Who's Hot?
William Beckwith, 1B/DH, Rome Braves: 9-26, 3 2B, HR, 9 R, 5 RBI, 6 BB, SB. Beckwith, Rome's 3 hitter, had a great week at the plate, posting a slash line of .346/.469/.577. Beckwith saw almost half of his hits go for extra bases, and he also took a whopping 6 walks (against only 5 strikeouts). Beckwith has been a stabilizing force in Rome's lineup all year, as his batting average has been over .300 almost the entire season. Beckwith still needs to work on his batting eye, but this week was a great step in the right direction.
Robby Hefflinger, OF, Rome Braves: 11-29, 4 2B, 3 HR, 6 R, 10 RBI, 3 BB. As hot as William Beckwith was for Rome this week, Robby Hefflinger was hotter. Hefflinger collected 11 hits, including a staggering 7 for extra bases. Hefflinger's .828 slugging percentage was the highest for a Braves' farmhand with at least 25 PAs during the last week. Hefflinger's ISO this week was actually higher than the .438 OBP he posted over the same time frame, which is pretty dang impressive.
Joe Leonard, 3B, Mississippi Braves: 8-23, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 R, 7 RBI, 7 BB. Leonard led all Braves' minor leaguers in walks this week, drawing 7 of them on his way to posting an insane .516 OBP for the week. Leonard also flashed his power this week, roping 2 doubles and 3 homers as part of an 8 hit week. Leonard's great power and patience combination this week led to his posting a ridiculous 1.342 OPS. Leonard has improved on all three slash stats from last year, and if he continues to improve his power and patience, he could be a viable major leaguer in the future.
Lucas Sims, SP, Danville Braves: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, W. The Braves' first round pick from this year picked up his first professional win this week in dominating fashion. Sims threw 5 innings of one hit ball, allowing only 1 walk against 5 strikeouts. At only 18 years old, the sky is really the limit for Sims.
Honorable Mention: Gwinnett - Ernesto Mejia, Randall Delgado. Mississippi - Evan Gattis, Joey Terdoslavich. Lynchburg - David Rohm, Ian Marshall, Aaron Northcraft. Rome - Cory Brownsten. Danville - Trenton Moses, Bryam Garcia, Carlos Perez, Shae Simmons. GCL Braves - Mike Dodig, Jorge Montenegro, Brandon Rohde.
Who's not hot after the jump.
Who's Not?
Edward Salcedo, 3B, Lynchburg Hillcats: 3-21, 2B, HR, R, 4 RBI, CS. It was a rough week for the Braves' young third baseman, as he managed only 3 hits all week long. Unsurprisingly, Salcedo made them count, hitting a double and a homer. Other than the power, there wasn't much to like about his offensive game, as Salcedo didn't draw a single walk (against 8 punchouts) and actually posted an on base percentage lower than his batting average for the week (.143 BA vs .136 OBP).
Justin Black, OF, GCL Braves: 1-15, R, BB. It was a nightmarish week for the toolsy young Braves' outfielder, as he managed just one hit in 15 at-bats. Further, Black struck out in 10 of his 15 at-bats, drawing only one walk in comparison. Black is just 19 years old however, and with his combination of speed and power, the sky is the limit if he can continue to refine his approach.
Michael Lee, SP, Lynchburg Hillcats: 9.2 IP, 12 H, 10 R, 7 BB, 7 K, HBP, 9.31 ERA. Lee had a bad week in Lynchburg, getting hammered in both of his starts, taking a loss in one and a no-decision in the other. Lee was bitten by wildness, walking 7 people in addition to giving up 12 hits. All that lead to Lee allowing 10 runs in just under 10 innings of work.
Dishonorable Mention: Gwinnett - Felix Pie. Mississippi - Jason Christian, Brent Leach. Lynchburg - none. Rome - Tony Mueller. Danville - Aris Alcantara. GCL Braves - Roberto Estrella, Robinson Arno.