Atlanta Braves Organization Discussion
by John Sickels on Oct 14, 2010 9:00 AM EDT
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I am now working on the Minnesota Twins Top 20 list for the blog, and the Twins players comments for the 2011 Baseball Prospect Book.
The next team on the list is the Atlanta Braves. Use this thread to discuss the Braves minor league system. Lots of pitching looks interesting here, Will the 2010 draft class help boost hitting depth, which is not impressive beyond Freddie Freeman and the now-graduated Jason Heyward?
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Two elite guys (Teheran and Minor) and a lot of really solid prospects after that
Carlos Perez and Matt Lipka are the two that intrigue me the most.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
you're forgetting
Delgado and Vizcaino as “elite” pitching prospects.
Minor is not, nor was he ever, considered “elite”. very good this year, but his ceiling is a #2 AT BEST. Perez is getting close to elit, as some are comparing him to Teheran.
the Braves have very little in the way of positional depth. i like Lipka, Simmons (he played much better than I thought he would) Cunningham and Terdoslavich – but they went cheap on some Sabol and Alvord (recalling the Rendon situation from a few years back) which annoyed me to no end.
will the Braves ever have another positional star?
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Oct 14, 2010 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Minor
Minor pitched 40 2/3 innings this year, so while he technically hasn’t lost his rookie status, I’d say he’s graduated. But I think you’re operating under a very restricted definition of the word “elite” if a guy with a ceiling as a #2 starter doesn’t fit the bill.
Bethancourt is a solid catching prospect, of course, and Salcedo certainly bears watching, even though he didn’t hit this year, because of his tools.
sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew
by alexwithclass on Oct 14, 2010 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions
I consider any prospect whom I give an A or A- to, to be elite
As for Minor, he is still a prospect even if it’s in name only. BA has graduated relievers who failed to reach 50 IPs despite playing all season in the majors, but they haven’t done the same to starters. if Matusz was a prospect last winter, Mike Minor is this year.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
That is because of the rules
If a player is on the 25 man roster for 45 days (non September), they are no longer eligible for the next seasons ROY, and thus, no longer a prospect. Relievers do this often. Starters/position players don’t often do this and not break the 50ip/130AB barriers that we typically use.
That used to be ignored by BA
Daniel Bard is the guy that caused them to change their eligibility requirement and it still doesn’t acknowledge service time:
Jim Callis: Bard didn’t qualify for the list. We added a new rule this year that limited pitchers to no more than 30 big league relief appearances. Bard came in under the 50-inning maximum but spent five months in the majors. Bard would have ranked No. 3 on this list if he qualified, and he would have had the Best Fastball.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
I don't consider either elite
Very good prospects, but not elite. I was a huge Mike Minor skeptic, but he is not the same pitcher that I saw while he was in college. He’s an A- for me, and I don’t really think you can argue that he should be lower.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
This is where I fall on this one as well
I definitely consider Minor elite. He’s got a tremendously high floor for a pitching prospect, while still having a significant amount of upside due to his ability to miss bats (11.3% swinging strike rate in the majors is quite good). Even when his velocity dipped a bit at the end of the season, he still seemed to do a good job missing bats.
Vizcaino and Delgado are certainly good pitching prospects, but I don’t really consider either in the elite category. I don’t think either one has a significantly higher ceiling than Minor, but they don’t have nearly as high of floors.
I think some regression is the only thing you have to worry about
I know that Minor made some tweaks that did him some wonders, but when you’re talking about pitchers you always have to factor in the chance that he’ll revert into something closer to the pre-draft Minor.
I still think A-, maybe B+, is fair given how good he looked this year, but there’s still a small part of me that wonders if this is going to be the new Minor going forward. Because if it is, then the Braves have themselves another fantastic young pitcher.
Let me just spell it out once:
Hanson-Minor-Teheran-Delgado-Vizcaino/Jurrjens. It’s possible. It’s a tad horrifying.
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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.
by Satchel Price on Oct 14, 2010 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Mike Minor is one of the most underrated MiLB pitchers in recent memory.
Man I like that guy. 4 pitch lefties with above average velocity tend to do well…especially ones with his kind of pedigree.
I just don't think anyone expected him to show this kind of stuff
He should rank very high for everyone this winter.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
When we drafted him just a year ago, ALL Braves fans were WTFing. We only saw a soft tossing lefty that would be an easy sign. I would say he’s one of the more improved MiLB pitchers in recent memory, wait, I gotta give that to Mr. Beachy…
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by bwellnjonesco on Oct 15, 2010 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
I've always said his size...
and more important, his athleticism, belied any reports of mediocre velocity. He’s an easy 88-92 guy who can hit 94-95 if/when he has to.
Not just his velocity
His stuff in general was unimpressive when I watched a couple of his games when he was a junior. I hated the pick and was very down on him as a prospect. The stuff that he’s shown as a pro has been significantly better.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
You really have to give the Braves credit on Minor.
OTOH, I would wager even they would admit they didn’t see his stuff and velo jumping like this. He’s a different pitcher. This is the sort of stuff that happens to good organizations.
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minor/braves
I think they drafted him in part because they felt that they could tweak him a bit and that he had more potential than he was showing, and I believe Minor and his representation were claiming something similar to that. I’m also wondering if Minor wasn’t holding back a bit throughout his junior season . . .he was a first rounder before the season and his stock wasn’t going to shift from that unless he got hurt, so maybe he was just pitching carefully to avoid injury?
Minor’s a great example of just how flawed our notions of projection are. Some kids are 6’4" and throwing 92 at age 18 and never move from there. Minor was throwing mid-80s in high school, and while you might have anticipated a small bump while he matured in college, you wouldn’t have really expected him to have another, more profound increase in stuff upon entering the pro game in his early 20s.
Wasn't Vanderbilt nationally ranked for mmuch of that season?
I do not see Minor dogging it when they had a shot at the CWS.
The actual issue was C injuries
Vandy’s top 2 catchers went down that year with injuries and Minor couldn’t throw breaking stuff in the dirt the rest of the year because every time he’d try it would go to the backstop. Honestly, in the long run, being forced to pitch off the FB/CH so much may have really helped his development.
if you don't consider Teheran elite
then i seriously doubt your understanding of baseball.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Oct 14, 2010 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
He wasn't talking about Teheran
He was talking about Delgado and Vizcaino.
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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.
by Satchel Price on Oct 14, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions
There seems to be an "elite" or near "elite" P prospect at nearly every level
Minor, Teheran, Perez, Vizcaino, Delgado have been mentioned already. It’s telling that guys like Beachy, ERA leader (?… he at least place) MiLB in his 2nd season of pro ball; Kimbrel who may be the closer in the bigs next season; Dunn, lefty reliever with a mid-90’s FB; Oberholtzer, who was coming on strong at the end; Spruill who’s had his ups and downs; and many more (sorry… can’t remember all the names) haven’t even been mentioned yet. Our P depth is impressive…
I'd like to see some opinions on Salcedo.
He struggled (not surprisingly) in his first taste of State-side baseball, but the kid has all of the tools to be successful. What’s the opinion of him on here?
raw
Has the requisite tools, but I think he hurt himself by not signing 2 years ago. We expect him to eventually settle in @ 3rd and be a RH middle of the order bat, but we also realize that he’s just as likely to never get past A-ball.
He's really young and has plenty of time to screw things up, but..
..my opinion, which is admittingly biased, is that Salcedo can probably walk on water (maybe a little weekend river jog w/ Heyward). You have to see him to understand, but let me attempt to describe him. Everyone knows he’s 18 yrs, 6’3, and around 200 pounds, but people don’t realize how ripped this dude is. He’s got the all-natural super athletic body type that just isn’t fair (coming from a skinny white guy).
He has a power swing, which some will insist limits his ability to hit for average. Typically, I would agree with this assessment, however, Salcedo is an exception. Typical power hitters just don’t have the tools he has to work with. Salcedo’s wrists look like something built by Craftsman. His bat speed is so f’n quick. For an 18 year old, his pitch recognition is off the charts, specifically off-speed pitches.
Defensively, he struggled big time at short and will most likely move to third (he’s too big ladies). We brought him over here as an 18 year old kid and put him on a full season squad (after VISA problems forced him to play for our DSL team for half a season). He made a ton of errors, but is a smooth fielder with an insane arm that will def. keep on the left side of the infield. Again, you must witness him to truely see his awesome potential as a fielder.
On top of all this, Salcedo seems to be an excellent team player, constantly chatting with teammates and coaches. Watching him play, I won’t hesitate to say that he LOVES the game.
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 14, 2010 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions
He had VISA issues that held him in the Dominican for half the season. Jumping from the DSL to a single-A team, in the middle of their season, must be some type of shock (cultural shock at least).
He’s basically a high school kid living in a new place for the first time with a ton of cash. I expect a big year after he gets his head back in the game.
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 15, 2010 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Month by month splits
In that case, I would have hoped to see a surge from him later in the year. Instead, his best month with Rome was his first month, by far.
He played two full months at Rome. Just give the kid a season…
No telling what kind of adjustments the coaches were trying to make in those couple of months and his struggles at short probably hurt his confidence as well.
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 15, 2010 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Wrists by Craftsman
I don’t think I will forget this. I hope to see him meet the potential you see in him.
I think he's going to be a star.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
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Positional Prospect
The conversation above seems to be concentrated on the Ps and the depth there, but what’s everyone thoughts on the positional prospects? Some names to throw out there:
Freeman: near .900 OPS after a very slow start in AAA as a 20 yo (around a .700 OPS after 2 months)
Salcedo: International signing who raked in DSL, but struggled after coming over
Mychal Jones: has shown flashes of a nice power/speed combo, but hasn’t shown patience to put it together
Adam Milligan: Should get an injury mulligan but raked last year after being drafted
Bethancourt: Potential GG C who has done nothing with the bat yet
Cody Johnson: K % is absurb, but might have the best raw power is all of MiLB
Spanjer-Furstenburg: older guy but he did rake last year and an injury curtailed his bat this year.
I don’t like to get too high on recent draftees, but …
Lipka: Hit .300 in his 1st taste of pro ball. Didn’t do as well in a late season promotion to A ball though… can he stay @ SS?
Simmons: Is his contact rate enough to pass as a Glove First SS?
Leonard: Needs to show the power to pass @ 3rd.
Cunningham: Liked it when we drafted him, but a lack of power is concerning for someone who already had experience with the wood bat
Gosselin: Again, good average, but lack of other skills (power/speed) is a little worrisome.
There’s also a handful of guys drafted later that should be mentioned (Terdoslavich (sp?) and Fleming, but it’s hard to rate these guys too highly after a 1/2 season in the bigs when they didn’t have a 1st round grade going in…
I don't even think Cody Johnson is a prospect at this point
The best grade I could give him is a C-
http://bullpenbanter.com/
Yeah..
He’s shown absolutely no ability to hit in Double-A.
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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.
by Satchel Price on Oct 14, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions
he is also 22 in AA
and was injured most of the year. I’m not saying he is a good prospect, but he has some of the best power in the minors and is still very young
not saying that he's a very good prospect at this point (he isn't)
But dude is all of like 21. He gets one more year before he gets thrown into the “non-prospect” pile. Most players at his age/experience level would look pretty bad against that level of competition.
Is there any reason for optimism though?
Sure, he has power, but he also strikes out at a Mark Reynoldsian rate and is a poor defensive LFer.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
I'm not freaking out over it yet
He was always going to be a project, and his development has to be taken in that context. I’m not hoping for much here, but with some work it remains entirely possible to me that he’s a bench 1b/lf with premium power. Guys with 80 power tools get chances.
by mrkupe on Oct 14, 2010 3:47 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
If he develops into anything at this point I'll be happy
but I’m with you. There is absolutely no reason to have any faith in this guy. If he becomes a decent power bat off the bench I’ll be happy.
R.I.P Jazz #6
Ye of little faith. He could stay at AA for three more years and still be age appropriate for the league. Do you remember what life was like as a 21 year old? I’m 24 and know I would do alot of things differently now, then when I was younger, such as studing for that final instead of all night Halo parties.
But whatever, one bad season…send him to Japan…
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 14, 2010 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
The ridiculous number of strikeouts and poor defense aren't new issues
I didn’t like his chances of being a major leaguer a year ago, and he’s certainly lowered his status since then.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
Maybe Jonny Gomes as a comp?
If knowledge is the key, then just show me the lock.
Got the scrawny legs but I move just like Lou Brock.
Aren't you saying he has the potential to be Mark Reynolds?
I’m not Reynolds’ biggest fan, but that remains a pretty decent upside
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by OldProspects on Oct 14, 2010 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions
No, I'm not saying that
Differences:
-Cody Johnson is striking out at a Mark Reynoldsian rate in the minor leagues (career minor league K%: 38.9%). Mark Reynolds had a career minor league K% of 26.5%
-I view Mark Reynolds being fairly successful in the majors with a ~40% K% as an anomaly.
-Mark Reynolds is a below average defender at third, whereas Cody Johnson is a below average defender in LF.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
Considerable adjustments must be made to his approach, however, I have a hard time saying a 21 year old-AA player with his raw power isn’t a prospect. A+ to AA is the toughest jump in the minors, so I think he should get another shot at AA before we wipe away his prospect status.
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 14, 2010 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I saw Rome play twice this year (once in April, once in August). None of the players jumped out as impressive bats, but I was surprised to see that Bethancourt has very good speed at this point. I’d compare it to some of the 20-30 SB players. Odds are he won’t keep that speed as a catcher, but I think it bodes well for his age curve.
Beyond Freeman and possibly Lipka (too early to tell), I don’t think there’s an impact hitter in the system, but the recent infusion gives the Braves plenty of guys with good odds of becoming role players and potential for being average starters, which is more than they had before.
I’m looking forward to seeing what RSF does with a healthy year in full-season ball. He may be the first player to benefit from the Braves moving from Myrtle Beach to Lynchburg.
They’ll have an interesting decision about where to put Lipka, Simmons, and Salcedo next year. Salcedo clearly wasn’t ready for Rome. Lipka and Simmons need to advance, probably both to Rome, although Lipka may be better served in CF.
Cunningham
was drafted to be a hopeful .310 guy at 2B. the Braves don’t expect power from him.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Oct 14, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Cunningham was announced as a 3B/OF by us
Not saying he HAS to have power, but I’d like to see it or power before marking him as a future MLB’er
by theatlfan on Oct 14, 2010 6:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I’m a big Mycal Jones fan. He’s learning to play multiple positions, and is eager to help the team any way possible. Talent wise, he’s got plus speed w/ good power, although his “fly-ball” swing will probably be manipulated to hit more liners (+average/-power). I’d say he has a pretty comfortable shot of reaching the majors as a super utility guy.
One guy that doesn’t really get noticed is Cory Harrichak. Good hitter with great OBP skills and speed.
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 14, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Why is learning to play multiple positions good?
I get that it’s kind of useful, but that sounds like prep to being a utility player rather than a starter
TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems
by OldProspects on Oct 14, 2010 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Utility players are becoming all stars these days..
He’s not an excellent defender at shortstop and see guys like Chone Figgins and Omar Infante getting plenty of playing time wherever their team needs them. He knows he has a better chance of cracking a major league roster with the ability to field several spots instead of just one.
Myke is a good prospect, but not a can’t miss prospect. A can’t miss prospect should def. concentrate on just one spot.
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 15, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Teheran, for sure.
I like Minor a lot, but I think you gotta take Teheran here. You’d have to have some questions about Teheran while really buying into Minor to take the lefty at this point.
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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.
by Satchel Price on Oct 14, 2010 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
My only questions about Teheran are: how awesome is he? And will he win 1 Cy Young and 11 Julio Teherans?
sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew
by alexwithclass on Oct 14, 2010 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
he'll have to win 3 Tim Lincecums first.
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Randall Delgado...
I’ll be interested to see where you rank him. Personally, I think he’s been lost in the Teheran hype, and as I’ve stated previously, I would not be surprised if Delgado actually ends up having the better career of the two. Great three pitch mix, commands everything, nice mechanics, adjusted very well to AA after his first few starts (finished on an 18.2 IP, 21 K, 4 BB, 11 hit stretch over three starts)…if he pitched in virtually any other organization (outside of maybe the Royals) he’d be getting a ton of hype. That fastball/changeup combo of his would be enough even without the potentially plus curve he’s also got in the arsenal. He may not have Teheran’s velocity, but that’s just about all Teheran’s really got on him in my opinion.
Now writing for BaseballInstinct.com
I completely agree. Teheran is def. the more explosive pitcher, but Delgado has something special too. Hitters are not going to enjoy facing Teheran, he is going to make alot of people look foolish most of the time. Hitters are going to hate facing Delgado, he is going to make alot of hands HURT. His command and movement will break many bats and induce many groundballs.
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 14, 2010 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions
To me, he’s a 2nd tier P prospect. Not bad, but doesn’t belong in the conversation with Teheran. His control loses him @ times and (w/o looking) I seem to remember he had excessive Unearned Runs compared to others. May mean nothing, may mean a lot…
by theatlfan on Oct 14, 2010 7:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
52 BB over 161 IP
He couldn’t have lost his control too often. Why would unearned runs be his fault? You think he might be likely to cause his fielders to commit errors?
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by OldProspects on Oct 14, 2010 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions
The unearned runs result from getting tons of ground balls and having teammates that are still learning their position, aka errors.
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 15, 2010 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions
J.J. Hoover
Has anyone even mentioned him in this thread yet? He’s probably a top ten Braves’ prospect for me.
Other players of interest which I do not think have been mentioned:
Brett DeVall – A lot of injuries, I know.
Edison Sanchez – Hardly ever gets much mention, but he was the Braves player of the year in the DSL last year and was okay at age 19 in the GCL this year.
Tyler Pastornicky – Looks like the guy has some promise, and wasn’t he young for AA? I will be watching hin in the AFL.
Not a top 10 guy for me
He has raised his status for me a bit, but I still am not sold he’s a starter long term.
I don’t know anything about Sanchez, but DeVall and Pastornicky don’t excite me at all.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
Just outside of the Top10 for me
But that’s not saying he’s not a good pitcher.
Pastornicky
Depends on whether you think he’ll hit. If he gets into the .280 range then he’s a viable SS. If not, he’s nothing more than a utility guy. Scouts are mixed and I haven’t had a chance to see him yet.
by theatlfan on Oct 14, 2010 7:02 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
20 Years old in AA
He hit alright with a low K-rate and speed.
I know he looks more like a MI bench guy in the majors. But if he can field SS and steal some bases, he would be a good one.
He’s a top ten guy for me, I’ve got him at #8 in front of Salcedo and Lipka. Those two appear to have higher ceilings but to me Hoover is a solid B arm right now.
"Make the most of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington, 1794
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Barely out or barely in
I know he is on the cusp of being a top ten guy. I have Hoover as barely in, but with Lipka and Perez really close behind him.
He’s always been a little old for a prospect, but that is not as much of concern as GB% and K-rate. Both were down this year, so he could fall a couple slots in the Brave prospect hierarchy pretty fast.
With the reports that Carlos Perez is getting
I think he’s a lock for the top 6
http://bullpenbanter.com/
I think he is defnitely not top 5.
I feel like Teheran, Freeman, Delgado, Minor, Vizcaino should be pretty universal.
For Perez to be the definite next in line, he has to surpass:
Kimbrel and Beachy who have already shown some effectiveness at the highest level.
Bethancourt and Salcedo who may be in similar positions, raw and far from the Bigs, but position players.
Hoover, Lipka, and Mychal Jones.
I am not saying he’s not better than all those guys, but I think he is hardly “a lock.”
I have him 6th
But given what BA is saying about him, it’s certainly defensible to take him over Vizcaino. I have Lipka 7th, and I think there’s a bit of a gap between the two.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
DeVall… arm problems the last two years and velocity down even when healthy. He’s not really a prospect for the time being until he can get healthy and recover his lost arm strength.
"It's going to be strange watching There's Something About Mary again, knowing Brett Favre was the biggest stalker of them all"
Very well could be
If he develops come power like expected I see him as a Ian Kinsler type.
Does he have that sort of power upside?
TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems
by OldProspects on Oct 14, 2010 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Willie Cabrera
I’m interested to see what many here think of him. He seems to be taking a Pradoish route to the ML. He can play all 3 OF spots(although I wouldn’t fully trust him in CF), has a good arm, will hit for average with good speed, good pop and doesn’t K much. He’s still only just 24, Prado didn’t get his first shot till 24 so what do you guys and gals think about him? 4th OF or decent LF in the ML?
Elmer Reyes
Also had a solid season as well. I’ll get to see him in Rome next year to see if this season was a fluke or not.
Count me in on someone excited to see if Reyes will be anything or not. I’m excited about him but could see why some would think he’d flame out before AA.
by theatlfan on Oct 14, 2010 7:04 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
this
I would like to learn a bit more about him, because he was pretty impressive at least statistically this year. He may be a top 20 guy for me.
"Make the most of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington, 1794
Everything made from oil and wood can be made from HEMP. It's the earth's number one bio-mass resource.
I think Elvis Andrus, Neftali Felix, and Matt Harrison are excellent young players for the Braves.
Oh wait. Oops!
Andy Otero
What happened to him? Big things were expected if I remember correctly, but seemingly didn’t pitch at all this year.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
ulnar collateral ligament transposition
http://www.talkingchop.com/2010/9/7/1673591/atlanta-braves-top-30-prospects
He’s #18. Missed the whole season. It’s a shame, he had amazing numbers in the DSL. Hopefully he comes back strong.
by blindsided789 on Oct 14, 2010 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Will the 2010 draft class help boost hitting depth, which is not impressive beyond Freddie Freeman and the now-graduated Jason Heyward?
No, I don’t think so. Matt Lipka can run and he’ll probably hit, but I’m not liking the rest of their hitting draftees.
Todd Cunningham = tweener.
Joseph Terdoslavich = 4 corners bench bat.
Joe Leonard = still have no idea whether or not he’s going to hit.
Phillip Gosselin = stupid pick, nothing more than a utility player.
The best prospects they drafted apart from Likpa they didn’t sign: Stefan Sabol, Zach Alvord, and Jordan Buckley. The only other impact players I see in this draft are pitchers: David Filak and Andrelton Simmons, provided Simmons gets over his urge to hit and returns to the mound where he belongs.
Signing Edward Salcedo did more to help the lack of hitting depth in the system than anything in the draft, IMO.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
I like Leonard
Not sure what kind of power he’ll have, but I think he’ll hit for average and be a good defender at third. Liked that pick significantly more than the Cunningham selection.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
+1
on the stupid “not signing who you draft” philosophy the Braves employ so often (remember, we did draft Rendon and he didn’t want ALL that much money to sign. we low-balled him).
Alvord is a stud. Sabol is an athletic catcher who will switch positions (probably LF) and has a sick bat.
Ugh.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Oct 15, 2010 3:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Give them a year before pigeonholing them
Some of them could surprise.
The one guy that sticks out here though is Simmons. He had a very high contact rate and was considered by BA as the best defensive SS in the draft. If he can be an Alcides Escobar or an Andrus then that would be a very good pick…
Agreed.
He throws 97 MPH, the mound is where he belongs.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
I’d probably prefer him on the mound as well but I like his swing too. Given that he’s likely just a reliever, the organization can afford to let his bat develop for a couple of seasons and then reassess him.
"It's going to be strange watching There's Something About Mary again, knowing Brett Favre was the biggest stalker of them all"
It seems to me that if Simmons can continue to get on-base at the higher levels he has more value if he can stick at an infield spot. If he falls on his face next year at Rome, yeah go ahead and stick him on the bump. I don’t know, maybe I’m a bit too optimistic about his offensive potential; to me him and Bethancourt are in similar boats. Both definitely have the velo to go pitch, but they could potentially be more valuable to the organization in the field.
"Make the most of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington, 1794
Everything made from oil and wood can be made from HEMP. It's the earth's number one bio-mass resource.
Paul Clemens is somewhat of a sleeper prospect but he improved his command of his mid-90’s fastball and tightened up his curveball over the course of the year. In my opinion, he’ll be the breakout player in the organization this year.
"It's going to be strange watching There's Something About Mary again, knowing Brett Favre was the biggest stalker of them all"
wait
reply fail…
you said THIS year. oh me and my typing on 3 hours of sleep.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Oct 15, 2010 3:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Clemens is a great sleeper. I don’t want to say he’s the next Hanson, Medlen or Beachy, but he’s a good under the radar guy how throws pretty hard, and he made some big strides this year, it would appear.
"Make the most of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington, 1794
Everything made from oil and wood can be made from HEMP. It's the earth's number one bio-mass resource.
Anyone have any thoughts on Freeman?
He took a couple months to adjust in AAA, but he ended up with a pretty strong year. I’m a bit concerned about how he’ll do vs. LHP in the majors, and I’m also unsure how many HRs he’ll hit. I don’t doubt that he’ll spray doubles, but are we talking about 15 HRs or 25-30?
How wise is it of the Braves to give him a starting gig next year?
he'll be fine
Freeman will be a consistent +5 WAR player (higher is some years), possibly as soon as next year.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Oct 15, 2010 3:08 AM EDT up reply actions
5 WAR?!
I would set the bar at 2 WAR.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
by Jeff Reese on Oct 15, 2010 8:46 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I could go up to 2.5
But I still don’t feel comfortable projecting him as more than a solid regular at 1B. He could definitely be better than that, but I’m not ready to say that he will.
http://bullpenbanter.com/
Yeah I wouldn't say that he will definitely be better than a solid regular
I do think there’s a pretty good possibility though. After seeing the IL top 20 and what they had to say about Freeman’s power I definitely think he’s got a very high ceiling. 5 WAR is certainly well within the realm of possibility.
Nice of someone to mention Freeman
He was not in the elite category with Minor and Teheran in the first comment of this post, but I think he is the Braves’ clear #2, ahead of Minor.
Agreed.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
freeman
Might be the Braves No. 1. Even as 1B his floor is higher than Teheran’s. Teheran obviously has a higher ceiling, but Freeman’s is quite high as well. Teheran isn’t quite can’t miss for me – on the other hand, it’d be hard for me not to see Freeman having at least a solid major league career even given the high standards of major league 1B.
Might be the Braves No. 1.
No way.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
Okay, I'll bite
Why? Teheran is a very good pitching prospect but hardly can’t miss at this point. Freeman is one of the best prospects in the game. Maybe you disagree, but to say it’s a “no way” suggests you are overrating one of them and/or underrating the other.
by mrkupe on Oct 16, 2010 6:27 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Nice of someone to mention Freeman
Yeah, its been almost three whole days since the last two threads.
Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor
Matt Weaver
He only finished with line of .267/.311/.359 – .670 OPS on the year as a 20 year old at Rome, but hit .343/.377/.476 – .853 OPS in the second half. Weaver played every position except catcher (including a pitching appearance) this year.
"Make the most of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington, 1794
Everything made from oil and wood can be made from HEMP. It's the earth's number one bio-mass resource.
Thoughts on the Ramus brother?
I was a big fan of his stuff coming out of high school…killer curve.
Nice arm.
Probably a middle reliever at this point.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
He could turn on a domination switch at any moment. Great stuff..
"Check out this bitchin' homemade tesla coil!"
by bwellnjonesco on Oct 17, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Back to the top non pitcher in the system?
Other than Freeman, who could it be? I think he has it easily but who else from their organization makes the bigs or becomes a prospect?
Salcedo, Bethancourt have the best tools.
"The WAR folks like yunel apparently. i know this, bobby cox hated going to war with this guy." - Jon Heyman
Beyond the Box Score / Capitol Avenue Club / shwitter: @CapitolAvenue
Keyword "tools"
By most report, Salcedo is an absolute specimen and compares favorably to just about anyone you want to bring up in terms of pure athletic prowess. That may not immediately make him a top-notch prospect by itself, remains to be seen what his actual baseball skills and aptitude are, but does give him a theoretical high ceiling. Also worth noting he’s a teenager who just got his first taste of professional ball in a foreign country whose language he doesn’t speak; not really fair to dismiss him for being bizarrely rushed to full-season ball and not performing with all the odds stacked against him. I wouldn’t bet the rent on him, but not going to make a judgment on him either way until we see what he can do once settled in next year.
As to the original question, give me Lipka. Really like the toolset and bat, and should end up a good up the middle defender, if not at SS then in CF.
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