Monday Braves Farm Report, 7/17/2023

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.

Please check out the OFR Farm Report Podcast this week for more discussion and insight regarding the Braves farm system.

Braves Close To Signing Draft Class

As with last year, the Braves wasted no time in the five days since the conclusion of the 2023 amateur draft in signing players.

According to published reports from MLB.com, Baseball America, and the team’s own transactions page, the team has signed all of the first ten picks in the draft including first-rounder Hurston Waldrep, who was a guest of honor at Saturday’s Atlanta Braves game at Truist Park. According to unconfirmed reporting on Battery Power’s draft pick signing tracker, the Braves have also signed seven of the ten pick from Day 3 of the draft.

According to Baseball America, Atlanta has also been among the more aggressive teams in signing undrafted amateur free agents, agreeing with five players so far:

• Ryan Bourassa, RHP, South Dakota State
• Zack Austin, RHP, Central Florida
• Shay Schanaman, RHP, Nebraska
• Drew Compton, 3B, Georgia Tech
• Jacob Godman, C, Oral Roberts
• LJ McDonough, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast

Compton has already been assigned to the FCL Braves. Compton hit .306/.397/.552 in his senior season for the Jackets while battling hamstring problems.

Check out our MLB Draft analysis for a complete look at the 21 new Braves draftees.

Weekly Round-Up

COMPLEX LEAGUES:

The DSL Braves went 2-2 last week, good enough to get them out of the cellar of their division with a 9-19 record, now 15 games back. Infielder John Gil had a strong week at the plate, going 4-for-9 with 2 doubles. The Braves got an excellent start from righty Luis Arestigueta, who threw 5 no-hit innings against the Guardians, a walk accounting for the only baserunner against him.

The FCL Braves went 1-2 on the week and remain in third place in the FLC South division at 13-15, 7 games back of the division-leading Pirates. Infielder Elian Cortorreal hit a home run this week while outfielder Douglas Glod was 3-for-7. Righty Rolando Gutierrez had the pitching performance of the week for the Braves, piggybacking off starter Juan Sanchez for 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks and striking out 3. Mississippi first baseman Drew Lugbauer is in the complex for rehab, and he went hitless in his only game.

AUGUSTA:

Augusta went on the road to Fayetteville and lost the series 1 game to 2. Their second-half record now stands at 8-10, three games back of first place Charleston in the Carolina League South Division. They return home on Tuesday for a six-game series against Nationals farm club Fredericksburg.

In game 1, an anemic offense kept the Jackets from challenging Astros starter Tyler Guilfoil as the team only picked up 3 hits on the game, 2 from first baseman and Carolina League hits leader Justin Janas. Spot starter Tyree Thompson, inserted into the rotation on the heals of promotions for rotation stalwarts Jorge Bautista and Spencer Schwellenbach to Rome, allowed 3 runs in 4.1 innings but struck out 8.

Game 2 flipped the script as Augusta pounded Fayetteville in the middle innings to win in a blow-out, 8-0. Janas again had a multi-hit game, going 4-for-4, while outfielder Jeremy Celedonio went 3-for-4 with 2 homers. Spot starter Samuel Strickland scattered 5 hits over 5 shutout innings while Landon Harper came in and gave up just one hit in 3 relief innings.

The offense couldn’t carry over to Game 3 however as Augusta was held to only 6 hits and 2 runs. Janas however had his third consecutive multi-hit game, and that was enough to get him our OFR Position Player of the Week nod. Celedonio had another home run and knocked in both Jackets runs. Starter Seth Keller only went 3 innings (56 pitches), giving up 3 runs (2 earned). Relievers Nolan Martinez and Chad Bryant also gave up 3 runs apiece as Fayetteville won the game 9-2.

ROME:

Rome hosted Jersey Shore for three games over the weekend and won two of them to even their record at 9-9, 5.5 games back of Hickory who will visit this week.

Rome got some help from three rehabbing players, starting with right-hander Darius Vines, Friday’s starting pitcher. Vines threw 64 pitches and got through 4.2 innings, allowing 1 run and striking out 5. Jackson Stephens would enter the game in the 7th and pitch two scoreless innings of relief, allowing a hit and two walks. Rome would only tally 6 hits on the evening, but bunched most of them up in the 4th inning. Geraldo Quintero and Ethan Workinger had back-t0-back 2-run singles in that inning to account for all the runs in Rome’s 4-2 win.

A rare sell-out crowd greeted the rehabbing Max Fried on Saturday, and the Atlanta ace responded with 3 efficient innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 3 on only 30 pitches. Rome scored early, in the first on a solo homer by Nacho Alvarez, his first of two on the day. His second was a two-run job in the 3rd to put Rome up 3-0. Jersey Shore came back to tie it in the top of the 8th, but solo homers by Keshawn Ogans and Bryson Horne in the bottom of the inning put Rome back in the driver’s seat. Unfortunately righty Peyton Williams came out of the bullpen scattershot, walking two then hitting a batter to load the bases. A single, triple, and a Horne fielding error later, and Rome was looking up a 5-8 score and a loss.

Rome got back on track on Sunday, winning a 7-6 in 11 innings. Rome pounded out 15 hits, including 3 each from third baseman David McCabe and outfielder Brandon Parker. The winning run in the bottom of the 11th came when extra-inning runner Alvarez, who moved to 3rd on a McCabe single, came home on an Ogans sacrifice fly. Catcher Adam Zebrowski homered in this game, while starter Cedric De Grandpre struggled some, allowing 3 runs in 4.2 innings, uncharacteristically walking 3 batters. Nominal starters Daniel Martinez and Hunter Riggins pitched in relief in this one, so between the two rehab starts and the two promotions from Augusta it is difficult to discern what the Rome rotation currently looks like.

MISSISSIPPI:

The Mississippi Braves commenced their post All-Star break slate with a brief road series at Chattanooga against the Lookouts. After losing two of three games, the M-Braves now continue their Tennessee road swing by taking a 7-7 second-half record to Kodak to take on the Smokies.

On Friday, starting pitcher Alan Rangel did not make it out of the first inning as he gave up seven runs (five earned) while retiring just two batters. Unfortunately, Hayden Deal gave up three more runs and the M-Braves were down 10-0 after just two innings. The Mississippi offense attempted to fight back as eight of their eleven hits went for doubles but the early deficit was too much to overcome as they fell 12-5.

Saturday did not go much better as Tanner Gordon was pummeled for seven runs during the third and final inning of his start in an 11-3 loss. Hayden Harris was solid in relief as he allowed just one hit and one unearned run over three innings of work while striking out six. The offense did not do much as Cody Milligan and Cal Conley combined for four of Mississippi’s five hits.

The M-Braves salvaged the third game of the set as Luis De Avila, Victor Vodnik, Kyle Wilcox, and Ty Tice combined on a two-hit shutout with thirteen strikeouts. Mississippi used four-run innings in the seventh and ninth innings to power them to an 8-0 victory. Tyler Tolve had a three-run homer, shortstop Luke Waddell drove in two runs, and leadoff man Cody Milligan had two hits and walked twice. Milligan is 6-for-10 with two doubles and three walks since returning from the injured list.

GWINNETT:

The Gwinnett Stripers resumed play after the All-Star break with a brief weekend series in Memphis against the Redbirds. After dropping the opener, the Stripers took the final two games to win the series. Gwinnett now brings a 39-50 record home to face the Norfolk Tides beginning on Tuesday.

In Friday’s series opener, Jared Shuster was lit up for eight runs while retiring just two hitters in the first inning. Shuster gave up six hits and two walks during his brief outing. Shortstop Vaughn Grissom did have a three-hit game while Jesus Aguilar and Chadwick Tromp contributed home runs in the 10-5 loss.

On Saturday, the Stripers rebounded with a 7-3 victory in which Allan Winans recorded a quality start while Joe Harvey and Grant Holmes followed up with three innings of scoreless ball to wrap up the win. On offense, shortstop Braden Shewmake had a double, home run, and three RBI while designated hitter Hoy Park had two doubles among his three hits.

In Sunday’s game, Gwinnett used a six-run fifth inning to take a 9-3 lead in a game they would eventually win by the score of 11-3. Vaughn Grissom hit a grand slam during that fifth inning while Yolmer Sanchez drove in three and Dalton Guthrie, Luke Williams, Braden Shewmake, and Sanchez each had two hits. Grissom had a four-hit game to go along with the three-hit game he had on Friday. AJ Smith-Shawver gave up two runs over four innings but walked five while topping out at 75 pitches. Daysbel Hernandez struck out two during a scoreless inning in his first appearance after being promoted from Mississippi.

 

POSITION PLAYER of the WEEK:

PITCHER of the WEEK:

Transaction Round-Up

• 7/8/2023: RHP Nick Anderson placed on the 60-day injured list (right shoulder strain)
• 7/13/2023: LHP Lucas Luetge selected from AAA Gwinnett

Somewhat dampening the post-All-Star glow was the Braves announcing bullpen stalwart Anderson was going on the shelf for at least 60 days. Anderson had a 3.06 ERA in 35 appearances for Atlanta and had emerged as the top right-handed set-up man.

Luetge returns to the squad after accepting minor league assignment following being designated for assignment in late May. Luetge’s first stint with Atlanta was a disaster, but he has a track record and pitched reasonably well in Gwinnett since his demotion. His first opportunity back on Friday went without incident as he retired the side in the 9th inning of Atlanta’s 9-0 win over the White Sox.

• 7/10/2023: RHP Nick Howard released by AA Mississippi; RHP Benjamin Dum released by A+ Rome
• 7/13/2023: RHP Elvin Rossis released by DSL Braves
• 7/15/2023: RHP Darling Florentino released by A Augusta

Unfortunately its that time of the year. With the influx of new players from outside of the system, hard choices have to be made.

• 7/12/2023: RHP Ryan Bourassa signed to a minor league contract
• 7/14/2023: 3B Drew Compton signed to a minor league contract

The two undrafted minor league amateur signings confirmed by the team’s transaction page.

• 7/13/2023: UT Dalton Guthrie claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants and optioned to AAA Gwinnett

Guthrie can play multiple positions but is most at home in center field. Gwinnett outfielder Eli White has had a tough time staying off the injured list, so Guthrie helps fill in there and as Atlanta’s emergency call-up.

• 7/13/2023: RHP Hurston Waldrep, RHP Justin Long, RHP Cory Wall, RHP Riley Gowens, OF Pier-Olivier Boucher, and LHP Mitch Farris signed.

Draft pick signings confirmed by the the team’s transaction page.

• 7/14/2023: OF Cody Milligan activated from 7-day injured list for AA Mississippi; OF Drew Campbell placed on developmental list

Milligan got off to a hot start this season, hitting .333/.467/.521 in 13 games before his injury on April 22.

• 7/14/2023: RHPs Jorge Bautista and Spencer Schwellenbach assigned to A+ Rome from A Augusta; RHP Luis Vargas assigned to A Augusta from A+ Rome; RHPs Rolddy Munoz and Ryder Jones placed on the 7-day injured list

The Greenjackets’ top two starting pitchers get the bump up for the second half. Bautista had been riding a streak of 4 straight quality starts (27 IP, 2.00 ERA, .176/.217/.297 opposing batting) while Schwellenbach represented the Braves in the Futures Game as part of the All-Star festivities. Coming off TJS, Schwellenbach has steadily increased his pitch count over the course of the season, with his last two starts having him pitch 80 pitches or more.

• 7/14/2023: RHP Tyler Owens assigned to AA Mississippi from A+ Rome; RHP Scott Blewett placed on developmental list for AA Mississippi

Since being installed in the Rome rotation on April 26, Owens has pitched to a 2.04 ERA with 35 strikeouts against only 6 walks in 35.1 innings. That said, in only his final start for Rome on July 7 against Greenville was Owens permitted to go over 50 pitches in an outing.

• 7/15/2023: LHP A.J. Minter placed on 15-day injured list (left shoulder inflammation); RHP Dereck Rodriguez recalled from AAA Gwinnett; RHP Daysbel Hernandez assigned to AAA Gwinnett from AA Mississippi

And there goes the other set-up man. Minter was once again among the league leaders in appearances, and that may have caught up with him. Initially diagnosed as a sore pectoral muscle, shoulder inflammation is a more serious issue though both the player and the team indicated they did not believe the condition serious.

Your Moment of Zen

You may not like it, but Jackson Stephens just displayed peak male athleticism.#RaisedInRome | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/kC5UVw1ARu

— Rome Emperors (@GoEmperors) July 15, 2023