Random Prospect Sunday - Leudys Baez

Jeff Morris - Follow on Twitter

You take a chance on raw potential. Sometimes, it never develops and other times, only a portion of the potential is transferred into game talent. But on the off chance the player starts to figure it out and more of that raw potential begins to show up in games, you will be forever grateful you took a chance on that player. In 2012, the Washington Nationals took a chance on Leudys Baez. For whatever reason, they cut him without ever seeing him play a professional game and two years after joining the Nats, it was the Braves who took a shot on Baez. They have certainly gotten more out of him than Washington and might just have a rising prospect on their hands.

Born on June 26, 1996, in Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic, Baez was a scrawny kid when the Nats originally added him. A switch-hitter, the Braves slotted Baez for outfield work and six months after signing Baez in December of 2014, the Braves assigned him to Danville to begin his professional career. He made his debut three days before his 19th birthday.

A quick performer, Baez got off to a big start for Danville that season. He got most of his playing time in left field where he shared time with Justin Ellison while hitting .311/.331/.473 over 155 PA. His four homeruns finished second to Austin Riley, who popped five after coming up from the GCL. Baez may have hit more, but he was promoted to Rome in early August. With Rome, his hyper-aggressive style got more in his way than it had with Danville. In 155 PA with the D-Braves, Baez had only walked three times. He did the same in 112 PA, but more of his batted balls were on the ground or popped up as he limped to a .206/.232/.318 finish.

Nevertheless, Baez had some prospect hype heading into the 2016 season. I gave him a #50 rank on my preseason list, which would have placed him as the twelfth best outfield prospect in the system. Slated for a return to Rome, Baez showed little improvement over his previous run through the South Atlantic League before a significant knee injury ended his season on August 2. He hit just .228/.298/.286. Lauded for the pop in his bat, Baez managed eight extra-base hits - including one homerun.

Baez was an afterthought as this year began for Rome. He was busy rehabbing and tweaking his swing. Re-assigned to Danville with another disappointing outfielder from 2016 in Isranel Wilson, Baez struggled through the first week, going 2-for-18 as he shook off the rust. He then hit his first homer of the year on July 1 and during 20 games with Danville that month, Baez would dominate with a .395/.471/.684 slash that included six doubles, two triples, four homeruns, and an unBaez-like 10 walks to 15 strikeouts. He would be named Danville Braves Player of the Month by the organization, which was the second honor they gave him in a matter of the days. The first was a promotion back to Rome.

Over his first 24 games with Rome, we aren't seeing the overmatched kid the last two years, but a matured hitter with a .296/.330/.500 slash as he holds his own in a prospect-laden outfield with Wilson and Cristian Pache. He's added five triples to help set a new personal high with seven total and by belting two more homeruns, he's up to six - also a new high. The strikeouts are still there and the walk rate has cut n half since coming back to Rome, but a .370 wOBA is nothing to sneeze at.

In a sign that player pages rarely get updated for simple biographical information, Baez is still listed at 160 pounds. Anyone who has watched him play will tell you he's closer to 200, if not more. He carries the weight well in his 6'0" frame. Athletically, he reminds me a bit of Jeff Francoeur. For all of his faults, Francoeur had some decent top-end speed, but it took him a little while to get up to speed. That's how watching Baez feels as he struggles to get his motor running into high gear. He makes up for this with good instincts and a tremendous arm. I witnessed one game this season before his promotion to Rome in which he got to a ball as it headed to the wall in the right field corner. Cutting the ball off, he did a 360 to gun the ball into the infield to start a relay at home to gun down the runner and preserve a one-run lead in the visitor's final inning. What made it even more impressive was how quickly he got the ball to the infield as Baez had no time to stop and throw. He simply got the ball, did his turn, threw an accurate and hard throw into the infield, and while the ball soared through the air, his momentum took him into foul territory. It was the best throw from outfield I've seen this year at the rookie level.

At the plate, Baez has worked to keep himself balanced throughout the entire swing. Like many of the Braves' youngest hitters, he has a big leg kick that allows him to explode forward with the bat. It's a level swing, which limits some of his pop, but he hits the ball hard. He's pull-happy at the plate and most of his extra base hits will go whichever way is his pull side for that at-bat as, again, he's a switch-hitter. Like many young switch-hitters, Baez has found more success facing right-hand pitching than he has with left-hand pitching.

He's made some strides with his patience at the plate, but is hyper aggressive and will swing a lot. How much that gets him into trouble moving forward will be something to watch. On the bases, he's not exceptionally quick as I previously discussed. This limits his stolen base numbers because "the jump" often decides things like that. That said, he is still a good baserunner who cuts the bag well and does a lot of the little things that help lead to an extra base being taken.

Baez is a toolsy outfielder. There's a lot here to like and at the same time, there are good reasons not to be overly excited. He could develop into a .280/.330/.475-type corner outfielder with good defensive metrics and baserunning. Or he might never get out of A-ball. The pitch recognition is very questionable and at 21 years-old now, the Braves can't block other outfield prospects to allow Baez more time to develop a more astute batting eye capable of dealing with the better breaking pitches and off-speed deliveries he'll see more of moving forward. That said, the tools are all there for a big climb up the prospect boards next season if he continues to progress.

For more on Baez, check out my scouting report which I published just before this.

More Random Prospects
August 20, 2017 - Corbin Clouse
July 16, 2017 - Brett Cumberland
June 25, 2017 - Chad Sobotka

Random Prospect Sunday - Corbin Clouse

Jeff Morris - Follow on Twitter

In their history, the Braves have only had one player reach the majors after being selected in the 27th round and signed right after the draft. That man was 1983 Notre Dame High School alum, Mark Lemke. I'm not saying Corbin Clouse will one day be held in as high of a regard as the Lemmer, but with the way the left-hander is pitching, it's not impossible.

Clouse was born on June 26, 1995, in Lansing, Michigan. In high school, Clouse rather loved hitting and wanted to focus more on that. As a senior, he gave pitching another try and his star began to shine a bit brighter. His success at Grand Ledge High School did not go unnoticed as local Davenport University in Grand Rapids brought Clouse on campus. They sought to use him both in the outfield and on the mound and he batted .167 over four starts. He also appeared twice as a reliever. However, his season was cut short after an injury on a throw from the outfield to the plate. He sought and was granted a medical red shirt season. When he was healthy again for his redshirt freshman campaign, he no longer felt right in the batting box and felt uncomfortable trying to swing.

In response, Clouse moved to the mound full-time and was a big part of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Champs that season. In ten games, including the first eight starts of his collegiate career, Clouse struck out nearly a batter an inning with a 2.82 ERA. He rarely went deep into the game, pitching just 38.1 innings, but using a four-pitch mix, Clouse excelled as a redshirt freshman. In his follow-up campaign, he continued to star, lowering his ERA to 1.62 over 50 innings. With a better feel for his slider, he struck out 75, setting a new school record (which lasted a year). He also pitched his best when it mattered the most and took home a Grand Rapids Bracket All-Tournament selection after striking out nine over 6.1 innings. A few weeks later, the Braves came calling.

Clouse didn't expect to be drafted, but he also wasn't going to give up an opportunity to become a professional. He joined Danville for their season opener, but he didn't last long with the D-Braves. In four games, he walked two batters and struck out 16-of-22 batters he faced overall. It was ridiculous and the Braves took pity on the Appalachian League by promoting Clouse to Rome. While he wasn't video-game numbers dominant there, Clouse remained excellent with 37 K's in 23.2 innings. He did walk 13, but still maintained a 1.52 ERA and a 2.60 FIP with Rome.

Not that Clouse didn't have anything to work on. Clouse doesn't have the smoothest mechanics in the world and they can come out of whack from time-to-time, which causes his control to waiver. He worked with Dan Meyer, the Rome pitching coach to settle these things down, but they still pop up occasionally. Considering he didn't really focus on pitching until the tail-end of his high school career, it's not surprising that repeating his mechanics would be the hardest thing to come for Clouse. His biggest issue appears to be a follow-through that often leaves him a bit wild coming through. If it's not consistent, it tends to affect his control.

This season, Clouse got off to a bit of a slow start, allowing runs in four of his first outings for Florida. His next 20 games, however, were typical Clouse dominance. He gave up three runs, but all were unearned. He walked 14 over 29.2 innings but struck out 40. He also upped his groundball rate over his early season struggles. With Clouse once again posting video-game type numbers, the Braves took notice and promoted the left-hander after his final Fire Frogs outing on July 16. He hasn't been quite as good with Mississippi, mainly due to some increased control issues. Of his ten outings with the Double-A club, he's avoided a walk just three times. He's had just one totally clean outing - his last one when he pitched around a mess left by Devan Watts.

Splits-wise, he's been a bit hurt by BABIP against fellow left-handers. Nobody hit him last year so his splits merely showed dominance. This year, lefties have hit .292 with a .732 OPS against him. It helps that they have a BABIP of .419 facing Clouse. Unlike many left-hand relievers without a 96 mph fastball in their arsenal, Clouse really doesn't have a lot of natural deception built in his delivery so he's not a smoke-and-mirrors specialist. While he could max out as a LOOGY, I think he has a higher-end projection built in and his slider is a big reason.

In college, Clouse threw four pitches plus a rarely-used changeup. He's basically done away with his four-seamer and curve and relied heavily on a two-seam sinker and a slider. He doesn't have big-time velocity, but nothing he throws is straight. His two-seamer, when located right, leads to a lot of whiffs and either weak grounders or pop-ups as hitters try to elevate a pitch that is dying down at the plate. When the ball floats up, Clouse gets in trouble as it flattens and becomes a slow and hittable fastball. The slider is a plus pitch with more potential in it that he's yet to unlock. It runs about 5-7 mph slower than his high 80's/low 90's heat and drops like a rock. It almost looks like a hard curveball, but still, retains some run toward the right-handed batting box. If he's able to get ahead on righties, he can utilize the slider to handcuff them into some awkward-looking swings. Lefties are at an even bigger disadvantage as they flail at a slider that the catcher receives a foot outside the strike-zone.

Being that it took just 44 games for Clouse to get promoted to Double-A, it's appropriate to wonder if Clouse's advancement could lead to a promotion fairly soon and the answer is absolutely. While his control needs to be cleaned up, Clouse has been very effective as a professional - especially one with so little fanfare. The fact that he's still learning to pitch despite being a three-year college player also suggests that we haven't seen nearly his best to this point. The Braves have cornered the market on drafting small college relief arms and Clouse looks like he could be a hot streak away from making his major league debut. That's equal parts scouting, developing, and hard work by the player.

For a scouting report with video, keep scrolling or click here.

Previous Random Prospect Sunday Profiles
July 16, 2017 - Brett Cumberland
June 25, 2017 - Chad Sobotka
June 4, 2017 - Randy Ventura

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.

Random Prospect Sunday - Chad Sobotka

Jeff Morris - Follow on Twitter

In what would become Frank Wren's final draft with the Atlanta Braves, the team went pitcher-heavy early with college arms. They took the freakishly tall Max Povse in the third round and in the fifth round, landed productive Miami Hurricanes lefty Chris Diaz. Between those picks, with the 133rd overall selection, the Braves went with a righty from the small University of South Carolina Upstate, Chad Sobotka. A year later, the Braves would make a similar selection - though with much higher expectations - when they picked A.J. Minter. Both pitchers were coming off significant injuries, but each had the potential to be big bullpen players for future Braves' teams.

Born July 10, 1993, Sobotka was raised in Sarasota, Florida, where he attended Riverview High School. After not receiving much of a look coming out of high school, he landed with the Spartans under Matt Fincher. The righty quickly impressed with plus-velocity and a pretty good idea of where the ball was headed - especially for a freshman - and became the team's closer. In 25 games, the youngest pitcher on the team notched 12 saves with a 1.74 ERA and over a strikeout an inning. The following season wasn't as impressive as he ran into a few control issues, but he still saved seven more games. That may not seem like a lot, but after just two years on campus, Sobotka was one save away from tying the school record.

After his sophomore season, Sobotka went to the Cape Cod League and impressed scouts with his power. He returned to campus with hopes for another big year and possibly a saves record, but a stress fracture in his back put him on the mend. He would miss his entire junior season. That didn't stop the Braves from using the 133rd overall pick on him, though, and unlike many Wren-era picks, this was not a safe selection nor a pick the Braves failed to get good value on. The injury concerns alone were an issue for the Braves, but the value on drafting Sobotka was solid with Baseball America attached a 115th overall ranking for the righty while Keith Law ranked him the 66th best prospect coming into the draft. Sobotka remains the highest-selected player from South Carolina Upstate.

Sobotka would only rehab during his first professional season. When 2015 hit, the then-21 year-old opened the season in Rome. He was given extensive work as a starter with little success. The belief among fans wasn't that the Braves felt Sobotka was a starting prospect, but were trying to give him innings in an easy-to-regulate manner. His first taste of professional ball was interrupted twice by DL stints - one two games into the season and the other coming in mid-June. That one put him on the shelf for two months. Overall, including three rehab games with GCL and Danville, Sobotka's first season was a disappointment. He appeared 15 times with a 6.32 ERA with as many walks as strikeouts (22).

But that wasn't disheartening. After all, Sobotka was able to stay healthy enough to log 37 innings. That was 37 more than the previous year. When 2016 came, Sobotka was given a return assignment with Rome. The season got off to a rough start as he left his first outing after just three batters with an injury that would keep him out a month. Returning in May, his put up seven consecutive scoreless appearances and ten innings in total before getting off to a poor start in June. He was able to turn the corner for a pair of outings in the final few days of the month where he K'd 5 batters in three innings. He earned his promotion to Carolina where he would pitch wonderfully. He had one iffy game in which he gave up three runs, but outside of that, he was nearly untouchable. His control, which wavered from time-to-time in Rome, was spot-on in Carolina (three walks in 17.2 ING). He even clinched his first three professional saves and after two months in Carolina, Sobotka was promoted to Mississippi. He pitched twice there with a pair of perfect frames and stayed with the team for the playoff run, where he tossed 5.1 scoreless innings.

A lot was hoped for in regards to Sobotka as 2017 opened. He was one of many relief arms looking to open some eyes and push their way into the major league picture, but this season just hasn't gone his way. He's been scored on in just over half of his 18 appearances with Mississippi and over his final eleven games in Double-A, things got really bad. He allowed 17 runs in 16.2 innings with more walks (12) than strikeouts). His last three were especially ugly. He retired just nine batters while allowing seven runs to score. His struggles came to a head on Friday when he was demoted to Florida. His first outing there was a good one. He gave up a single, but struck out two over one inning.

Sobotka throws out of a high 3/4's delivery and definitely has the velocity to be a power reliever with a mid-90's heat. He throws both a two-seam and four-seam fastball with the latter allowing him to uncover some added velocity and the ability to pitch up-in-the-zone. However, his bread-and-butter is a two-seam fastball that while it doesn't have a lot of movement on it, because of his height (6'6") and high release, the ball has the impression of some good sink on it. The slider, which is featured on the GIF to the side from a game a week ago, seems to drop off the cliff as it reaches the batter when he's on. When he's not, it gets very flat. Sobotka also has a changeup from his starter days, but most of the time, he's humming fastballs into the zone to set up the slider.

The big righty lacks the press that his current teammate A.J. Minter has. Both had similar beginnings with the Braves, but Minter has higher grades. Just the same, Sobotka has a good chance to rise in this system. He's got the arsenal to develop into a high-leverage reliever. All it will come down to is consistency in his delivery, trusting his stuff, and maybe most importantly - staying on the mound. If he can do that, he'll be back on track and moving up the system.

More Random Prospects
Randy Venutura (6/4/17)
Evan Phillips (5/28/17)
Kevin Josephina (5/14/17)

Random Prospect Sunday - Randy Ventura

By Jeff Morris. Follow him on Twitter @AtlBravesJeff

There's speed and then there's Randy Ventura speed. The hyper-quick 19-year-old has some attractive skills - some of which made Jose Peraza and Mallex Smith intriguing to Braves' fans over the last few seasons. Will Ventura follow their path to the majors? Hard to bet against him at this point.

Born July 11, 1997, Ventura has the rare honor of being born on the same day as a Tom Glavine stinker. Glavine surrendered eight runs on that day to the Mets, getting beat up by the likes of Manny Alexander, Rey Ordonez, and Bernard Gilkey. That wasn't Ventura's fault, of course. A Dominican Republic native, Ventura was born in Pimentel, a city that hasn't been quite as active in producing major league talent as others like San Cristobal and Santo Domingo.

Ventura was not a highly regarded youngster as the 2014-15 international signing market opened up. Rather than signing in July like many prospects, the switch-hitter waited and waited until February 13, when the Braves finally signed him. Atlanta was under new management and had recently grabbed international guru Gordon Blakely from the Yankees. Perhaps Ventura was one of his guys. Either way, the soon-to-be 18-year-old quickly endeared himself to the organization. Typically, prospects spend a year at the international complex sharpening their skills, but Ventura was assigned to the Dominican Summer League just four months after signing. He was given the starting center fielder assignment and opened the season in the leadoff spot. Hell of a few months for him.

The scrawny kid predictably showed little in terms of power, but he didn't need to hit doubles. His legs turned singles into doubles via the stolen base. In 58 games, Ventura hit .329 and swiped 55 bases in just 64 attempts. It took fellow speedster Mallex Smith 67 more games - and a steal in the season's final game - to overtake Ventura for the organizational lead. To be fair, stolen base totals are inflated in the DSL by raw pitchers who don't hold runners well and equally raw catchers. Nevertheless, that many steals in that short amount of time is still an accomplishment. Over the last ten years, only two other players have reached the 50-steal plateau in the DSL and just one has surpassed Ventura's 55 steals.

Ventura also showed tremendous plate discipline with 35 walks to 27 strikeouts. Again, we should preface this by saying DSL pitchers aren't exactly renowned for control. Nevertheless, when a player on-bases .421, it's enough to open up some eyes. It definitely opened mine as I ranked Ventura #25th
in my preseason Top 50 prospects. But I had nearly added Elias Arias to my Top 30 rankings the previous year after a good year in the DSL. Arias has since been cut.

Clearly, that didn't happen with Ventura, but he started 2016 with a few extra eyes on him and not all of that was related to his production in the DSL. The previous year, for all of its great accomplishments, ended with a car crash right before the season ended. He suffered a left shoulder blade injury in the crash. Months later, he was assigned to join the Gulf Coast club to open 2016. He would no longer be the everyday center fielder - Cristian Pache was more highly regarded handled the position until he was promoted. Venture also...just wasn't as effective. He continued to walk at a nice rate (11%) but the ball stopped finding as many holes. His wOBA fell from .404 to .340.

On the plus side, Ventura was young for the level and 166 of his 227 PA came against pitchers older than him. He also finished with a .380 OBP over his final 80 PA. However, the weapon that had garnered him so much attention in the first place - his speed - wasn't showing up. He swiped just 15 bases - 40 fewer than the previous year - and was caught six times. Even accepting that GCL catchers are better at cutting down runners than DSL ones, it was still a considerable disappointment. His speed did appear on August 6 when, with two outs and the bases loaded, Ventura finished a five-run rally that began with a Griffin Benson homer with a homer of his own - a Grand Slam. Not only that but an inside-the-park Grand Slam homerun. Ventura finished the game with five ribbies.

Expected to receive a promotion to Danville, Ventura was a mild surprise in that he skipped past the Virginia stop to begin 2017 in Rome. So far this season, we have seen the very good and the suspect from Ventura. On the suspect side, his walk rate has been cut in half from the roughly 12% he carried over his first two seasons. In addition, his strikeout rate is up about 6%. His ISO has also declined nearly by half. These are not promising trends. On the bright side, he's hitting a cool .333, good for third in the league, and has swiped 18 bases, one off the pace for the league lead. He hasn't homered and has just five extra-base hits, including one triple. One last negative is that his .410 BABIP is unlikely to continue.

With three seasons of data, we can make a few observations on Ventura. Sticking to the theme, he's fast. Freaky fast. He possesses good bat control and even though the strikeouts are climbing, I think he'll be a high contact guy. The plate discipline decline this season is worrisome but could disappear by the season's end. He has good instincts in the outfield and only the presence of Pache is limiting him to right field rather than center, where he has the skills to play but Pache is simply better. Ventura's arm isn't bad, but I haven't seen much to suggest it's much of a weapon.

The big question for Ventura moving forward is if he'll ever develop an ounce of pop in his bat. A career .057 ISO typically will ruin any hope a player has of progressing no matter how fast he is. You have to flash some pop here-and-there at least. Bill Ballew of Baseball America (subscription required) thinks there is undiscovered pop in his bat. If he can smack the occasional homer and increase his extra-base ability, he'll have enough intriguing skills to climb the prospect ladder.

Ventura is a fun prospect to watch because he already possesses a top-grade tool and a couple of other B-grade tools. What he needs now is to increase his lowest grade tools to a more respectable level. As he attempts to do just that, enjoy watching the player that he is now because every time the bat is in his hands or he's on base, something eye-popping could occur.

More Random Prospects...
Evan Phillips (5/28/17)
Kevin Josephina (5/14/17)
Jacob Webb (3/5/17)

Random Prospect Sunday - Evan Phillips

Jeff Morris. Follow him on Twitter @AtlBravesJeff

When the 17th round of the 2015 MLB draft began, Evan Phillips was waiting for his name to be called. A right-hander out of UNC-Wilmington, Phillips had been promised by the New York Yankees that when the 18th pick of the round - and #513th overall - came up, it would be his name that would be called. You can imagine that Phillips had a moment where he imagined what it might be like to wear those iconic pinstripes and walk onto the mound in the new Yankee Stadium.

But something happened before that. With pick #510, Phillips received a call from Billy Best, an area scout for the Atlanta Braves, that it would be the Braves, not the Yanks, that would select the Clayton High School alum (NC). He quickly signed with the Braves and he was a professional.

Phillips, who also had been picked by the Kansas City Royals coming out of high school in 2012, was assigned to the Danville Braves to begin his professional career at just 20-years-old. A starter in college, Phillips was tabbed to be a reliever in the minors and immediately opened some eyes with a half-dozen games in Danville. He allowed a solo homerun, the only blemish during his 13.1 innings. All the while, he K'd 17 and walked just four. It was quickly apparent - and the Braves agreed - that rookie ball was beneath him. He spent the final month-plus in Rome. The results weren't nearly as dominant (4.41 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 4.41 BB/9), but considering he was just a couple of months out of college, Atlanta was pleased with the volume of work.

Rather than a return trip to Rome, Phillips was tabbed for a promotion to Carolina to open 2016. On one hand, he had a 1.27 ERA and eight saves over 21 games with a 2.54 BB/9, his single-best total anywhere. On the other hand, his strikeouts were significantly decreased and his .217 BABIP gave the impression of a pitcher who was getting pretty lucky. Regardless, by mid-June, the Braves again gave Phillips a promotion up the ladder and in just over a year since he was drafted, Phillips was already in Double-A ball. The rapid climb meant that Phillips was the first draftee from 2015 to make it to Double-A to stay (Trevor Belicek made a one-game appearance in April before returning to A-ball). Soon, A.J. Minter and Patrick Weigel would join Phillips in Mississippi from the Class of '15.

With the Mississippi Braves, the strikeouts returned. After falling under 20% with Carolina, it climbed back up to 28.5%. the control wasn't as pinpoint as it had been with the Mudcats, but Phillips continued to show an ability to get out hitters - though a .348 BABIP and 61.4% LOB% were his downfall ERA-wise. That mark went from 1.27 to 4.46. This is despite an FIP that dropped 10 points compared to Carolina and an xFIP that fell nearly a run. A deeper look showed a pitcher who was prone to giving up runs in a short amount of games. Between July 8 and July 24, Phillips was charged with five earned runs over 9.1 ING (5 games). Toward the end of the season, a three-game run saw him give up nine earned runs over 2.2 innings. Those three games jacked up his ERA from 2.20 to 4.60.

Phillips's 2016 was not finished. He headed to Arizona to play in the Fall League with some of the best minor league talent in baseball. He appeared nine times and though he did strike out a little over a batter an inning, he walked nearly as many. He was rather fortunate that he only gave up six hits in 10.2 innings because had he given up many more hits, his ERA would have looked even worse.

Unlike the previous two seasons, an iffy run down the stretch with a new team wasn't followed by a promotion to begin the next season. Phillips headed back to Mississippi to open 2017 and things...have not gone so well, but again, a deeper look into the numbers shows that things may not be what they appear.

Considered a strong possibility to close games for Mississippi, Phillips was blasted early-and-often to begin the season. Two big stinkers on April 13 and April 20 were ERA-ruiners. On the 13th, after Kolby Allard and Jesse Biddle had tossed a combined 7.1 scoreless innings, Phillips entered. He stranded a runner in the 8th and entered the ninth with a 7-0 lead after the Braves added four in the top of the inning. The wheels came off from there. He retired two batters in the inning, but allowed six runners to reach on five singles and a hit batter. When he left, the bases were loaded and three runners had already scored. That's when Danny Reynolds compounded the problem and despite a 7-0 deficit entering the ninth, Tennessee walked it off with an 8-7 win.

A week later, there was significantly less drama as Phillips replaced an ineffective Max Fried and was charged with five runs in just one inning of work. Since that game, Phillips has righted the ship for the most part. He did give up three homers in a pair of appearances in early May, but in 16 innings since April 20, Phillips has allowed just five runs (2.81 ERA), struck out 18, and walked seven. Of course, when you see that his ERA is 8.14, it's worth knowing that since April 20, he's brought his ERA down 17 runs from 25.20 to 8.14.

As for a brief scouting report, Phillips is 6'2" and about 215 pounds. He has a quick delivery in which he pushes his weight back an explodes to the plate. He's not gifted with plus-plus velocity, but can hit 95-97 mph with max effort, though he's more likely to be a few ticks under. He changes speeds well and appears to throw both a four-seam fastball and cutter. His slider is his best delivery and when he's able to get ahead on the heater, his slider has swing-and-miss potential with great late movement. Occasionally, he throws what looks like a show-me changeup, but it wasn't utilized frequently in the game footage I watched.

Phillips' biggest issue is with his delivery - or more specifically, one part of his delivery. Even in the short footage down below, you can see that everything looks smooth except where his landing foot is. Using the dug up scuff of dirt as a guide, check out the landing spot at 0.03, 0.10, 0.18, and 0.25. Benjamin Chase of Tomahawk Take also spoke about this during a scouting report. Consistency throughout the delivery is very important and right now, Phillips has issues there. When he's on, he's dominant as we've seen. When he's not, his control waivers. It'll be something to keep track of moving forward.

Random Prospect Sunday - Kevin Josephina

The 2013 Signing Period for international players was not heralded by publications. Of the Top 30 Prospects that Baseball America profiled, none signed with the Braves - though they'd add #27, Ricardo Sanchez, later. It was a quiet collection of talent in which two of the highest paid players were a right-hander out of Panama named Frank Gil (released last July) and a smallish shortstop from Curacao named Ozzie Albies. Both Gil and Albies received $350K.

While Albies has developed into one of the elite prospects in the game, he wasn't the only switch-hitting shortstop from the small island of Curacao to land a contract with the Braves that signing period. Signed for $50K less than Albies was Kevin Josephina. Slightly bigger than Albies and not nearly the base stealer, the belief was that Josephina could develop into a hitter with a bit of pop to match his growing 6-foot frame.

Albies and Josephina have never played a game together. While the higher-rated prospect headed stateside for the 2014 rookie season, Josephina landed in the Dominican Republic. It would be a forgetful season in which he rarely played and when the 17-year-old did take the field, he struggled at the plate. He still graduated the DSL and headed to the Gulf Coast League for 2015. He hit .272 over 85 PA, but managed just two extra base hits and three walks.

The following season, 2016, would give Josephina his first real chance to show what he was made up. He began the season that June in the Appalachian League and over 13 games, he slashed .300/.333/.420 with a homer. His quick success was rewarded with a promotion to Rome. He continued to show a strong hit tool with a .271 average over his first 62 PA and also showed a bit of pop with a .170 ISO. He followed that up by hitting .264/.257/.333 in his final twenty games. Over 136 PA in Rome, Josephina walked all of zero times.

Unsurprisingly, Josephina didn't earn a call-up to Florida to open 2017. He did hold off Marcus Mooney to become the team's primary second baseman and over 28 games, he's hit .298/.343/.330. He hasn't shown any pop so far, but already has six more walks than he did in Rome last year (which, again, was zero). He's also, for the first time, using his speed more effectively. Josephina was successful in eight of his first ten attempts. This is his Age-20 season and he won't turn 21 until October 2.

Let's get one thing straight - Josephina doesn't have Albies' hit tool. Or his speed. Or his defense - though Josephina is rather capable. What Josephina does have is an intriguing set of skills and potential that goes along with those skills that deserve a bit more coverage. He strikes out a bit too often, but if he can start showing more pop, walking a little more, and continue to showcase improved base-stealing ability, Josephina will become a good little prospect. He's played mostly second base and shortstop to this point, but the belief was that he might outgrow shortstop and play third - where his arm looks strong enough. Maybe his potential won't ever allow him to become a star, but there's enough here to forecast a possible bench role in his future if it comes together for him.

For more on Josephina, check out this scouting report.

For more Random Prospect Sunday profiles, click a link below.
James Webb (3/5/17)
Tanner Murphy (2/26/17)
Omar Obregon (5/15/16)

Random Prospect Sunday - Jacob Webb

GoSportsCards.com

Born on August 15, 1993, Jacob Webb was a high school outfielder in Southern Cal who didn't receive much interest coming out of the prep ranks. So, with few options, he spent a year at the community college level before transferring to Tabor College, a Christian school in Kansas that had fewer than 600 students during the 2014 fall semester. Possibly their most famous sports alumni is Rolland Lawrence, a cornerback who appeared in one Pro Bowl for the Falcons during the 70's and holds the franchise interception record with 39. Only one other Tabor College player before Webb had been selected in the baseball amateur draft - Tyson Kendrick, a catcher who played one year in the Tigers' system.

Webb moved to third base for his freshman year at Tabor, but struggled to hit the ball with any level of authority. On the mound, however, things began to click for the right-handed tosser. When he wasn't flailing away at the plate, he was on the mound where he struck out 50 over 55 innings with just 18 walks. He allowed only one homerun during the year. The following year would be as much of a door-opener as it was an eye-opener. A full-time pitcher at this point, Webb became a key contributor for a team that went to the NAIA World Series. In 105.1 innings for Tabor, he finished with an ERA of 1.88 and finished fourth at the NAIA Division I level with 129 strikeouts, which set the new Tabor College record by thirty. Webb completed ten of the 15 starts he made, including a pair of shutouts. The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Co-Pitcher of the Year also set the school record with 15 K's in a single game.

The Braves probably would have been interested in Webb heading into the 2014 draft regardless, but there was a little bit of fate in bringing Webb to the Braves. A college pitching coach happened to be the son of an area scout for Atlanta. After selling the Frank Wren-led team that Webb was a diamond in the rough, the Braves selected him with the 553rd overall selection (18th round). In two years, Webb had gone from a can't-hit position player to a professional pitcher.

Webb headed to Florida to open his professional career. Used both as a starter and reliever, Webb kept the Gulf Coast League hitters at bay with a 3.24 FIP and 2.14 ERA. He struck out nearly a batter an inning and only walked eight over 33.2 innings. For those that saw Webb as a sleeper pick by the Braves that June, his summer only help to solidify that position.

Big things were on the horizon for Webb entering 2015. A new development team was beginning to take shape after the dismissal of Frank Wren and his crew. Webb was destined for a season with Danville and a stint with Rome a definite possibility. However, on the first day of minor league spring training, Webb felt a pop in his elbow while doing some long tossing. He was immediately sent for an MRI and the initial fears were realized. He would need Tommy John and would miss all of 2015. From the very beginning, Webb was sure he would come back. "I didn't have any doubt, or any ideas that I was going to walk away."

After a long rehab that tested Webb's patience, the righty prepared for the 2016 season. It's never easy coming back from Tommy John, but it's even harder when you are pressed to quickly perform. Already 22 years-old, Webb was too old to still be at the rookie-league level and with the Braves adding a large collection of talented pitchers to their ranks after Wren's firing, Webb had to feel the pressure. He began the season in extended spring training as he increased his arm strength. Finally, on June 25, he got into his first game. He allowed a double and walked a batter, but he also struck out the side. Five days later, he struck out another two batters in his one inning of work. With Rome needing a pitcher, he spent the first week of July in Low-A before returning to Danville to finish the season. His next four games were dominant. He faced a dozen batters. He struck them all out. In fact, over his first nine innings with Danville (excluding his short run with Rome), he gave up four hits, walked four, and struck out TWENTY-FIVE batters. Overall, he K'd 28 in 11.1 innings over a dozen games for Danville. His two outings in Rome included a bit of a stinker so his numbers didn't look so hot, but he still struck out three of the ten batters he faced. His walk totals for 2016 were uncharacteristically high - a common side effect a pitcher experiences working his way back from Tommy John.

Webb doesn't possess a killer fastball, though it gets on the batter in a hurry in the 92-94 mph range. Webb locates the fastball well and has a level of confidence needed as the perennial underdog. He'll also sprinkle in a breaking ball that looks slurvy along with a changeup, though his fastball remains his biggest weapon. To this point, Webb profiles as a flyball pitcher.

In the span of eleven draft choices in 2014, the Braves selected Caleb Dirks, Webb, and Kyle Kinman. All three were Frank Wren specials in that they were small-college pitchers with more guts than stuff. There's a chance, however unlikely, that at some point in the future, all three could be in the bullpen for the Braves. For Webb, it'll come down to repeating the success of 2016, though it seems impossible to sustain a 58.3% strikeout rate. With that said, Webb will be a name to watch coming out of the Rome bullpen as 2017 opens.

Recent Random Prospect Sunday profiles...
Tanner Murphy (2/26/17)
Omar Obregon (6/12/16)
Steve Janas (5/15/16)

Random Prospect Sunday - Tanner Murphy

TannerMurphy.com

Sometimes, you just have to be in the right place at the right time. For Tanner Murphy, that right time happened on a baseball diamond during his sophomore year of high school. The catcher on his travel team broke his thumb, prompting the coach to ask for a volunteer to put on the tools of ignorance. Murphy, a shortstop, went behind home plate and immediately threw out a greedy base runner trying to take advantage of the new catcher. For Murphy, it was a match made in heaven and would soon help him catch the eye of major league scouts.

Born on February 27, 1995, Murphy will turn 22 tomorrow. He graduated from Malden High School in southeast Missouri. A small city of just 4,275, Murphy was a star athlete who earned a scholarship to Southern Illinois University. However, the Braves came calling in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. The Braves had already taken Victor Caratini about 80 picks before Murphy, but were going to try Caratini out at third base, which made Murphy their top catching prospect from the draft by default. Murphy was also an option as a pitcher as he possessed low-90's velocity, but catcher seemed like his calling. Shortly after the draft, they inked the young man to a minor league contract with a $250,000 bonus - about $125K below the slot value.

At the time, Murphy may have been considered a stretch at #133. Ranked #488 in Baseball America's Top 500 rankings before the draft, Murphy fit the bill during the Frank Wren era. Safe, calculated picks that wouldn't demand the world and had pretty decent floors. Murphy's defense was pro-worthy, but could he hit?

After the draft, the 18-year-old headed to Florida to join the Gulf Coast League Braves in Lake Buena Vista. His bat never seemed to catch up, as he managed just 22 hits in 97 AB (.227 average). Only three of those hits went for extra bases - all doubles. He did on-base .313, which is solid enough considering where his average was. He did cut down 42% of potential base stealers (13-of-31). The next season put Murphy on the map a bit as a prospect. He hit just .242 with Danville, but bashed 5 homers in 191 PA. He showed an exceptional understanding of the strikezone with 30 walks, or a 16% walk rate. He did much of his best work over his final 29 games, slashing .292/.389/.438.

His quick rise in prospect status continued the next spring. Braves bullpen coach Eddie Perez took an immediate liking to the country boy from Missouri. "When you look at this kid, you know something good is going to happen," the former long-time personal catcher of Greg Maddux said. It was Murphy's first training camp with the big league club, an award for his strong 2014 campaign. At the time, the Braves were breaking in Christian Bethancourt as their new starter behind the plate and hoped they wouldn't need Murphy for a few years. Former Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez noted, "He's got some talent and he's got some ability...(Catching instructor) Joe Breeden has seen him the most and Joe likes him a lot."

Not only would 2015 be Murphy's first big-league camp, but also his first taste of full-season ball. Former Fangraphs prospect guru Kiley McDaniel ranked Murphy as the #22nd best prospect in an improving system, noting that, "The Braves really like this kid and see a breakout year coming in 2015 at Low-A, praising his makeup, receiving ability, solid average arm, average raw power and flashes of hitting ability and an approach." Murphy headed to Rome to join another catcher picked with a high-round choice the year before Murphy in Bryan De La Rosa. The two shared the position and shared in the misery of an awful season at the plate. In De La Rosa's final season in the system, the former third-rounder hit .205/.277/.322. That's bad, but slightly better than Murphy, who slashed .193/.277/.312. His walk rate dropped 6% while his K-rate spiked 4% to nearly a quarter of all plate appearances. Just 20 years-old, it was the kind of ugly campaign you hope is the strange outlier in an otherwise productive minor league career.

Most of the time, a prospect that has such a down year would get a repeat assignment, but traffic was getting crowded behind Murphy. With 2015 draftees Lucas Herbert and Jonathan Morales joining Rome, Murphy moved up the ladder to the Carolina League. The league is known to favor pitchers, which did not improve Murphy's chances for a big bounceback season. Some of his metrics did improve (12.6% walk rate, 16.5% K-rate), but what Murphy did with his swings were less than thrilling. He hit just .214 with 15 EBH in 334 PA.

But...that's not the complete story. Murphy got off to an epically bad start to open 2016. It was the kind of start that often gets players cut. Over his first 30 games, Murphy had just 12 hits in 100 AB (110 PA). It doesn't take a mathematician to know how bad that is. He wasn't walking, had just one extra base hit, and was K'd a fifth of the time. He started to get some of his power back over his next eleven games and then, on the day before the All-Star Break, his stance was altered to loosen him up at the plate. The results were pretty immediate. He walked twice in his first game with the new stance and hit a homer in his second game. Over his final 48 games, Murphy slashed .288/.412/.390 with 3 homers. No longer pressing, he walked 30 times to 26 K's over his final 182 PA. Murphy's bat, for the first time in two years, was an asset to his team.

As we move into 2017, it doesn't get any easier for Murphy. Mississippi's catching situation seems packed. Kade Scivicque was added to the organization late last year and finished with a cameo in Pearl. Joseph Odom also played 39 games in Mississippi after a callup from Carolina while the Braves added Armando Araiza this offseason. With little room at Triple-A, the Braves could opt to keep Murphy at the High-A level, though how much time is available there is also suspect. The aforementioned Morales and/or Herbert could be moved up the chain - especially with Brett Cumberland coming up from Danville. Further, Alex Jackson is moving to catcher and will demand much of the playing time with whatever A-level squad he starts with. Despite Murphy's strong finish, he could find it difficult to find at-bats once the 2017 season begins. The fact that Scivicque and Odom were non-roster invitees while Murphy wasn't does not bode well, either.

Whatever the case, Murphy is easy to root for. I've linked to a recent interview he did with Talking Chop earlier in this profile and it's an eye opener into the struggles he went through over the last two years and how he kept striving for success. However, the name of the game is production. Murphy will need to get off to a good start to avouid being forgotten in the rapidly improving catcher depth Atlanta now has. If he continues to hit like he did in the second half of 2016, he'll definitely be hard to forget.

Follow Murphy on Twitter @tsmurph14

Random Prospect Sunday - Omar Obregon

Switch-hitting middle infielders with a good hit tool are always worth an extended look - even in a system that has both Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson. While Omar Obregon isn't close to reaching their prospect status, he has done enough to warrant some attention as we head into the summer of the 2016.

(For some pictures of Obregon, click here.)

Born April 18, 1994 in Nicaragua, Obregon comes from a nation that has rarely produced any decent major league bats. Only one player was both born and raised in Nicaragua and received at least 2,000 career plate appearances - Everth Cabrera. Just that is enough to work against the young infielder. Nevertheless, the Braves during the Frank Wren years loved Obregon's game enough to sign him when the 2011-12 international free agent period opened up.

After a year spent in the international complex, Obregon was added to the Dominican Summer League squad in 2012 as an 18 year-old. Walk numbers are very unreliable at that level because of the wildness from opposing pitchers, but he did walk 21 times to just 19 strikeouts. However, aside from two doubles, most of his 25 hits were of the single-base variety, giving him an ISO of just .021. Weight room much? A promotion to the states in 2013 with the Gulf Coast League Braves saw his numbers fall at the plate (this time, he had one triple and 24 singles).

The 2014 season would see Obregon  rebound to hit .297 with a .384 OBP - with the assistance of 24 BB/25 K rate. He also upped his ISO to a bit more respectable (.049). Another move that may have helped is that the Braves were able to move him off shortstop, where he really doesn't have the arm, and more him over to second base - especially with Albies joining him in Danville. While it decreases his overall value and certainly, Obregon can play shortstop, it's a bit of a stretch for him.

The following season saw Obregon jump into full-season ball with Rome. In 119 games, Obregon slashed just .274/.336/.317, but did swipe 31 bases after just 17 steals in the previous three years in short-season ball. The unfortunate thing was that Obregon was caught 19 times, which is a terrible stolen base rate. After spending the spring with Team Nicaragua in their efforts to qualify for the next World Baseball Classic, Obregon joined Carolina to begin this season and has displayed improved extra-base skills with a nearly .100 ISO so far. Yes, that's pretty terrible, but it could be a sign that Obregon is maturing a bit. His skills on the base pathes continue to need work (2-for-6 in steals so far).

I'm providing a more robust scouting report to Outfield Fly Rule so please check that out for more information, but suffice it to say, what we have seen is what we get with Obregon. Defensively, he's smooth at second and while his arm isn't plus-grade at short, it's plenty good at second base to make all the plays. He shows good instincts with the glove. The Braves have used him at both corner infield positions. I think his arm is good enough for spot duty at third, but no more than that. He's a bit on the short side to play first base, but it's good to see him get work around the infield as his pathway to the majors will be as a utility player.

His best case scenario will be to follow the Martin Prado path. Let me say that it's unlikely he will ever match Prado's pop and so Obregon will likely be limited to being only a backup. With that in mind, Obregon could succeed in that role. His best offensive tool is his hit tool as he has good bat control. With a switch-hit bat coming off the bench and a penchant for putting the ball in play, Obregon could find enough green grass to rack up some hits. He's unlikely to walk much, but with his quick-and-compact swing, he's unlikely to strikeout much either. He has good speed, but lacks the instincts and/of confidence to turn that into successful steals.

All in all, Obregon is part of a good collection of talent that is in the 45-60 range as far as a Top Braves Prospects ranking would look. Similar to Luke Dykstra, there is enough hear to see Obregon progressing into something useful - but also not enough hear to think that is very likely.

For more on Obregon, remember to check out my scouting report. In addition, here are some old videos of Obregon.

Random Prospect Sunday - Steve Janas

Pitch to contact. It can be a dangerous path to the majors as it puts the pitcher in the unenviable position of relying on his fielders to step up and make plays. Further, it puts a manager in an uncomfortable position of knowing that when there is less-and-two outs and a runner on third, the chance that runner scores is increased simply by the pitcher on the mound not having the capability of putting the batter away. On the other hand, contact pitchers are often smart, deceptive, and stubborn. They play the long game. If Steve Janas ever gets to the major, it'll be because he never tried to be what he wasn't and knew his limitations. Rather than fear those limitations, pitchers like Janas often use them as assets to avoid the hiccups of doing too much.

Born on April 21, 1992 in Marietta, Janas did not get a gift from the eventual NL West Champs as the Braves fell 4-2 to the Padres in San Diego. Nevertheless, Janas would grow up around Atlanta at a big time for the Braves as they would roll out divisional titles year-after-year until Janas was a teenager. Undrafted out of Lassiter High School, Janas stayed local and enrolled at Kennesaw State University. It didn't take him long to see the field as pitched in ten games as a true freshman - including a pair of starts. He displayed what would become his typical control and though the results weren't great, it set the stage for a nice career.

Unfortunately, his sophomore year ended after just seven starts due to injury. He was well on his way to some potential Atlantic Sun Conference honors before the injury. The 6'5" righty returned for his junior year and became a very hot prospect. Over 13 starts, Janas walked just 14 batters in 78.2 innings (1.6 BB/9). He also struck out 55 and gave up only one dinger. His finest outing was a shutout victory against East Tennessee State in which he gave up just five hits. As June approached, Janas was rising on many teams' draft boards - including the Atlanta Braves. They would select him in the sixth round of the 2013 draft.

Nearly as soon as Janas's career began, it hit its first stumbling block. In his second start with Danville, Janas went down with injury. He would later need Tommy John surgery and just like that, he was on the mend. Janas made a nearly flawless recovery and made it back to live action just 11 months later with Rome. He would struggle as he tried to hit his spots, but logged nearly a hundred innings despite beginning the year on the DL.

Janas's return in 2014 set him up for a big follow-up season. He was bumped up the ladder to begin the year with Carolina and it became quickly apparent that Janas was just too good for the Carolina League. He gave up just one hit in a six-inning, 6 K opener and continued to roll from there. On May 6, Janas would show some of what prompted the Braves to draft him so high. Over a seven inning double-header shortened game, Janas dominated the Lynchburg Hillcats. Of his 93 pitches, 64 were strikes (including 21 looking and 10 swinging). He took a perfect game into the seventh inning before a miracle single ended the bid. Janas would finish the seven-inning one-hitter with 4 Ks. He would not start again until June 27 because of the bus crash that wrecked the Mudcats' roster.

After one start with Carolina, Janas was moved up to Mississippi. His success there was not nearly as consistent. He was vulnerable to big games from the opposition. While he was charged with two or fewer earned runs in all but four of the 13 starts he made after the promotion, those four outliers saw Janas either give up six or seven runs. Janas, who had give up precious few hits with Carolina, couldn't avoid them in Mississippi.

Janas would be pushed out of the Mississippi rotation to begin 2016. Coming out of the bullpen, Janas lacks the strikeout potential of many other relievers, but he is a solid option when you need someone to throw strikes and give you multiple frames. He has appeal to managers who seek a rally-killing option with a pitcher who can induce a double play. One advantage to moving Janas to the pen is it allows him to not have to reserve his velocity. An upper 80's guy in college, Janas can reach the mid-90's with his fastball - though that pitch must be spotted properly because it lacks much movement. It should be noted that former scouting director Tony DeMacio and his team banked on Janas adding velocity once he went pro. He loses a few ticks in velocity, but he is far more likely to utilize a sinking fastball and cut-fastball as his primary high-velocity pitches. The sinker is a good bet against righties while the cutter keeps lefties at bay.



When Janas has control over his change-up, it can be a dominator that he throws from the same motion and delivery of his fastball. When he's on, the change simply dies as it reaches the plate, which implores hitters to pound the ball into the ground and be massively frustrated while doing so. Janas also mixes in a curveball. It's been a challenge for him to control it consistently. When he does, it's a traditional 12-6 curveball that drops off the map and under the batter's swing. When he doesn't, it hangs a little and even moves to the side a bit. He has a very simple and smooth delivery to the plate that is repeatable. A friend of mine mentioned that his delivery is that of a little guy. Despite his size, he keeps everything compact and doesn't come flailing to the plate. It gives Janas an easier time fixing problems that may develop. I'd like it if he came out of the delivery a little quicker and ready to field his position considering he's a groundball guy.

Janas is a light-switch player in my book. If that curveball develops into an out pitch, he finally has the last weapon needed for him to be a potential option at the bottom of a major league rotation. Short of that, he could see work as a long reliever/emergency starter and could have a run similar to David Hale, which should prompt his team to sell high. For some reason, I see Janas being a guy who carves out a nice career overseas in Japan or Korea. That said, he is a hard worker and has done well to go from undrafted out of high school to the sixth round as a junior in college.

Follow Janas on Twitter.

Want more Random Prospect Sunday profiles?
Luke Dykstra
Lucas Sims
Steve Rodriguez
...or see ALL of them.