Monday Farm Report, 9/11/2023

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.

Weekly Round-Up

AUGUSTA:

The Greenjackets completed their season with a 4-2 series win on the road against the Down East Wood Ducks. They finish with a 63-68 record, 32-34 in the second half.

Drue Hackenberg got his second pro start on Tuesday and the results were much like his first, going 3 innings though he did allow an unearned run on 3 hits and striking out 7. The organization liked what they’ve seen from Hackenberg enough to already promote him to AA Mississippi to keep him pitching and facing a tougher challenge. Fellow second-rounder Cade Kuehler got even better results on Wednesday, going 4.2 innings and only allowing a hit and a walk, striking out 5. On Friday, 19-year-old Garrett Baumann made his professional debut and held his own. In a 2-inning start, Baumann allowing 1 run on 1 hit and 2 walks, striking out 1. The week’s best start was saved for the season-ender, as 24-year-old Samuel Strickland went 5 innings, only giving up a single hit and striking out 5 to help finish the series and the season with a decisive 8-0 Greenjackets win.

Outfielder Jeremy Celedonio only got 3 hits in the final week but 2 flew out of the ballpark to give him 17 on the year, tied for first in the Carolina League. These results reflected his season has he only hit .188/.327/.387 despite the power. Outfielder Kade Kern also swatted two round-trippers while Cam Magee his a 3-run shot on Saturday. Shortstop Ambioris Tavarez went 6-for-22 with a double and triple on the week, though he also was caught stealing 3 times; Tavarez lead the league in caught stealing with 20, balanced against 21 actual stolen bases. So, something to work on the off-season.

Final statistical leaders:

ROME:

Rome split the final series of the season at home against Asheville, winning the first three games before dropping the three weekend matches. Overall Rome finished 64-68 on the season, though they improved in the second half to go 34-32.

Centerfielder Kevin Kilpatrick finished up strong, going 5-for-18 on the week with 7 runs scored, 2 doubles, a triple, 5 walks, and 4 stolen bases. Infielder Keshawn Ogans followed suit with a 7-for-22 week with 3 doubles. Infielder Ehire Adrianza joined the team on rehab assignment and got into 3 games, going 1-for-5 with 2 walks and stealing a base as he tries to show he could be an asset on Atlanta’s postseason roster.

On Wednesday, right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach fired 6 no-hit innings in a start, striking out 6 to give Rome a leg up in a 2-1 win and earn this week’s OFR Pitcher of the Week honors. Right-hander Jorge Bautista had his best start since his promotion to the high-A level, going 6 innings and only allowing 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 8. Owen Murphy‘s final start of the season was somewhat forgettable as he allowed 4 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings, but it was an overall strong first full season for the 19-year-old.

Final statistical leaders:

MISSISSIPPI:

The M-Braves wrapped up the home portion of their schedule taking 4 of 6 games from the Tennessee Smokies to run their second-half record to 26-37, which was enough to mathematically eliminate them from playoff consideration. They will run out the remainder of their season at Pensacola, who has already secured a playoff berth by winning the Southern League South Division in the first half standings.

The M-Braves made it exciting this week, with 3 walk-off wins, but their first win on Tuesday was an 8-2 drubbing with Nolan Kingham (5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO) the beneficiary. The first walk-off was on Wednesday. Starter Daniel Martinez was brilliant for 4 innings but the wheels came off a bit in the fifth as he allowed 2 runs to cross before being relieved. Mississippi came back with 2 in the 6th then 2 more in the bottom of the 9th to win 4-3. After DH Javier Valdes tied it with an RBI single, centefielder Cody Milligan drove home the winning run on a single with 1 out.

Luis De Avila likely wished they had saved some of that offense for Thursday as he struck out a career-high 11 in 6 shutout innings, allowing only 1 hit and 3 walks. The Smokies won 1-0 after a Cal Conley throwing error that should have been a third out in the 8th loaded the bases and reliever Tyler Owens walked the next batter for the only run of the game. The M-Braves washed that game out of their hair the following night with their second walk-off win, this time in the bottom of the 10th courtesy of outfielders Drew Campbell and Jesse Franklin V. Campbell started the inning on second base and promptly stole third. Franklin, the first batter of the inning, tapped the ball to second base where the drawn-in second baseman whiffed on the ball and Campbell scored easily. Right-handed Domingo Robles (6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO) has pitched his best over the last month and he has a 1.82 ERA in his last 5 starts after coming of the IL.

On Saturday the M-Braves completed their third walk-off when shortstop Luke Waddell delivered a 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the 9th to score Campbell, who had doubled earlier in the inning to set a 5-4 final score. The comeback bailed out starter Hurston Waldrep (3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 SO), who departed the game down 2-0 after allowing the first home run of his pro career. The M-Braves closed out their home schedule with a 6-4 loss on Sunday despite a nice spot start from Patrick Halligan (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO).

Cody Milligan earned OFR Position Player of the Week honors by going 10-for-28 with a triple, homer, and 5 stolen bases. Right behind him was Campbell, who went 6-for-24 with 2 doubles and a stolen base. Catcher Drake Baldwin seems to have settled in at the plate, going 8-for-23 with a double. He has two hits apiece in each of his last three games.

GWINNETT:

The Stripers hosted the Worcester Red Sox last week and split the series, remaining 1 game over .500 in the second half and keeping flickering playoff hopes alive. Their final road series of the year will be against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp this week before they come home to close out the regular season against the Durham Bulls.

With the big league club reaching down for spot starters (Michael Soroka, Dylan Dodd, Allan Winans, and AJ Smith-Shawver were all were scratched to pitch for Atlanta), the Stripers had to scramble for spot starters and bullpen games. They got help from the rehabbing Kyle Wright (3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO) on Tuesday in what could be his final tune-up, but Winans allowed 6 runs (4 earned) in a piggyback role and Gwinnett would drop the opener 6-5. Lefty Justus Sheffield, fresh off the injured list, made the Wednesday start and gave Gwinnett 2.2 scoreless innings, but the Stripers could only scrape together 5 hits and lost the game 3-2.

Gwinnett would find their mojo in game 3 of the series. Right-hander Jackson Stephens picked up the start and allowed only a solo homer in 3 innings. Down 3-4 in the ninth, the Stripers would walk it off after shortstop Braden Shewmake doubled then came home a batter later on a Chadwick Tromp double. Pinch-runner Justin Dean scored the winning run on a Yolmer Sanchez sac fly. The following night the offense posted up 7 runs in support of a solid start from left-hander Jared Shuster (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 7 SO) and the Stripers picked up an easy 7-1 win.

Manager Matt Tuiasosopo employed an opener strategy on Saturday, with Beau Burrows pitching a clean first inning before turning the ball over to right-hander Alan Rangel, fresh from a promotion from AA Mississippi. Rangel continued his string of good appearances and he went 6 shut-out innings, allowing 1 hit and 5 walks while striking out 8. Veteran lefty Adam Kolarek would allow a run each in the final two frames to put the Stripers down 1-2 in the bottom of the 9th, but the Striper would again walk it off, this time thanks to first a bases-loaded walk by third baseman Joshua Fuentes to tie it then an RBI single by left fielder Dalton Guthrie to win it. The WooSox would take the final game 6-4 to salvage a split however despite a good spot start by reliever Mike Morin (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, o BB, 2 SO).

Shortstop Braden Shewmake had a great series, socking 2 homers in route to an 8-for-22 performance that also included a double and 2 stolen bases. First baseman Drew Lugbauer continues to acclimate to AAA pitching and went 6-for-17 with 3 walks and a homer. Catcher Chadwick Tromp threw out three would-be basestealers in Thursday’s win.

POSITION PLAYER of the WEEK:

PITCHER PLAYER of the WEEK:

Transaction Round-Up

• 9/5/2023: RHP Michael Soroka recalled from AAA Gwinnett; RHP Ben Heller optioned to AAA Gwinnett

In a slightly surprising move, Soroka was brought back up to make the start for Atlanta against the Cardinals last Monday. On the day he was announced as the International League Pitcher of the Month, the Cardinals hit some longballs off of him early. He ended up leaving the game in the 4th with numbness in his fingers.

• 9/5/2023: Claim SS Andrew Velazquez off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels and assigned him to AAA Gwinnett; RHP Yonny Chirinos moved from 15-day to 60-day injured list; SS Vaughn Grissom placed on the 7-day injured list

Grissom injured is hip while making a play on Friday, September 1 and it looked serious enough for the Braves to bring in a veteran to fill the roster at Gwinnett. Braden Shewmake has made the starts at short since Grissom’s injury with Yolmer Sanchez playing second base.

• 9/5/2023: IF Joshua Fuentes assigned to AAA Gwinnett from AA Mississippi; RHP Mike Morin placed on the Developmental List

Fuentes was sent to Mississippi back on August 30 and played in three games.

• 9/5/2023: RHP Garrett Baumann activated from the developmental list for A Augusta; RHP Seth Keller placed on the developmental list

Baumann was Atlanta’s 4th-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Hagerty High School in Oviedo, FL. He would go on to make his pro debut for Augusta on Friday the 8th.

The 19-year-old Keller had an up-and-down year in his first full professional baseball season. Working primarily as a long reliever and piggybacker, he carried a 2.42 ERA through his first 8 appearances. He struggled in three starts before starting the first 5.1 innings of a 9-inning combined no-hitter on July 30. In four appearances since then he has given up 13 earned runs in only 7.1 innings.

• 9/6/2023: RHPs Michael Soroka (right forearm inflammation) and Collin McHugh (right shoulder inflammation) placed on the 15-day injured list; RHPs Darius Vines and Ben Heller recalled from AAA Gwinnett; LHP Justus Sheffield activated from the 7-day injured list for AAA Gwinnett; RHP Mike Morin activated from the developmental list for AAA Gwinnett

It was a good news/bad news situation for Soroka. The bad news is that he will be out for the rest of the season. The good news is that tests came back with nothing but inflammation, calming worries that something more serious had happened in his arm. He should be able to have a normal offseason and be ready for next spring.

Manager Brian Snitker described McHugh’s injury as “fatigue”. After starting the season well, McHugh has been increasingly hittable and had allowed 4 earned runs in each of his prior two appearances and a .333/.400/.472  batting line against him in 4 outings since August 20.

• 9/6/2023: UT Daniel Robertson released by AAA Gwinnett

Robertson had been getting part-time work at third, first, and DH all season. The 5-year major league vet no doubt was hoping for a call-up on September 1, but the Braves elected to go with Forrest Wall instead.

• 9/6/2023: 2B Geraldo Quintero placed on the 7-day injured list for A+ Rome; OF Bryson Worrell activated from the developmental list for A+ Rome

Quintero executed a perfect hit-and-run to knock in a run and then jammed his wrist sliding into second base.

• 9/7/2023: RHP Drue Hackenberg assigned to AA Mississippi from A Augusta; RHP Alan Rangel assigned to AAA Gwinnett from AA Mississippi

Hackenberg, Atlanta’s 2nd-round pick in the 2023 draft, clearly overmatched low-A hitters in his two starts with the Greenjackets. Double-A hitters should prove to be a much greater challenge.

For Rangel, this would be his second go with Gwinnett after getting a late promotion last year and getting one start before the season ended. After a dreadful early season, Rangel has been outstanding in his last 6 games for the M-Braves, pitching to a 1.83 ERA in 34.1 innings and striking out 42 against only 5 walks.

• 9/9/2023: LHP Dylan Dodd recalled from AAA Gwinnett; RHP Ben Heller optioned to AAA Gwinnett

The Braves appear to be employing a strategy similar to last season, using the pitching depth to make starts are against out-of-contention teams (like Pittsburgh) to give extra rest to the top starters and make sure they get their starts against contending teams, such as Philadelphia.

Dodd had been pitching well in Gwinnett after coming off a nearly six-week IL stint, and for two innings against Pittsburgh he held his own before the Pirates plated 3 against him in the 3rd in what would end up being an 8-4 Braves loss.

• 9/10/2023: RHPs Allan Winans and AJ Smith-Shawver recalled from AAA Gwinnett; LHP Dylan Dodd and RHP Darius Vines optioned to AAA Gwinnett

Winans was strong in his start on Sunday, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and striking out 8 in 6.1 innings. Smith-Shawver will likely get a look in the bullpen to see if his lively arm could be of use on a postseason roster.

Your Moment of Zen

Give ‘em the ole razzle dazzle.

Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. gives us a @SportsCenter Top-10 worthy play.#SCTop10 | #RaisedInRome pic.twitter.com/e2pSWbmTE7

— Rome Emperors (@GoEmperors) September 6, 2023