Battery Power - 2016 Atlanta Braves Pre-season Prospect Top 25Your one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braveshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52890/favicon-32x32..png2016-01-16T10:00:00-05:00http://www.batterypower.com/rss/stream/105169772016-01-16T10:00:00-05:002016-01-16T10:00:00-05:00Talking Chop's 2016 Braves Prospect Rankings: 1-5
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<p>We look at the cream of the crop in this installment of our prospect rankings as we reveal our top 5 Braves minor league prospects.</p> <p>Here we are, at the end of our top 25 Braves prospect countdown for 2016. It goes without saying that our list (compared to <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/7/15/8969531/2015-atlanta-braves-top-prospects-mid-season-update">our 2015 midseason list</a>), as well as the Braves' farm system, have undergone a lot of changes just in the last 6 months or so. That being said, as we get to take longer and better looks at a lot of these new and/or younger players this season, we fully expect to have to make even more changes to our rankings as players break out, suffer setbacks in their developments, etc. It is the nature of the beast, but hopefully this list at least provides useful information about one of the better farm systems in baseball as well as to Garrett and I's thought process in regards to prospects. As always, we thoroughly appreciate all of the love and comments we have been getting on these articles and we thoroughly enjoy hearing everyone's opinions about what they would change or not change. No fun facts about the list for today as we have teased you long enough. Before we get to the list, this is what it looks like so far. You can look at the write-ups and lists from the last few days by going to the the story stream <a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2016/1/12/10752936/2016-atlanta-braves-pre-season-prospect-top-25?_ga=1.266794250.509087336.1442448939"><b>right here</b></a></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><b>6. Austin Riley</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>7. Aaron Blair</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>8. Max Fried</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>9. Mallex Smith</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>10. Touki Toussaint</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>11. Tyrell Jenkins</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>12. Mike Soroka</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>13. Braxton Davidson</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>14. Rio Ruiz</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>15. John Gant</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>16. Ricardo Sanchez</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>17. Zach Bird</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>18. Chris Ellis</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>19. Cristian Pache</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>20. Derian Cruz</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>21. Lucas Herbert</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>22. Dustin Peterson</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>23. Connor Lien</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>24. Juan Yepez</b></p>
<p><b>25. Ronald Acuna</b></p>
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<p>Sadly, all good things must come to an end, so without delay here are our top 5 Braves minor league prospects for 2016.</p>
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<h3>5.) Lucas Sims</h3>
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<p>In the middle of the season in 2015, it was pretty controversial when we ranked Sims in this same 5th spot on the list. He responded by playing perhaps the best baseball of his career in the second half, with a 3.21 ERA as a 21 year old in AA including a string of 5 starts to end the season in which he posted a 0.88 ERA with 33K in 30.2 IP. He carried that performance over to the AFL, where he was pretty ridiculous. He posted a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings, struck out 17, walked just 3, and started the All Star Game despite being one of the youngest players in the league. After allowing 3 runs in his first game he allowed just 2 more in his next 15 innings pitched, with a string of three consecutive shutout starts totalling 9 innings pitched, with 11 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 3 hits allowed. Reports had him up to 98 mph with his fastball and while he will likely lose velocity once he starts making longer appearances, that is quite impressive especially when combined with the great movement he usually gets on his pitches. He was victimized by the Carolina Mudcats bus crash, which really set his season out of whack after he had made a couple of good starts after a poor beginning to the season. He missed a month and a half of the season, and was promoted just 3 starts after his return. It has been hard to make heads or tails of Sims numbers, as he saw a huge drop off in strikeouts last season but was able to reclaim those numbers this year striking out more than a batter an inning. Unfortunately, this coincided with a 13.8% walk rate, well above his career rate of 9.8% (inflated even more due to this year's poor performance). He has had a uniquely up and down career, but is taking a hot streak into spring training this year and the beginning of 2016. He should start out in Mississippi, and the Braves will likely try to be patient with him but if he performs anything like he did towards the end of the season he may force their hand and get an early promotion.</p>
<p><br>Sims has been praised since the day he was drafted for his smooth and athletic delivery. It's simple and easy to repeat, but Sims still has a tendency to go through inconsistent stretches where he can't repeat it. There are times when he can't find his landing or release point and struggles to keep control. Typically this becomes an issue because he tends to miss towards the middle of the plate rather than out of the zone. Still, on many days he does a fantastic job of locating his fastball, and can really go anywhere in the zone with it. He works the fastball 92-94 and tops out at 96, and could add a tick or two in the future as he matures. His biggest skill with the fastball is the sink and arm side movement he gets with it, and it allows him to generate a lot of swings and misses. His curveball has the makings of an easy plus pitch, and while it may not quite be on the level of a Touki Toussaint curve, it doesn't lag far behind when he works it properly. He works the curve in the upper 70's and gets sharp downward break on it most of the time, though when it is off it tends to lose its plane and get a bit sweepy. Personally, I feel his curveball is his best pitch on most days, though a fastball with that kind of movement is a valuable weapon. Lastly, he works in a changeup that still lags a good bit behind the others. He struggles to get consistent control with the pitch, but has good arm action and shows good potential with the pitch. It's has the makings of a solid average pitch that is potentially even a 55, though I would be cautious grading it that highly due to the rawness of it. Sims is one of the best competitors in the system and really works hard on and off the mound to do his best. This competitiveness can get the best of him sometimes, as he still struggles to control his emotions when he struggles and that can lead to severe control problems. Still, every time I have watched him pitch he has been able to eventually channel that energy in a productive way, and when can learn to harness his mental game he will turn into a big game pitcher that can turn it on when his team needs him most. He has everything you look for in a young rotation piece, he has just not been able to find the consistency necessary to make him one of the best prospects in the game. He still has a long time to go, and has already begun to show the needed improvements in the game to be a solid #2 type starter.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/8/4/9093319/lucas-sims-scouting-report-atlanta-braves"><b>Talking Chop's Scouting Report on Lucas Sims</b></a></p>
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<h3>4.) Kolby Allard</h3>
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<p>At number 4 on our list is the Braves' first selection in the 2015 draft in lefty Kolby Allard. Going in to the spring before the draft, Kolby had what many considered to be the best breaking pitch in the draft and was among the best prep pitchers available. However, a back injury (more on that later) forced him to miss spring ball and as a result many thought that he would not be drafted high enough to get him to not honor his UCLA commitment. The Braves took a chance on him and may have gotten the steal of the draft as a result. Kolby did sign with the Braves after being selected 14th overall, although he was a late signing which resulted in Braves fans having to wait a while to see him play in 2015. Kolby's best pitch is his curveball which ranked among the best of his draft class that is tight and he has advanced feel for. His fastball is also a plus pitch that routinely hits the mid-90s even as an 18 year old, although there may not be much projection velocity-wise given his smaller frame. He also has an average changeup which is not as advanced as the other two pitches (which is common among young pitchers), but could set up his other pitches nicely with some work. After the GCL season, Kolby underwent was has been called a minor back surgical procedure and stated that he would be ready for spring training.</p>
<p>Kolby is among the more exciting players in the system for his upside and pure stuff. Because he was a late signing, it took a long time for him to actually get in to games down in the GCL, but he did not disappoint in his short stint down there. In three games (6 IP), he gave up a total of one hit, no walks, a HBP, while striking out 12 batters. Obviously is a definition of a small sample size, but he was absolutely dominant in that sample which is certainly encouraging especially as a player right out of high school. There is a certain amount of risk in Allard, but a worthy one as the Braves need not rush Allard to the majors with all of pitching that currently populates their farm system. His stuff is good enough to be a frontline starter assuming he continues to improve his changeup, but he is a long ways away. Given his late start to the 2015 season, its somewhat unclear where Allard will start the season. Smart money may be on Rome where Allard would join a loaded Rome roster. However, if Allard needs more time to rehab his back or if the Braves don't want to rush him in to full season ball, he could spend time down in Danville first, but assuming he continues to pitch well he should end the season in Rome. An interesting storyline could be if Kolby and his high school batterymate Lucas Herbert progress through the system together at the same rate, which is still quite possible as Herbert also missed time in 2015 when he suffered a knee injury.</p>
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<h3>3.) Ozhaino Albies</h3>
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<p>The Braves had what we felt to be an extremely good and extremely tightly packed top 3 prospects, so unfortunately out mid season number 1 of Ozzie Albies had to drop down to number 3 (which is really more like 1b) with the acquisitions made this offseason. Albies career has been nothing short of phenomenal to this point, with a career .328/.395/.417 slash line with 51 stolen bases in 155 games. For much of the 2015 season he led the minor leagues in hits, though he saw a drop off in numbers and an eventually shut down due to a broken thumb. Before an extended slump to end the season (likely partially contributed to by the injury) he was hitting .334/.389/.435, and still managed to end the season hitting .310/.368/.404. He was the 5th youngest player to start the season in full season ball, and throughout the course of the year did not face a single pitcher that was younger than him. For most of the year he was the youngest player on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list, and will be one of the youngest players in the Carolina League next year. His spray chart is truly a thing of beauty, as he sprays the ball equally to all fields from both sides of the plate. He has an 8.2% walk rate this year and a 12.8% strikeout rate, both solid numbers that indicate his future as a potential lead off hitter. It's hard to find comparisons for Albies, because it's hard to find someone with his profile who has put up numbers as good as he has at his age. He does this despite being listed generously at 5'9, though he is likely close to 5'7. Not only did he steal a high number of bases this year, he was very efficient succeeding on 78.3% of his attempts. Going into 2016 he should start at High A Carolina alongside Dansby Swanson, and the Braves decision of who plays shortstop could be important for the future of the franchise. If he performs like he has so far in his career he will likely get called up to Mississippi mid season, and the Braves would give him an opportunity to win the starting second base job from (assumedly) Jace Peterson. If he struggles a bit, no one would bat an eye to see the teenager stay at Carolina for a full season.</p>
<p><br>Ozzie isn't much of a power threat, but that has not held him back to this point in his career. He is strong enough to hit good fastballs with authority, and has shown enough power to project for good gap power in maturity. He is definitely not going to be the type to hit 15 home runs, but a few seasons of 7 or 8 would not surprise me. Albies calling card is his innate contact skills. He is one of the top pure hitters in the minor leagues. He can barrel up almost any pitch and has quick wrists and fantastic hand eye coordination. Ozzie uses the entire field and has the patience at the plate to draw walks when he needs to. He has a smooth, athletic swing, and consistently shows the same swing from both sides of the plate. Given his age, his level of advancement with his offensive abilities is incredible and could allow him to move quickly through the system. He has all the skills to be a leadoff hitter in the major leagues, especially with his speed which is plus plus. He is improving with his baserunning skills and with further improvement should be a 50 base stealer at the major league level. That is just another area of his game where he shows tremendous polish for a 19 year old. Defensively, he is as natural at the shortstop position as any player I've seen except Andrelton Simmons. He moves well to both sides of his body, and has the first step quickness and top end speed to run down anything hit to his side of the field. He has a consistent gloves, and soft, quick hands that allow him to scoop any ball and quickly transfer it. Albies should be a lethal double play with those skills and his great footwork around the base and in the field. The only question mark has been his arm, which some expect to improve to being above average or plus, while others are wary of a guy his size. His main issue with errors has been errant throws, something that he should be able to fix with maturity but if not will lead to him being moved to second base. He has stated his willingness to move if called upon, and has the work ethic and intelligence to be able to easily make any transition the Braves ask him to. All in all, Ozhaino Albies is the most exciting homegrown position player the Braves have produced since Freddie Freeman, and he could be up in the major leagues at the opening of the new stadium.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/7/12/8934129/atlanta-braves-prospects-ozhaino-albies"><b>Talking Chop's Scouting Report on Ozzie Albies</b></a></p>
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<h3>2.) Sean Newcomb</h3>
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<p>Coming in at number two on our countdown is the newly acquired Sean Newcomb, who ranked among the top 25 prospects in all of baseball at the time of his acquisition. Coming over in the Andrelton Simmons trade with the Angels, Newcomb was a first round pick out of Hartford after setting school records for strikeouts and presumably most other pitching metrics. After an adjustment period during his short stint in rookie ball, Newcomb took off in 2015 and has the look of a future frontline pitcher. Sporting a big 6'5 frame and easy delivery, Newcomb has most of the tools you want in a starting pitcher. His fastball is his best pitch, which he throws anywhere from 92 all the way up to 98 and has some bite to it. His curveball is probably his second best pitch, although his command over the pitch can get away from him at times. Finally, he also sports a changeup which is not as developed as his other pitches, but is already an average pitch despite only learning it late in his college career. An extra plus for Newcomb is that given he was a pitcher from a small college, he doesn't have a lot of the same miles on his arm or lack of projection as many college starters. Many scouts think that he could actually gain a little bit more velocity and continue to get even better as he gains experience and is coached at more advanced levels.</p>
<p>2015 was a break out campaign for Newcomb, no question. After dealing with some minor growing pains in rookie ball, Newcomb started the year in A-ball but was only down there for 7 starts in which he struck out 45 batters in 34.1 innings before quickly jumping to high-A. His new level proved to not provide much more resistance as he had a 2.47 ERA while striking out 84 in 65.2 IP over 13 games before being promoted AGAIN to AA. While not quite as dominant in his 7 starts AA, he still struck out more than a batter an inning and sported a 2.75 ERA. He did all of this damage, by the way, in the California League which is not known at all for being hospitable to pitchers. While there is a lot to like about Newcomb, one area that he does need to address his command as he walked 76 batters over 136 innings in 2015, which the problem getting worse as he progressed last year. Fortunately, his stuff has been so good that the free passes haven't hurt him too badly yet, its certainly an area of focus for Sean as he is already knocking on the door of the big league club. Newcomb is a non-roster invitee to spring training although due to service time considerations its extraordinarily unlikely he starts the year with the Braves unless they get bitten by the injury bug again. He will start the year in all likelihood in Gwinnett and if he performs well in AAA could be called up by the All-Star break, although it may serve him well to continue to hone his craft and wait a bit longer to make his debut.</p>
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<h3>1.) Dansby Swanson</h3>
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<p>Rounding out our top 25 is the first Number 1 overall pick in the Braves system since Chipper Jones. Dansby started out his 2015 with the Vanderbilt Commodores, where he was an accomplished collegiate player with a national championship and College World Series MVP to his name. 2015 saw him break out in a big way with a .335/.423/.623 slash line with 16 stolen bases and 15 home runs in 71 games. That versatility is what made the Diamondbacks believe in Dansby enough to make him to top pick in the 2015 Amateur Draft. He missed time with a concussion after getting hit in the face with a pitch in extended spring training, but returned to action with a new face shield and a thirst for vengeance. He got off to a nonchalant start in his first 7 games, but finished the season with a .289/.394/.482 slash line with the short season A ball Hillsboro Hops. Excluding those first 7 games he hit .352/.462/.519 in 15 games. He posted great rate stats, with a 14.1% walk rate and an equal 14.1% K rate. He was a heavy pull hitter (60% of hits went to the left side) but he also had a good share of extra base hits to the opposite field. The, in the trade to top all trades the Braves acquired him from the Diamondbacks on December 8, 2015, a day that will live on in the memories of Braves fans. Since then, he has been the center of many discussions for Braves fans who seem him as an immediate replacement for Erick Aybar. 2016 will be important for Swanson, and he should start in High A Carolina. Even if he has some struggles, I would expect him to be promoted to Mississippi some time in the middle of the season. There is even a possibility he will be called up for a short splash in Atlanta in September. He will be expected to compete for and win the starting shortstop job in 2017, and even if he doesn't he will likely be called up permanently at some point that year.</p>
<p><br>Swanson is an all around player, and should contribute to the team with every facet of his play. He is a heavy pull hitter, but has some of the quickest wrists I've seen and can turn on any fastball with some authority. He doesn't roll over pitches either, he does a good job of hitting them hard on the ground or on a line, and can get elevation on pitches left up in the zone. He covers every part of the plate and has a smooth simple swing that allows him generate a lot of line drives and keep his strikeout rates down. There are varying opinions on his power. His raw power is somewhere around major league average, but his swing isn't geared for home runs and that may limit his power output at the next level. Still, he should hit double digit home runs with a few 20 home run seasons sprinkled in during his prime. In game he shows great gap power, and can drive the ball the other way with authority. This should allow him to produce a lot of doubles. He is a very intelligent and calm player, and shows it on the field. On two occasions in the same game I saw him tag up from first base, and he's confident in his abilities in the field. He always seems to be in the right place and has the maturity and Baseball IQ to take his time when he needs to or to speed up and make a quicker play when he needs to. He is level-headed but hard nosed, and it surprises me that the Diamondbacks would part with a player that is as gritty as Swanson. He has the defensive skills to play a well above average shortstop, and unlike Albies there are no real questions about his arm. While he isn't the fastest runner in the world he is still above average to plus with his speed and that allows him to make most of his plays. Dansby is a consistent, cool-under-pressure performer who works and plays hard. He projects to fit perfectly in the two spot in the order, and should be a staple in Braves lineups for awhile.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/12/15/10144788/comparing-ozhaino-albies-and-dansby-swanson-braves"> </a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/12/15/10144788/comparing-ozhaino-albies-and-dansby-swanson-braves"><b>Featured Article on Talking Chop Comparing Dansby Swanson to Ozzie Albies</b></a></p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2016/1/16/10708286/talking-chops-2016-pre-season-braves-prospect-rankings-1-5Eric ColeGarrett Spain2016-01-15T10:00:10-05:002016-01-15T10:00:10-05:00Talking Chop's 2016 Braves Prospect Rankings: 6-10
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<p>We enter the top ten of our 2016 top 25 Braves prospects list with a new addition, a player who did not play at all in 2015, and one of the most exciting young prospects in the system.</p> <p>And we are getting down to the wire with our countdown of our top 25 Braves prospects as we enter the top ten prospects. Before we go any further, here are some more fun facts about our 2016 list of top prospects.</p>
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<li><span>11 players who were on our midseason top 25 are no longer in our top 25</span></li>
<li><span>The longest name in the top 25 is 15 letters (first and last combined). The shortest name has 7 letters.</span></li>
<li><span>11 players in the top 25 were drafted in the 1st Round of the MLB draft (including supplemental rounds)</span></li>
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<p><span>As per the usual, here are the players that we have ranked up until now</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><b>11. Tyrell Jenkins</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>12. Mike Soroka</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>13. Braxton Davidson</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>14. Rio Ruiz</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>15. John Gant</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>16. Ricardo Sanchez</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>17. Zach Bird</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>18. Chris Ellis</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>19. Cristian Pache</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>20. Derian Cruz</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>21. Lucas Herbert</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>22. Dustin Peterson</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>23. Connor Lien</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>24. Juan Yepez</b></p>
<p><b>25. Ronald Acuna</b></p>
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<p>Alright, enough of all of that, here are 6-10 of our top 25 Braves prospects where we see a fair bit of movement from the last list we posted in July.</p>
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<h3>10.) Touki Toussaint</h3>
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<p>Beginning our top ten is Touki Toussaint, a player that entered the Braves system as one its top prospects and could very easily be so again once he works out some issues in the lower minors. After being acquired from the Diamondbacks for Phil Gosselin and some money in the form of taking on Bronson Arroyo's contract (thanks again Dave Stewart!), Touki has some of the highest upside in the Braves' farm system, but began his career as a 1st Round pick of the Diamondbacks in 2014 right out of high school. Despite a late start to playing baseball, he was billed as one of the most athletic pitchers in his draft class and his raw stuff is tantalizing. His fastball ranges from 92 to being clocked at 98 mph last year with a lot of movement, but the pitch that garners the most attention is his knockout curve that is already a plus pitch, possibly plus-plus if he can get more control over it. He throws a changeup and at times its a good pitch, but in his zeal to improve it he overthrows it at times which has resulted in some rough outings when batters just sat on the pitch. His command leaves something to be desired, but he is still a very young pitcher and is often absolutely unhittable. If he can get more consistent with his control, he will jump back up our lists in a hurry.</p>
<p>2015 was a strange year for Toussaint. After being traded to the Braves for essentially cash and a marginal utility player, some wondered if the Diamondbacks had cause for souring on Toussaint so early (injury, etc). However, soon after his arrival, it became apparent that Toussaint was still loaded with potential, but had a lot of work to do. In five of his ten starts for the Braves in 2015, he gave up one run or less. However, he also had 3 starts where he gave up 5 or more earned runs. He also walked 33 batters in 48.2 IP for Rome which is certainly not where he wants to be. Reliably throwing strikes with his fastball, especially at the higher end of its range, would go a long way for Touki as it would set up his fledgling changeup and already advanced curve. He did spend the entire season in A ball last year (17 starts overall), but with a 4.83 ERA and an overall FIP north of 5, its hard to call the season promotion worthy. He might start the season in Carolina, although it may be more prudent to start him back in Rome and then line him up for a promotion to Carolina before the All-Star break and finish the season there.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/7/3/8864907/touki-toussaint-scouting-report-atlanta-braves"><b>Talking Chop's Scouting Report on Touki Toussaint</b></a></p>
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<h3>9.) Mallex Smith</h3>
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<p>At 9 we have the true breakout star of 2015 in Mallex Smith. From the opening of the 2015 season he destroyed AA pitching to a .340/.418/.413 slash line with 23 stolen bases in 57 games. After sporting a .477 OBP in 17 games in June and earning a spot on the Southern League all star team he was promoted to AAA Gwinnett. He initially struggled mightily, but picked it up and ended the season hitting .336/.386/.426 in the final month. He has hit over .300 in his last 2 seasons and stolen a total of 145 bases. Smith was seen as possibly the least impactful of the quartet of young players acquired for Justin Upton, but did more to raise his stock than any of the others. He had some fluky power numbers in the hitter friendly California League last year, but outside of that and AAA this year he has been a very consistent hitter. He has carried a K rate of between 16.6% and 18.2% at each level he has played, a walk rate between 11.3% and 15.3%, and an ISO around .080. He has always carried a high BABIP, but with his speed that should not be at all a surprise. Mallex's strikeout rates are not ideal for a player of his profile, but in getting bumped to AAA he saw a slight decrease to a 14.3% rate. Unfortunately, and perhaps most concerningly, he saw his walk rate dip all the way to 7.8%. Still he managed to put up solid numbers with a .339 OBP and 34 stolen bases in 69 games. 2016 will be a huge season for Mallex, who barring injury will get at least a September call up. If there are any potential trades looming for the Braves he may well make the team out of spring training, but if not I would expect to see him sometime around the middle of the season.</p>
<p><br>Mallex has unfortunately never had the best of scouting reports. It doesn't take long to see why in person, as he is still a rough player. He shows a lot of stiffness in his swing and seems to hit an inordinate amount of pitches into left field and the left field bleachers. He is also a work in progress in the outfield, though his speed has and will continue to allow him to make up for some of his mistakes. His arm is average at best, and that's upgraded due to his ability to make accurate throws most of the time. Because of these reasons and his lack of power I'm of course hesitant to throw all of my eggs in this basket. There are, however, many examples of players that defy all of the odds and quirks of their game to still become great major league ballplayers (Hunter Pence being an extreme example). One thing that you absolutely cannot deny about Mallex is his speed. He is a true 80 grade runner and that plays up from the left side of the plate. It helps him close on balls in the outfield when he makes mistakes, and from my first viewing of him in Gwinnett to my last he had made obvious strides in his ability to play the outfield. For him to be producing despite being a very raw player is actually a positive sign in my eyes, as once he gets everything fixed he could be looking at drastic improvements. There are some holes to his swing, but he is a fighter at the plate who never takes at bats off. Of all the players I scouted this year he had by far the longest at bats, and often those ended in walks. He is a willing and intelligent bunter as well, and that helps him even more at the plate. There are some holes even to his running game, namely his large turns around bases, but he still has a lot of skill there. On the field, he is smart, hard-working baseball player who is willing to make an adjustment, and off the field he works just as hard and seems to be a great guy in the clubhouse. Count me as one of the bigger fans of the person, but he's a guy I will just have to see perform at the major league level to truly be convinced.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/7/29/9053797/mallex-smith-scouting-report-atlanta-braves"><b>Talking Chop's Scouting Report on Mallex Smith</b></a></p>
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<h3>8.) Max Fried</h3>
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<p>At number 8 on our list is Max Fried, a player that has been pushed down our list (and others) mainly due to inactivity and the Braves continuing to acquire players rather than anything he has done wrong. Acquired in deal that sent Justin Upton to the Padres, Fried did not pitch in 2015 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. However, before the surgery, he was regarded as one of the best left-handed pitching prospects in baseball due to his advanced feel for pitching and strong three pitch mix. He featured a fastball that routinely hit the low 90s but could go higher. He also had a hard curve, although the effectiveness of that particular pitch is an open question post-surgery. His changeup was average, but he was gaining feel for it pre-injury and will likely be a focus for him in 2016. For his minors career, he sported a 3.61 ERA in 147 IP while striking on 127 Ks and 67 walks.</p>
<p>Its hard to accurately gauge Fried as a prospect right now because we honestly don't know how he will look on the mound coming back. All the reports on his rehab were glowing and he has been very active and open with the Braves community, including <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Braves/comments/3ti9tj/i_am_max_fried_left_handed_pitcher_thats/">doing an AMA over on Reddit</a> that showed he was excited to get 2016 underway and stay healthy. At his best, he could/should average about a strikeout per inning pitched, although he best BB/9 he post in the Padres org was still north of 3. He never finished a full season of A-ball, so he will likely see some time there in 2016. However, given that he is 21 and is likely to be on some sort of innings limit, the Braves may promote him to Carolina quickly (if not start him there altogether) to give all the young arms time in Rome and get him back on track development-wise. As we have said with a several prospects on this list, 2016 will be a big year in terms of ranking Fried going forward. If he bounces right back from Tommy John, the Braves will have one of the best left-handed prospects in baseball that everyone keeps forgetting about a couple years away in the farm system. If not, then he will have to be re-evaluated in the short-term. In short, stay tuned.</p>
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<h3>7.) Aaron Blair</h3>
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<p>At number 7 we have the most recent addition to the Braves system in Aaron Blair. Blair had a great 2015, and looks to build on that in 2016 with the highest floor of any of the prospects and a good bit of ceiling still left to reach. He has been nothing but successful since being taken in the first round out of Marshall, and had his best performance of his career with a 2.92 ERA over 2 levels in 2015. In 6 starts in May he put up a stellar 0.89 ERA, and just 3 starts into June he was bumped up to AAA Reno. He made 13 starts in the very hitter friendly Pacific Coast League, and posted a 3.16 ERA. He got better as the year went on in AA, with a 4.86 ERA in June, a 4.19 ERA in July, a 2.40 ERA in August, and a 0.82 ERA in September. Excluding his first start at AAA in which he allowed 8 earned runs, he had a 2.34 ERA with Reno and a 2.53 ERA over 2 levels. He has seen his walk rate fall slightly each year since being drafted, and though he saw a major drop in strikeouts this year his father, Craig, stated in the comment section of a previous article on Aaron, "part of that was the new front office of the Diamondbacks stressing the use(overuse)of the 2-seam fastball." among the players in their system. This is apparent in his ground ball numbers, which jumped from 40.86% of batted ball in 2014 to 52.28% in 2015. In all but 3 of his 26 starts this year Blair went 6 or more innings, and went 5.2IP, 5IP, and 4IP in those other 3. Blair will likely start 2016 in AAA, but has shown that he is ready for the major leagues and should he have an outstanding spring or if another pitcher gets injured or struggles expect to see an early call up for Aaron. He will likely make his debut by the middle of the season, and will definitely see time in Atlanta in 2016 if he can stay healthy.</p>
<p><br>While none of Blair's pitches really jump out at first glance, he has an excellent feel for all of his pitches. His fastball runs in the low 90's and can touch 95, and he does that with easy velocity from his 6'5" 230lb frame. He attacks the strike zone with the pitch, and is able to generate a lot of ground balls and swings and misses with above average arm side movement and sink. When he needs to, he has shown an ability to really paint the corner on both sides of the plate, a skill that will really help ease his transition to the major leagues. He features a changeup as his main offspeed pitch. The pitch shows plus potential, and he already has great command over the pitch. The arm action on the pitch is great, and he gets solid movement as well. His third pitch is a sometimes inconsistent 12-6 curveball. The development of that pitch will likely tell the tale on whether Blair's future is as a back end starter or a solid #2 or very good #3. The pitch is one that he has already shown improvement on in his professional career, and if he continues to develop could make into an above average pitch. The downward movement on the pitch is very good, and much of the issues I noticed with his inconsistent break could be directly attributable to watching his games with Reno when he often played at higher elevations. Still, he does struggle to control his curveball at this phase in his career and will need to improve on it and feature more prominently to reach his potential. Blair's main skill is his advanced feel for pitching and his confidence in attacking hitters. He doesn't fall behind in counts very often and when he does he battles back and can usually force the hitter to work. He figures to be a pitcher who will be a workhorse of a staff that you can count on to pitch 200+ innings with no problem. He has been a reliable pitcher in the minor leagues and that figures to translate to a solid career in the major leagues.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/12/14/10021088/aaron-blair-atlanta-braves-prospect-scouting-report"><b>Talking Chop's Scouting Report on Aaron Blair</b></a></p>
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<h3>6.) Austin Riley</h3>
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<p>At number 6 on our list is a player who was not even on our midseason prospect list in third baseman Austin Riley. Riley is a fascinating example of a player who, at least at first glance, validated the hopes of an organization that took a chance on a guy. Drafted 41st overall, Austin was a bit of an oddity given that many teams were honestly not sure if was going to be a position player or a pitcher (he threw in the 90s in high school). However, the Braves liked his power potential and ability to play third enough to spend a high draft pick on him. So far, that decision is playing dividends. Defensively, Riley is a bit raw (had a couple rough games in rookie ball in the field) but features a very strong arm and soft hands even if his range will never be the best. His lack of speed and range will probably keep the Gold Gloves off his mantle, but he should be an average fielder. At the plate, Austin features a smooth power stroke and he has quick hands, especially for a player his size. He has plus raw power as well as a the ability to draw walks. While he does have some swing and miss in his game, he improved over the course of his first season in that department and should get on-base at a good clip while hitting for respective average and having power to all fields.</p>
<p>Ranking Austin this highly is certainly aggressive, especially given where other publications have put him. However, given the dearth of power in the majors these days in particular at the already thin third base position, players like Austin are a rare commodity. In his first year at the tender age of 18 (60 games total), he hit 12 home runs while slashing .304/.389/.544 with an ISO of .240 over two levels of rookie ball. Whats better is that he actually got better at Danville where he made significant improvements in his K%, batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. While some of this was due to a jump in his BABIP in Danville, his BABIP in the GCL was bad and he still put up the same power numbers. This was also all from a player who openly admitted he was not used to the pitching velocity that he saw in pro ball. Again, he certainly had a couple rough games defensively, but even those cases the conditions were reportedly horrid and by all accounts he made real strides in the field over the course of those 60 games. Arguably the most exciting prospect in the system, we thoroughly expect Austin to spend the entire season at Rome and, if he performs well there, could be fast tracked to the majors after that.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2016/1/15/10708278/talking-chops-2016-atlanta-braves-prospect-rankings-6-10Eric Cole2016-01-14T10:00:00-05:002016-01-14T10:00:00-05:00Talking Chop's 2016 Prospect Rankings: 11-15
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<p>In the third part of our 2016 Top 25 prospect rankings, we looking at a mix of pitchers and position players including a fast riser from the 2015 draft</p> <p>Ten down, fifteen prospects to go as we continue our countdown of out top 25 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a> prospects for 2016. Before we go any further in to the list. Here are a few more interesting tidbits about the players in the top 25:</p>
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<li><span>12 of the 25 players have yet to see play above Single-A</span></li>
<li><span>Of the 25 players on the list, 10 are from the southeastern US</span></li>
<li><span>The only letters of the alphabet that fail to appear in a prospect on the list's name are Q and V</span></li>
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<p>Enough of the random facts of interest, lets recap the list that we have so far.</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><b>16. <span>Ricardo Sanchez</span></b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>17. Zach Bird</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>18. Chris Ellis</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>19. Christian Pache</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>20. Derian Cruz</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>21. Lucas Herbert</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>22. <span>Dustin Peterson</span></b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>23. <span>Connor Lien</span></b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>24. Juan Yepez</b></p>
<p><b>25. Ronald Acuna</b></p>
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<p>Its at this point where we start to get to the cream of the crop and ranking decisions are much more difficult. The Braves system as it stands is far deeper than it used to be, so by no means is it a knock on a player to be outside the top ten in this system as there are plenty of players that have a really strong chance at being good major league regulars in this range. Here are the next five players in our countdown....</p>
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<h3>15.) <span>John Gant</span>
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<p>For our number 15 prospect, 2015 was the biggest year of his career. In fact, 2015 may have been more than he could have ever hoped for. His numbers aren't jump off the page good, but he put up solid numbers and peripherals and improved drastically in his abilities. Gant has had good numbers, but was never truly received any fanfare after putting up a 2.89 ERA in 2013 and a 2.56 ERA in 2014. Early in the season ,Gant was pushed up to AAA by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> before a rough performance had him knocked down to High A St Lucie. After putting up a 1.79 ERA, he was bumped back up to Binghamton before coming over to the Braves in the trade that sent <span>Kelly Johnson</span> and <span>Juan Uribe</span> to New York. The Savannah native was phenomenal in his first stint with his childhood team, putting up a 1.99 ERA in 7 starts. Excluding his poor first few games with Binghamton, he struck out more than a batter an inning this season and walked under 3 batters per game. Looking forward to 2016, Gant (now a member of the Braves 40 man roster) should start at Mississippi and get bumped up to Gwinnett mid season. If all goes his way he may even push for a September call up to Atlanta.</p>
<p>2015 wasn't really much of a statistical improvement for Gant, and the trade didn't really seem to affect him much. The big change for Gant came in his scouting report. He worked in St Lucie with pitching coach Phil Regan, a move that shifted Gant's career in the right direction. Regan and Gant worked together on a mechanical tweak and soon a man who once pushed his fastball at around 88 mph was topping out at 94 and 95. He's got solid command and control on his fastball and gets good arm side movement with it. His 6'5" frame allows him to generate that velocity with low effort, and for a big guy he controls that body well. He works a solid curveball that can at times flash above average potential, but is inconsistent and tends to get spiked a bit. His money pitch, however, is his changeup. He throws the change in the high 70's and low 80s, and it is a ridiculous vulcan change with a nasty drop and some arm side bite. It is the most advanced changeup of any pitcher in the system, and the pitch is easy plus and potentially plus plus in the future. Gant has a solid all around arsenal and could sneak his way into the back end of the rotation some time in 2017.</p>
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<h3>14.) <span>Rio Ruiz</span>
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<p>At #14 on our list is Rio Ruiz, who needs a good 2016 or risks plunging down the ranks. Acquired in the trade that sent <span>Evan Gattis</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> and also brought <span>Mike Foltynewicz</span> over, Ruiz was billed as a possible third baseman of the future for the Braves. Drafted in the 4th round by the Astros, Ruiz formed a very formidable left side of the infield with <span>Carlos Correa</span> in the minors before being traded. He has been projected to have plus power in the past, although that has translated more to the gaps than home runs in the minors. He is very disciplined at the plate, which has translated into a relatively high OBP given his struggles in the batting average department. He has made strides at third base defensively after struggling early on in his minors career. He doesn't have the greatest range, but does have a strong arm so he definitely has the potential to be an average defender at third.</p>
<p>Rio had a tough 2015, although he did show the potential at times that intrigued the Braves. He had one of the weirder slash lines you will see with a .233/.333/.324 with 5 home runs and 46 RBI in 2015, but there were positive signs. He definitely improved defensively at 3rd, maintained his high walk rate, and there was marked improvement in Rio's second half over the first half. His batting average was over 40 points higher in the second half and he hit all five of his homers in the second half as well. While the improvement wasn't so much as to justify moving him up a level, it was enough to not discount him as a prospect completely. In all likelihood, he will start the year at Mississippi again and will be a prime candidate to move up to Gwinnett if he does well as there is a definite lack of position player talent in AAA. Its hard to say how well he would do there as he has usually struggled when he first gets to a level, but I imagine that the earliest he could make it to Atlanta is 2017 unless he turns in to <span>Manny Machado</span> next year.</p>
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<h3>13.) Braxton Davidson</h3>
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<p>At 13, we have the top pick of the 2014 draft in Braxton Davidson. Out of high school, Davidson was known to have some of the best raw power of any amateur, but was a huge swing and miss guy. That has carried over into his professional career, as he has struck out over 20% of the time in both seasons and 27.3% of the time in 2015. He balances that with incredible walk rates, 17% for his career. That allowed him to maintain a .381 OBP in 2015 despite some seriously poor stretches of play in which he struggled to make contact. He hit 10 home runs this year, but that is a far cry from his expectations coming out of high school. Still, he was one of the better hitters in the Braves minor league system this year, and showed statistical improvement in every category except strikeouts between 2015 and his time in rookie ball in 2014. Ideally, Davidson should start 2016 in Carolina, and it wouldn't be a surprise for him to spend the entire year there. He will be one of the 5 or so youngest players in the league but should be exciting to watch develop.</p>
<p>Braxton is one of those players that flashes his outstanding talent but has yet to put it together on the stat lines. There are stretches at the plate where he is pretty much unstoppable (.295/.431/.455 in June) and others where he just isn't (.183/.341/.296 in July). The power is real for Davidson. When he makes contact with the ball you know it's him. There are no cheap swings and the ball comes off of his bat harder than anyone I saw in the system this year. He's also one of the most patient players in the minor leagues. It's not even a matter of playing against poor pitching either, he is just very good at working the count and has a very good sense of the strike zone. He doesn't have much speed and never will, and that really limits him defensively. Davidson's bat will have to carry him, as he is still a work in progress in right field and probably is looking at a below average defensive ceiling. He does occasionally struggle to make contact to hittable pitches, but that seems to be more related to a lack of consistency than anything else. Many of his problems will be more due to his approach than anything. He has the power to hit a ball out to any part of the field, but it is still not great to see a player with that profile spraying the ball around and hitting more to the opposite field than to pull.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/12/21/10470794/the-conundrum-of-braves-outfield-prospect-braxton-davidson"><b>Talking Chop's Write-up on Braxton Davidson</b></a></p>
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<h3>12.) Mike Soroka</h3>
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<p>Number 12 on our list is a player that, on draft day, many observers believed to be a reach for the Braves to select 28th overall, Mike Soroka. As it turns out, the gamble is paying off so far for the Braves as Soroka is among the best young arms currently in the farm system. A known commodity in Canadian baseball circles, sports a great 6'5 frame and three potential plus pitches. His fastball and curveball were already advanced when he was drafted, with his fastball hitting the mid 90's and his curve having lots of late action, although he needs to be a bit more deceptive with it as batters are laying off of it when its out of the zone which hurts its strikeout potential. The pitch he has made his biggest strides with is his changeup, which he has stated in interviews has been a priority for him. He has gained command over the pitch and its strong sinking action gives it a chance to be a strong out pitch. He is advanced mentally in terms of his approach to the game and his coaches have raved about his work ethic and coachability.</p>
<p>After the draft, many observers were unsure as to what to think of Soroka given the relative lack of information and hype you generally see around a first round pick. Even the most optimistic of us still had our doubts, but Mike quickly put those doubts to rest in 2015. Between two levels of rookie ball, Soroka put up a 3.18 ERA in 10 games (34 innings of work)while striking out more than a batter an inning and walking a total of 5 batters all year. He wasn't as dominant at Danville as he was in the GCL, but even in that small sample size he still performed extremely well. He only gave up 12 earned runs total despite being fresh out of high school and just turned 18 this past August. He is only pushed out of the top ten by recent, somewhat more proven acquisitions but don't be surprised if Soroka ascends comfortably in to the top ten by year's end. He is likely to spend the year pitching for Rome for what is sure to be a very exciting, young team.</p>
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<h3>11.) <span>Tyrell Jenkins</span>
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<p>Perhaps the most popular player on this list, number 11 is fan favorite <span>Tyrell Jenkins</span>. Jenkins was the first prospect to return from the series of trades made by the front office between 2014 and 2015, and instantly made waves in the Braves system. He put his injury woes behind him and pitched over 100 innings in a season for the first time in his career. He battled arm fatigue late in the season, but that doesn't damper the incredible progress he made. Tyrell started in Mississippi, and after 16 games with a 3.00 ERA and Southern League All Star honors he was promoted to AAA Gwinnett. He immediately made an impact and had a 2.03 ERA through his first 5 starts. His best start came in his 4th with Gwinnett when he went 8 shutout innings and only allowed 2 hits. Still, despite all the positives not all was well for Jenkins. He struck out just 5.7 batters per 9 innings and walked 4 per nine on the season. Jenkins goes into 2016 with an outside shot of making the rotation out of camp, but likely will spend a few months with Gwinnett where he will hopefully earn a call up to Atlanta. If not, a September call up seems almost certain.</p>
<p>From the time he was drafted it has been all about the athleticism and potential for Tyrell. He was a two sport star in high school with a scholarship to play quarterback at Baylor, and that sort of incredible athletic talent shows up quickly on the field. He generates his mid 90's velocity with ease, and despite a difficult wind up with a hitch in his hips before his release he does a fairly good job of staying consistent and in control. Still, his command for all of his pitches is shaky at best. Every fastball he throws has hard arm side bite and sink, and when he is on he can command the pitch very well. His velocity and movement has not translated to many strikeouts yet, but it does lead to a lot of soft ground balls that are easy for his infield to scoop up. He has a below average curveball, but the pitch at times flashes above average potential with a deep, sharp downward break. Again, the issue for him is his control of the pitch and the inconsistent break does not help him. He also mixes in a changeup that can flash fringe average potential but is likely going to be a below average pitch at the major league levels. Even with all of his physical talent, where Tyrell gets the highest praise is with his make up. Obviously, his personable nature jumps off the page, but behind the scenes he is a hard working player who genuinely loves to come to the field and pitch every 5th day. For me, my favorite moment was watching him in a game he wasn't pitching, when he was on the top step supporting his team while they were on defense. He was doing this in the middle of a rainstorm. On the mound he maintains composure even when he struggles, and competes hard and attacks hitters. The biggest problem for Tyrell is still his lack of a true out pitch. He often works ahead of hitters but finds them battling back in counts or forcing high pitch counts because he struggles to put him away. Still, there is a lot of time for him develop and he does have a nice ceiling to look forward to.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/7/24/9029887/tyrell-jenkins-scouting-report-atlanta-braves"><b>Talking Chop's Scouting Report on Tyrell Jenkins</b></a></p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2016/1/14/10708284/talking-chops-2016-pre-season-braves-prospect-rankings-11-15Eric ColeGarrett Spain2016-01-13T12:00:05-05:002016-01-13T12:00:05-05:00Talking Chop's 2016 Prospect Rankings: 16-20
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<p>In this installment of our 2016 top 25 Braves prospects, we begin to see the depth of the Braves' minor league pitching as three pitchers make appearances in addition to two player who have yet to debut</p> <p>Welcome back to our series where we introduce our top 25 Braves prospects. Before we go any further, here are some fun facts about the players on our list (if nothing else, these could be clues in terms of who is and isn't on our list)</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><span>6 of the players on our list were international signees</span></li>
<li><span>21 of the players were not members of the Braves organization at the end of the 2014 season</span></li>
<li><span>The average age of prospects on our list is exactly 20 years old</span></li>
</ul>
<p>More fun facts to come, but for now lets get back to what you came here for. Here's a quick recap of our list thus far</p>
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<p><b>21) Lucas Herbert</b></p>
<p><b>22) Dustin Peterson</b></p>
<p><b>23) Connor Lien</b></p>
<p><b>24) Juan Yepez</b></p>
<p><b>25) Ronald Acuna</b></p>
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<p>As for prospects 16-20, they are.....</p>
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<h3>20.) Derian Cruz</h3>
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<p>Coming in at number 20 on our list is new international signee Derian Cruz. Cruz was the highest paid amongst the Braves' international signees in 2015 with a contract around $2 million. That signing bonus, as it turns out, is a franchise record for the Braves (which will be shattered in 2016 almost assuredly) which tells you how much they covet the young shortstop. Derian features top of the scales speed and is a switch hitter, so his build and skill set remind us a bit of a slightly bigger Ozhaino Albies. He was 16 at the time of his signing, so there are still a lot of unknowns regarding Cruz...especially in regards to his defense and prowess at each side of the plate. However, considering that the Braves wanted him bad enough to trade prospects away for international pool money, its clear that the young man has a lot of potential, especially in the eyes of the organization.</p>
<p>2016 will be a big year for Cruz in terms of evaluating him as a prospect. There is very little information out there about him (and with good reason given his age and that he is an international signee) so, in many respects, his ranking is our best guess and admittedly a conservative one. As with most international signees, the Braves will start Cruz out in rookie league in the GCL. If he performs well there, he will quickly get moved up to Danville to see how he performs against the more advanced rookie leaguers. Something to watch out for in 2016 is that Cruz is likely to not be the only speedster in the GCL for the Braves as Randy Ventura seems poised to make his professional debut as well. A lineup with Ventura, Cruz, and Cristian Pache is going to be a lot of fun to watch.</p>
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<h3>19.) Cristian Pache</h3>
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<p>Pache was, along with Derian Cruz, the top international signee of the 2015 period for the Braves. Pache, due to his ceiling and power potential, is getting the edge at 19. The Braves thought enough of Pache to give him $1.4 million and trade away 3 players in order to gain slots to sign he and Cruz. 2016 should be a solid starting point for Pache, who will likely debut as a 17 year old in the Gulf Coast League, where he will be among the youngest and most talented players. There is a lot of development left for Pache's game, so it won't be any surprise to see him struggle at the offset of his career.</p>
<p><br>Pache is currently a center fielder, which is no surprise with his 6.5 second 60 yard dash time. If he can maintain that speed through maturity he could be a valuable defender up the middle, but he has the power potential to project well in a corner outfield spot should the need arise. He is a natural athlete that has gotten good marks on his abilities in the outfield and on the base paths. The question for Pache will be with his ability to fix a somewhat funky swing. He tends to lunge forward with his upper body and get too far out on his front foot, which will leave him susceptible to better breaking pitches as he moves up the level. To adjust for this he kicks his back foot out on plays, which removes his base and will rob him of power and leave him off balance when he tries to run. No doubt he will be the subject of a lot of hard work in the batting cages to hopefully smooth out the inconsistencies he has at the plate. He has smooth and quick hands and should have no problem turning on pitches or driving them. His power has already begun to show up in games, and he has a frame that should be able to add power and maybe a few inches were he to hit a late growth spurt. He has a high offensive ceiling with his power and it will be a major point of emphasis to improve his batting fundamentals.</p>
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<h3>18.) Chris Ellis</h3>
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<p>At #18 on our list is the recently acquired Chris Ellis. Before being traded to the Braves in the Andrelton Simmons trade this past offseason, the righty had been drafted in the 3rd round of the 2014 draft out of Ole Miss after a stellar career there. He only appeared in a handful of games in rookie ball (not unusual for college draftees), but 2015 represented his first full season in pro ball. He has a three-pitch mix with a fastball, curveball, and changeup. His delivery comes over the top, but he also doesn't use his legs much to drive towards the plate. He instead relies on slinging the ball in which has resulted in repeatability and control issues in the past.</p>
<p>Ellis seems like a reliable bet to be an innings-eater in the majors, although his ceiling is probably that of a 4th or 5th starter. Some scouts seem to think that he is destined for the bullpen, as he does have command issues and his curveball is an average offering at best. The bigger problem for Ellis is commanding his fastball, which should sit in the 92-94 mph range with a chance to touch 95 or so. His lack of command was his biggest problem in 2015, as he sported a 4.96 BB/9 once he was promoted to AA (15 game sample size). The upside for Ellis is that he was much more successful in high-A with his control as well as his strikeout numbers, so its possible that given some time to develop that he could reign his pitches in and be a decent major league starter. He will start the year at AA as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training and could be moved quickly to AAA if he does well there.</p>
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<h3>17.) Zack Bird</h3>
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<p>At 17, we have another boom or bust player in Zack Bird. Like many on this list, Bird started out 2015 with another team before the Dodgers traded him to the Braves in the Paco Rodriguez trade in late July. Bird's 2015 got off to a rough start, and by the middle of the season he was sitting with a 4.75 ERA in the High A California League. Once he got to the Braves, they promoted him to AA where he got to play in his home town of Jackson. He debuted with 5 ⅔ innings of scoreless pitching and pitched 3 games before being shut down with an injury late in the season. The injury doesn't appear to be serious, and going into 2016 he could be facing a make or break year. As we all know, there is some serious starting pitching talent in the Braves system and if Bird can't find more consistent results he may find himself relegated to the bullpen. There is a lot of potential in his arm, but he will have to prove there is more to him than just something to dream on. Bird should start with Mississippi next year, and it would not be surprising to see him spend the whole year there.</p>
<p><br>Bird is one of the hardest throwers in the Braves system, and reports from the Dodgers system had him pushing up near 100 mph. He never touched those numbers with the Braves, but throws a 2 seam fastball and a cutter that top out at 94-95 and a 4 Seam fastball he can go a bit higher with. His 2 seam fastball has a nasty arm side bite with sink, and his cutter is equally as effective. He has a big athletic body and can generate good velocity naturally, but seems to give a little bit of extra effort sometimes. His main issue is his consistency with his control. His body is often out of control, and he seems to struggle with his release point. This causes him to miss up in the zone and he gets hit hard. His mixes in 3 off speed pitches, though none are really very effective at this stage. He struggles to command all 3, sometimes leaving his change up in the upper part of the zone and burying his curveball in the dirt. My personal favorite offering is a hard slider that while inconsistent flashes a ton of potential with a sharp break. His curveball lags just behind that, a typical 12-6 bender with good shape and movement on it. His change up is still a work in progress and flashes average potential but is too inconsistent to be useful at This stage. Bird is one of the more raw talents in the system, but has a lot of potential in the rotation if he can rein in his control a bit. If not, he would be very suitable in a late inning bullpen role if he can manage to develop that slider to its fullest.</p>
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<h3>16.) Ricardo Sanchez</h3>
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<p>Coming in at #16 on our list is Ricardo Sanchez, who was acquired from the Angels (you may see a pattern of acquisitions from the Angels, Diamondbacks, and Padres on this list just as an FYI) in exchange for Kyle Kubitza. While Kubitza could not manage to hit .200 in 19 games with the Angels (while slashing .271/.357/.433 in AAA), Ricardo continued to try and harness the great promise that he showed in rookie ball as a potential rotation lefty powerhouse. While not a huge guy (and he never will be although he should grow in to his frame a bit), Ricardo's stuff plays bigger with a fastball that can touch 95, a curveball that has the potential to be a very plus pitch, and a changeup that has improved although is not as good as his first two offerings. General game management and control have lagged for Ricardo, but given that he is just 18 years old its not surprising that he has yet to figure everything out. If he can harness his gifts, he could easily begin ascending our (and everyone else's) rankings again and quickly.</p>
<p>2015 was not a great year for Ricardo. A calf strain early in the year robbed him of a month and a half's worth of starts and then he went back on the disabled list in July where he would stay until the end of the year. In 10 starts at Rome, he went 1-6 with a 5.45 ERA. In 39.2 IP, he struck out 31 and walked 21 with the strikeouts being down for him and his walk rate being right in line with his rookie ball numbers. Control is very clearly an issue for Ricardo, although its unclear how much of his struggles this year were due to his injuries. However, what was more alarming is that he had a tough year despite holding opposing batters to a reasonable .286 BABIP. HIs FIP was a half run lower than his ERA though, so perhaps with a larger sample size of games he will begin to show more signs of improvement. Assuming he can work on his control and hold runners better on the basepaths, he could get promoted to Carolina in the middle of next season as he will most assuredly start the season in Rome again.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/7/14/8956029/ricardo-sanchez-scouting-report-atlanta-braves-rome"><b>Talking Chop's Scouting Report on Ricardo Sanchez</b></a></p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2016/1/13/10708288/talking-chops-2016-atlanta-braves-prospect-rankings-16-20Eric ColeGarrett Spain2016-01-12T10:00:00-05:002016-01-12T10:00:00-05:00Talking Chop's 2016 Top Braves Prospects: 21-25
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<p>In our first installment of our series unveiling our most recent top 25 Braves prospects, we take a look at five position players, three of whom made their pro debuts in 2015.</p> <p>Alright everybody, we have been hard at work to put together a new top 25 prospect list for you all to enjoy (and probably disagree with). Over the past 16 months or so, the Braves' farm system has undergone a drastic overhaul and even in the past few months we have seen a lot of high end prospects added to the system. While you are welcome to look back at our midseason prospect list from 2015 by <a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/7/15/8969531/2015-atlanta-braves-top-prospects-mid-season-update">clicking here</a>, you will notice a lot of changes from that list. Before we get to our first five prospects, lets go over a few things.</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><span>We have not included guys that have seen significant playing in the majors. This means that we didn't include guys like Manny Banuelos, Hector Olivera, Mike Foltynewicz, etc. There isn't a hard and fast rule for us in terms of the amount of MLB playing time makes you ineligible for the list, we just make a judgment call for better or worse</span></li>
<li><span>This list is not a list of players in order of their readiness for the major leagues. Its a list of who we think will be the best players while trying our best to take in to account risk, reward, ceiling, floor, etc. While we do look at a lot of statistical metrics, ultimately prospect rankings are an imperfect science...but we are happy with the result nonetheless. If you want to see another awesome list, the Talking Chop community has been doing a fantastic job with a community prospect list in the Fanposts section. Please check their hard work out, too.</span></li>
<li><span>Its is absolutely certain that will be wrong about multiple players on this list if not all of them. There will be players that outperform our expectations while others will fall short of them. Such is the life of a minor league writer. PLEASE let us know who you think we missed the boat on or who we are overrating, we want to hear from you. However, we are releasing our list as a series so please wait until the entire list is posted before asking where Mallex Smith, Dansby Swanson, or Kolby Allard are ranked.</span></li>
<li><span>Last time around we had a lot of requests of who almost made the cut on our list (an honorable mentions section of sorts). While we haven't been extending our lists out further than 25, some players that were recently bumped off or warranted heavy consideration from us included Jason Hursh, Isranel Wilson, Randy Ventura, Andrew Thurman, Steve Janas, Rob Whalen, and Jonathan Morales. Thats not a complete list but at least it gives you an idea of who we were thinking about. We may put out an article about those honorable mentions and others, but thats for another day.</span></li>
<li><span>Another big thanks to the entire Talking Chop crew for being a constant source of support for us. There are no finer people to work with then these guys. </span></li>
</ul>
<p>So without further delay....here are the first 5 members of our 2016 Braves Prospect List</p>
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<h4>25.) Ronald Acuna</h4>
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<p>If any player on this list is going to make a huge jump in their rankings by midseason it is the first, Ronald Acuna. His 2015 season may have only been half a season, but is was quite a sight to behold. The Venezuelan outfielder didn't turn 18 until a week before this Christmas, but already made waves at both stateside rookie ball levels. In 37 games in the Gulf Coast League he hit a respectable .258, but really showed out with his patience. He posted an 11.5% walk rate to bring his OBP to .376, and hit 3 home runs. The Braves bumped Acuna up, and he responded by hitting .290/.388/.464 with a home run in 18 games. He stole 16 of 20 bases over the course of two levels and carried a .977 fielding percentage with 4 assists. His strikeout rate did take a major jump (14.6% to 23.8%) when he was promoted, but with such a small sample size and his age-relative (-3.5 years) it's not much to read into.</p>
<p>Ronald Acuna screams potential. Possibly more so than anybody on this list. There's not much scouting to speak on in terms of his arm strength, but all of his other tools look to range from potentially above average (power) to present plus (speed). The speed of course jumps off of the page early for Acuna, as with 16 stolen bases in 55 games and 4 triples he has plenty of speed to man the center field position. He already plays solid defense and should improve as he rides up the levels. His scouting reports have been mostly positive on his bat. His 17.7% K rate for a 17 year old is pretty impressive, and he has shown great plate discipline in the early going. All of that points to a potential top of the order type guy, and when you add in his power potential you could be looking at a potential middle of the order player in the future. His ceiling remains high, but he has a long way to go to reach it.</p>
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<h4>24.) Juan Yepez</h4>
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<p>Young Juan Yepez was an international signee for the Braves out of Venezuela for north of $1 million dollars and the early returns have been pretty good so far. Yepez possesses very real raw power, although it has yet to show itself on the field which isn't that surprising given that he will not turn 18 until this coming February. Yepez was a highly sought after signee in 2014 when he sold himself as a third basemen. Scouts and most observers, however, doubt that he will be able to stick at third and seems to be headed towards a career at first base or left field. His glove is not the selling point on Yepez though, but instead his bat. He has a very quick swing and great control of his body as he swings which lets him hit the ball hard to all fields. He is very young and isn't a finished product by any means, but he is certainly an exciting bat in the Braves system.</p>
<p>Yepez had a very productive first season of pro ball in 2015. He slashed a line of .299/.361/.458 between both levels of rookie ball and impressed scouts with his swing and, for the most part, his approach at the plate. He did struggle a bit more with strikeouts and plate discipline in general when he got promoted to Danville (he had a K% of 24.1% on the season). However, for his first season of pro ball, it was a very promising start for Yepez, especially considering he was 17 for the entire 2015 season. Third base does not appear to be in the cards for Yepez (he played a grand total of 6 games there in 2015 with the rest played at 1B) due to limitations with his range and the presence of Austin Riley at the same level. Yepez is likely to start the 2016 season at Rome on what is now looking like a loaded roster down at Single-A where, barring a catastrophic meltdown or meteoric breakout, the odds are that he will spend the entire season.</p>
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<h4>23.) Connor Lien</h4>
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<p>Our 23rd best prospect may be the most interesting case of a boom or bust prospect that we have seen in a few years. Lien had a breakout season hitting .285/.347/.415 with 9 home runs and 34 stolen bases, but struggled to do anything in the Arizona Fall League. In 21 games with Peoria he hit just .169 with 1 home run and carried the highest strikeout rate of any regular in the league. Strikeouts have always been his problem, as he has posted a K Rate over 24% at every level he has played at. He doesn't carry an outstanding walk rate either and could potentially break down at higher levels. The gaudiest stat of all for Lien this year was actually defensive, as he recorded a professional baseball leading 21 outfield assists. He played center field and right field for Carolina and had nearly as many double plays (7) as errors (9).</p>
<p>The one thing that is absolutely certain about Connor Lien is his outstanding defensive abilities. Even if his bat never pans out, his defense may carry him to at least a short stint in the major leagues. He is an elite defender that can play every single position in the outfield, and has the arm to throw out anyone. He gets great jumps on balls and has the closing speed to finish out plays. That speed also helps him on the basepaths, as he is a very good baserunner who can swipe a good share of bases. The questions for Lien will always be with his bat. He has the potential to be above average at all 5 tools, but has a long way to go before he can be a serviceable hitter in the major leagues. He has a long swing that leads to most of those strikeouts he has issues with, and he is so overly aggressive at times he can handicap himself at the plate. The above average power potential is there in his 6'3 frame, but until he can make more consistent contact it will never be more than potential. He is a smart player and high effort player that can hopefully work out his problems as he moves up the ladder. Lien is still young at 21 and extremely athletic so there is no reason he can't make major improvements if he can put in the work.</p>
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<h4>22.) Dustin Peterson</h4>
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<p>Dustin Peterson joined the Braves organization along with Max Fried, Mallex Smith, and Jace Peterson in the trade that sent Justin Upton and Aaron Northcraft to the Padres before the 2015 season. While the other players in the trade have gotten more attention in recent months, Dustin Peterson is quietly establishing himself as a player to watch for 2016. Another player the Braves had hoped would stick at third base but will likely not, Dustin's bat and potential power are what will carry him to the majors if he can work some issues out. While he will likely never hit for particularly high average, he has good power to the gaps and should hit his fair share of home runs as well, although its not fair to really expect more than 20-25 at the high end of projections.</p>
<p>2015 was a weird season for Dustin, but perhaps that was not completely unpredictable. His 2015 slash line of .251/.317/.348 is not exactly inspiring, but is the tale of two very different halves. In the first half of the season, Dustin earned an All-Star invite as he hit .283/.355/.422. In the midst of that half, Peterson was a victim of the Carolina Mudcats' bus crash that derailed several prospects' season last year. He did return from that crash and appeared to be in good health before the break. However, after the All-Star break, he hit .229/.292/.297 which was...less than good. The weird part about it is that the exact same thing happened to him in single-A before he joined the Braves (he had an even worse line of .199/.212/.291 in the second half of 2014). Its possible the splits are simply a young player who has yet to build up the endurance necessary to compete at a high level for a full season, but it is certainly worth keeping an eye on. There were some definitely areas of growth for Dustin with a career low K-rate and a relatively low BABIP which implies at least that he was a bit unlucky. He also had a career high walk rate of just below 9%. Expect Dustin to start the 2016 season at Mississippi and, if he can continue his progress with his plate discipline and put together a strong first AND second half, he will start moving back up the rankings. If not, he is certainly at risk of fall off of the list entirely given the depth in the Braves' system and what could be a pattern of inconsistent performance.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.talkingchop.com/2015/7/19/8999397/atlanta-braves-scouting-report-dustin-peterson"><b>Talking Chop's Scouting Report on Dustin Peterson</b></a></p>
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<h4>21.) Lucas Herbert</h4>
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<p>At 21 on the list we have the top catcher in the system. Herbert was the 4th player selected by the Braves this year, and was a high school teammate of first round pick Kolby Allard. He had a majorly successful high school career and was a member of Team USA's COPABE Pan American Games championship team in the 18U division. The Braves signed him to an at-slot $1.125 million bonus and were able to get him away from a commitment to UCLA. He went 2-4 with a home run with the GCL Braves, but suffered a premature ending to his season with a torn meniscus in just his 3rd game. Even with this setback there is good reason to believe Herbert will be a solid major league catcher.</p>
<p>Herbert was widely regarded as the best defensive catcher in the 2015 draft, and while names like Jonathan Morales, Tanner Murphy, and the recently acquire Ricardo Rodriguez may soon nip at his heels he is pretty firmly planted at the top of a weak group of catchers. If he recovers properly from what should be a fairly minor injury he looks to be an advanced defender who could fly through the minor leagues even though his bat may take a bit more time to catch up. This is not say that he is a poor hitter, as he has the tools to be a good hitting catcher, but his bat skills lag behind his defense so far. The reports say he could develop average power, but his highly regarded leadership and glove skills will be his ticket to the show.</p>
https://www.batterypower.com/2016/1/12/10708290/talking-chops-2016-atlanta-braves-prospect-rankings-21-25Eric ColeGarrett Spain