The Atlanta Braves organization is overflowing with talent at all levels. For the last 3 years, its been the plan to build a farm that is sustainable and will produce big-league fruit for years to come. We are there, people! The next decade is going to be a ton of fun at SunTrust!
Most that follow the full organization, from the instructional leagues all the way to the Gwinnett Braves, are drawn to particular prospects like Lenny Dykstra to chewing tobacco. I’m no different. While I understand rankings and such, there are guys out there that I tend to put more faith into than others. Whether it be personal interaction, enjoying their skill-set, or just envisioning them as big leaguers, I’ve got 5 personal favorites that I think have something special. These 5 guys are not what I’d deem the top-5 prospects in the organization, but merely guys that I think are going to have very successful careers.
My past Favorites in the Braves Organization
A Tale of Caution- Matt Young
Matt Young’s presence in the Braves minor league system most likely taught me more about prospects than any other I followed closely. Coming in at a whopping 5’8, 175 pounds, Matt hit the ground running at Rome in 2005 showing a good, versatile defensive skill-set along with some pop for a small guy. He had great OBP skills, above-average speed, and a good personality. The problem was that Matt was at Rome, which is Low-A, he was already 22 years old, and didn’t have a body to grow into. I didn’t know much about age in comparison to the level and that was my first mistake.
However, he continued to produce at every level. Year after year, his OBP hovered around .400, he stole a plethora of bases, he played 2B and CF pretty well, and finally in 2011 at age 28, he got his shot…and it didn’t go well. He stole no bases, had 1 XBH, and ended the year with 52 plate appearances and a .498 OPS. The small frame, which had no big plus skill outside of taking a walk, was exploited in the bigs by the big bad wolves of the mound, and this little piggy’s dream was blown down, bat broken along with his dreams (and mine if we’re being honest). The OPS that was carried by walks and hustle doubles was no more. The organization knew more than I did.
A Tale of Triumph– Kris Medlen
Before Tomahawk Take and Twitter, most of my Braves inside news came from a Braves fan site I still visit frequently: Braves Journal. It was there I stated Kris Medlen could be equally good as Tommy Hanson. At that point, Tommy was mowing down opponents, was the #4 prospect in baseball, and had a frame to build on. Meanwhile, Medlen had just converted to starting, was small by baseball standards, and wasn’t ranked in anyone’s top-100 baseball prospects.
Needless to say, my thoughts were not received well. Two major attributes led me to believe so much in Kris Medlen: athleticism and demeanor. He was a frickin’ bulldog on the mound, a sought out shortstop in high school (a switch hitter might I add), and carried a high-K rate and low walk rate. When he got his call, it was as a swing-man, and it took Kris 4 years (yes there was a Tommy-John surgery in there) to become a stable in the rotation.
Before Hanson’s tragic death, both he and Kris had their share of injuries in professional baseball, obviously causing both missed time and for Hanson, likely a career that underachieved. But on the surface, it looks like I got this one right as Medlen went on to give the Braves 512 innings at a 2.95 ERA, while Tommy gave the Braves more innings (635) his ERA was in the mid-3s.
Educate yourself! If you’re just starting out, look for these 3 things!
I tell you these 2 tales because prospects are fun to follow but take the full story and not just the parts you want to hear. Look for duplication of good stats rather than 1 breakout year (especially in hitters), be aware of problematic stats that never get resolved as the player moves up, and lastly, be aware of age in players (especially polished college guys) in comparative to the rest of the competition.
Let’s get on to the good stuff! My favorite follows of the Minors.
My Favorite Atlanta Braves Prospects…in no particular order
Ozzie Albies
At 5’8, 160 pounds, Ozzie has similar height and weight to Matt Young, but that’s about it when it comes to projections. Ozzie is an all muscle, serious athlete. Just recently turned 20, he NEVER faces pitchers younger than him, and is just now getting into his power stroke. He profiles as a switch-hitter who has gap power that could develop into double digit home runs, steal 20-30 bases per year with a high OBP to boot. Like Dansby Swanson, Albies is the kind of player that leads on the field and those 2 up the middle for most of the next decade sounds sweet!
Also, he’s the only player that I’ve met in the bathroom…let me explain! While I was washing my hands at the Ramada near Turner Field, he walks in. I see the Braves hat and jersey, knew that prospects were getting awarded their organizational prizes, and asked if he was Ozhaino Albies! He said yes. I wished him luck and he went to pee and I walked out!
I’m a Lord of the Rings fan! Nerd, actually. In the 2nd installment, The Two Towers, Gandalf comes back to life and reveals that he is Saruman, as he should have been. This is how I view 21 year old Weigel compared to 21 year old Mike Foltynewicz. Not many could’ve predicted Weigel to blow the talent away like he did in ’16. Most scouting reports on him prior to draft weren’t pretty and essentially broke down to, “Well, he throws hard and …I got nothing”. His 3/4 delivery came together, found control, maintained the Ks, and danced all around the strike zone. Obviously the fastball is the calling card but it was his breaking stuff coming together that made the difference in 2016. Here’s a great video called by the best in the business, Mississippi’s Kyle Tait, that shows the natural movement that’s likely been there due to that 3/4 delivery yet was missing the plate. As warned before, it’s necessary for Weigel to duplicate his performance but if he does, we could have an ace on our hands out of nowhere!
Here’s our own, award-winning Benjamin Chase’s scouting report on Weigel.
Drafted 7th overall in the 2012 draft, Fried had hype out the gate that deteriorated after undergoing Tommy John surgery…so naturally the Braves acquired him when his stock was down. Fried, like many TJers, pitched through some ups and downs in the first half in his first action off of TJ, but the 2nd half of the year he showed brilliance and playoffs? PLAYOFFS? Pure dominance as he was the anchor in the Rome Braves championship rotation. Fried’s curve ball is his pitch of note but he sits low-90s with his fastball and can run it up to mid-90s if he needs to do so. He’s lanky and lean which brings comps to Cole Hamels and I think we would all be ok with that. He’s likely going to move fast and I wouldn’t doubt if his cup of coffee comes in ’17 and he’s solidified in the rotation by ’18.
Here a video courtesy of Adam Hayes. Fast-forward to 1:50 to see the curve ball that separates him from the others.
I’m an absolute sucker for left-handed power arms out of the bullpen (thanks Jonny Venters), and the Braves have likely struck gold with Minter. Like so many others, the Braves got a bargain with Minters due to the risk of drafting a guy who’d undergone Tommy John surgery. Minter has a 95-97 MPH fastball out of the bullpen that has movement. His 2nd pitch is a slider that runs in on lefties and away on righties. As of now, he’s a 2-pitch reliever and that’s really all he needs. He’ll move quickly with the Braves and I wouldn’t be surprised if he breaks camp with the team in 2017. At worst, he’d be there in September. A miniscule WHIP, a giant K/9, and and he’s left-handed? This is rare and worthy of excitement!
*Something of note that Ben pointed out in his latest piece on Minter is that he prefers (or preferred) to start and asked to be given that opportunity. This is something to keep an eye on in 2017, but if 2017 free agent salaries are a sign to come, maybe A.J. will choose to limit his innings and stay in the ‘pen. I would if I were him.*
Here’s our own, award-winning Benjamin Chase’s scouting report on A.J. Minter
Another pitcher in the Braves organization that receives regular comps to Cole Hamels, Wentz is the prototypical pitcher that I’m drawn to: Left-handed, huge, polished beyond years, crazy good athlete with a big fastball and can smack a dinger or 2! He was likely demanding a large chunk of change and that’s why Wentz dropped to the Braves at the 40th pick. The Braves can thank Ian Anderson for that as he signed well-below slot to allow them to get not only one stud but three in him, Kyle Muller, and Wentz. What I love about these 3 is that they’ll likely grow together, push each other, and move up the ladder together should they stay injury free! While drafted later, I like Wentz’s chances better of becoming the ace out of these 3.
That’s a wrap, folks! Who’s your faves in the organization? What makes you flock to the them? Let’s hear about them in the comments!
Hope you enjoyed reading! Let’s say it together: 1, 2, 3…
Go Braves!
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