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Atlanta Braves REVISED Top 10 Prospects for 2017

By Benjamin Chase

Mar 15, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; The Atlanta Braves logo painted on the field during a spring training baseball game at Champion Stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 10-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; The Atlanta Braves logo painted on the field during a spring training baseball game at Champion Stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 10-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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9. Mike Soroka, RHP

Birthdate: 8/4/97 (19 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: low-A
Stats in 2016: 143 IP, 3.02 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 5.47 BB%, 21.37 K%

While Whalen won’t get much attention in national ranks, Soroka has already done so in the rankings that have been published, though interestingly, they have very similar profiles as pitchers.

Soroka is less a velocity and big-breaker pitcher as he is a location and pitch mix pitcher, attacking hitters low in the zone, keeping the ball in the ballpark to an astounding rate of only three home runs in his 177 minor league innings.

Soroka is less a velocity and big-breaker pitcher as he is a location and pitch mix pitcher

One thing that sticks out to me is the mental make up of Soroka, who turned 19 in the last month of his 2016 minor league season. A great example was in the playoffs with Rome. In his first start of the playoffs, he allowed 5 runs, but 4 of those runs were unearned as his defense let him down.

Many young pitchers in that same situation would turn to their “stuff” and attempt to strike out every hitter that came to the plate. Instead, Soroka stuck to his plan, coaxing weak contact out of hitters to allow his defense to get the outs needed for Soroka to get into the seventh inning in that start.

Soroka will likely not be a guy who is an “ace”, but he could be a very good #2/#3 pitcher with a very mature approach on the mound.

Next: #8

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