Organizational Overview: First Base

Freeman | Jeff Morris - Follow on Twitter

For many of the organizational overviews I do to accompany our prospect rundowns, the current starter or starters at that position may run the gamut between good-to-bad, but there are often two or three really good prospects on the way to supplement them or push them out of the way. First base is the exception as not only is the starter elite, but there are nearly no prospects to speak of. That's not a terrible thing - I mentioned before how many standout first basemen don't start there. But it certainly makes for a relatively sad collection of prospect blurbs like we released on Friday.

I'm changing up the organizational overview slightly. The first section will include where that position projects right now for 2018 in comparison to the league. The second section will look at the near future and the "oh (expletive)!" plan should things go really wrong in 2018. Finally, the third section goes beyond the next couple of years. Some of the information I use comes from recent looks at the roster makeup for next season.

First Base
Signed: Freddie Freeman ($21 million)
Arbitration: Matt Adams ($4.3 million estimate based on Lonnie Chisenhall's 2017 arbitration settlement)
Minor League Free Agents: Carlos Franco, Joey Meneses, Matt Tuiasosopo
Current Projection: $25.3 million

For the Braves, their hopes and dreams for 2018 include a lot of Freeman playing. Next season will be Year 5 of Freeman's big eight-year extension that runs through 2021. The deal was heavily backloaded, which is pretty common for a player signing prior to his big arbitration paydays. Freeman earned $20.5M this year, the first of five years he'll earn at least that much cash. Freeman has yet to play in a playoff game since signing that extension, which is a terrible waste of some of the slugger's best years. Freeman notably played a little third base this year and didn't suck too awfully at it, which was surprising.

Adams is currently projected for the 2018 roster because to lose him for nothing is difficult to believe. When the dust settled on his 2017, it was a pretty solid - and unspectacular - season. Basically, a microcosm of his career. That said, he provides a big bat against right-hand pitching and could be useful for next year's team as support for Freeman and a potential option in left field. You'll lose value with Adams in left because he's a terrible defender, but you can also say the same about the current projected starter out there.

Jace Peterson and Rio Ruiz, not mentioned here, also played some first base for the Braves last year and both could return next season.

Comparison - 2018

Freeman played in 117 games, roughly forty fewer than the other elite options at first base. Despite that, he nearly matched them as far as production goes. Despite swinging a wet newspaper for much of the second half, Freeman's .280 ISO was only bested by rookies Cody Bellinger and Joey Gallo among first basemen. It was the fourth time in five years he posted at least a 4 WAR and only Joey Votto and Paul Goldschmidt can make convincing arguments that they could be the best first baseman in the game since the beginning of last year.

There is zero reason to believe Freeman, when healthy, won't continue to excel in 2018. He finished last season with the lowest strikeout rate of his career and the best wOBA so he's still improving rather than regressing. Next season will be his Age-28 season so he could be still scratching the surface on what the Best Freeman might look like. That's a scary proposition for the rest of the league right now.

If Adams is brought back, he remains a solid platoon option should Freeman go down, having OPS'd .828 against righties throughout his career. He brings limited value because of his flaws, but when he's on, his bat can launch homers in binges. He's also a tremendous pinch-hitter and I typically don't attach such an adjective to a role that is often difficult to successfully duplicate. Over 155 pinch-hit appearances, Adams is slashing .315/.342/.555 with nine home runs.

You could make the argument that with Adams and a competent platoon option against southpaws, first base would be a strength. But with Freeman, it makes first base an elite strength compared to the rest of the league.

Comparison - The Near-Future/"Oh, (Expletive)!" Plan

For the latter, the presence of Adams gives the Braves a big boost. However, the Braves may find his salary, which could approach $5 million, a bit too rich for their blood. If so, the Braves would be in a dicey position depth-wise short of other moves this winter - basically, the same position they were in when Freeman went down after being hit by a pitch by Aaron Loup in 2017. At that point, the Braves signed the zombified version of James Loney, started Jace Peterson at first base, and promoted Carlos Franco from Double-A to Triple-A. None of those moves gave former General Manager John Coppolella any confidence - as they shouldn't have - and he made the deal for Adams.

If the Braves cut bait on Adams, they should definitely be on the lookout for some help here because they lack any real options to immediately call upon. There's Peterson, who...no. Just no. Rio Ruiz was given a late look last month at first base and also played a handful of games at first base this season for Gwinnett. There was some purpose to these moves as the Braves looked to uncover some added value in Ruiz, whose defensive inflexibility and limited offensive profile as a platoon hitter makes it hard to keep him on the roster. He looked like a guy who hasn't played much first base to no one's surprise. He'll likely continue to get some work there this offseason and spring. If Adams is gone, without additional options brought aboard, Ruiz might be Atlanta's best option at first base should Freeman go down.

This is both a potential strength and weakness. Not many teams - especially in the NL - have an option like Matt Adams to call upon. But if he is non-tendered, depth could be a real weakness that will need to be addressed.

Lugbauer | Jeff Morris - Follow on Twitter

Comparison - The Future

Here's a brief projection of what 1B might look like next year in the farm system with their rankings in our most recent Top 5 1B in parenthesis...

Gwinnett: Sal Giardina, Minor League Free Agents
Mississippi: Carlos Castro (5), Jonathan Morales
Florida: Drew Lugbauer (1), Kurt Hoekstra, Anthony Concepcion,
Rome: Austin Bush (4), Griffin Benson
Danville: Nicholas Vizcaino

That's not good. Lugbauer is really the only member of this group that would seem like a decent bet to get to the majors and he was an eleventh round draft choice last June. As we talked about on Friday, there's just not a lot else and that includes a pair of players from the Top 5 prospect list, Carlos Franco and Joey Meneses, who I believe are both possible minor league free agents this winter. The Braves could bring back either/both, but that won't help the position much.

That said, with Freeman's youth, first base is simply not a priority. Even if you are still worried about the future, first base could be aided by moving a prospect from another position. Like I pointed out, we saw Rio Ruiz get into some games at first base in the second half of the 2017 season. Another prospect, Braxton Davidson, could be one that gets moved sooner rather than later. When the roster for the fall instructional league was announced in mid-September, Davidson was listed as an infielder despite playing only the outfield after being drafted. Davidson's prospect status has disappeared after an OPS under .700 the last two years at High-A ball, but at just 21-years-old, the Braves aren't going to completely give up on him. He'll have to hit a ton to be a first base prospect, but with little else in the system, it might be a good move.

Austin Riley is another guy who could be switched across the diamond, as our Stephen Tolbert eluded to last week. I'm not there yet with Stephen, but Riley's defense at third base certainly is a work in progress. Others like Brett Cumberland or Alex Jackson could struggle to stay behind the plate, though Jackson seems like a better fit in the outfield.

Again, there's no pressing reason to feel the need to add some big-time talent at first base. Beyond the fact that you can move other players there, Freeman is locked up for another four seasons so when we talk about the future at the position, it's important to remember that the future is already here. In a weird way, despite the lack of any really talented prospects, the future at first base is still a strength. Other teams may have the big first base prospect, but when you have a guy like Freeman who is still pretty young and locked up, you're still looking pretty even without much in the system.

Disagree? Let me know in the comments!

2017-18 Hot Stove Organizational Overviews
Catcher

Transaction Tuesday: Weigel, Acuna, Gohara, Seymour

As I try to do every week, here is your recap of organizational transactions for the Atlanta Braves. While the major league squad was quiet this week, others were quite active with a number of big prospects getting promotions.

A note on this report - moves referenced today took place between May 9 and May 15. Taxi Squad refers to a Braves minor league team "sending" a player to Danville just to get him off the active roster. In most cases, the player will stay with the team that just demoted him until he is brought back onto the active roster. Prospect Numbers are derived from my preseason Top 50.

Atlanta Braves
Surprisingly, none.

Gwinnett
Promoted from Mississippi: Patrick Weigel (#17)...It's been a meteoric rise for Weigel and it continues this week. After seven starts (and three last year) at Mississippi, Weigel had shown that Double-A simply did not have an answer for him. He's now in Triple-A and worked seven innings in his debut with 5 K's, a walk, and three runs allowed. Right now, the Gwinnett Braves rotation is stocked with current and former big-time prospects. Now, will their production match the hype? In Weigel's case, I'm betting it does.

Activated from DL: Joel De La Cruz...The best way to describe De La Cruz is he's just an arm. A year after making his major league debut at 27 and pitching 62.2 innings for the Braves, De La Cruz is back in the minors and looked bad before being placed on the DL. In his first game back, he threw two innings and despite allowing a pair of runners, he faced the minimum.

Placed on DL: Blake Lalli...Things haven't gone so well for Lalli, who's hit .182/.245/.295 over his first 49 PA.

Demoted to Mississippi: Jason Hursh...Hursh has played in Mississippi in every season aside from his first year. The guy may as well get a house there. He wasn't bad in Gwinnett. In fact, with 20 K's in 17.1 ING, he was flashing - by far - the best strikeout rate of his career. But in a numbers game, Hursh lost and De La Cruz continues on.

Mississippi

Promoted from Florida: Ronald Acuna (#9)...You know the fear that some Braves fans had that Acuna's solid, though injury-shortened 2016, and the huge run in the Aussie Winter League was hyping him up a bit too much? Well...so far...it looks like Acuna is proving that he might be one of the Top 20 prospects in baseball if not higher. After a .287/.336/.478 run in Florida, which included 11 extra base hits and 14 stolen bases, Acuna came up to Mississippi and had as impressive of a first week in the Southern League as one can have. He went 16-for-29 (.552) with five extra-base hits and five steals. It's times like this that we need to remember this is Acuna's Age-19 year. Contrary to what the Braves seem to think (other teenagers with Mississippi include Kolby Allard and Mike Soroka), it's just not normal to see this many teenagers in Double-A - especially this early in the season. But Acuna, Allard, and Soroka share one common feature - they are all uber-talented and among the elite prospects in baseball.

Promoted from Florida: Luiz Gohara (#7)...Alex Jackson and Gohara were two of Seattle's best prospects, which they basically gave to the Braves. Both were at Florida and both were performing at a high rate. Gohara's already earned a promotion after striking out 39 in 36.1 innings with a 1.98 ERA. Unfortunately, Gohara left his first start with Mississippi after just eight batters with a triceps injury. Hopefully, it won't be too worrisome for him moving forward.

Placed on Taxi Squad and Activated off Taxi Squad: Kade Scivicque (#45)...He received just a brief time away from the club - maybe it was a personal matter - and is already back on the team. Scivicque has continued to impress with a .344/.381/.433 start after nearly OPSing .900 in the Arizona Fall League. While I don't expect him to develop into a starting catcher in the majors, he could carve out some major league time as a decent-hitting backup catcher.

Promoted from Danville and Demoted to Danville: Carlos Martinez...Not much to say here. He was a backup catcher who was around for the day Scivicque wasn't with the team. He's hit .238/.303/.283 over a four-year career spent entirely at the rookie level.

Released: Adam Walker...I wonder what happened to the Adam Walker fan who frequented my blog a few months back - excited about the possibilities of Walker and disappointed with my lack of praise for the outfielder. Walker lasted 24 games in the Braves before being released. I'd say he wasn't hitting his weight, but at 225 pounds, it would be more fitting to say Walker was just barely hitting half of his weight. He hit five homers, though. He also struck out 39 times in 99 PA. I'm not great at math, but that seems excessive. He's since signed with the Orioles.

Florida
Promoted from Taxi Squad: J.B. Moss...A Texas A&M alum who the Braves grabbed in the seventh round last year, Moss had an up-and-down 2016. He owned the Appalachian League for 24 games before struggling badly in the Carolina League (while skipping the South Atlantic). Since his promotion, his High-A struggles have continued to the tune of a 2-for-17 run with no walks, extra bases hits, or really anything else to add to this sentence.

Promoted from Rome: Andres Santiago...It's becoming more and more difficult to see what the Braves are so enamored about when it comes to Santiago. He's a 27-year-old righty in his 11th year of baseball.

Promoted from Rome: Anfernee Seymour (#47)...I wasn't as big on Seymour as others heading into this year, but the results have been tremendous. After slashing .287/.345/.352 during a return trip to the South Atlantic League, Seymour earned a promotion and has gone 10-for-25 since. No longer a middle infielder, Seymour's path to the bigs is reliant on a solid hit tool and plus-plus speed.

Placed on DL: Carlos Castro (#49)...One day, he's hitting three homers in a game. The next, he gets blasted in the face and is headed to the DL. That was Castro's week. The three-homer barrage occurred last Wednesday and was part of a 5-for-5 day. He came out of nowhere to hit 17 homers last year in just 84 games and Wednesday's effort gave him six on the young season. Now, he's out for an undetermined amount of time as he suffered a facial fracture when Lakeland's Endrys Briceno came high-and-tight against him.

Rome 
Promoted from Danville: Justin Ellison...This is the first of five new additions from Danville/Extended Spring Training to fill spots that were opened up mostly from the string of promotions that occurred last week. Ellison was a regular for Rome last year and played in 121 games. He was horrid early, but over the season's final four months, he improved. Still, that only meant he slashed .265/.322/.388 over his final 89 games with 20 doubles, seven triples, and two homers. Ellison has a quick, though long swing, and plus speed both on the basepaths and in the field. If he can add a bit more muscle without sacrificing his speed, there's potential pop in his bat. He's 1-for-8 so far after the callup with a triple.

Promoted from Danville: Matt Gonzalez...A sixth rounder last June out of Georgia Tech, Gonzalez was a late bloomer who flashed an intriguing bat in his senior season. He continued that with an impressing switch to wood bats (.302/.327/.397). The Braves have effectively moved him from 2B/3B to LF so far since his callup and he's struggled with the bat early, but it's just six games so both of these findings are premature. Gonzalez was a guy who signed well under slot ($281.K less than his draft slot) so his value to the team was more about helping them sign better prospects. Anything they get now will be bonus.

Promoted from Danville: Yeudi Grullon...This is already Year 5 of Grullon's professional journey. That includes 57 games with Rome last year in which he hit .219/.287/.244 - and pitched twice in blowout efforts. He's a utility guy who will move runners and has a fairly decent understanding of the strikezone.

Promoted from Danville: Jaret Hellinger...In the 2015 draft, the Braves took Hellinger and gave him a sixth-round-like $300K despite picking him in the 20th round. He's spent the last two years with fairly average numbers, but the Braves definitely saw something in him. 20 years-old now, the former Ola High School (McDonough, GA) southpaw will try use low-90's heat and developing secondary pitches to try to keep batters at bay. Don't expect big K numbers, but if he's flashing some of the potential Atlanta saw in him, expect some positive numbers.

Promoted from Danville: Luis Mora...Mora's got to get moving. He'll turn 22 a month from now and finally got into his first two games above rookie ball. Now, he's just in his fourth year after spending two in the Dominican Summer League, but the Braves need to see something quick because in June, they plan to add some more pitchers in the draft and Mora has yet to stand out. He's got a good fastball, but control is an issue. That's not just a walks problem, but also his inability to spot his pitches, which allows hitters to tee off on the ones that do slip into the strikezone.

Placed on Taxi Squad: Thomas Burrows (#37)...Looks like a bit of a break for Burrows, who already has appeared ten times for Rome this season. The K's (23%) are looking good and I have to believe some of those hits will quick falling as frequently.

Placed on Taxi Squad: Tucker Davidson...A 19th rounder out of Amarillo, Texas, Davidson skipped Danville on his way to Rome to open the year. Over 10 games, the lefty K'd 25 in 20.1 innings, though he continues to be a bit hit-prone. I expect him back in Rome before too long.

Braves Top 50 Prospects, 2017 Preseason: #50-#41

The Atlanta Braves system is ridiculously stacked. Oh, sure, some have argued that most of its elite talent is at A-ball or lower. They aren't wrong, but that doesn't change how much talent the Braves have now. Considering how many prospects the team has added since the winter of 2014-15, the turnaround has been astounding. The front office, scouting department, and development team have outdone themselves.

Last week, I gave you five names I like, but who missed my Top 50 Prospects. Today, I start counting down the Top 50 with the bottom ten. Though I grade these guys at the tail end of my Top 50, I don't expect many of them to fall out of the list - if any. Rather, I expect quite a few to climb up the list by midseason and next offseason.

Added January 12, 2017. I originally set out to do a Top 50, but after this trade with the Mariners, I had to adjust my numbers. As such, I have altered the rankings to squeeze in the two new prospects. Next week, I will do a dozen prospects to get back on track with release ten prospects weekly until the Top 10.

52. Jon Kennedy, LHP, 21 years-old, Prospect Grade: C

While his name immediately brings up images of American political royalty, Kennedy is a native of Melbourne, Australia. Standing 6'5", Kennedy got his first break at the tender age of 16 while playing for the Melbourne Aces in the Australian Baseball League. For three years, he rarely pitched at Australia's highest level, but the fact that he did at all was impressive because of his age. Before the 2015 season was to kick off in Australia, interest was beginning to rise in Kennedy. Baltimore considered him before the Braves came away impressed enough to sign him.

Kennedy would still pitch one more year for Melbourne, but with the Braves' support, he became a regular starter for the Aces. After the season wrapped up, he soon made the trip to the states and pitched well to make the Rome roster out of spring training. After a couple of ugly games, he was moved back down a peg to wait for the Danville season to begin. It wouldn't be the first time he went up to Rome before spending more time with Danville. His last game was a two-inning stint with Carolina where he struck out four.

On the season, Kennedy had a 2.93 ERA over 30.2 innings with just 4 walks and 29 strikeouts. While scouting reports are scarce for Kennedy, he works off a 90 mph fastball and a breaking pitch that gets a good deal of movement from his 3/4's delivery. While new to the American scene, Kennedy understands that his path to the majors might be pretty narrow and limited to a left-hand specialist role. If he continues to show he's capable of generating K's with good control, he could follow that path all the way to the bigs.



51. Isranel Wilson, OF, 19 years-old, Grade: C

Few minor leaguers sparked more interest from me than Wilson heading into 2016. One of the first big splashes made by the Holy John Trinity after Frank Wren's firing, Wilson was aggressively pushed to the Gulf Coast League to begin 2015. After a terrible start, he raked over the last month-plus to finish the season with a .349 OBP, .257 ISO, and 149 wRC+. Did I mention he never faced a pitcher he was older than and was in his first year in a new country?

There were a lot of reasons to be excited about Wilson heading into 2016. And then...the season actually happened. He slashed .192/.276/.315 over nearly 150 PA. After hitting ten homers in the GCL, he hit just two in 2016. His walk % fell 5% while his ISO came down 134 points. If all of this wasn't confusing enough, his BABIP was actually 17 points higher in 2016.

This leaves us with a really muddled snapshot of Wilson as a player. A left-hand hitter, Wilson's swing looks like it will lead to pulling the ball a good deal and when he does connect, he hits the ball pretty solidly. Right now, Wilson could return to prospect status or continue to fall off. The natural gifts are there, but can he display them on the field? I would be shocked if Wilson doesn't start the year in extended spring training and we might not see him play until the Appalachian League season opens in June. Until then, his Jekyll and Hyde act is all we have.



50. Yoeli Lopez, OF, 19 years-old, Grade: C

There wasn't a lot to cheer about last summer for the Dominican Summer League Braves. They finished ten games under .500 and twelve games back in the San Pedro Division. One of the few bright spots, however, was Yoeli Lopez. Born in the Dominican Republic, but schooled in Miami, 2016 was the first year of Lopez's career and the results were pretty impressive.

Lopez played in nearly every game while slashing .240/.382/.357 with 3 homers and 11 steals. Consider that the DSL Braves hit just 9 homers overall. Lopez possesses a big swing and showed impressive plate discipline last year (though he struck out way too much). He also was hit 19 times, which could be an indicator of him crowding the plate. Obviously, there's not a lot of information about Lopez to this point and DSL outfielders are notorious for flaming out once they come to the states. Nevertheless, keep an eye on Lopez. There might be something here.




49. Carlos Castro, 1B, 22 years-old, Grade: C 

For three years, Castro labored in the Dominican Summer League. First signed in 2011, between 2012-14, he played in 124 games in the DSL as the Braves tried see if he could stick at catcher. Ultimately, his defensive issues led them to decide that he wasn't, but thtat didn't hold him back. After a .308/.378/.450 run in 2014, he was brought state-side.

Already 21 and now with Danville, Castro played backup to converted 3B Juan Yepez at first base as Yepez was the higher-rated prospect. Most of Castro's at-bats came as the team's DH and while he did hit .319, he showed little pop and appeared quite willing to swing at any-and-everything. In 2016, Castro was waiting around in extended spring training when injuries and poor play finally opened up a spot in Rome. He collected a pair of hits on May 23, his first game of the year, and his season was off and running. June was especially good as he hammered nine homeruns, including a pair of two-homer games. Amazingly, he hit just .221 that month and rarely hit a single. Even more curious, as the months transpired, the higher his average climbed, the lower his power numbers went. On the season, he slashed .266/.301/.508 with 17 homers. The dinger total was second to Austin Riley in the system.

But he was a bit old to get much prospect love in the South Atlantic League. His teammate, Riley, was in his Age-19 season and Dustin Peterson, who was two levels above Castro, was also a year younger. That's why Castro's power numbers, while impressive, won't push him high on my list. Nevertheless, considering he had hit just six homers in four years before 2016, it was a breakout season worth more attention. Castro has his faults - he hasn't seen a pitch he didn't think was worth swinging at, for one. Unless he hits .300 or better, his on-base percentage will be a concern. Plus, right-handed first baseman rarely make for defensive wonders. Still, over the last three years, he's averaged around a 125 wRC+. I'm sure Atlanta hopes he swings a big stick early in Florida, which will allow them to aggressively push him up to Double-A.




48. Dilmer Mejia, LHP, 19 years-old, Grade: C 

It seems like forever ago that Mejia burst on the scene with a strong 2014. Starting the year in the Dominican Summer League, the almost 17-year-old blitzed the DSL with 52 K's in 59 innings and just 11 walks. The native of Nicaragua made the rare in-season transition to the states and finished with 15 innings in the GCL. He faced just 16 hitters the entire year who were younger than him.

The expectations were sky-high for Mejia heading into 2015, but it would be a season to forget for the young lefty. After just 21.2 innings where the results were much more miserable, Mejia hit the DL  - a place he would remain for the rest of the year. He would return last season for 35.2 innings - still in the Gulf Coast League - and rebounded with a 2.96 FIP.

On the smallish side at just 5'11", Mejia has three pitches including a low-to-mid 90's fastball. He works off control (career 2.0 BB/9) and isn't likely to strikeout a ton of batters. He's kept the ball in the ballpark to this point, though that will be tested as he climbs the minor league ladder. I imagine the Braves would love to work him into the picture at Rome this season either before the Appalachian League season begins or after. He turns 20 in July so the time to get moving is now.

Below is the only video I could find of Mejia. It's in Spanish and you will have to skip to about 1:25 to see a brief clip of him.



47. Anfernee Seymour, SS, 21 years-old, Grade: C 

The 2016 Baseball Prospectus book had this to say about Seymour. "A local high school product, Anfernee Seymour was popped in the seventh round in 2014 because he's fast. He swiped the second-most bags in the New York-Penn League also because he's fast. He's fast." And that basically sums up Seymour to this point. In 215 career games, Seymour has swiped 83 bases and has been caught 21 times. But the bat...well, we're still waiting.

Acquired last season in the Hunter Cervenka trade, Seymour hit .257/.296/.303 at a pair of South Atlantic League stops last year. His walk rate was under 5% and his strikeout rate was on the wrong side of 20%. Seymour is a player who I don't see nearly as fondly as MLB Pipeline, which currently ranks him 19th (better than Patrick Weigel, A.J. Minter, and Braxton Davidson).

There is some skill here. A switch-hitter, Seymour is a good bunter, but doesn't use his speed well enough when he's swinging. With his lean frame, he ought to cut down on his swing and serve the ball where it's thrown. Instead, he too often tries the old Kevin Millwood method to hitting - Swing-Hard-In-Case-You-Hit-It. Millwood was a pitcher, though.

Seymour is also not a very gifted fielder. He has the speed to make up, to some degree, for iffy instincts and bad decisions in the field, but that still means that he's putting himself at a disadvantage. I could see the Braves moving him to second base, where his arm plays better. Atlanta could also try him again in the outfield, which he played some of in 2014. Either way, I don't foresee Seymour living up to the Top 20 MLB Pipeline billing.



46. Bryse Wilson, RHP, 19 years-old, grade: C

The 109th overall pick of the 2016 draft, the Braves had to convince Wilson to not attend UNC and instead, sign with Atlanta. By doing so, they put the cherry on the top of what was the 2016 draft. For a sign of how dominant Wilson was at Orange High School (Hillsborough, NC), you need only know this - he tossed multiple no-hitters his senior year. Multiple. As in, more than one.

Wilson spent the summer in the Gulf Coast League and in 26.2 innings, he K'd 29 and allowed just two earned runs. In six of his nine starts, he had at least a 2-to-1 GB to FB rate. Even though he didn't allow many baserunners, he induced four double plays in less than 30 innings of work. It remains to be seen if that groundball tendency will continue, though.

Standing 6'1" and weighing a stout 225 pounds, Wilson relies on a heater capable of reaching the mid-90's. To supplement his fastball, he throws a slider that has plus potential. The issue with Wilson and why I may rank him a bit lower than others is whether or not he profiles as a starter as he rises through the system. He needs an offspeed delivery and has to refine his slider to keep that option available. Nevertheless, for a 19-year-old, he's pretty dang impressive and should climb this and other prospect lists by next year.



45. Kade Scivicque, Catcher, 24 years-old, Grade: C

Originally a fourth-round pick out of LSU, Scivicque is, by default, the top catching prospect in terms of level + potential. I say default because the only real catching prospects are still A-ball and under. Still, Scivicque has some skills that might get him to the majors.

Before being acquired in August for Erick Aybar, Scivicque made quick work of the New York-Penn League and Midwest League. At the time of the deal, he was hitting .282/.324/.379 in the Florida State League. A right-handed hitter and thrower, Scivicque would split time between Carolina and Mississippi to end the regular season. He would also get an assignment in the Arizona Fall League where he posted an out-of-character 151 wRC+ over ten games.

Scivicque isn't particularly gifted behind the plate, though he is recognized as a solid game caller with good leadership skills. I've heard that he's a solid pitch framer as well. At the plate, he's fairly aggressive and his level swing mutes much in terms of power. A lot will have to go right to get Scivicque to the majors and he probably will max out as a backup. Nevertheless, that's still pretty good return for a month-and-a-half of Aybar.



44. Yunior Severino, SS, 17 years-old, Grade: C

It's easy to forget about the prospects signed last July who aren't named Kevin Maitan, but Severino was a big "get" in his own right. Ranked #8th among international prospects entering the signing period by Baseball America, Severino received a million to join the Braves. He won't make his debut until this season at the earliest, though he could skip the Dominican Summer League and immediately start his career in the GCL. A switch-hitter, Severino might still outgrow shortstop (the jury's still out), though he could stay in the middle infield and play second base. If so, he could be a big threat at second base as a potential 20-HR player.

Obviously, there isn't much information to go with here until we see Severino in game action, which won't happen until next June. With that said, last year's bounty of players has a chance to remake the franchise and Severino can play a starring role in doing so.



43. Abrahan Guiterrez, Catcher, 17 years-old, Grade: C

As far as pure potential goes, the Braves don't have a better catching prospect than Guitierrez. Signed for just $750K less than Kevin Maitan last July ($3.5M total), Guiterrez was ranked #15th in Baseball America's Top 50. Born on Halloween in 1999 in Venezuela, Guiterrez is a right-handed thrower and hitter.

Much like with Severino, right now, we are living on hype as we try to put together a scouting report. Guiterrez has a quick release behind the plate, though his footwork isn't very efficient yet. He's a little taller than you might like for a catcher (6'2"), but shows impressive athleticism behind the plate with mature (for his age) receiving skills. At the plate, he has a quick bat and the ability to serve line drives all over the field.

The Braves haven't had a catcher who was signed on the international market who later became a big contributor at the major league level since Javy Lopez. Could Guiterrez change that? Time will tell.



The Walk-Off Walk Top 50 Prospects (to recap)
52. Jon Kennedy
51. Isranel Wilson
50. Yoeli Lopez
49. Carlos Castro
48. Dilmer Mejia
47. Anfernee Seymour
46. Bryse Wilson
45. Kade Scivicque
44. Yunior Severino
43. Abrahan Guiterrez

Check back next week for the next ten prospects as I continue to countdown to #1.