendous start in giving up just one run over seven innings of work and even hitting a stand-up triple to earn him OFR Pitcher of the Week. Bryce Elder made his first Triple-A start and did not disappoint, giving up two runs in five innings while earning the victory.
The Stripers bullpen filled their support role well this week as several relievers record multiple scoreless outings this week including Yoan Lopez, Sean Newcomb, Chasen Bradford, Dylan Lee, Trevor Kelley, Tanner Roark, and Jesse Biddle. Jay Flaa, however, could not count himself in that number as he gave up four earned runs over 1.2 innings with five walks.
The Gwinnett offense gave the scoreboard a workout this week as they scored 39 runs over the six games including getting into double digits twice. Eddie Rosario continued his rehab stint and contributed one of the strangest stat lines one could see in going just 5-for-22 but with two doubles, two home runs, and eleven RBI (.227/.261/.591). Johan Camargo was only 4-for-21 but had three home runs and six RBI. The outfield prospects had rough weeks as Cristian Pache was 4-for-16 with two three-strikeout games and Drew Waters was 2-for-17 with six strikeouts and four walks. Catcher Jonathan Morales had his first four-hit game since 2016 at Rome as he received more playing time with the call-up of William Contreras to Atlanta.
POSITION PLAYER of the WEEK:
PITCHER of the WEEK:
Transaction Round-Up
- 8/16/2021: C Logan Brown placed on the 60-day IL for A+ Rome
Brown had not made an appearances since being removed from a game at Greenville on August 5. As usual, there was no announcement about the nature of the injury, but looking at the game video, he may have taken a foul ball off his hand or arm. It was serious enough that the Braves moved organizational catcher Carlos Martinez down to Rome and also Cesar Rodriguez up from the FCL Braves to help backfill. A placement on the 60-game IL indicates that Brown’s 2021 season has likely come to an end.
- 8/16/2021: RHP Jasseel De La Cruz placed on 7-day IL for AAA Gwinnett
It’s been a struggle for De La Cruz almost all season. After averaging 79 pitches a start in 2019, De La Cruz has only 63 per start in 2021 after the Braves flirted with converting him to relief early in the season. In his last start on August 14, De La Cruz came out of the game in the 1st inning after facing 4 batters without getting an out. Pitching coach Mike Maroth came out to talk with De La Cruz and catcher William Contreras, and after some conversation called for the trainer.
- 8/16/2021: RHP Bryce Elder assigned to AAA Gwinnett from AA Mississippi; RHP Nolan Kingham assigned to AA Mississippi from AAA Gwinnett
The two former Texas Longhorns switch spots as Kingham struggled in his first exposure to AAA ball. Elder becomes the first 2020 draftee to get to AAA, and he had a good first outing.
- 8/16/2021 RHP Victor Vodnik placed on 7-day injured list for AA Mississippi; RHP Matt Withrow activated from the developmental list
This is Vodnik’s second IL stint this season after spending six weeks earlier in the season. Vodnik had made 7 starts since then, with his last one — 5 no-hit innings against Biloxi last week — his best so far.
- 8/17/2021: RHP Huascar Ynoa activated from injured list for Atlanta; RHP Jacob Webb optioned to AAA Gwinnett
Ynoa stepped right back into the rotation without missing a beat, getting through 5.1 shutout innings on 80 pitches.
Webb also pitched well in his two appearances with Atlanta after being called up, throwing against Washington and Miami, striking out 3 without allowing a baserunner. Since being sent down in late May after the Kevin Pillar incident, Webb has pitched to a 2.05 ERA in 25 appearances between Gwinnett and Atlanta.
- 8/17/2021: RHP Benjamin Dum assigned to A+ Rome from A Augusta; RHP Dylan Spain assigned to A Augusta from FCL Braves; C Cesar Rodriguez placed on developmental list for A+ Rome
Dum has been a solid middle reliever for Augusta after signing as a minor league free agent. Dum was a four-year player for Virginia Commonwealth and had signed as an undrafted free agent with Minnesota in 2019. After 8 appearances with Elizabethton of the old Appalachian League, Dum was cut by the Twins in the wake of the minor league contraction.
2021 10th-rounder Spain has made a good impression with 6 shutout innings over three appearances with the FCL Braves. He followed that up with 3 scoreless innings over 2 outings with Augusta.
- 8/19/2021: IF Riley Unroe placed on 7-day IL for AA Mississippi; C Mitch Calandra activated from developmental list
Unroe had been active for 9 days from his prior IL stint.
- 8/19/2021: RHP William Woods and LHP Kris Anglin assigned to FCL Braves
Woods, the OFR #30 prospect, had been inactive since suffering an injury in minor league spring training.
Anglin was the final member of the 2021 college draft picks to get assigned. He started out well with 2 hitless innings in the FCL.
- 8/21/2021: C Travis d’Arnaud placed on paternity list; C William Contreras recalled from AAA Gwinnett
It’s been a busy week for d’Arnaud, who first signed a two-year extension with Atlanta before going on paternity leave. Contreras looked very comfortable behind the plate and called a good game for Touki Toussaint on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.
Your Moment of Zen
Congrats to @Braves 6th draft pick Justyn-Henry Malloy (@jhenmalloy) from THE @GTBaseball for his first professional homer! He's 3-for-3 tonight and his OPS is up to .825 on the season
(thx for the heads up @JCarson10) pic.twitter.com/ruTeZuRZpK
— Gaurav (@gvedak) August 20, 2021
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