Atlanta Braves minor league leaders for 2017 season

The minor league season has come to a close. It’s a tough time of the year for those who are most interested in the future of the franchise, but the positive is that we can now sit back and dig into what happened on the field in the minors in 2017.

This is the first of many pieces that will detail the 2017 minor league season for the Atlanta Braves. The position by position by position review that came last year is still to come. My look at Ronald Acuña is coming later this week. And more, so while the season may be over there is a lot more minors content to come.

Note to be eligible for any non-counting stat(Batting average, on base, slugging, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts per nine) a player must have enough PA/IP. I’ve set the bar at 200 plate appearances and 40 innings pitched for starters with a 20 innings pitched for relievers.

Also all of these stats are cumulative for the 2017 season, so for example Ronald Acuña will be listed with his Florida, Mississippi, and Gwinnett stats together. Major league stats will not count, so for example Ozzie Albies won’t get credit for his Atlanta stats.

Batting Average

1. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, .325
2. Jean Carlos Encarnacion, GCL/Danville, .321
3. Jefrey Ramos, GCL/Danville, .307
4. Alay Lago, Florida, .303
5. Leudys Baez, Danville/Rome, .300
6. Randy Ventura, Rome, .294
7. Joey Meneses, Mississippi, .292
8. Ozzie Albies, Gwinnett, .285
9. Sean Kazmar, Gwinnett, .284
10. Carlos Castro, Florida, .283

Should it be a surprise that Ronald Acuña wins the organizational batting title? Well maybe a little considering his age and assignments that he was such a complete hitter. What should really surprise you is Acuña was 22 points better than anyone else in full season ball, as only a pair of guys with a third of his plate appearances were closer.

Ozzie Albies and the since traded Randy Ventura re guys you’d expect on here given their speed and contact ability. A pair of surprises who came from no where to become legitimate prospects this year made the list in Jean Carlos Encarnacion and Jefrey Ramos(MILB lists him as Jeffrey, but I was informed it’s actually Jefrey.

Falling just two plate appearances from making the list was William Contreras, and Rayshean Michel also missed by not enough appearances. The next two guys after the Top 10 were Anfernee Seymour and Cristian Pache.

Doubles

1. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 31
2. Brett Cumberland, Rome/Florida, 27
3. Rio Ruiz, Gwinnett, 25
4. Ozzie Albies, Gwinnett, 21
5. Xavier Avery, Gwinnett, 21
6. Travis Demeritte, Mississippi, 21
7. Lucas Herbert, Rome, 21
8. Alex Jackson, Florida/Mississippi, 21
9. Bradley Keller, Danville/Rome, 21
10. Tyler Neslony, Florida/Mississippi, 21

Ronald Acuña is again at the top of the leaderboard, four ahead of Brett Cumberland. It just shows how amazing his season really was compared to everyone else. Rio Ruiz had 25 to end up in third, then Ozzie Albies, Travis Demeritte, and Alex Jackson were in a group of seven who tied for fourth place at 21.

Just missing the list by two doubles apiece were Austin Riley, and Yunior Severino- who did his damage in only 58 games.

Triples

1. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 8
2. Ozzie Albies, Gwinnett, 8
3. Cristian Pache, Rome, 8
4. Kurt Hoekstra, Rome, 7
5. Leudys Baez, Danville/Rome, 7

Another category and another Ronald Acuña lead, though he tied with Ozzie Albies and Cristian Pache this time. Just missing the list by one include Travis Demeritte as well as Isranel Wilson, who did it in just 60 games.

Homers

1. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 21
2. Carlos Franco, Mississippi/Gwinnett, 21
3. Austin Riley, Florida/Mississippi, 20
4. Alex Jackson, Florida/Mississippi, 19
5. Rio Ruiz, Gwinnett, 16
6. Travis Demeritte, Mississippi, 15
7. Xavier Avery, Gwinnett, 14
8. Drew Lugbauer, Danville/Rome, 13
9. Sean Kazmar, Gwinnett, 11
10. Brett Cumberland, Rome/Florida, 11

With his homer on the final day of the season Ronald Acuña moved into a tie with Carlos Franco for the lead in the system. Austin Riley completed his second consecutive 20 homer season while reaching Double A. Alex Jackson(96 games) and Drew Lugbauer(60 games) made the list without playing in even 100 games.

Ozzie Albies hit nine, but he would have made the list if you counted the two he hit in Atlanta. Rio Ruiz had 16, but has added three more in the big leagues.

RBI

1. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 82
2. Carlos Franco, Mississippi/Gwinnett, 77
3. Austin Riley, Florida/Mississippi, 74
4. Brett Cumberland, Rome/Florida, 69
5. Alex Jackson, Florida/Mississippi, 65

Another Ronald Acuña wins another category, and that’s a system Triple Crown for him. His lead here wasn’t huge over Carlos Franco and Austin Riley, but it was quite a bit ahead of the rest of the organization.

Stolen Bases

1. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 44
2. Cristian Pache, Rome 32
3. Randy Ventura, Rome, 29
4. Ray-Patrick Didder, Florida, 25
5. Anfernee Seymour, Rome/Florida, 25
6. Juan Carlos Negret, DSL, 23
7. Xavier Avery, Gwinnett, 21
8. Ozzie Albies, Gwinnett, 21
9. Kevin Josephina, Rome, 21
10. Connor Lien, Mississippi, 17

Ronald Acuña’s 44 steals weren’t really challenged as Cristian Pache was second with 32. Had he not been dealt, it’s likely Randy Ventura could have given Acuña a challenge. The speed in the system really showed up as nine guys went over 20 steals, including Juan Carlos Negret who only needed 50 games.

Walks

1. Braxton Davidson, Florida, 66
2. Xavier Avery, Gwinnett, 59
3. Matt Tuiasosopo, Gwinnett, 55
4. Travis Demeritte, Mississippi, 49
5. Brett Cumberland, Rome/Florida, 49
6. Carlos Franco, Mississippi/Gwinnett, 48
7. Dylan Moore, Mississippi, 45
8. Ray-Patrick Didder, Florida, 44
9. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 43
10. Keith Curcio, Mississippi, 43
11. Austin Riley, Florida/Mississippi, 43

Ronald Acuña didn’t win this category, but it’s hard to walk when you’re seeing and hitting the ball as well as he did this year. That he still finished in the Top 10 is impressive. Braxton Davidson got the win, which was mostly expected for a guy who has always walked a ton. Brett Cumberland feels like he should probably be higher, but all those hit by pitches don’t count.

Hit by Pitch

1. Brett Cumberland, Rome/Florida, 41
2. Marcus Mooney, Rome, 25
3. Ray-Patrick Didder, Florida, 21
4. Juan Carlos Negret, DSL, 16

While hardly a major category, I wanted to highlight the Braves have some prospects who get hit by a high rate of pitches. Brett Cumberland’s 41 is just absurd and one has to imagine his body is happy for the rest of the offseason. Marcus Mooney actually beat out Ray-Patrick Didder, who was the preseason favorite with Cumberland. Had he appeared in more than 50 games you may have seen Juan Carlos Negret higher.

Hits

1. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 181
2. Austin Riley, Florida/Mississippi, 133
3. Cristian Pache, Rome, 132
4. Alay Lago, Florida, 126
5. Ozzie Albies, Gwinnett, 117
6. Anfernee Seymour, Rome/Florida, 117

Ronald Acuña was in the lead by an impressive 48 hits over Austin Riley and then Cristian Pache. This just goes to show what a complete hitter he has become. Perhaps Ozzie Albies or Randy Ventura(112 hits) could have made it closer, but this is a runaway.

On Base Percentage

1. Juan Carlos Negret, DSL, .410
2. Brett Cumberland, Rome/Florida, .409
3. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, .374
4. Drew Waters, GCL/Danville, .362
5. Xavier Avery, Gwinnett, .361
6. Joey Meneses, Mississippi, .360
7. Leudys Baez, Danville/Rome, .353
8. Jared James, Mississippi, .352
9. Drew Lugbauer, Danville/Rome, .352
10. Jefrey Ramos, GCL/Danville, .349

The first and only major category that Ronald Acuña didn’t win and he finishes third. What a season. DSL All Star Juan Carlos Negret edged out Brett Cumberland at .410 to .409. If he had just two more appearances then William Contreras(.379) would have beaten out Acuña for third. Second round draft pick Drew Waters finished fourth despite spending most of his time in the more advanced Appalachian League.

Slugging Percentage

1. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, .522
2. Drew Lugbauer, Danville/Rome, .514
3. Leudys Baez, Danville/Rome, .498
4. Jefrey Ramos, GCL/Danville, .497
5. Bradley Keller, Danville/Rome, .490
6. Alex Jackson, Florida/Mississippi, .480
7. Jean Carlos Encarnacion, GCL/Danville, .464
8. Xavier Avery, Gwinnett, .456
9. Austin Riley, Florida/Mississippi, .446
10. Rio Ruiz, Gwinnett, .446

Another Ronald Acuña win on a list of nine true prospects. Only Acuña and Drew Lugbauer managed to reach .500 slugging this year, but the rest of the list was solid too. The first four guys to miss this list are also impressive: Brett Cumberland, Ozzie Albies, William Contreras, and Drew Waters.

OPS

1. Ronald Acuña, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, .896
2. Drew Lugbauer, Danville/Rome, .865
3. Brett Cumberland, Rome/Florida, .855
4. Leudys Baez, Danville/Rome, .851
5. Jefrey Ramos, GCL/Danville, .847
6. Xavier Avery, Gwinnett, .816
7. Jean Carlos Encarnacion, GCL/Danville, .811
8. Alex Jackson, Florida/Mississippi, .808
9. Bradley Keller, Danville/Rome, .801
10. Juan Carlos Negret, DSL, .801

The last offensive category is another comfortable Acuña win over Drew Lugbauer. Some of the young talent from the GCL has made it as well with Jefrey Ramos and Jean Carlos Encarnacion. William Contreras finished two plate appearances short of tying Encarnacion.

Wins

1. Andrew Albers, Gwinnett, 12
2. Mike Soroka, Mississippi, 11
3. Bryse Wilson, Rome, 10
4. Kolby Allard, Mississippi, 8
5. Joey Wentz, Rome, 8

While wins aren’t a stat that tells you much about a pitcher, four of the top spots went to top prospects. Finishing among the big tie with seven wins apiece includes Luiz Gohara, Lucas Sims, and Jeremy Walker.

Saves

1. Brandon White, Rome/Florida, 10
2. Adam McCreery, Rome/Florida, 7
3. David Peterson, Gwinnett, 7

The Braves didn’t use any true closers this year if you can’t tell from the stats as Brandon White’s 10 saves led the system. Adam McCreery and David Peterson were the only two others with at least six saves on the year. However six guys had five saves, five guys had four, and nine guys had three.

Starter ERA

1. Bryse Wilson, Rome, 2.50
2. Joey Wentz, Rome, 2.60
3. Tucker Davidson, Rome, 2.60
4. Andrew Albers, Gwinnett, 2.61
5. Luis Gohara, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 2.62
6. Mike Soroka, Mississippi, 2.75

Bryse Wilson’s breakout led starters in ERA, though Rome teammates Joey Wentz and Tucker Davidson weren’t far behind. Luiz Gohara finished fifth, but was in striking distance of the lead. Mike Soroka’s 2.75 as a teenager in Double A was impressive.

Reliever ERA

1. Matt Custred, Rome, 1.16
2. Miguel Jerez, DSL/GCL, 1.31
3. Gabriel Noguera, DSL/GCL, 1.58
4. Troy Conyers, GCL/Rome, 1.91
5. Landon Hughes, Danville/Rome, 1.99

Matt Custred was dominant with a 1.16 ERA in 38.2 innings and was really only approached by Miguel Jerez, who may have beaten him out if not for giving up some runs late in the year.

Starter WHIP

1. Bryse Wilson, Rome, 1.04
2. Mike Soroka, Mississippi, 1.09
3. Joey Wentz, Rome, 1.10
4. Dilmer Mejia, Danville, 1.11
5. Lucas Sims, Gwinnett, 1.14

Bryse Wilson didn’t just lead the system in ERA, but he also had the best WHIP. Mike Soroka, Joey Wentz, and Dilmer Mejia were tightly in the two through four spots here, while Lucas Sims beat out Andrew Albers for the last spot.

Reliever WHIP

1. Miguel Jerez, DSL/GCL, 0.88
2. Matt Custred, Rome, 0.88
3. Troy Conyers, GCL/Rome, 1.06
4. John Curtis, Danville, 1.07
5. Jon Kennedy, Rome, 1.09

No surprise that Miguel Jerez and Matt Custred were alone at the top by a good distance. Troy Conyers and John Curtis both were 2017 draftees who looked promising.

Strikeouts

1. Touki Toussaint, Florida/Mississippi, 167
2. Tyler Pike, Florida/Mississippi, 154
3. Joey Wentz, Rome, 152
4. Luiz Gohara, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 147
5. Bryse Wilson, Rome, 139
6. Lucas Sims, Gwinnett, 132
7. Kolby Allard, Mississippi, 129
8. Mike Soroka, Mississippi, 125
9. Andrew Albers, Gwinnett, 115
10. Wes Parsons, Mississippi/Gwinnett, 108

Touki Toussaint and his nasty curve were able to get a comfortable lead in strikeouts, as Tyler Pike and Joey Wentz were both at least 13 behind. Luiz Gohara and Bryse Wilson finish off this prospect heavy list.

Starter Hits Per Nine

1. Joey Wentz, Rome, 6.8
2. Matt Withrow, GCL/Florida/Mississippi, 6.9
3. Bryse Wilson, Rome, 6.9
4. Sean Newcomb, Gwinnett, 7.0
5. Lucas Sims, Gwinnett, 7.4

Bryse Wilson and Joey Wentz once again at the top of the leaderboard, this time Wentz gets the win. Matt Withrow quietly had a solid season and that’s reflected here. Sean Newcomb makes his first appearance on the lists.

Reliever Hits Per Nine

1. Walner Polanco, DSL, 4.4
2. Matt Custred, Rome, 4.4
3. Enrique Burgos, Gwinnett, 5.2
4. Eudi Asencio, DSL, 5.8
5. Miguel Jerez, DSL/GCL, 5.8

Walner Polanco is a new name from the DSL, but it’s important to note he’s older for the league at 20 and walked seven guys per nine as well. Both Burgos and Asencio were guys who limited hits because they walked a lot of hitters. Matt Custred’s 4.4 hits per nine was dominant, while Miguel Jerez had an impressive number as well.

Starter Walks Per Nine

1. Andrew Albers, Gwinnett, 1.4
2. Alan Rangel, Rome, 1.8
3. Oriel Caicedo, Rome/Florida, 1.8
4. Dilmer Mejia, Danville, 1.8
5. Matt Wisler, Gwinnett, 1.9
6. Mike Soroka, Mississippi, 2.0
7. Jeremy Walker, Rome, 2.0

Andrew Albers had a huge year for Gwinnett before the Braves sent him to Seattle for a big league opportunity. Control artists Alan Rangel and Oriel Caicedo shouldn’t surprise anyone with their spots. Dilmer Mejia and Mike Soroka were among the prominent prospects to make the list.

Reliever Walks Per Nine

1. Jon Kennedy, Rome, 0.7
2. Walter Borkovich, GCL/Danville/Rome, 1.0
3. Ramon Taveras, GCL, 1.7
4. David Peterson, Gwinnett, 2.0
5. Miguel Jerez, DSL/GCL, 2.1

Somehow Jon Kennedy had a Maddux-like six walks in 78.1 innings this year. Miguel Jerez appears yet again on these reliever lists.

Starter Strikeouts Per Nine

1. Ryan Lawlor, Rome, 11.6
2. Sean Newcomb, Gwinnett, 11.5
3. Ian Anderson, Rome, 11.0
4. Luiz Gohara, Florida/Mississippi/Gwinnett, 10.7
5. Joey Wentz, Rome, 10.4
6. Touki Toussaint, Florida/Mississippi, 10.4
7. Lucas Sims, Gwinnett, 10.3

A bit of a surprise with Ryan Lawlor taking the top spot by the smallest lf margins over Sean Newcomb on a list dominated by top prospects. This is Ian Anderson’s first mention. Every starter with at least 10 strikeouts per nine is listed above.

Reliever Strikeouts Per Nine

1. Bradley Roney, Florida/Mississippi, 13.5
2. Adam McCreery, Rome/Florida, 13.0
3. Thomas Burrows, Rome, 12.4
4. Phil Pfeifer, Mississippi/Gwinnett, 11.7
5. Corbin Clouse, Florida/Mississippi, 11.4

Bradley Roney and Adam McCreery posted the best strikeouts per nine in the entire organization with Roney being a minor league vet and McCreery taking a step forward this year. Thomas Burrows dominated Rome all year and it shows here. Phil Pfeifer was a bit of a surprise as a guy who is likely a lefty specialist. Corbin Clouse is just nasty.

Strikeout to Walk Ratio

1. Jon Kennedy, Rome, 10.83
2. Walter Borkovich, GCL/Danville/Rome, 10.00
3. Andrew Albers, Gwinnett, 6.05
4. Ramon Taveras, GCL, 5.50
5. Dilmer Mejia, Danville, 5.20

Jon Kennedy posted an absurd 10.83 strikeouts for every walk over 78.1 innings this year. The only guy close was Walter Borkovich, who only had 27.1 innings. Andrew Albers and Dilmer Mejia make yet another appearance.