For the longest time, this Atlanta Braves farm system has been considered one of the best in baseball. Some will point to the international signing scandal a few years back, but the Braves success in accruing talent began well before that. Over the last handful of years, Atlanta’s farm has produced stars like Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuña Jr, Ozzie Albies, Mike Soroka, and Max Fried, and more. It’s not going to be long before several more join them either as most of the top Braves prospects are in the upper minors nearly ready to contribute in Atlanta.
Overall System Grade: B
Minor League Affiliates
Triple-A: Gwinnett – International League
Double-A: Mississippi – Southern League
Advanced Single-A: Florida – Florida State League
Low Single-A: Rome – South Atlantic League
Short Single-A: None
Rookie: Danville – Appalachian League, Gulf Coast League (1), Dominican Summer League (1)
All other team top-25 prospect rankings can be found here.
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Top-25 Atlanta Braves Prospects – 2020
1. Drew Waters, OF, AAA, 21
While Drew Waters ranks #1 here, I’m still a tad skeptical that he turns into an all-star caliber player as some have pegged him to be. Can he reach that level? Absolutely. But he’s still got some aspects of his game to work on to reach that level of play. To start, Waters has some serious LH/RH batting splits going on.
These are Waters RH/LH splits over his two full seasons as a professional. First, his stats batting from the right side:
- 2019 (133 PA): .258/.293/.371, 4.5 BB%, 31.6 K%, 1 HR
- 2018 (140 PA): .240/.300/.357, 5.0 BB%, 20.7 K%, 2 HR
Meanwhile, here are his stats batting lefty:
- 2019 (440 PA): .325/.380/.486, 7.5 BB%, 27.7 K%, 6 HR
- 2018 (358 PA): .314/.360/.523, 6.1 BB%, 21.2 K%, 7 HR
No contest. Waters makes much more contact from the left side, walks more, strikes out less, and most of his power comes from this side as well. It’s gotten to the point where it makes you wonder if he’d be better off scrapping switch-hitting and solely batting from the left side. Another couple of areas that have kept my expectations for him in check for him right now are his plate approach and power. Regardless of which side he’s on, Waters doesn’t walk a ton and his strikeout rate jumped 7.5% from 2018 to 2019.
Drew Waters’ first @GoStripers home run got out in a hurry. pic.twitter.com/4CA2IylKMD
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 10, 2019
At the same time, Waters’ fly ball rate hasn’t yet reached 30% and is actually slowly trending down. With an aggressive, ground ball heavy, pull approach, Major League pitchers are bound to exploit that often. You probably think I’m not a Waters fan after reading all of that, but I do like the raw tools. If he can improve on the above, I believe his ceiling is a 55-hit, 50/55-power, 60/55-speed outfielder that makes some all-star teams. However, Waters still has plenty of work to do to reach that level. At this point in time, I’m selling high in dynasty leagues if I can.
2. Cristian Pache, OF, AAA, 21
Speaking of prospects I’m selling high on in dynasty leagues. Depending on where you look, you’re likely to find a wide array of rankings and analysis on Cristian Pache. If you’re looking at real-life prospect lists, he’s going to be substantially higher than fantasy lists due to his strong defensive skills and proximity to the Majors. But for fantasy purposes, Pache is rawer than I like my steak, despite the fact that he reached Triple-A last season.
Throughout his five years as a professional after signing with Atlanta back in the 2015 J2 period, the one area of Pache’s game that has been lauded the most, outside of his defense, has been his speed. At times, Pache got some 70-grades thrown on his speed. Not from me though. I’ve had him more in the 60 range and some I’ve talked to have him down at a 55 or 50. Pair that with his less than stellar success on the bases and all of a sudden you feel a lot less confident in what was once a 30-steal upside. And when I say “less than stellar”, I was being nice as Pache has been caught over 50% of the time in each of the last two seasons.
As for his offensive tools, it’s another mixed bag. Pache has displayed above-average contact skills with quick hands and plus bat speed, but I’m not in love with this swing. That’s not to say it’s bad, but I’ve often noticed Pache’s top half and lower half working separately, out of sync. He’ll also get off balance at times and appear to be lunging at the pitch instead of remaining patient. These are things that can be ironed out though. Remember, he’s still young and has been young at every level thus far.
In the power department, Pache took a step forward in 2019, but like Waters, a groundball heavy approach has capped his in-game power production. All in all, I’m still a believer that Pache is going to be very good in the Majors for a long time, but don’t be surprised if it takes him a bit longer to hit his stride.
3. Ian Anderson, RHP, AAA, 22
As a prep right-hander selected #3 overall in the 2016 draft, expectations were immediately high for Ian Anderson. He’s done nothing to disappoint either, posting a 2.91 ERA and 10.7 K/9 through his first 80 professional starts. Last season was no different as Anderson dominated the Double-A Southern League before struggling in his five Triple-A starts late in the season. But hey, you can’t take much from five starts. What you can see from those starts, however, is Anderson’s command and control issues that have been there throughout his career. As of now, both are below-average in my eyes.
As for the arsenal, it’s impressive. Anderson attacks hitters with a three-pitch mix out of a higher 3/4 arm slot. That slot paired with the extension he gets gives Anderson’s mid-90’s fastball plenty of riding action up in the zone. The pitch itself grades as plus for me, but Anderson’s command issues drop it down to a 55. Both his curveball and circle-change also are potential plus pitches, especially the changeup with features plenty of velocity separation and fading action.
https://twitter.com/_jchipman/status/987461469485879297?s=20
How good Anderson ends up being is 110% up to his command and control. If he can improve in that area, we’re likely looking at a high-end #2 starter in the Majors. If not, Anderson might settle in as a high-K #3 starter. This is a very talented arm, so cross your fingers and hope the command and control can take a step forward.
4. Kyle Wright, RHP, MLB, 24
Before you read this section on Kyle Wright, let me start by saying I swear I didn’t copy and paste this from above. A lot of the same pros and cons that we just went over with Anderson apply here with Wright as well. To put it simply, Wright has an impressive arsenal and shaky command. Although, I will say that his control is a tick better than Anderson’s. The Braves have plenty of young arms vying for rotation spots, but someone as talented as Wright would’ve broken through by now if the command issues weren’t very apparent. Wright made his Major League debut back in 2018 and has yet to find his footing at the Major League level, walking 19 in 25.2 innings thus far. Would he have been given more of a look on a non-contending team? Most likely. But these command issues need to be ironed out.
Wright’s arsenal runs four pitches deep with all four projecting as Major League average to plus pitches. The cream of the crop is his mid-90’s running fastball and low-80’s slider, both of which grade as plus. Wright has been able to maintain that velocity deep into his starts as well. Those two pitches are his bread and butter and have been thrown nearly 80% of the time during his abbreviated stints with Atlanta. Wright will also mix in a slower 12-6 curveball with good depth and a mid-80’s changeup with fade, both of which flash above-average. If Wright can improve his command, there’s back-end #2/high-end #3 starter upside here.
5. Braden Shewmake, SS, AA, 22
Switching back over to the hitting side of things, we have the Braves first-round pick in 2019, shortstop Braden Shewmake. The 21st overall pick out of Texas A&M, Shewmake is a shortstop that holds his own on both sides of the ball, but doesn’t excel in any one area. I know, it’s not very exciting at the surface, but Shewmake has the tools to develop into a sneaky-good offensive contributor at the Major League level while being able to stick at shortstop longterm. But with the presence of Dansby Swanson at short and Ozzie Albies at second, Shewmake might have to move out of the middle of the infield if he wants to break through with the Braves.
Long-term, I can see Shewmake developing into a Kevin Newman type of player. Leading the way offensively is an above-average hit tool and plus strike zone awareness. Shewmake puts the ball in play and doesn’t strike out much. With his contact skills and ability to draw walks at a solid clip, Shewmake could end up near the top of the order down the road. But as for his power and speed, neither project to be assets in my eyes. His raw power sits around 45/50-grade with a swing that doesn’t generate much natural loft, and speed at 50/55. At peak, Shewmake’s tools could lead to some .280/15/20 lines, but that’s likely his ceiling. This is definitely more of a floor prospect than one with a sexy fantasy ceiling.
6. Kyle Muller, LHP, AA, 22
Admittedly, I think I might like Kyle Muller a tad more than the consensus. But there’s something about 6’6 hard-throwing southpaws that can miss bats that I can’t keep away from. If Muller wasn’t in the same system as Anderson and Wright, he might even be getting more love than he is right now.
As mentioned, Muller throws hard, sitting in the mid-90’s with the ability to ratchet it up into the upper-90’s at time with some armside run. That velocity has been trending up throughout his professional career as well which is a positive sign. Offsetting the fastball is a borderline plus curveball in the upper-70’s with strong depth and a changeup that is behind but projects as an average third offering and flashes better at times, although inconsistently.
Welp, my second look at Kyle Muller this season did nothing to quell my love for him. 🔥
6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. 93 P, 58 S.
FB 92-95 T97 with moderate AS run, CB 77-82 easily best pitch, CU 83-86 was firm but flashed AA fade at times. 9 swinging strikes, 29% CSW. #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/XIMdAS2gko
— Ray Butler (@RayButler365) July 23, 2019
It feels like I’m stuck on repeat, but Muller is another intriguing arm in this system with some command and control kinks to iron out. While his stuff has improved over the last two seasons which has caused his strikeout rate to soar, the free passes have become more frequent as well. For Muller, it’s all about harnessing his stuff and limiting the walks moving forward if he wants to reach his ceiling of a high-K mid-rotation arm.
7. Bryce Ball, 1B, A, 21
From the 24th round in the 2019 MLB draft to the top-10 of a good farm system, Bryce Ball certainly has put himself firmly on the dynasty radar with his offensive tools and dominant professional debut. In 62 games between the Appalachian League (RK) and South Atlantic League (A), Ball combined to slash .329/.395/.628 with 18 doubles and 17 home runs. Part of that is a college bat crushing younger pitching, but the offensive tools Ball possesses warrants this ranking.
While he’s never going to be confused for a defensive stalwart or speed asset, Ball has the chance to develop into a force at the plate with plenty of power and a respectable average as well. Ball is listed at 6’6/235 and that frame is very strong with a swing geared for power as well. Ball has shown a good feel for the strike zone for someone his size which makes me more confident that he can keep his batting average in the .260-.270 range or so moving forward to pair with 30-plus home runs.
Due to his lack of speed, athleticism, and defensive skills, Ball is limited to first base moving forward. That means he’s going to have to continue producing offensively if he wants to reach Atlanta and become a fantasy factor.
8. Tucker Davidson, LHP, AAA, 24
We transition from a 24th round pick in Ball to a 19th round pick in Tucker Davidson. As a JuCo arm from a smaller school that was thought of more as a reliever, Davidson wasn’t highly sought after in the 2016 draft. However, he’s been steadily proving his worth since moving into the rotation back in 2017 and now projects as a potential mid-rotation arm.
Like Muller, Davidson has improved his velocity through specific training and now sits comfortably in the mid-90s. Out of his three secondary offerings, Davidson’s curveball is the best of the bunch, projecting as a borderline plus pitch with good shape and depth. Both his slider and changeup grade as average, with the slider flashing 55-grade at times. If Davidson can work on improving his command and control, there’s mid-rotation upside here. If not, his fastball/curveball combination would look good coming out of the bullpen.
Man, this is starting to get repetitive with the command and control talk with all these arms.
9. Michael Harris, OF, A, 19
A two-way prep star from Stockbridge, Georgia, Michael Harris was selected in the 3rd round last June by the Braves who had him focus solely on hitting. With his skill set and athleticism, that was probably the right decision. Harris is a plus runner with plenty of athleticism in the outfield and on the bases. He wasted little time putting that speed to good use, swiping eight bags in 53 games last season while only getting caught twice. With his speed, athleticism, and base running acumen, 25 steals annually is within the realm of possibilities for Harris moving forward. But how much offensive production will go along with it?
While Harris’ speed is his main asset, there’s some promise surrounding his offensive tools as well. He doesn;t project as an offensive force by any means, but I believe there’s a future where Harris is a 50/55-hit, 50/55-power, 55/60-speed outfielder at the Major League level. He’s already shown a good feel for hitting from both sides of the plate with plenty of bat speed and there’s more raw power in the tank as well.
Now that he’s solely focusing on hitting, I believe we could see Harris make strides and shoot up prospect rankings over the next few seasons. He’s a name to target now in dynasty leagues before his price tag rises.
10. William Contreras, C, AAA, 22
After two straight promising campaigns in the lower levels, 2019 could be considered a step back for William Contreras. Actually, Conteras has struggled a bit ever since reaching High-A in the middle of 2018. Since his promotion to that level, and then onto Double-A in 2019, Contreras hasn’t been driving the ball as far as he did and saw around a 15-foot drop in his estimated FB distance in 2019. We’ve seen Contreras show off above-average to plus raw power at times, but his swing doesn’t generate much loft and he’s been fairly groundball heavy throughout his professional career, especially lately.
Peak Contreras has a chance to push .270/20, but his future is becoming fairly cloudly with the Braves drafting Shea Langeliers in the first round last June. Offensively, these two are fairly similar, but Langeliers is the far better defender and is a better longterm option behind the plate as the starter due to that. I’m not totally out on Contreras in dynasty by any means, but this isn’t a player I’m going to be investing heavily in either.
11. Shea Langeliers, C, A, 22
Speaking of Shea Langeliers…
As soon as Langeliers name was called on draft night, he immediately became arguably the best defensive catcher in the minor leagues. Langeliers has all the makings of a future gold glove winner behind the plate with an absolute cannon for an arm. This is why you’ll see him much higher on real-life prospect lists than you will on fantasy-focused listed such as this.
That’s not to say Langeliers can’t handle the stick. He absolutely can. Langeliers has a mechanically sound right-handed swing with close to plus raw power potential. Offensively, his ceiling isn’t quite as high as Contreras’, but his contact skills and power could put him in the .260/20 range at peak. With his defensive skills and higher floor, don’t be surprised to see Langeliers ahead of Contreras on fantasy lists too as long as he continues to show adequacy at the plate.
12. Bryse Wilson, RHP, MLB, 22
There are some Bryse Wilson supporters out there that have him nearly on the same level as Anderson and Wright. I’m not even close to having that same level of confidence. To me, Wilson projects as your prototypical workhorse #4 starter. Toeing the rubber at a solid 6’2/225, Wilson’s arsenal is mainly three pitches (FB/SL/CH), but he’ll also throw the occasional “get me over” curveball which is a fringe offering at best. He’ll generally sit in the 93-95 range on his fastball, touching 97-98 at times with armside life and both his slider and changeup flash above-average, the changeup doing so more consistently than the slider. So far in his brief Major League stints, Wilson has been very fastball heavy, tossing his heater around 71% of the time.
You know what’s coming next, don’t you? If you’ve been paying attention so far, this shouldn’t come as any surprise, but Wilson’s command isn’t the greatest. It’s not as bad as some we’ve talked about above, but as of now, I’d throw a 45 grade on his command and a 50-grade on his control. Overall, this is a strong and durable starter with the ceiling of a mid-rotation arm. But the more likely outcome has Wilson settling in as a #4 or maybe even as a setup man if he becomes the odd man out with all the talented arms in this Braves organization.
13. Mahki Backstrom, 1B, RK, 18
Wait, is this a hockey list? The name Mahki Backstrom sounds like someone that should be playing at left wing for the Detroit Red Wings or something. But in case you haven’t been paying attention, this is obviously a baseball list, and Backstrom is a name to monitor in dynasty leagues. Like Bryce Ball, Backstrom is a big first-base only prospect that is going to have to hit a ton to make an impact down the road, both in Atlanta and in our fantasy baseball world.
Although his swing can get a tad long at times due to his longer levers, Backstrom possesses easy plus or better raw power. However, he’s had a hard time consistently tapping into that power. If he can tap into that raw power fore consistently in games, this could be a 30-homer bat in the making. I’m just not sure what type of average we’ll be looking at. Backstrom struck out a ton in his pro debut and his contact skills are currently below average. Still, he’s only 18 with plenty of time to develop at the plate.
If he can make strides with his pitch recognition, tap into his raw power more, and improve his contact skills, Backstrom could be a noteworthy name down the road. A lot of ifs there for sure, but this is a name to monitor for now in dynasty leagues due to the upside at the plate.
14. Huascar Ynoa, RHP, MLB, AA
His name value isn’t quite on the same level, but Huascar Ynoa’s talent and longterm upside isn’t that far off from Bryse Wilson’s. This is a prospect who’s raw stuff outweighs his performance in the minors thus far. In fact, Ynoa even received two relief appearances with the Braves despite a 5.09 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in the minors.
Like Wilson, Ynoa might end up moving to the bullpen due to all the arms ahead of him on the depth chart along with inconsistent command and control. His three-pitch arsenal consists of a low to mid-90’s fastball that grades as plus, a sharp slider that flashes plus, and a fringe changeup that is average at best right now. In a relief role, I could see Ynoa scrapping the changeup altogether for the FB/SL combo and thrive in a middle-relief role. If he does stick in the rotation, Ynoa is likely a #4 or #5 starter longterm.
15. Jasseel De La Cruz, RHP, AAA, 22
What is this, freaking groundhog day? Jasseel De La Cruz is just another lively arm in this system with good stuff but subpar command and control. In fact, I’m more confident that he’ll be a reliever than I am of him starting longterm. The reason for that is De La Cruz has consistently shown that both his command and control are around 40-grade, although he did cut his walk rate in 2019 which was a welcomed sight.
On top of that, he’s struggled to establish his changeup as a reliable third pitch, doing most of his damage with his plus fastball/slider combination. That two-pitch mix in shorter pen roles could be lethal and result in a higher strikeout rate than we’ve been accustomed to from De La Cruz so far in his professional career.
16. Vaughn Grissom, SS, RK, 19
A teammate of Riley Greene at Hagerty High School, Vaughn Grisson might not have the same upside, but he’s proving to be an intriguing prospect in his own right. At 6’3/180, Grissom is a strong and athletic shortstop with above-average to plus raw power. His defense at short is adequate enough right now to keep him at short, but there’s a decent chance he outgrows the position down the road.
He’s probably too good to be called a sleeper but not sure Vaughn Grissom’s bat gets the credit it deserves in 2019 #MLBDraft class. He can really hit! Excited to see him this weekend at PG World https://t.co/4hPKbVH9l1 pic.twitter.com/jjTfVo4Ovn
— Perfect Game USA (@PerfectGameUSA) January 25, 2019
Power is Grissom’s carrying tool right now, but I believe there’s a chance for 50-hit here as well. He’s already worked with Detroit and simplified his swing a bit and showed a better approach in the GCL than anticipated. Grissom is a work in progress, but the upside is worth monitoring moving forward.
17. Terone Harris, OF, AA, 24
I’m honestly not sure if I should call him Trey or Terone anymore, but one thing I do know is that Harris can hit. With above-average contact skills and a good feel for the strike zone, Harris has hit for a high average everywere he’s gone so far, including a .323 average last season. But at the same time, Harris was a tad old for every level he was at last season and his plate approach worsened as he advanced up to High-A and Double-A.
With Harris’ small but sturdy frame, he reminds me a bit of Willie Calhoun with less power potential. Harris’ swing is mostly linear through the zone, which paired with his average at best raw power, should put him in the 12-15 homer range annually with nearly similar speed potential. As of now, I’m teetering on whether he’s a second-division regular or a 4th outfielder.
18. Justin Dean, OF, A, 23
The one thing we’ve really been lacking in this top-25 so far has been a big speed threat. Not anymore! At 5’6, Justin Dean isn’t going to scare anyone when he steps into the batter’s box, but his speed is dynamic and he’s shown a good feel for hitting as well with a power stroke that finally peeked out last season. In 109 games in the Single-A South Atlantic League, Dean slashed .284/.386/.431 with nine home runs and 47 steals in 57 attempts. In addition, he continued to show a keen eye, walking above 10% for the second straight season.
Dean has always shown a nice all-around skill set, including defense, but now that he’s showing a touch of power to go along with it, his stock has begun trending up. I’m not sure how much more power is in the tank, and there might not be, but if Dean can add close to double-digit homers to pair with a solid AVG/OBP and 25-plus steals, his fantasy prospects look a lot more promising. You have to also keep in mind that he was old for the level. Let’s see how he performs next season before bumping him up too high.
19. Patrick Weigel, RHP, AAA, 25
After missing around a year and a half due to injury, Patrick Weigel returned with a bang in 2019, posting a 2.73 ERA in 79.0 innings of work. However, like most of these arms after Bryse Wilson, his longterm role isn’t set in stone. If given the chance, I do think Weigel COULD start, but he’s probably better suited in a bullpen or swingman role. Weigel is a bug dude at 6’6/240 and has the mid-90’s fastball to match.
Both breaking balls flash above-average to plus as well, but Weigel’s changeup and command have been wildly inconsistent. It will be interesting to see how Atlanta utilizes him moving forward, but my guess would be in the bullpen.
20. Stephen Paolini, OF, RK, 19
Here’s an upside ranking for you. A two-sport star in high school, Paolini is a strong and athletic outfielder with enticing skills across the board. From the left side, he’s shown plus raw power with the ability to drive the ball in the air. There’s also above-average to plus speed potential to go along with it. However, as you could probably expect, Paolini is still very raw as a hitter and his upside well outweighs his polish at the moment.
This was very much a boom or bust pick by the Braves in the 5th round, but one that could pay big dividends. For now, keep this name in the back of your mind due to the raw potential.
21. Freddy Tarnok, RHP, A+, 21
How about we sneak one more arm in that has a cloudy future role attached to it? As a two-way draft prospect in the 2017 draft, Freddy Tarnok was considered a better hitter than he was a pitcher, but possessed enough intrigue on the mound for the Braves to draft him in the 3rd round and transition him there full-time. So really, Tarnok has only been pitching full time for less than three years. He’s made plenty of progress since the draft, but as you can expect, there’s still a profound element of rawness when it comes to Tarnok.
One thing that stands about immediately with Tarnok is his velocity. He’s able to crank it up into the upper-90’s at times and usually sits around 94-96 with life. Offsetting that are a pair of improving secondaries, highlighted by a big breaking curveball that flashes plus. Tarnok’s changeup has also shown promise as a usable third offering. If Tarnok can continue making strides with his secondaries and refine his overall command, his rise up prospect rankings won’t stop here.
22. Greyson Jenista, OF, AA, 23
Coming out of the 2018 draft, I was actually fairly high on Greyson Jenista and thought he had a poor man’s Trevor Larnach vibe about him. Boy was I wrong. Initially, I thought Jenista was a 55-hit, 60-power type capable of hitting .280 with 25-30 homers annually. I’m backing off that just a bit. Outside of a 32-game stint in the Sally, Jenista has struggled to make consistent contact and impact the ball as he did in college. This has been against mostly younger competition at every level as well.
One positive we can take away is that he’s shown plenty of patience at the dish, but that’s also led to higher strikeout rates as he usually finds himself deep in counts. Jenista still has above-average to plus raw power, so this might be a Trent Grisham situation where he just needs to be a bit more aggressive.
23. Yoansy Moreno, OF, RK, 17
The Braves are still getting stung by the penalties from the scandal a few years back so they have been very limited in how much money they can spend on the J2 market. Even still, they seem to have found a big power threat for just $10K in the form of Yoansy Moreno.
A 6’3/225 corner outfielder, Moreno has a very strong frame with easy plus raw power. As to be expected, there are some questions around his hit tool and pitch recognition, but if Moreno can improve there while keeping his power stroke, he could develop into a prospect worth targeting in dynasty leagues.
24. Alex Jackson, C, AAA, 24
It feels like Alex Jackson barely sneaks into my Braves top-25 every year. The main reason for that is the plus or better raw power he’s teased us with throughout his professional career. But until last season, his well below-average contact skills and atrocious plate approach severely limited how much of that raw power translated into game power.
It’s great that Jackson was able to mash 28 homers in 85 games in the International League last season, but it’s not like those contact and approach issues went away. Plus, he’s behind both William Contreras and Shea Langeliers on the depth chart. At this point, I’m not sure where Jackson fits into the Braves plans. In the short-term, he could slide in as their backup catcher until the aforementioned duo is ready, but this is a .220ish hitter we’re talking about.
25. Jefrey Ramos, OF, A+, 21
Here’s another big power bat with major questions about the rest of his offensive profile. Ramos doesn’t strike out a ton which is promising, but his contact skills are below average and really cap his offensive profile at the moment. Add in the fact that he doesn’t work the count and draw walks and Ramos turns into both an AVG and OBP liability.
I’d love to see Ramos work the count more and wait for his pitch to drive because this is a plus power bat with the potential for 25-plus homers annually if the necessary tweaks are made. This could be your standard power-hitting corner outfielder or a bat that fizzles out and never makes it to the Majors.
Others of Note
Victor Vodnik, RHP: Vodnik is coming off a decent showing in 2019, but he’s a near-lock for the bullpen and I don’t believe his stuff will allow him to thrive in high-leverage situations.
Kasey Kalich, RHP: Unlike Vodnik, Kalich does have the stuff to develop into a late-inning weapon with an electric fastball, hard curveball, and high-80’s slider that he’ll morph into a low-90’s cutter.
Daysbel Hernandez, RHP: Love the fastball, don’t like anything else. If Hernandez can develop his slider into a weapon, then we’d be talking. But until then, no thanks.
C.J. Alexander, 3B: Last season was pretty much a lost season for Alexander as he missed a ton of time due to injury and didn’t perform well when on the field. But there’s still some solid contact skills here and more power potential in the tank.
Beau Philip, SS: A 2nd round pick last June, Philip doesn’t stand out in any one area, but has the tools to be a solid across the board shortstop with the athleticism to play multiple spots on the diamond.
Media Credit: Fox Sports Braves, Gwinnett Stripers, James Chipman, Prospects365 – Ray Butler, Perfect Game USA, Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire.
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