Welcome to the Braves Farm Report! Every Monday we take a look back at the previous week in the Braves minor league system, recapping the week’s action, spotlighting top performers, analyzing rosters and transactions, and sometimes answering questions or doing deep dives into Braves prospects.
Weekly Round-Up
COMPLEX LEAGUES:
The DSL Braves dropped their final two games of the season for a final record of 15-37, one half game worse than last year’s 15-36 record. The primary culprit was an offense that only generated 210 runs all season, second-worst mark in the DSL.
That said, just as last season the team has some interesting players to watch moving forward — last year’s team produced pitchers Jeremy Reyes, Rayven Antonio, Luis Arestigueta as well as position players John Gil, Junior Garcia, and Luis Guanipa, all of whom have risen to low-A and have firmly put themselves on the prospect map. While top prospect Jose Perdomo had a disappointing first pro year, only playing in 8 games due to injury, 17-year-old shortstop Juan Mateo hit a solid .250/.346/.333 and will be one to watch going into the FCL next season. In his second year at the level right-hander Rudit Pina emerged as a solid starting pitching option while Yander Pinero and Edward Cedano showed flashes of dominance when able to control the ball.
AUGUSTA:
The Greenjackets won 2 of 6 in Zebulon against the Carolina Mudcats, dropping their second half record to 15-36. The team will host Columbia this week in their final homestand of the season with a doubleheader included on Tuesday to resume a July 6 suspended game.
The top Greenjacket pitching performance of the week came from 2024 9th-rounder Owen Hackman, who in his third appearance showed improved command over his earlier outings and stifled the Mudcats for only 2 hits over 5 scoreless innings on Friday, striking out 5 and leading the squad to a 6-3 win. Right-hander JR Ritchie again looked sharp in his start, going 5.2 innings and allowing 4 hits, but he was nearly undone by his own fielding, committing 2 throwing errors that would help bring in 3 unearned runs in the 4th, but Augusta would rally in the later innings to win 5-3, with righty David Rodriguez providing 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.
In his third start of thee season, 17th-rounder Jacob Shafer threw 3.1 innings on Sunday, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, and only an unearned run while striking out 4.
With outfielder Luis Guanipa hitting the IL this week and Isaiah Drake also still nursing an injury, Augusta had to scramble to find answers at lead-off and centerfield. Shortstop John Gil and second baseman Colby Jones rotated in and out of the lead-off spot an both players responded well. Jones went 8-for-23 on the week with 2 walks and a HBP to give him a healthy .423 OBP. Gil went 5-for-19 with 6 walks to get on base at a .440 clip on the week. In center, 2024 18th-rounder Jake Steels was activated and showed off an impressive arm, garnering 3 outfield assists over the three games he played.
Catcher Harry Owen had a big week at the plate, going 5-for-11 with a triple while outfielder Titus Dumitru went 7-for-23 with a double and his first pro home run.
ROME:
Rome visited rival Greenville last week and had disappointing results, dropping 5 of the 6 games and only scoring 14 runs for the week. The return home this week for their final homestand of the regular season against Greensboro, looking to build some momentum heading into the playoffs starting on September 10.
While Rome only won one game this week though, that win was a doozy: starter Mitch Farris (4 IP) and relievers Ray Shanaman (2 IP), Scott Strickland (2 IP), and Ryan Bourassa (1 IP) combined on a no-hitter to edge the Drive in a 2-1 game. The Emperors themselves were held to 2 hits, making the no-no doubly tense. Farris was “effectively wild”, walking 5 and throwing 2 wild pitches, the first of which allowed a runner to advance from second to third in the first inning, after which the runner scored on a sac fly for Greenville’s run. Fortunately Farris and catcher Mac Guscette was able to navigate through long enough to allow the relief trio to lock down the Drive the rest of the way.
First baseman Drew Compton has been the steadiest bat in the line-up for awhile now, an this week was no exception as he went 9-for-25 with 2 doubles. Compton has hit .325/.368/.425 for the month of August.
MISSISSIPPI:
The Mississippi Braves played their second-to-last series at Trustmark Park this week against the Chattanooga Lookouts. In an extremely low-scoring series that mirrored their counterparts in Atlanta, neither team scored more than four runs in a game and the M-Braves outscored Chattanooga for the week 13-11 as the teams split the series. Mississippi is now three games back of Montgomery in the second-half chase at 26-25 and now travel to Pensacola to face the Blue Wahoos.
Lucas Braun was the undeniable star in Mississippi’s starting rotation this week as he got the bookend starts on Tuesday and Saturday. On Tuesday, he gave up just one run over 6.2 innings while striking out ten and allowing just six baserunners. He somehow topped that on Sunday as he tossed seven no-hit innings, striking out ten once again and walking three before leaving after 94 pitches. Jhancarlos Lara’s second Double-A start on Wednesday was considerable better than his first in giving up just one run in four innings of work, striking out seven but was removed after 84 pitches. Drue Hackenberg followed that up on Thursday with five scoreless innings, he struck out seven but gave up four hits and three walks before leaving after 86 pitches. David Fletcher took the loss on Saturday although he did put up a quality start as he gave up three runs in six innings but allowed twelve baserunners. Ian Mejia gave up three runs in 6.1 innings on Saturday, striking out seven.
Patrick Halligan had two one-inning scoreless outings during the week with a save while Elison Joseph also had two scoreless outings covering 2.1 innings. Landon Harper and Jake McSteen each had effective three-inning relief outings, McSteen’s was scoreless while Harper gave up one run.
There was not much offense to be had for Mississippi this week. David McCabe went 3-for-15 with a double and eight walks while Yolbert Sanchez was 6-for-19 with two RBI. 1B Bryson Horne was 6-for-15 with two doubles and three runs scored. Outfielder Geraldo Quintero was just 2-for-9 in three games but led the team in RBI with three and added two outfield assists.
GWINNETT:
The Gwinnett Stripers took to the road this week for a series against the Louisville Bats. Continuing their success from the previous week, outscored their opponents 40-20 on the week on their way to a sweep. After winning 11 of their last 12 games, the Stripers now have a 29-22 record in the second half, good for second place in the IL West Division, 4.5 games back of Columbus, who they will face at home this week.
The starting pitching continued their great run this week as four of the six starters made quality starts and a fifth came within just one out of doing so. Bryce Elder made the bookend starts and got the wins in both with a strong performance on Tuesday (8.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K) and a solid one on Sunday (6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K). AJ Smith-Shawver had a tremendous start on Wednesday with six shutout innings with only four baserunners allowed and seven strikeouts. Ian Anderson had another solid start on Thursday as he gave up two runs over 5.2 innings, striking out seven and walking none on 99 pitches. Hurston Waldrep was the weak link this week as he gave up five runs over 5.1 innings on Friday. Allan Winans had another good start on Saturday in giving up three runs over seven innings.
The bullpen registered four saves this week with Jimmy Herget getting two, and Ken Giles and Tommy Doyle earning one apiece. Zach Logue finished off Anderson’s start with 3.1 innings of scoreless ball while Daysbel Hernandez had two more flawless one-inning outings.
The position player prospects for Gwinnett performed well this week as shortstop Nacho Alvarez went 8-for-17 with two home runs, two stolen bases, six RBI, and six runs scored in just four games (.471/.526/.824) while catcher Drake Baldwin was 8-for-22 with an extra-inning grand slam to win Thursday’s game (.364/.440/.500). Outfielder Eli White was 9-for-22 with two doubles, a triple, two stolen bases, and eight runs scored (.409/.458/.591). Chadwick Tromp went 9-for-19 with four doubles, three walks, and six RBI (.474/.545/.684). Infielder Alejo Lopez followed up his OFR Position Player of the Week from the previous week with a 7-for-18 series with three doubles (.389/.450/.556). Outfielder Harold Ramirez, who was added to the roster mid-week, was 4-for-10 in two games with a stolen base and three RBI.
POSITION PLAYER of the WEEK:
PITCHER of the WEEK:
Transaction Round-Up
- 8/19/2024: RHP Reynaldo López activated from the 15-day injured list; RHP Jimmy Herget optioned to AAA Gwinnett; RHP Jackson Stephens place on the 7-day injured list for AAA Gwinnett
López’s return looks to be the final link in a rotation that Atlanta will look to for the rest of this season to drive the team into the playoffs — and hopefully be a edge for them if they get there.
- 8/20/2024: 3B Austin Riley place on the 15-day injured list (fractured right hand); 3B Gio Urshela signed to a major league free agent contract; LHP A.J. Minter transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list
Another body blow to the Braves playoff chances, Riley has been on of the more consistent bats in the line-up, especially in the second half. Fortunately, 10-year major league vet Urshela was released by the Tigers on the same day as the injury and the Braves move quickly on the off-day add him to the roster.
- 8/21/2021: IF Luke Waddell activated from the 7-day injured list for AAA Gwinnett; OF Justin Dean placed on the developmental list
Waddell, a former Georgia Tech standout, has only hit .235/.312/.326 in his first full season at AAA while looking to make himself a potential major league bench option.
- 8/21/2024: OF Geraldo Quintero activated from the 7-day injured list for AA Mississippi; C Nick Clarno placed on the developmental list
Quintero has been one of Mississippi’s more consistent bats, especially in the second half. Quintero missed three weeks.
- 8/21/2024: OF Luis Guanipa placed on the 7-day injured list for A Augusta
- 8/22/2024: OF Jake Steels assigned to A Augusta
Guanipa may have tweeked what has been a bothersome oblique while throwing a ball in from the outfield in Wednesday’s game. He drew a walk the following plate appearance but looked awkward moving out of the way of some inside pitches and was removed from the game afterwards.
- 8/23/2024: OF Harold Ramírez signed to a minor league free agent contract and assigned to AAA Gwinnett; 1B Yuli Gurriel placed on the 7-day injured list for AAA Gwinnett
A six-year major league vet, Ramírez has a respectable .285/.322/.406 battling line in that time, most of which was spent with the Tampa Bay Rays. In the wake of the Austin Riley injury, Gurriel started three games at third base, but had to leave the game on Thursday with a slight hamstring pull. Nacho Alvarez has been getting most of the playing time at third since then.
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