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
AUGUSTA:
Augusta wiped out their rivals the Columbia Fireflies, winning five games in the six-game series and improving their record to 20-13, third place in the Carolina League South division but only 2 games back of Myrtle Beach. Augusta next goes back on the road to face reigning league champion Charleston.
Righty AJ Smith-Shawver got the week off to a good start, striking out a career-high 12 batters in 6 innings to lead the Jackets to a 4-3 win. Infielder Caleb Durbin hit a 7th inning solo home run for the game-winning RBI. Righty Tyler Owens returned on Wednesday to the rotation after a couple weeks in the bullpen and had strong results, striking out 7 and only allowing one unearned run in 4 innings on the way to a 9-8 Augusta win. After being down 4-0 early, the Fireflies stormed back to tie the game 7-7 to send the game into extras. After taking the lead in the top of the 10th, the Jackets scored the tying run in the bottom of the frame on a balk with a runner on 3rd and the winning run on an error by the Firefly shortstop.
Thursday’s match-up was a laugher as Augusta scored early and often, pounding out 16 hits on the way to a 13-2 win. Righty Jordano Perez, making his second start of the year, scattered 5 hits over 6 innings, only allowing 2 runs. Augusta won game 4, and their 6th game in a row overall, on Friday 6-3 behind the brilliant relief work of JJ Niekro (5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 SO). Saturday saw the streak end in a 3-5 loss, with a Geraldo Quintero throwing error leading to three unearned runs and ruining a day for him where he went 2-for-4 with a homer. Augusta rebounded on Sunday with a 5-2 win, with Smith-Shawver bookending the series with 8 strikeouts in 4.2 innings, giving him 20 strikeouts on the week.
First baseman Mahki Backstrom had a good week, going 6-for-17 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI. Quintero went 7-for-21 with 2 homers and 3 stolen bases.
ROME:
Like Augusta, Rome won five of six this week, dropping only the Sunday finale to the Winston-Salem Dash, running their record to 19-14, good for second place in the division and only 1.5 games behind front-running Bowling Green. The Braves will head north this week to face the Aberdeen IronBirds.
Rome smothered the Dash in Tuesday’s Education Day opener with starter Andrew Hoffmann going 5 innings and striking out 8 and only allowing 1 run followed up by Lisandro Santos going the remaining 4 innings and allowing only 2 hits on the way to a 6-1 win. Game two saw Royber Salinas rebound from a disastrous first Rome outing at Greenville to pitch a game fans were more accustomed to from him in Augusta — 5 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, and 10 strikeouts to maintain a 9 strikeout lead among all minor leaguers. Rome won 3-0 with shortstop Vaughn Grissom on base 3 times.
Rome squeaked out a 3-2 win on Thursday, winning on a walk-off 2-run homer by Landon Stephens in the bottom of the 9th. Also of note in this game, in the top of the 9th reliever Alec Barger recorded an Immaculate Inning — he retired the side in order on three strikeouts using only nine pitches. The other Braves run came on a heads-up play by Grissom; standing on 3rd, Stephens hit a pop up in foul ground in front of the home dugout, the third baseman and the catcher running for the ball. Noticing that the pitcher was not covering the plate, Grissom tagged from third and came home on the short pop foul.
Rome got a second consecutive walk-off win on Friday, this time with outfielder Drew Campbell driving a ball into the gap in the bottom of the 9th to bring home Justyn-Henry Malloy with the winning run. Rome started the inning down 4-2, but Malloy drove in Christian Robinson and Grissom with a 2-run double to tie the game before Stephens would walk to bring up Campbell. On Saturday starter Dylan Dodd would dominate the Dash, scattering 5 hits in 7 innings without walking a batter and striking out 5 to lead Rome in a 7-1 win. Rome had 15 hits on the evening, capped by a perfect 5-for-5 night by Malloy. Hoffmann was good again on Sunday, allowing no runs in 5 innings, but the Dash would scratch out their only win of the series after tagging the bullpen for 5 runs.
Second baseman/centerfielder Cody Milligan had a big week, getting on base at a .546 clip while also slugging two doubles and two triples. Grissom gets the OFR Position Player of the Week honors with a 10-for-23 effort with a double, triple, homer, four walks, five RBI, and not striking out all week. Malloy also had a 10-hit week. Christian Robinson has hit .370/.425/.534 over his last 20 games with 2 home runs.
MISSISSIPPI:
Tanner Gordon was the Mississippi pitcher slotted for two starts this week, his first one was a big improvement over his initial start last week as he gave up three runs over five innings, striking out eight and walking one while throwing 60 of his 81 pitches for strikes. His second start on Sunday didn’t go as well as he was knocked out in the fourth inning after giving up seven runs (three earned). Jared Shuster had another dominant outing as he tossed six shutout innings on Wednesday in a start that had Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos in attendance. Shuster now has a 1.53 ERA in six starts this season. Freddy Tarnok kept that same energy on Friday as he threw five shutout innings in a win. Alan Rangel muddled through an effort where he walked five and gave up four hits in five innings but allowed just two runs. Darius Vines gave up three home runs in six innings on Saturday and now has been victimized by eight long balls in 35.1 innings this season.
Mississippi’s bullpen had a tremendous week as Justin Maese racked up two more saves, Tyler Ferguson had three scoreless outings, while Jake Higginbotham and Troy Bacon each had two scoreless appearances. Victor Vodnik had three more scoreless outings in a week where he struck out seven over 3.1 innings. For the season, Vodnik has not given up a run over seven outings (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 14 K). Indigo Diaz had an up-and-down week in which he had a tenth-inning meltdown on Wednesday where he gave up two hits and two walks while retiring just two batters but rebounded with a scoreless outing on Saturday where he struck out the side.
Outfielder Michael Harris had his worst week as an M-Brave thus far, going just 3-for-22 with no extra-base hits. He did draw three walks and was hit by a pitch over the course of the week. Luke Waddell’s 12-game hit streak came to an end on Sunday but his on-base streak is now at 13 games after a .333/.481/.364 week. Third baseman C.J. Alexander was just 5-for-23 with nine strikeouts this week but three of those hits were home runs and he drove in seven runs. Jalen Miller was the standout for Mississippi this week as he went 10-for-20 with three doubles, a home run, and five RBI (.500/.524/.800). Infielder Cade Bunnell was called up from Rome this week and went 3-for-8 over two games.
GWINNETT:
The Gwinnett Stripers took to the road this week to face the Durham Bulls. After taking the first two games of the series, the Stripers dropped the final four to take a 17-19 record home to face the Memphis Redbirds next week.
There was not much good to say about Gwinnett starting pitching this week as only Kyle Muller, who struck out a career-high twelve over six innings but gave up two two-run homers, and Tucker Davidson, who allowed just a solo home run over five innings in which he struck out six and walked no one, carried their share of the load. Bryce Elder threw three scoreless innings to begin his start but gave up six innings during a fourth-inning collapse to end his night early. Huascar Ynoa’s struggles continued as he gave up four runs over three innings although he struck out seven. Touki Toussaint drew two starts this week and struggled mightily in both: in the first, he gave up three runs in four innings due to eight baserunners while he lasted just 3.1 innings during his second start, giving up three runs including two home runs while throwing 86 pitches.
There was not much to speak of in the bullpen this week as only Nolan Kingham and Seth Elledge had multiple scoreless outings. Kingham threw 3.2 perfect innings as he lowered his season ERA to 2.21 while Elledge struck out six over two scoreless innings. He now has a 2.13 ERA on the season.
Catcher Chadwick Tromp, last week’s OFR Position Player of the Week, took up where he left off as he homered in his first three games of the week and finished with a .238/.273/.667 line with three home runs and eight RBI. Outfielder Drew Waters played intermittently throughout the week as the team continued to bring him along slowly after his hamstring injury and put up a 1-for-18 week with a home run and nine strikeouts. Shortstop Braden Shewmake continued to perform well, going 8-for-20 with three doubles and three more walks. Outfielder Greyson Jenista had one of his best weeks of the season in going 6-for-15 with three doubles. Several veterans also put up good weeks, including Pat Valaika (8-for-20, double, two home runs), Phil Gosselin (7-for-17, double, two home runs, two stolen bases), and Delino Deshields, Jr. (3-for-10, four walks, HBP, two steals).
POSITION PLAYER of the WEEK:
PITCHER of the WEEK:
Transaction Round-Up
- 5/10/2022: C Victor De Hoyos assigned to AAA Gwinnett from A Augusta
With William Contreras now likely to remain with Atlanta indefinitely in the wake of the news that Manny Pina will be out for the season, Gwinnett was in need of another reserve catcher behind starter Chadwick Tromp. Augusta was the only one of the other three affiliates with a spare catcher and De Hoyos draws the assignment.
- 5/11/2022: OF Jefrey Ramos placed on the 7-day injured list for AA Mississippi
- 5/12/2022: IF Cade Bunnell assigned to AA Mississippi from A+ Rome
This is somewhat of an interesting move, going with Bunnell to make his AA debut rather than recalling the recently demoted Jacob Pearson in place of Ramos. Bunnell had been on a bit of a hot streak for Rome lately.
- 5/11/2022: RHP Jorge Bautista assigned to A Augusta from extended spring training
Bautista signed as an amateur international free agent in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic. He had a strong season with the DSL Braves in 2019 as a starter but will look to fill innings out of the Greenjacket bullpen for now.
Your Moment of Zen
GET OUT OF TOWN! BRAVES WIN! pic.twitter.com/n1Ud8v9upW
— Rome Emperors (@GoEmperors) May 13, 2022
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