It’s the final Farm Report of 2021! Thanks to all of our readers for following along every week. We’ll see you in 2022, and be sure to listen to the OFR Farm Report Podcast all off-season as we follow the comings and goings that will effect the minor league teams.
Braves Honor Shea Langeliers and Bryce Elder
On Wednesday, the Atlanta Braves officially named catcher Shea Langeliers the Aaron Award Winner for minor league player of the year. Right-hander Bryce Elder was proclaimed the Niekro Award Winner as the minor league pitcher of the year.
The 9th-overall pick of the 2019 draft out of Baylor, Langeliers anchored the championship Mississippi Braves line-up, hitting .258/.338/.498 with 22 home runs despite playing half his games in the notoriously offensively difficult Trustmark Park. Langeliers led all Braves minor league hitters in the upper minors with 128 wRC+. Even more impressive was his work as the primary catcher for the team who surrendered the fewest runs in the Double-A South League. He also caught 42% of would-be base stealers, shutting down most opponents’ running games. Langeliers was promoted to AAA Gwinnett on Wednesday.
Bryce Elder was Atlanta’s 5th-round pick in the shortened 5-round 2020 draft out of Texas and he quickly established himself at the top of the rotation for the high-A Rome Braves. After 7 starts, compiling a 2.60 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 36.2 innings, Elder was promoted to AA Mississippi, where he had a 3.21 ERA in 9 starts before getting promoted once again, this time to AAA Gwinnett where he pitched to a 2.21 ERA in 7 starts. Elder led all affiliated minor leaguers in innings pitched with 137.2, striking out 155 and walking only 57. Opposing batters only hit .193/.284/.300 against Elder on the season.
Congratulations to both Braves for their well-deserved hardware.
GWINNETT:
The Gwinnett Stripers closed out their 2021 campaign with a home series against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The Stripers took three out of five games to finish the season at 71-58. Unfortunately, Gwinnett finished the ten-game Final Stretch at 3-7, well out of contention for the title.
Gwinnett starting pitching was once again led by Kyle Wright, who pitched seven shutout innings on Saturday night. Wright finished the season with a 22-inning scoreless streak and led the Triple-A East in ERA (3.02), complete games (2), innings pitched (137.0), strikeouts (137), and third in WHIP (1.18). Kyle Muller did well in his start, although the results were unorthodox: he only lasted three innings but gave up just one run on three walks and four hits while striking out eight on 71 pitches. Bryce Elder only lasted four innings in his start but gave up just one run although he walked five and threw 76 pitches. Tucker Davidson closed out Gwinnett’s season with a rehab start in which he gave up just one run in three innings of work with five strikeouts and a walk and threw 30 strikes in his 40 pitches.
In the bullpen, Spencer Strider had a tremendous debut by striking out the side in his lone inning of work while giving up just a bloop single to right. His appearance was so successful that he quickly got his ticket punched for promotion to Atlanta. Brooks Wilson continued to impress since his promotion from Mississippi with two perfect innings and five strikeouts, he now has a 1.50 ERA over six appearances with eleven strikeouts and just four baserunners in six innings of work. Daysbel Hernandez was once again up and down with two runs allowed in two innings of work, he now has a 7.45 ERA in ten outings with fifteen baserunners allowed in 9.2 innings with Gwinnett. Trevor Kelley tossed two more scoreless outings and closed out his season with a 1.52 ERA over 41.1 innings of work.
The Gwinnett offense provided mixed results as Johan Camargo once again led the way with a 9-for-19 week with two doubles and two home runs while Cristian Pache was 5-for-18 with a home run and six RBI. Drew Waters ended the season on a down note with a 2-for-16 week with no extra-base hits. Catcher Shea Langeliers had a 2-for-11 debut week with two doubles, six strikeouts, and four walks.
POSITION PLAYER of the WEEK:
PITCHER of the WEEK:
Transaction Round-Up
- 9/28/21: C Shea Langeliers and RHP Spencer Strider assigned to AAA Gwinnett from AA Mississippi
With the AA season completed, two of the stars of the Mississippi Braves got a quick taste of AAA. For Strider it would turn out to be a very quick taste.
- 9/29/21: RHPs Victor Vodnik, Kurt Hoekstra, and Josh Graham activated from the 7-day IL for AA Mississippi
- 10/2/21: RHP Tyler Ferguson and C Hendrik Clementina were activated by AA Mississippi
Procedural moves.
- 10/1/21: RHP Spencer Strider selected and LHP Dylan Lee recalled from AAA Gwinnett; LHP Sean Newcomb optioned to AAA Gwinnett; RHP Edgar Santana placed on 10-day IL (strained intracostal muscle)
Well that was quick. Spencer Strider becomes the first 2020 draft pick to make it to the majors, actually making it before any 2018 or 2019 picked made it. He and Lee got quick try-outs to see if they would be possibilities for the post-season roster.
Newcomb being sent down does not necessarily rule him out for the postseason either.
Your Moment of Zen
Spencer Strider's 10 four-seamers in his MLB debut ⤵️
99, 99, 100, 98, 99, 99, 98, 98, 98, 98 pic.twitter.com/iEBJUBNFrJ
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) October 2, 2021
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