Random Prospect Sunday - Brett Cumberland

Jeff Morris - Follow on Twitter

"A catcher must want to catch. He must make up his mind that it isn't the terrible job it is painted, and that he isn't going to say every day, 'Why, oh why with so many other positions in baseball did I take up this one?'" - Bill Dickey

Twenty-two year-old Brett Cumberland could play other positions. He has in him the potential to hit extremely well and that can translate to a variety of positions. He may still play another position before it is all said-and-done, but it won't be for a lack of want. Cumberland wants to be a catcher and if Hall of Famer Bill Dickey is to be believed, that's at least half of the battle.

Cumberland grew up in Turlock, California, a city of over 70,000 east of San Francisco. He attended the 40+ acre campus of Turlock High School which has produced a trio of major leaguers - most recently Dan Reichert. Cumberland was a three-time all-conference catcher in high school as a member of the Bulldogs. After graduating from Turlock, Cumberland remained in-state to attend Cal-Berkley.

It didn't take long for Cumberland to turn some heads. Freshmen rarely start right away - especially at catcher. That goes double for a hyper-competitive conference like the Pac-12. That didn't stop Cumberland, who opened his collegiate career with an eleven game hit streak and three homers. On the year, he would slash .254/.405/.429 with seven homers. He showed a penchant for getting on base through other means than a hit as he walked 33 times, good for eighth in the conference, and was bit by a pitch 14 times.

As a sophomore, Cumberland showed that he had a knack for outperforming anyone's expectations. He took home Pac-12 Player of the Year honors by slashing a robust .344/.480/.678. Included in those numbers were 10 doubles, a triple, and 16 home runs. He walked 38 times to just 40 strikeouts while adding ten more hit-by-pitch. He earned second and third team All-American recognition from a variety of sources and was named as a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes and Johnny Bench Awards.

Cal-Berkley crossed their fingers that Cumberland would return for a junior year, but the Braves came calling. With the 76th overall selection, a pick the Braves acquired after absorbing Brian Matusz's contract from the Orioles, the Atlanta Braves selected Cumberland. He was the first hitter they took in a draft dominated by arms like Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller, and Bryse Wilson. The Braves went well over-slot to sign Cumberland, giving him a $1.5 million bonus compared to the slot value of $839,900.

Soon after signing, Cumberland was given the assignment to join the Danville Braves. He would walk and hit an RBI double in his professional debut, but his run with Danville was anything but smooth. It took him 13 games to hit a home run, 14 games to have a multiple-hit game, and he finished the season with just 13 hits over his final 84 PA (.186). Overall, Cumberland hit .216/.317/.340 while playing in 45 games - 33 as the starting catcher. He struck out 26% of the time and belted just three home runs in 189 PA. It was good for a .312 wOBA. Defensively, he was charged with eight passed balls.

It took away a little of the luster that new draftees have on them, but Cumberland still received a good deal of prospect love - including ranking #25 on the preseason Top 50 here at Walk-Off Walk. He opened 2017 with Rome and got off to a really tough start in the South Atlantic League. Over his first 26 games (through May 19), Cumberland was hitting just .186 with seven extra-base hits, including a pair of homers. But he also possessed one of baseball's strangest triple slashes with a .187/.430/.333 line on the heels of 19 walks and 13 HBP.

On May 20, he smacked a trio of hits, finishing a triple short of the cycle. It began a hot streak that eventually ended his time with Rome. Over 29 games that spanned slightly less than a month, Cumberland slashed .320/.434/.680 with 10 doubles and eight home runs. He even swiped his first professional base, had his first two-home run game, and set a new career-high with a 13-game hit streak. He still struck out plenty but was now hitting the ball with authority in addition to getting on base.

Atlanta typically leaves guys in Rome for a full season, but they make exceptions for players with college-level experience. After hitting his 11th home run of the year on June 18, Cumberland was promoted to Florida. Things aren't going so well for him down there. He's struck out in all but one of his 19 appearances. Florida State League pitchers, who actually walk more batters per nine innings than what he saw in the SALLY, aren't giving Cumberland as many free passes (5% less). They aren't hitting him nearly as frequently either. They are striking him out a whole lot more. Through his first 66 PA, Cumberland struck out 29 times. That comes out to a 44% strikeout rate. To put that into a bit of perspective, Chris Carter's career strikeout rate is 33%.

Jeff Morris - Follow on Twitter

And there in lies the issues with Cumberland. We know he has a good idea of the strike-zone. We also know he has the ability to deposit fly balls beyond the outfield wall. We even know that he has shown consistently that balls gravitate toward him, giving him free passes to first. What the Braves are hoping to see is - and why they were so aggressive to promote him after just 55 games at low-A - can Cumberland make enough consistent good contact? He's not the only guy the Braves want to see that from. Braxton Davidson, Austin Riley, and Travis Demeritte all possess plus-power, but each has problems putting the bat on the ball to take advantage of that power. Cumberland is going to get on base - likely at a much better clip than his current .258 OBP through 19 games with the Fire Frogs. He can be a Three True Outcomes hitter and be successful in the majors. We don't see them quite as frequently as we did 5-10 years ago, but guys like Joey Gallo (1.7 fWAR), Khris Davis (1.0 fWAR), and Eric Thames (1.8 fWAR) show that you can mask to some degree a bad batting average and questionable defense if you can hit for enough power.

Cumberland may not match their power, but he does something that none of them do - play catcher. The problem there is does he project to stay behind the plate? Like his new teammate, Alex Jackson, the jury is still out. He's thrown out 23% of baserunners attempting to swipe on him this year, which is hardly going to inspire any confidence. He's lumbering behind the plate and doesn't look fluid in his movements. His footwork resembles a guy getting used to playing the position, not one who has played the position full-time against top-flight competition at his public high school and in the Pac-12. The good news is that Cumberland is regarded as a capable receiver who has the smarts to stay behind the plate and work with his pitcher. I haven't heard much about his pitch framing, but to stay behind the plate, he either needs to be Tyler Flowers-great at framing or massively improve his agility behind the plate because his arm will likely never grade above-average.

Further, the slowness and lack of agility he shows behind the plate is unlikely to be fixed by a move to left field - often thought to be his fallback position.

The plus side here is that if it all comes together, Cumberland could develop into a pre-2017 Stephen Vogt-type catcher with more upside and a whole lot more strikeouts. That's a 2-3 win catcher who, if he flashes 25-30 HR power, could be a 3-4 win catcher routinely in the discussion for an All-Star selection. The problem is getting there, but don't get down on him. At 22 years-old, the switch-hitting catcher is a long way from being a finished product. That's why good organizations pay minor league coaches and instructors the big bucks. To get the most out of the players the organization adds to the system.

Braves Top 50 Prospects, 2017 Preseason: #30-#21

Today, I continue my Top 50 prospects with the middle ten ranging from the #21st prospect to the #30th. Many of these prospects would be in the Top 20 of other systems, but the incredible depth of Atlanta's farm system has them just outside my Top 20. I want to thank all of you for reading. At the bottom, you'll find a running countdown with links to previous versions of this list. Feel free to share as well to other Braves fans.

30. Akeel Morris, RHP, 24 years-old, Grade: C+

Judging by this winter's moves that sent both Robert Whalen and John Gant packing, Morris could be moved sometime next winter. Like the two aforementioned righties, Morris was acquired from the Mets for Kelly Johnson (though a year later). He has appeared once in the majors - and it was pretty ugly. Facing the Blue Jays in June of 2015, Morris walked the first two batters he faced before getting a groundout. A pair of singles followed, scoring two runs before Danny Valencia hit a three-run bomb off Morris. He retired the next batter before walking yet another, which finally got him the boot. It turned a 3-0 game into an 8-0 blowout. Morris' final line - 0.2 ING, 3 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 67.50 ERA.

Outside of that, Morris has been quite effective in the minor leagues as he slowly made his climb up the ladder. In 2014, his first season at full-season ball after three years at the short-season/rookie level, Morris had some video game stats in the South Atlantic League (57 innings, 1.90 FIP, 14 K/9, 3.5 BB.9, 16 saves). The season cemented his prospect status and while his 2015 wasn't quite as dominant, it was still a solid campaign split between High-A and Double-A. Surprisingly - to me - he was left in Double-A to open 2016 and perhaps the lack of a promotion messed with him because his numbers took a climb in the wrong direction before a midseason trade to the Braves. His control was still a bit iffy, but he cut his FIP by two runs.

Morris works off a mid-90's fastball and a plus-changeup. He can get by on those two pitches, but his slider could be the difference maker in getting him into higher-leverage situations as it changes the batter's eye. For Morris, it's all about his mechanics. There's a good deal of herky-jerky movement in his delivery that can lead to some mechanical problems. Plus, he drags his arm through on his follow-through, which demands great strength and depends on Morris having the rest of his mechanics down to be effective. He has a talented right arm and could be in the majors to stay very soon if he can find consistency in his delivery and release point.




29. Matt Withrow, RHP, 23 years-old, Grade: C+

Former Brave Chris's little brother had a pretty impressive campaign last year in Carolina. The Texas Tech alum finished second in the Carolina League in strikeouts and even in a stacked system, he still had the fifth most strikeouts with 131.

The only real criticism of his season comes down to walks. That is to say, there were too many of them. Sixty-eight in total - all unintentional - for a walk rate of about five per nine innings. He also uncorked eight wild pitches and hit nine batters. These are things that will have to be cleaned up if Withrow is going to remain a prospect as a starting pitcher.

Withrow possesses a heavy fastball that sinks as it reaches the plate. When he can effectively throw the heater for strikes both low and high in the zone and hit his corners, it can be a difficult pitch to properly read. He can hit 96 or so with heater, though typically sits a few ticks slower. He pairs the fastball with a slider that has swing-and-miss potential at the major league level. About 10-15 mph slower than his fastball, the break on the breaking pitch is solid and is difficult to solidly connect on. He also either has a curve or takes something off his slider to give it more of a curve feel. What might decide his future is his changeup. He gets good movement on it and if he can locate it, he'll have the collection of pitches needed to be a starter. Withrow, who skipped Rome last year, will get his shot to prove that he belongs among the top Braves prospects with Mississippi in 2017.




28. Michael Mader, LHP, 22 years-old, Grade: C+

Mader is the kind of quiet and good pitcher the Braves seem to trade for in bunches over the last few years. He's good enough to deserve Top 30 consideration and might be even better than that. We just don't know yet - but results so far are impressive. Acquired, along with #47 Anfernee Seymour, last summer in the Hunter Cervenka deal, Mader was a third round pick in 2014 out of Chipola College.

Mader struggled with control and consistency in 2015 in the South Atlantic League but had turned it around in the Florida State League last year prior to the trade. In 103 innings, his strikeout rate was 4.7% higher, his walk rate was 1.5% lower, and his FIP had dropped a run. After the trade, Mader got a taste of Double-A and in five starts, Mader was unbeatable. Well, not really because he was saddled with three losses to no wins, but all the previous rates that looked better in the FSL looked even better in the Southern league.

Mader's fastball has a high-end velocity in the mid-90's, though it's more likely to sit in the low-90's. It's a good pitch that Mader fools hitters with routinely. He also throws a slow looping curve with 12-6 movement and a harder curve. He adds a change-of-pace that looks like his fastball right up until it's right on the hitter. I look at Mader as a guy with high-leverage inning potential as a reliever, but he's still a starter option. He'll likely join Withrow to help lead the Mississippi rotation.



27. Juan Yepez, 1B, 19 years-old, Grade: C+

After a strong debut season in which he slashed .299/.364/.458 over two rookie-league stops, a lot was hoped for with Yepez entering 2016. Unfortunately, injuries played a major role in a big letdown. He homered just once with Rome and had a sub-.100 ISO over 26 games total.

Frank Wren's last big international signing, the hope was that Yepez would help solidify third base. However, the addition of Austin Riley and Yepez's defensive limitations at the Hot Corner have led Yepez to be moved across the infield to first. Armed with quick hands and a strong hit tool, Yepez should add more power to his game as he matures.

The big question for Yepez is his plate discipline. Like many young players, Yepez tends to think that just because he can put wood on the ball means that he should swing. That leads to a lot of weak contact, though in his defense, his quick bat leads to a lot of "out-of-the-zone" hits. Nevertheless, you'd like to see him show more maturity in 2017 as he repeats Rome.

No video available

26. Cristian Pache, OF, 18 years-old, Grade: C+

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in July of 2015, Pache made his professional debut in 2016 and in doing so, set himself up to be the next IT prospect for the Braves. In 27 games as a 17-year-old in the Gulf Coast League, Pache slashed .283/.325/.377. He'd look even better in 30 games to finish the season with Danville. Overall, Pache hit .309/.349/.391 with 4 doubles, 7 triples, and 11 steals. Oh, and he faced just one pitcher all year younger than he was.

The Braves under The Holy John Trinity have shown a willingness to aggressively push young prospects and Pache experienced that last year. I believe he won't be pushed like that this year, but mainly because the Braves like to let their prospects spend a whole year at Rome to get used to full-season ball. Regardless, if the 6'2" right-handed hitter adds some bulk without sacrificing his ability to play center field, he could make a Ronald Acuna-like jump. 

25. Brett Cumberland, C, 21 years-old, Grade: B-

Drafted with the 76th pick last June, Cumberland was just a sophomore when the Braves grabbed him out of Cal. He headed to Danville after signing and struggled down the stretch - especially with contact. He struck out 49 times in just 189 PA - or a quarter of the time. He flashed limited power (.123).

I still like his potential, though, and if his defense can improve to an acceptable level, I believe he has a future as a hitting catcher. Far more concerning than his defense to me is his contact rate. Cumberland's hit tool has too much potential to be squandered by a 25%+ strikeout rate. The Braves could opt to shield Cumberland from a potential worrisome assignment at Rome to begin 2017, though I doubt it. Like Tanner Murphy before him, he'll be given the sink-or-swim scenario. It didn't work for Murphy, but Cumberland's bat is much better.



24. Luke Jackson, RHP, 25 years-old, Grade: B-

One of the oldest prospects on this list, Jackson was acquired from the Rangers in the Tyrell Jenkins deal last month. Originally a first rounder out of Fort Lauderdale in 2010, Jackson had a strong beginning to his career as he quickly climbed to Triple-A by the end of 2014. That's where the stagnation began. In 128.1 innings, Jackson has an ERA near 6.00 at the minor league's highest level. The walks (5.5 per nine) are particularly alarming and he's been prone to serve up homers.

Originally a starter until moving to the pen in 2015, Jackson sits in the high-90's that will make-or-break any particular appearance based on whether or not he shows feel for his heater. Also, he has enough giddy-up on the pitch to reach triple digits. His other pitch is an inconsistent curveball which has strikeout ability, but is dependent on Jackson's mechanics being tight - and that's not always the case. Finally, Jackson has a changeup from his starter days, though you could go a week or two without seeing it.

From a stuff/movement perspective, there's a lot to love about Jackson. He gives the batter something to think about with a little skip in his delivery and when he's on, Jackson has a pair of plus-pitches that compliment one another coming out of the pen. The problem is that I have to condition it "when he's on" because he has some mechanical issues that can lead to him missing his spots badly. The Braves took a bet on his arm and their ability to get him to use it better. If they are successful, they have a high-leverage reliever with closer potential.



23. Derian Cruz, SS, 18 years-old, Grade: B-

After inking a $2 million signing bonus in 2015, Cruz made his professional debut last summer. It was a bit of a mixed bag. Similar to the other big member of that signing period (Pache), Cruz handled the Gulf Coast League with ease before spending the final month or so with Danville. However, unlike Pache, Cruz struggled with his new assignment both at the plate (.183/.204/.279) and in the field (12 errors in 24 games). Again, just like Pache, he faced just one pitcher all year younger than he was.

Cruz entered the international signing period in 2015 as the #5th best prospect according to Baseball America. Lauded for his athleticism and potential 80-grade speed, Cruz doesn't have quite as much current ability as Pache and his performance made that clear. Nevertheless, Cruz is a switch-hitter with explosive natural gifts who should be capable of staying at shortstop. If his bat comes along as the Braves obviously believed it would when they signed him, he'll be the next in a long line of strong prospects the Braves have developed at shortstop.



22. Braxton Davidson, OF, 21 years-old (6/18), Grade: B-

I've been waiting for two years to see the Brax Show break out and while there have been some good signs, it's only made it clearer where Davidson hasn't shined yet. Could 2017 change that? I really hope so because if Davidson puts his game together and lives up to the hype he had entering the 2014 draft, he'll give the Braves some monster raw power that they simply have struggled to develop over the last number of years.

A native of Asheville, NC, Davidson has hit just .232 as a professional. That's despite strong BABIP numbers (.337 in 2015, .360 last year). To put it bluntly, Davidson is not making enough contact as his 30% strikeout rate indicates. He does walk a lot to the tune of 16% of the time. Add those percentages together and Davidson is only putting the ball in play a little more than half of the time he steps into the batter's box. There's patience and then there's Davidson.

The challenge for the Braves is getting Davidson to be more aggressive. At that point, we'll know more about his actual batting eye versus being fickle as he waits for his pitch. To take that next step, Davidson is going to have to show he can put the bat on the ball more frequently while accessing more of the raw power he was lauded for entering the draft three years ago. If he does that, even if his hit tool is never great, he's got the capability of posting strong OBP/SLG marks in the majors if his batting eye is true. He likely needs another year in High-A ball before pushing him up to Double-A so I hope Atlanta is patient with him.

21. Alex Jackson, Catcher/Outfield, 21 years-old, Grade: B-

I was quite tempted to boost Jackson up the rankings by the confirmation that the former sixth overall pick was going to be moved back to catcher, but I will stick with this ranking for now and wait for Jackson to earn a Top-20 slot rather than be gifted it because of his position. Good news there is I do expect Jackson to climb this list by midseason.

We know the story about Jackson so far. Picked sixth overall, he struggled with injuries and a nagging reputation of having maturity issues. Last year, his Age-20 season, he played in 92 games with Clinton in the Midwest League and hit .243/.332/.408. The bad news here, beyond the slash, is that he K'd 27% of the time. The good news is that he posted a .165 ISO against mostly older pitchers and slashed .274/.358/.430 over his last 300 PA. He also had a .346 wOBA so the talk about how disappointing his season was is tremendously overblown.

Jackson was the best prep hitter heading into the 2014 draft for a reason. He was selected sixth overall for a reason. He was ranked among the Top 100 prospects heading into 2016 for a reason. On the other hand, I rank him outside my Top 20 also for a reason. I want to be impressed because right now, I see both the good and the bad, but with 2.5 years of professional experience, I have yet to have my socks blown off. I think Jackson can do that, though. The raw power he possesses immediately rivals Austin Riley, though the latter is higher ranked because he has done a better job taking his raw power and turning it into game power.

It's incredibly difficult to spotlight one prospect in this system because it's so rich in them. That said, it's hard not to be intrigued by Jackson. If he can turn the corner, even if it's repeating Low-A, and shows the ability to catch, he's got All-Star potential. I wouldn't be surprised, nor disappointed, to see the Braves start Jackson in Rome. With the position switch, change in scenery, and so on, it could be a good location for him. The opportunity to work with Ian Anderson and company wouldn't be the worst idea, either. 

2017 Walk-Off Walk Top 50 Prospects*
5 Looking In (Honorable Mentions)
#52-43
#42-31

The Walk-Off Walk Top 52 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 Gutierrez
42. Jonathan Morales
41. Steve Janas
40. Chad Sobotka
39. William Contreras
38. Bradley Roney
37. Thomas Burrows
36. Connor Lien
35. Jesse Biddle
34. Caleb Dirks
33. Ricardo Sanchez
32. Lucas Herbert
31. Ray-Patrick Didder
30. Akeel Morris
29. Matt Withrow
28. Michael Mader
27. Juan Yepez
26. Christian Pache
25. Brett Cumberland
24. Luke Jackson
23. Derian Cruz
22. Braxton Davidson
21. Alex Jackson

*Top 50 was increased to Top 52 after a trade.

Braves Monday Roundup - Fort Bragg, Sims, Trades

Welcome to the return of the Monday Roundup. Haven't been able to do this in a couple of weeks, but glad to be getting back into my regular posting schedule. For returnee fans, I plan to post the rest of my Best/Worst Draft series over the next few days leading up to the MLB Draft on Thursday. I hope you guys are enjoying the series - I know I enjoy writing about it. Once it's completed, I will look for another series of posts to focus on. I'm thinking of looking at who the Braves could trade and what kind of package they might seek. After all, the Braves will likely be busy on that front.

In the meantime, here are 5 stories you may have missed...

By Fish Cop. (Blashfield Sign Company) [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Fort Bragg's "Pop-Up Stadium" Nearly Completion
-One of the most interesting things related to the Braves during this lost season will come next month when they play host to the Miami Marlins at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Crews are putting the final touches on the stadium, including installing bleachers, fencing, a broadcast booth for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, and more. The "pop-up stadium" appears to be an experiment of sorts for baseball as they try to host a game five months after announcing the venture. You have to believe if the event is a success - and it has every reason to be - MLB will continue to attempt similar events. While much of the stadium will be removed after the game, the field will be donated to Fort Bragg, who hope to expand the location into a "larger athletic complex."

Sims Gets Crushed
-After Shae Simmons threw a scoreless inning to open Sunday's tilt with Durham, Gwinnett went with regular starter Lucas Sims. The results were awful. Sims went just 2.2 innings in the loss as he struggled greatly with his control, walking six batters and throwing a wild pitch. He also yielded a pair of homeruns when he did find the strikezone. Sims has given up six or more runs in four of his last seven games for Gwinnett. Suffice it to say, it's a learning experience for Sims, who turned just 22 last month and opened the year with three starts in Double-A. While no one should get too disappointed with Sims so far, it's a sign that one of Atlanta's star prospects is not close to being ready for prime time.

Mock Draft Brings in Number of Bats
-Tomahawk Take's Benjamin Chase was tasked with the role of playing the Braves General Manager at minorleagueball.com's mock draft. Of the six players drafted, Chase took four bats - which would be a stark change from last year's pitching shopping spree. It will be interesting to see if something like that happens. Clearly, the Braves need more offense in the system, but I'm of the belief that they won't make an effort to go bat or arm at any point in the draft. Instead, they will focus on best player available. That might be a bat like Kyle Lewis at #3 as it was for Chase. Or it might be an arm like Jason Groome or Riley Pint. Regardless of which way they go with that pick or any pick after it, I am convinced Atlanta will only go with the player that is on top of their Big Board at that time.

Jon Heyman: "Everyone can be had"
-In his recent Inside Baseball column, Jon Heyman mentioned a variety of Braves' notes, many with a a common theme - trades. According to Heyman, "a few teams have checked in on Nick Markakis," which I wrote about recently with the hope that - if true - Atlanta jumps on a possible trade. Heyman also mentioned Kelly Johnson and Alexi Ogando as possible trade targets, though neither have played well this year and have shown little sign of turning the corner. 2016 was supposed to be bad for the Braves, but the under-performance of so many veterans who appeared likely to attract trade interest hasn't helped.

Teheran Might be a Fit for the Red Sox
-The Braves have little reason to trade Julio Teheran. He's in just year 3 of a 6-year, $32.4M contract extension that also has a very manageable $12M club option for 2020. He's an effective pitcher who could be on his way to a 3 WAR season regardless of what his win-loss record may say. It's for all of those reasons that Teheran makes for such an attractive option for many teams in need of a dependable cog to add to their rotation. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe thinks the Red Sox could be one of those teams, especially with their collection of major-league ready (or nearly ready) talent. Cafardo mentions Blake Swihart, though that took a hit when Swihart hurt his left ankle playing left field (because reasons). Over 383 PA in the majors, Swihart has hit .271/.328/.386 with the Sox and was a Top 20 prospect heading into 2015. A switch-hitting option, Swihart definitely could help the Braves in terms of giving them a catcher-of-the-future option in the majors. Another name might be a better fit, though, and that's Andrew Benintendi. The 7th overall pick of the 2015 draft, Benintendi is already in Double-A, though his numbers have taken a bit of a fall through a couple dozen games there. In 458 PA since joining the Sox organization, Benintendi has a .206 ISO. A lefty masher who still might have room to grow, the Braves would be hard pressed to refuse an offer centering around Benintendi.

Bonus Link - Leudys Baez Reviewed
-A few weeks ago, I pointed you to a review on Mike Soroka by notesfromthesally.com. Over the weekend, John Calvagno posted another review on a current Rome Brave in Leudys Baez. The article quickly stands out as Calvagno says, "He (Baez) has some of the loudest tools in the league and no one is talking about him." Give the link a read.

Trivia Question
-The last time I did this, I asked, "In the expansion era (1961-to-present), and excluding the streak-shortened 1981, what three teams have tied for the fewest players on the team to hit at least one homerun?" No one ventured a guess even though I gave a hint. 10 players is the answer and it has been accomplished three times by the Cubs in 1967, the Royals in 1972, and the New York Mets in 1980. With Brandon Snyder's homer Sunday, the Braves reached ten. Here's today's trivia question. Freddie Freeman now has six intentional walks. What is the franchise record for walks in a single season? If you know the answer, send me a tweet.

Birthdays
Happy birthday today to Tony Graffanio, who began his 13-year major league career with the Braves in 1996 and turns 44 today. Wednesday is Pete Orr's 37th birthday. The Canadian utility guy last played in the majors in 2013 and is currently a free agent. On Thursday, Joel De La Cruz, who has been promoted to the majors twice and never used, turns 27. Not-a-Brave Zoilo Almonte turns 27 on June 10 (Friday). Atlanta had hoped Almonte would earn a platoon job last spring, but he ultimately was cut and didn't play organized ball again until last winter. He's currently doing well in the Mexican League. Also celebrating their birthday Friday will be Jeff Bennett (36 years-old), who I profiled awhile back. Rick Camp would have been 63 on Friday as well. Odalis Perez turns 38 on Saturday while Ryan Klesko celebrates his 45th birthday on Sunday.

Shameless Plugs 
Worst 5 Drafts Since 2000 - #4 ...The fourth worst draft might be one of the worst drafts in just talent for the Braves since the draft's inception. It was that ugly.

Transaction Tuesday: Thayer, Shae, Parsons, McCreery ...Weekly recap of the minor league moves. Analysis includes the recent addition of Dale Thayer, Shae Simmons' setback, Wes Parsons inability to stay healthy, and Adam McCreery getting his first taste of minor league ball as a Brave.

Braves Throw Away the Grill(i) ...Atlanta deals away Jason Grilli as they continue to add potential pieces for the future.

By EricEnfermero (Own work)
[CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Braves Shift Tyrell to the Pen ...Last week, the Braves made the choice to move right-hander Tyrell Jenkins out of the rotation and into the bullpen. In my article, I looked at how the move could mimic a similar move to the pen in 2010 for Jonny Venters.

Freddie Freeman's Power Numbers are Fine ...Where does Freeman rank among power hitters in the game and at his position? Certainly not with the elite, but his numbers are better than many give him credit for.

Braves Saturday Stats Pack ...Some of the topics discussed include Mallex Smith's odd stolen base success rate, Tyler Flowers' hard-hit rate, and Arodys Vizcaino's heat.

Minor League Saturday Stats Pack ...Sean Newcomb might be turning the corner and so might Braxton Davidson. See the column for more.

Best 5 Drafts Since 2000 - #4 ...As aggressive as the Braves were in last year's draft, my ranking of the draft in context with every draft since 2000 might be more aggressive.

Worst 5 Drafts Since 2000 - #3 ...Three years ago, the Braves struck out on nearly every pick. Let's hope for better luck Thursday as you review how it all went wrong in 2013.

Thanks for reading and remember to follow me on Twitter.

Carolina Mudcats 2016 Preview

Swanson's a Mudcat in 2016
Rob Carr/Getty Images

Yesterday, I previewed the Rome Braves roster, which is full of prospects throughout. Today's team, the Carolina Mudcats, is not quite as impressive from a prospect standpoint, though the franchise's top prospect will start there. There are some good prospects throughout this team, though.

Staff - Rocket Wheeler (Manager), Jose Mota (Coach), Carlos Mendez (Hitting), Derrick Lewis (Pitching)
-Since 2003, Wheeler has been managing Braves affiliates with his longest tenure coming with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans for five seasons until 2010. He was at the helm of the 2008 squad that won 89 game behind the play of Ernesto Mejia, Tyler Flowers, and Scott Diamond. Now he's back in the Carolina League with the Mudcats. The rest of the coaching staff is unchanged from last season. Mendez played 16 professional years with a 26-game run with the Orioles in 2003 mixed in. After spending his final three years with Richmond, the career .296 minor league hitter retired and joined the organization as a coach in '08. Lewis, a 20th rounder in 1997, pitched as high as AAA with the Braves organization before retiring in 2003 and joining the Braves coaching ranks the year after. Mota was not part of the announced coaching staff, but is on Carolina's roster page. In a career spanning a dozen years, he made it to the majors twice in the 90's.

(L) - Left-handed Pitcher/Hitter
(B) - Switch-Hitter
(#number) - Where player ranked in my preseason Top 50 if applicable

Pitchers - Zach Bird (#16), Ryan Clark (#36), Enderson Franco, Chase Johnson-Mullins (L), Ryan Lawlor (L)
-Bird's placement is a mild surprise after Atlanta gave him three starts in AA after acquiring him in the Hector Olivera/Alex Wood exchange last July. A high-ceiling guy, Bird has great potential, but many question marks that have stunk with him since the Dodgers signed him out of Murrah High School in Jackson, Mississippi. Clark's an aggressive placement after being the Braves' fifth round pick last June. In 52.2 innings with Danville, he showed pinpoint control and kept the ball in the yard (4 K/BB, 2 HR allowed). An UNC-Greensboro alum, Clark could be a depth guy for the major league roster at some point in 2017. Picked up from the Marlins organization (he played with Houston and Tampa Bay before that), Franco is a 23-year old in his seventh year of minor league ball with zero innings above A-ball. Another aggressive placement, Johnson-Mullins was picked eight rounds after Clark. A reliever out of Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Johnson-Mullins walked too many batters last year, but if the 21 year-old southpaw throws strikes, he could be a good reliever for the Braves. Georgia Bulldog fans remember Lawlor, who the Braves also picked last June in the 8th round. He started 7 of 8 games for Danville last year and had a good strikeout rate of 8.2 per nine. He walked a few too many, but kept the ball in the yard.

Pitchers (cont'd) - Sean McLaughlin, Raimar Navarro (also sometimes Raymar), Wes Parsons, Evan Phillips, Max Povse (#21)
-Lawlor's teammate with Georgia and Danville last year, McLaughlin is one of the few 2015 picks to already have A-ball experience after finishing last year with 17.2 innings with Rome. Struck out nearly 10 batters for every nine innings thrown and had pretty stout control to match (3.4 K/BB). Navarro left Cuba in 2013 and was training with Hector Olivera for a time as he tried to find an MLB deal. Before defecting and signing with the Braves last August, he pitched in the Cuban National Series with Holguin from 2009-2012 mostly as a starter, though he was very very young to be pitching in Cuba's primer league. Now 24, his first game with Carolina will be his first one in the states. Parsons came on the scene with a big 2013 season at Rome after being signed as an undrafted free agent, but stagnated in 2014. He was also hurt and that would continue in 2015, when he pitched just 19.2 total innings including one start in Carolina before his season came to a close. There's a lot to like about Parsons when he's healthy and dealing. With any luck, we'll see some of that this year. A 17th rounder out of UNC-Wilmington last June, Phillips appeared in 12 games with Rome after less than a month with Danville. The righty, who was also drafted by the Royals in 2012, had big strikeout numbers last year (11.2 per nine). Povse started last year with a dozen good starts in Rome before earning a callup to Carolina where everything came off the rails. After less than a month there, it became apparent something was wrong. Povse's season whimpered to a close in late July. The 6'8" behemoth will try to right the ship in 2016.

Pitchers (cont'd) - Zach Quintana, Carlos Salazar, Richie Tate (suspended), Matt Withrow
-Quick question: who did the Braves get in the Kyle Wren trade? If you guessed Zach Quintana, way to follow the format I'm doing here. Quintana was a third rounder by the Brewers in 2012, but had never found success until last year. It wasn't great success, but they got him to throw a lot more strikes and his lowered his walk rate from about 4.5 per nine to 2 per nine. He was a nice swingman for Rome - a role he might serve for Carolina. A 2013 third rounder out of Kerman, California, Salazar is kind of repeating a level after finishing 2015 with ten games in Carolina. The 21 year-old has always shown strikeout potential, but doesn't always know where the ball is going. Richie Tate got suspended for the second consecutive season after testing positive for a "drug of abuse." MLB defines cocaine, opiates, PCP, and cannabis as drugs of abuse and this is Tate's third overall suspension. Tate will miss over half of the year with a 100-game suspension and hasn't built much goodwill with a poor performance on the mound as well. With his brother Chris Withrow in Gwinnett, Matt Withrow joins Clark, Johnson-Mullins, and Lawlor in skipping Rome to begin his first full season in the system with Carolina. He started 13 games for Danville last year with a decent K/BB rate of 2.2.

Catchers - Tanner Murphy (#47), Joseph Odom
-If the Braves didn't have both Lucas Herbert and Jonathan Morales deserving promotions to Rome, Murphy likely would have been given a chance to improve upon his .193/.277/.312 stinker of a year he posted in the South Atlantic League last year. But things being as they are, Murphy will have to re-establish himself in High-A while playing in the Carolina League, which is much harder to hit in than other high-A leagues. The previous year, he showed some good on-base skills and pop (.361 OBP, .147 ISO) to match his great defense. A return to form would be great. Odom has been with the Braves' Carolina League affiliate for two years already. He's a caddy for the starter.

Infielders - Jordan Edgerton (#46), Reed Harper, Joey Meneses, Omar Obregon (B), Dansby Swanson (#1)
-Edgerton carried a little hype heading into 2015, but it eroded with a .245/.290/.317 season in Rome. Like Murphy, if he is to redeem himself, he will have to do it while moving up to high-A. Harper played 82 games with Carolina last year and OPS'd .549, which brought his career OPS down to .608. He can sub all over the infield, though. Meneses memorably OPS'd .850 with Rome in 2014 while hitting for the cycle, but struggled badly in Carolina last year. He can play the outfield, though Carolina is pretty good there. Obregon has a decent glove and speed, but is raw (19 CS in 50 attempts) and has zero power (.039 career ISO). It was a bit of a surprise to see Ozhaino Albies skip Carolina and Dansby Swanson start the year there instead. While the narrative suggested the Braves wanted to keep the duo separate for now to allow them to both play shortstop, with Swanson's competitive college experience and age, it was assumed he would start ahead of Albies. Guess not. Easily one of the most dynamic offensive players not only for Carolina, but in the Carolina League, the excitement for Swanson is huge right now. Fans have been spoiled by the quick ascension of many college players but if Swanson takes more time, that's not a bad thing. Let him develop at his own speed. He's going to be a good one.

Outfielders - Keith Curcio (L, #38), Joseph Daris (L, #40), Braxton Davidson (L, #12), Ryan Gebhardt, Sean Godfrey
-Curcio earned a promotion to Carolina last year after a .343/.416/.479 slash in 32 games with Rome. The results in Carolina were not nearly as exciting, but a .265/.327/.369 triple slash from a player in his first full season - who was also being shifted to second base at times - is acceptable. He played almost all-outfield in winter ball so I assume the 2B experiment was taken out back and shot. Curcio left Daris in Rome and the latter was given the full season to slash .272/.336/.396 - a significant improvement over his first year where he struggled in rookie ball. Daris also nearly pulled off a nerdy feat. Until the final few weeks, he had more triples than doubles, but finished with 13 doubles and 12 triples. He also stole 23 out of 30 bases. Davidson's in-game power started to show more in 2015 than the year before (.132 ISO) but it's still not in line with his projected power output. Love his patience at the plate and I think more power will come. I'm more interested to see if he stays in the outfield or if the Braves eventually move him to first. 2015 was the season of change for Gebhardt. He began the year with AA-Mobile, was demoted to low-A Kane County, promoted to high-A Visalia, demoted back to Kane County, released, signed with Long Island of the independent Atlantic League, purchased by the Braves, assigned to Rome, and then finished the year with three games in Carolina. He saw more states in six months than many of us see in a lifetime. He also found time to pitch a game. Though labelled an outfielder here, he's only played there once so far. Like Bird, Godfrey has to be disappointed with beginning this season back in Carolina. The 22nd rounder out of Ball State opened last year with the Mudcats and hit .304 over 62 games, earning a promotion to Mississippi where he hit like a decent-hitting pitcher (.194/.232/.272). Godfrey was a fun pick in 2014 because he went from drafted to Danville to Rome to Lynchburg within the span of a few months. Now, he's hanging on by a thread to his dreams of being an Atlanta Brave.

Pay to see: Povse, Swanson, Davidson.

Keep an eye on: Bird, Clark, Parson, Murphy, Curcio.

As 2016 begins, Carolina has a little star power with Swanson and Davidson, but not much beyond that. Promotions will change that as the season progresses. If you can catch Carolina play this year, do so early to make sure you get to see Swanson up close. I am going to try to see a few games with the Mudcats and Hillcats in early May for that exact reason.

Reviewing Hart's Trades: The Hector Olivera Leap of Faith

The Braves were active in John Hart's season at the helm to the tune of SIXTEEN TRADES! Sixteen deals involving major league talent going one direction or in both. Sixteen deals that include over 50 different players, a few draft picks, lots of cash, and two Uptons. It's been friggin unreal to see what the Braves have done.

With the season in our rear view, it's time to start reviewing each one of these trades. This series is going take a little while to get through, but hey, it gives me something to write about.

Trades Already Reviewed
La Stella for Vizcaino
Heyward/Walden for Miller/Jenkins
Varvaro for Kurcz
J. Upton for Jace Peterson and prospects
Carp/Shreve for Banulos
Kubitza/Hyatt for Sanchez
Gattis for Foltynewicz and Ruiz
Hale for Briceno
Elander for Cahill and Lots of Cash
The Craig Kimbrel Trade
Callaspo for Uribe
Gosselin for Touki
KJ/Uribe for Whalen/Gant

The Trade
As part of a three-team trade, Braves trade Bronson Arroyo, Luis Avilan, Jim Johnson, Jose Peraza, Alex Wood, and cash to the Dodgers for Hector Olivera, Paco Rodriguez, Zachary Bird, and a 2016 draft choice (35th overall, but subject to change) from the Marlins, who also sent Mat Latos and Mike Morse to the Dodgers for Victor Araujo, Jeff Brigham, and Kevin Guzman. Yep, profiled that trade.

The Rationale

Scott Cunningham | Getty Images

Crushes die hard. Last winter, as Olivera worked out for a number of ballclubs, the Braves were a surprise team that was looking to invest big on the Cuban import. A .323/.407/.505 hitter in Cuba, Olivera was considered one of the best hitters left on the island before his defection. He had a silver medal in the Olympics and was part of the disappointing Cuban World Baseball Classic squad in 2009 that finished sixth.

The Braves pursued Olivera hard, but their offer wasn't close to the Dodgers' $62.5M offer over six years ($28M was a signing bonus). Olivera had some medical issues (blood disorder before his defection and a minor UCL tear), but was still considered a stout offensive player.

Like I said...old crushes die hard. The Braves wanted Olivera and considered him a future cog in their lineup. They appeared willing to make it happen and paid a steep price. Jose Peraza was the Braves' top prospect heading into 2015. His game had actually regressed since his 2013 season with Lynchburg. His walks percentage was cut in half and with no power to speak of, he was completely dependent on his bat control to get on base so that he could use his best weapon - his speed. But even his stolen base numbers had declined from 64 and 60 the previous two years to 36 in 2015. Injuries were a factor. The Braves saw a guy who had not advanced and with Jace Peterson a stopgap at second and Andrelton Simmons a fixture at short (right?), Peraza was considered a guy who while useful, was maybe not the impact prospect many had felt he was.

Alex Wood had been very good since arriving in the majors in 2013, but there were some concerns. His fastball velocity had declined (though he never brought much heat). His herky-jerky motion had always been a worry and his strikeouts had fell from nearly a quarter of all batters in 2014 to 18% at the time of the trade. His WHIP had reached 1.41. With a plethora of pitching prospects on the way, the Braves saw Wood as expendable.

The Dodgers also saw Olivera as expendable...at least when it came to winning a title with their bloated roster in 2015. With Justin Turner exceeding all expectations at third base and Corey Seager on the way (not to mention adding Peraza in this deal), the well-sought after Olivera felt more like an extra piece than one that would be a six-year starter. They may have also grew quickly tired of Olivera's hamstring and other concerns that kept him from making his debut with the Dodgers. Furthermore, they needed pitchers. While they had two of the top starters in baseball and a surprisingly durable Brett Anderson, the rest of the staff was unknown in the wake of Brandon McCarthy's early-season injury and Brandon Beachy's quick flameout shortly before the deadline. Adding both Wood and Latos solidified the staff while getting Johnson and Avilan was supposed to make the bullpen deeper. Johnson had been a great add for the Braves and had even filled in as closer due to Jason Grilli's injury, but his return to closer was short-lived. Avilan had went from surprising in 2012 to "how's he succeeding?" in 2013 to "ugh, he actually sucks" in 2014. He was closer to the better Avilan in 2015, but was prone to blow it and blow it big.

Back to Atlanta - they added a pair of pitchers in this deal with Bird and Paco. The latter would eventually need to go under the knife and we will have to wait until 2017 to see him pitch for the Braves. Good thing, too, because that 2017 team is going to be awesome (or so I hear). Bird is an athletic righty who is still raw. He's struggled with control, but has flashed strikeout potential.

Oh, yeah, the Marlins were in this deal. They shed some salary, got a few prospects, and gave the Braves a draft choice. Yay.

I almost forgot about Arroyo. I recently talked about how he came to the Braves. He's just a guy getting paid.

Short-Term Results
Olivera didn't impress in the minors, but when rosters expanded, he finally got a callup and...well, didn't impress that much in the majors either. Still rusty with the bat, Olivera looked damn near puzzled in the field. The Braves had hoped for a springboard September and got more questions than answers. Overall, he slashed .253/.310/.405 in 24 games and lost at-bats to Adonis Garcia.

On the farm, Bird was pushed to AA as the Braves are super aggressive with their prospects. He only started three games and struggled to throw strikes in each one. He was shut down after a 5-run, 5-walk two-inning outing against Mobile on August 13. He should be on schedule to resume his AA career when 2016 opens up.

The Dodgers acquired seven players in this deal and none of them were all that good. Dodgers did quickly pushed Wood to scrap his four-seamer and use his two-seamer along with more spiked curves. He got more grounders as a result, but didn't pitch any better. He appeared in one game in the NLDS and got lit up for four runs, including a three-run homer by Yoenis Cespedes which recently landed in Iowa. Avilan was used to get out lefties, which he does a good job against. He also appeared in the playoffs and retired all four batters he faced. Johnson went to hell in LA. He gave up three homers in 18.2 ING along with a ridiculous 32 hits. Now, he was unlucky to the most extreme degree, but that provided the Dodgers little solace. Peraza appeared in seven games, but hamstring troubles sidelined him ahead of the playoffs. He was the second youngest player in the NL last season.

I don't really care about the other players in this deal because they don't relate to the Braves much at all.

Long-Term Outlook
I know I call this series John Hart's trades, but this was John Coppolella's big money gamble. Even if the Braves were going to move Wood and/or Peraza regardless, doing so for Olivera took a lot of faith. While every scouting report has said that Olivera has the bat to be a productive major leaguer, scouting reports can and have been wrong.

The deal took a hit by the news that Olivera was moving to the outfield next season. Solidifying third base added value to this trade as finding plus-production at third base is not an easy task. Only a half-dozen qualified third baseman had a 120 or better RC+ in each of the last three seasons. The number isn't that different for left field, but it's considered an easier position to formulate a productive platoon than third base. Olivera's move to the outfield caused many, including myself, to re-question this deal and ask this question - just how wrong were the Braves about Olivera? If they were wrong that he could play a competent third base, are they wrong on his hitting?

Bird is a good lottery ticket. His fastball/slider suggests an eventual move to the bullpen, but if he can get either his change or curve to be a true #3 pitch, he could remain in the picture at starter as a bottom-of-the-rotation guy with the chance to progress a bit more. As for Paco, if healthy in 2017, he's a nice weapon. When he was at his best in 2013, he had an 82 cFIP. On a scale of 100, an 82 is 18% better than the league average and the exact mark that Noah Syndergaard had this year. However, he's only appeared in 37 games in the majors since. If healthy and back to his 10 K/9, 50% groundball form, he'll be a weapon through 2019, the final year of team control.

As an aside, it's difficult to preview the #35th overall pick and for that matter, I've seen others call it the #34th. Teams that sign players who were offered a qualified offer could lose their first round pick, which would make this selection even higher. For funsies, here's a list of selected players selected from #30-#35 over the last five years: Braxton Davidson, Jason Hursh, Aaron Judge, Brian Johnson, and Kevin Plawecki.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers will enter 2016 with Avilan, Peraza, and Wood and room for all three on their roster. The results immediately after the trade didn't benefit them, but while Avilan might be serviceable enough (the Dodgers could non-tender him), Peraza and Wood each could play a big role on the next Dodgers team. Or they could be trade bait.

This epic trade ultimately looks less important as we move toward the Hot Stove season just a few months later. The Dodgers made the playoffs, but lost to the Mets. The Braves were already a sinking ship and losing Wood only prompted them to give a guy like Ryan Weber a look. Peraza could have been useful as an alternative to Peterson, but with Peraza failing to advance as a player, maybe the best thing was to cut bait while his value was high. Olivera was going to be the third baseman, but he's not a third baseman. Paco's hurt even before he pitches.

Some call this deal stupid. I wouldn't go that far, but I remain unconvinced that it was the right deal for the Braves. However, if Olivera hits .285/.340/.480 next season, I'll be a bit more on board with the gamble.

Saturday Stats Pack - Minor League Edition

Just in time for the end of the minor league seasons is the beginning of another series here at Walk-Off Walk. Similar to my Saturday Stats Pack that is semi-regularly added to my About.com blog is this Minor League Stats Pack updated here at WOW. Each week, I'll focus in on one player per level and something I find interesting about their numbers. Simple enough, no? Let's take a look at this week's report.

Gwinnett - Carlos Fisher

Gwinnett as a team has a 3.10 ERA and some of it comes as a direct result of a shutdown pen. We've already seen David Carpenter, Ryan Kelly, Matt Marksberry, and a bunch others that have either been traded or released, but Fisher could also be in line for a look. Plucked out of the Atlantic League last year, Fisher has been excellent this year for Gwinnett and has appeared in 35 games with 45 K's in 46.2 ING. His ERA? Oh, just 1.54. Now, his walks are a bit on the high side so his FIP and SIERA aren't nearly as interesting,

Mississippi - Tyler Jones

Tyler was one of my first Random Prospects of the new season and he has had an impressive run in his age-25 season. It began the year with Carolina and after ten scoreless innings there, he has moved up to Mississippi - his first taste of AA ball. He has paced Braves with 13 saves, giving him a franchise-best 19 overall, while striking out 54 total batters in 47.1 ING. I wrote about Jones that he has the tools to be an interesting player, though he needs to be a good deal less hittable. Once he joined Mississippi, the latter has been an issue. His groundball rate has tumbled as well. Still, Jones could be a name that we could see in spring training as a dark horse.

Carolina - Dustin Peterson

Acquired in the Justin Upton trade last winter, I was not that enamored with Peterson. Then he got off to a rocket start that included an OPS over .800 and five homeruns by early June. He has struggled since, however, and his overall numbers look pretty substandard (.243/.318/.336) and he's added just one homerun since June 9. However, one number remains impressive and that is his 10% walk rate. Considering he walked in just 4.6% of his plate appearances over his first 164 professional games, that's definitely something to take away from this season. Also notable is that his K% has gone down this season from 24% to 20%. While that mark is not significant on its own, it does suggest his walk increase is not completely dependent on just taking more pitches, but taking more pitches he ought to take. While his overall numbers won't impress too much this season, he doesn't turn 21 until after the regular season closes. To show advanced plate discipline while playing a couple of years young for a level is exciting.

Rome - Braxton Davidson

A hat tip to my friend Nick B. for pointing this out. Similar to Peterson, Davidson is playing very young for the level he's in. The dude just turned 19 fifty-eight days ago after all and he's in the South Atlantic League. It's aggressive of the Braves to push Davidson, but he has maturely answered the call by walking in 18.2% of his plate appearances this season. He's only hit .242 with 7 homers and yes, he does K a lot (27.3%), but to be able to show such advanced plate discipline at his young age is very impressive. If the power does come, and he supposedly was among the best raw power hitters from the 2014 draft, the Braves have a young Adam Dunn on their hands. Sure, J.P. Ricciardi will think Davidson hates baseball, but hey, in Dunn's first six seasons, he hit 198 homers with a .892 OPS. I wish more people hated baseball like that.

Danville - Austin Riley

The 41st overall selection of the 2015 draft has displayed rather exciting power so far. After pummeling Gulf Coast League pitchers over 30 games with 12 extra-base hits, including seven homeruns, Riley was promoted a couple of weeks ago to Danville. He's added two homers there over his first 56 AB and on the year, Riley is slashing .268/.356/.510. That kind of right-handed power could be very useful for a team that can count on one finger the number of right-handed power hitters it has developed over the last five years. Defense continues to be an issue for Riley, but the Braves like him better there than they like fellow 3B prospect Juan Yepez (who has played a lot of first base this year).

GCL - Kolby Allard

He made his professional debut on August 10. He struck out all three batters he faced. Today, he made his second start. He struck out the first batter of the game, hit the next, got a grounder for a second out, and struck out three of the final four he faced while the other was retired via a flyout. To sum up, 2 GS - 3 ING - 7 K - 1 HBP. Yeah, it's not a lot, but as I consider my post-season Top 30, every good appearance by Allard provides me the confidence to push his name into the Top 5 discussion.

DSL - Randy Ventura

Switch-hitting 5'9" outfielders rarely will attract too much attention, but Ventura should garner some prospect interest after the season he's having in the Dominican. In 52 games, he has stolen 51 bases and has been caught 8 times. He's also hit .348 and walked 30 times to 26 K's. Yes, he has displayed little power and no, we won't see Ventura get into full season ball for another year at the earliest, but Ventura could be an interesting player to keep an eye on next year in Florida or, if the Braves are feeling really aggressive, the Appalachain League.