MLB Pipeline Released it's Top 100 List: Which Braves made it?

MLB Pipeline released their top 100 prospect list Friday night, and with no surprise it featured 5 Braves. 3 players were featured on MLB.com Top 50 reveal show, and all got rave reviews for their abilities. Of the list, 2 players are teenagers with the other 3 expected to contribute at some time in 2017. The rebuild of the farm system has left a strong base for now and the future, with a number of players potentially making the list next year.

Ozhaino Albies SS

Previous Position: 30

2016: 29

Positional Ranking: 10th

Albies was unranked going into the 2015 season, but quickly vaulted up Pipeline's list as the year progressed. For much of the year he was the youngest player on the list. He remains one of the youngest, and with 2 or more potential years left in the minors he could vault further up the list as time goes on. While some questions have surrounded his ability to stay at shortstop, but the crew loved Albies defensive ability and said he had plenty of arm strength to stick at the position. His hit tool was bumped up to a 60, with his arm and defense ranked at 60 and 55 respectively. Pipeline's video also raved on Albies makeup. He ranked just behind Gleyber Torres overall, which is weird considering Torres was 2 spots above Albies on the shortstop list. The guy just below Torres, Alex Bregman, ranked at 22. Just behind him was Yankees SS Jorge Mateo.

Kolby Allard LHP

Previous Position: 88

2016: 89

Positional Ranking: 10th

Allard dropped one position from his end of 2015 ranking, but is impressovely ranked given that he has just 6 professional innings pitched. They said his curveball is a potential 70 pitch, and you won't get any arguments from me. He is the highest (and only) ranked player from the Braves draft class this year or any previous year, and has a great chance to leap up lists. Just a season of showing health and stuff should make him a Top 50ish prospect, giving the Braves one of the deepest top-of-the-system teams. The next highest rated left handed pitcher on the list is the Red's Amir Garrett at 69, so Allard has a way to go to jump any on that list. Allard was the 12th highest rated 2015 draftee.

Aaron Blair RHP

Previous Position: 61

2016: 56

Positional Ranking: NR

Blair made a pretty good jump on the preseason rankings, lodging himself in between fellow righties Jake Thompson and Jorge Lopez. He ranks 17th on the list of right handed pitchers, but the 4 spots directly above him are all also right handed pitchers so it is a fairly close grouping. Blair has a good chance to graduate off of this list this season, and would become another formerly highly regarded prospect to join the Braves rotation. He was phenomenal towards the end of the season in Reno in a hitter's league, and that no doubt helped bump him up the list.

Sean Newcomb LHP

Previous Position: 19

2016: 21

Positional Ranking: 4th

Newcomb has among the most potential of any pitcher in the system, and that combined with his fantastic performance as a professional has him very high on this list. He is describe as an "elite level pitching prospect" and there were reports of his fastball touching triple digits in 2015. Obviously, that type of premium velocity from a left hander is what solidifies him as a strong prospect. He still has a lot of work to do on his control, which Pipeline is not very optimistic on, but said that if he improves he could outperform the Jon Lester comps. He ranked 6 spots below the next top left hander Steven Matz, and with 7 players potentially graduating this year he could be very high by midseason rankings.

Dansby Swanson SS

Previous Position: 10

2016: 8

Positional Ranking: 4th

Swanson's selection at 1st overall in the draft was mostly based on his extremely high floor, something Pipeline strongly believes in him. He ranked above all other draftees from this season, and has continued to climb since draft day. They believe he could be a potential perennial all star, with 2 plus tools (hit and run) and 2 above average tools (arm and defense). The expectation is for Swanson to move quickly, and while he will likely be on next year's list it will probably be his last year as a Braves prospect. He ranks just behind the Red Sox's Yoan Moncada, and at 5 and 6 are fellow shortstops JP Crawford and Orlando Arcia. I believe Swanson will end the season at 5, just above Moncada.

Touki Toussaint RHP

Previous Position: 69

2016: NR

Positional Ranking: NR

Obviously Touki's under performance thus far in his young career has soured the opinions of MLB's scouts on him. As a raw player coming out of high school, I personally don't think his play was anything less than what should have been expected, but he still dropped a long way out of the rankings. I would expect him to be not so far from the top 100 and could jump in as prospects above him graduate.