Atlanta Braves 2017 Top 100 Prospects: #41-60

The Atlanta Braves began to see some of the fruits of their multiple-year rebuilding project on 2017. After a pair of seasons with rough records and rosters that fans struggled to find future pieces on beyond budding superstar Freddie Freeman, the 2017 season saw 70+ wins for the first time in 3 seasons, though the team still lost 90.

Last season, this was done through Call To The Pen contributor Benjamin Chase’s previous other site, Tomahawk Take. He’s not there, so we’re happy to have the list here!

The making of the list

This top 100 list is the product of the views of CTTP contributor Benjamin Chase. Through either video views or discussions with contacts throughout the minor league/scouting world, Ben has put together this list, and it is his based on his opinion, and his personal weights on certain things will push players up and down – for instance, players with success at the upper minors will appear higher, all things being equal, and relievers will likely find themselves lower on Ben’s list than others’.

With the list coming out at this time, there are plenty of things that could come out in the offseason that changed the players on this list and their order. There are a number of players on this list that are eligible for minor league free agency and Rule 5, so it’s absolutely feasible that not every name on this list will make it all the way to spring training still as a member of the Atlanta Braves.

All players that still maintain rookie eligibility going into 2018 are eligible for this. From the 2016 list that Ben put together, 3 of the top 10 graduated with time spent at the majors and 5 of the top 20.

The list will come out with 20 players at a time, with #81-100, #61-80, #41-60, #21-40, and #1-20. Also at the end will be a post that offers up the entire list in list format (no player evaluations on those players) and also will add a number more players to keep track of beyond the top 100 that could move up quickly or that had positive 2017 seasons.

With that, we will continue with today’s installment, #41-60….

Next: #56-60

60. Jasseel De La Cruz, RHP, GCL/Danville

Born: 6/26/1997
2017 Stats: 11 G, 10 GS, 42 2/3 IP, 3.80 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 18/36 BB/K
Info: De La Cruz is a guy who is certainly off of the main radar coming into 2016, but he threw so well that he pushed his way up to the GCL from the DSL and did the same up to Danville this season. While I see De La Cruz’s prime future as a reliever due to his delivery, he’s made so much progress that he certainly could prove me wrong. De La Cruz works with a fastball that can reach the upper 90s, sitting 92-93. His primary secondary pitch is a sweeping slider that works with his long arm action, but he’ll lose the feel for the pitch. His change is good, but it really struggled to get movement at all. De La Cruz isn’t a tremendously tall guy, but he’s got fairly long arms and a big arm swing in his delivery that reminds me of Mauricio Cabrera. While Cabrera fell in love with his velocity and didn’t develop anything else, De La Cruz has a good angle to work on something like a split change or even a slider/cutter hybrid pitch to go along with his sweeping slider as a strong third pitch to stay in the rotation going forward.

59. Luis Valenzuela, IF, GCL/Mississippi/Gwinnett

Born: 8/25/1993
2017 Stats: .278/.321/.404, 300 PA, 2 HR, 5 SB, 15/48 BB/K
Info: On his third organization, Valenzuela was acquired by the Braves from the Kansas City Royals for Jonny Gomes in 2015. He only got about a week of time with the Braves system in 2015 before the season was over, and he was injured for a lot of 2016, so he had really his first full season with the Braves system in 2017. Before he again was injured with Mississippi this season, he was a system leader in doubles, and that is really where Valenzuela’s offensive value is highest. If he maximized his value, he’d be a guy who fit Martin Prado‘s “bad” seasons as a major leaguer, likely a bench piece. However, Valenzuela has shown well at the upper levels already, which raises his floor significantly, allowing him to have a strong chance to get a call someday, somewhere, which means he’s worthy of putting here over many of the guys below who have more ceiling but a much smaller chance to make it.

58. Livan Soto, SS, GCL

Born: 6/22/2000
2017 Stats: .225/.332/.254, 208 PA, 0 HR, 7 SB, 27/26 BB/K
Info: Of the three major shortstops that the Braves signed in the 2016 IFA class, Soto was the most certain shortstop. His signing profile mentioned a guy who had a high baseball IQ, solid batting eye, and a legit plus glove and arm at short. Sure enough, Soto didn’t do anything that really stood out at the plate, played tremendous defense, and the things that he did well on offense were a function of his maturity and positive eye (more walks than strikeouts, stealing 7 bases with what was graded as 50-55 speed). I really liked the video I saw of Soto, especially in the field. Physically, he’s got work to do to fill in his frame, but he’s not got a ton to add to his 6′, 160-170 pound frame. Soto’s a way off, and he is the lowest of the three 2016 IFA shortstops listed here, but it would not surprise me at all if he was the one who made the first start at shortstop in the major leagues. Watch him close in 2018 as his quick bat starting to find holes in the defense more frequently could allow him to really jump up quickly in the system.

57. Yoeli Lopez, OF, DSL/GCL

Born: 7/31/1997
2017 Stats: .235/.339/.333, 178 PA, HR, 11 SB, 15/57 BB/K
Info: An incredible athlete that moved from Florida to the Dominican to be able to sign early and bypass the draft, Lopez showed some of that raw-ness in his first season in the minors in the DSL in 2016, flashing impressive power at times with incredible speed, but also striking out a ton. In 2017, he moved quickly out of the DSL to the GCL and showed much of the same. His walk and strikeout rate both worsened in 2017, but he did utilize his power and speed better in game as well. He’s still very raw for sure, and he won’t likely move quickly. Lopez may have a ceiling as high as any outfielder who finished in the GCL (and, yes, that includes a certain 2017 2nd round pick). However, he has a very low ceiling due to his lack of polish, and it would not surprise if he couldn’t make it out of Rome. The one thing that Lopez has going for him is an elite defensive skill set. He tracks well in the outfield, though he works much better in corners than center, and he has a laser arm. One story from a group of Talking Chop staff that went to a GCL game this season was of a throw Lopez uncorked from right field to third base that drew “Wow!” comments even from the visitor’s dugout. While he’s a ways away and the risk is high, Lopez is a guy to watch close.

56. Troy Bacon, RHP, GCL

Born: 9/26/1996
2017 Stats: 13 G, 18 1/3 IP, 3.44 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 7/22 BB/K
Info: After an incredible stat line for Santa Fe Junior College this season, Bacon was the Braves’ 4th round selection in June. Bacon comes after hitters with a fastball that sits around 95 and can reach 98 with a plus change and a pair of breakers that have mixed reviews. I have seen some that believe he could start down the line. I don’t believe that his fastball is such that he can start as it’s not a pitch that has a ton of movement or offspeed stuff that is tremendous swing and miss stuff, living primarily on keeping his control excellent. Bacon was a highly recruited shortstop prospect in high school, committing to Florida as a two-way player, and he has attributed his velocity continually increasing to distance from playing every day at shortstop and more rest for his arm. I could see Bacon possibly working into a starter if the Braves hold him with Rome and Florida each for full seasons to work on fastball movement on his four-seam and two-seam, but outside of that, he’s got stuff already to be an effective reliever that could move quickly through the minors and find Atlanta in 2019 out of the bullpen. His speed through the system will depend on his role.

Next: #51-55

55. Devan Watts, RHP, Florida/Mississippi

Born: 4/21/1995
2017 Stats: 39 G, 58 2/3 IP, 2.15 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 20/65 BB/K
Info: Watts was a 17th round selection from Tusculum College in Tennessee in 2016, and after he was very impressive in 2016, he continued that impressive performance in 2017, working his way to the upper minors midway through the year. Watts works with a sinker/slider combination out of the bullpen, running his fastball up to 96-97, but with incredible movement and weight to the pitch, something you usually don’t see from a guy at 6′ tall, and especially with Watts’ low-3/4 arm slot. Watts gets impressive late bite on the slider that can get swing and miss from both sides. He mixes in a change, and I was near certain I saw a curve in one appearance this season, but he has the sinker/slider as his primary two pitches. His success in Mississippi puts Watts on a fast path to the majors, and he could see some time in September in 2018 and certainly should be considered for the 2019 bullpen if he continues with the level of success he’s had.

54. Juan Contreras, RHP,

Born: 9/9/1999
2017 Stats: 10 G, 8 GS, 19 2/3 IP, 5.95 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, 21/12 BB/K
Info: The Atlanta Braves signed two big-time arms among their IFA splurge in 2016. One was a guy who was an excellent pitcher with a frame that portended future increases in velocity, and the other was a guy with an incredible arm that was going to need to learn how to pitch. Contreras is the latter of the pair, and his 2017 showed both the highs and lows of that development. Contreras for a guy who was 17 for all of 2017 had a frame of 6’2″, 180 pounds, filled out more than your typical 17 year old, and his velocity showed it, as Contreras lived around the mid-90s with his fastball, but he could move past 100 MPH at times. However, he had velocity without much else this season, and that really was scary at times because that “without much else” also included control at times. He didn’t just have more walks than strikeouts; he had times that he truly didn’t seem to know where the ball would go as he released it. When a pitch is coming in the upper-90s and the person throwing it is not sure of where it will travel, that is a scary thing indeed. Contreras will be a guy with a slow burn to start his career, likely spending 3-4 years in rookie ball and Rome as he develops feel and control of his fastball and his offspeed stuff, however, this is a guy who could seriously explode up the system once he has a feel on his pitches, whether it’d be as a closer or a frontline starter. He still also has the risk of never coming out of rookie ball and never getting that feel of his explosive fastball.

53. Chase Johnson-Mullins, LHP, Florida

Born: 7/19/1994
2017 Stats: 25 G, 44 IP, 3.07 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 16/50 BB/K
<strong Info: One of the most hilarious guys on the field in the entire system, and also arguably the largest guy on the mound as well, Chase has the ability to be a dominant reliever from the left side. He’s the third of the towering lefty relievers that were in A-ball for the Braves in 2017, and the trio could certainly provide an incredible combination going forward for the team. Johnson-Mullins does have a fastball that runs up to 97 with his four-seam, though he uses his heavy two-seamer more frequently, and it sits a couple ticks below the two-seam. His curve, though, is absolutely ridiculous. Coming from his height, working off a mid-90s fastball, he comes with a curve that works in the upper-70s with shape that really gets knees to buckle. CJM will need to keep his weight in line as he’s seen weight fluctuation of some significant amount in just the two full seasons he’s been with the Braves. The other end of thins is that he’s an incredibly emotional pitcher on the mound, which can be a blessing and a curse for him. Johnson-Mullins working from the back of the pen could be a force, and he should open in AA Mississippi in 2018, which could put him on the doorstep of jumping to the big league club, but he also showed an ability to use both of his fastballs along with his curve to go multiple innings out of the bullpen in an Andrew Miller role, which could be a huge thing for the team to have a lefty with that ability. As long as CJM can keep his delivery in line, which really wasn’t an issue in 2017 as it had been in the past, he could move quickly, possibly making an appearance at some point in 2018.

52. Justin Ellison, OF, Rome/Florida

Born: 2/6/1995
2017 Stats: .232/.275/.395, 297 PA, 7 HR, 7 SB, 16/85 BB/K
Info: Coming out of JuCo in Oklahoma, Ellison was all tools and not a lot of polish. However, after 3 years in the system now, Ellison is still all tools and not a lot of polish. Ellison can play plus defense in the corners and above-average defense in center. He has the athleticism to certainly rate a plus runner, and his power is absolutely raw plus power. However, his contact ability and batting eye are still below average, in spite of a quick bat, and his use of his speed on the bases can be incredibly frustrating to watch. Ellison will be 23 for 2018, so he’s not lost as a possible future option for the team or even to provide enough value to garner a trade spot, but he really needs to see some big strides forward in his pitch recognition and his base running or he’ll slip out in a hurry. The talent is such that Ellison could still work his way to a 4th outfielder role without a ton of improvement in taking walks as long as he was making better contact.

51. Alejandro Salazar, SS, Florida

Born: 10/5/1996
2017 Stats: .247/.265/.306, 404 PA, HR, 5 SB, 9/75 BB/K
Info: Salazar very well may be the best defensive shortstop in the Braves organization from majors on down. The issue is that he’s struggled mightily to develop his bat even to the point of becoming a viable bench piece. Typically a guy with Salazar’s plus arm and fringe double-plus defense at short is a guy who easily is a top 25-30 prospect, even in a loaded system, which just tells you where Salazar’s bat is. Salazar has the build and the bat speed to be a guy who could pound the gaps for a good average and doubles, likely never putting up much at all in the way of fantasy stats as Salazar is an elite defender without plus speed, so there isn’t going to be a ton of stolen bases either. He likely will bump up to AA Mississippi due to his defense in 2018, and the Braves will hope to see his bat respond to have him jump up to the big leagues soon as a defensive replacement bench guy.

Next: #46-50

50. Alay Lago, 2B, Florida

Born: 7/21/1991
2017 Stats: .303/.342/.413, 451 PA, 6 HR, 6 SB, 22/65 BB/K
Info: Lago very well could represent the first successful major leaguer the Braves have from Cuba, though his role is likely going to be as a backup most likely. Lago came to the Braves with little fanfare last winter and then proceeded to win the Florida State League batting title with his .303 average. Lago’s a steady player more than anything flashy, and at 26 years old, he’s not exactly a young prospect, but having just come over from Cuba with minimal previous pro experience in the Cuban and Mexican leagues (his 451 PA with Florida in 2017 were almost 100 more than the total he had previously as a professional). Lago has a short, quick stroke that should lead to plenty of gap power, but he’s not a guy who will likely ever have a ton of home runs or stolen bases. With an arm that works at third well, Lago could play as a backup with his contact skills and infield versatility, likely taking at least 2018 to further move up the system before he’d be ready for such a role at the big league level.

49. Jonathan Morales, C, Florida/Mississippi

Born: 1/29/1995
2017 Stats: .219/.268/.272, 352 PA, 3 HR, SB, 19/52 BB/K
Info: A year ago, I might have told you that Morales had the best chance to be a major league starting catcher in the Braves organization. Now, I’m just not sure what his future may be. Morales started the year with Florida, and his stat line there was not terribly off of his time in Rome in 2016, though he had nowhere near the drive on the ball. That lack of drive caught up to him in a big way in AA, however, after he was promoted. Morales also began playing a lot more first base in AA, and that wasn’t all because of the other catching options at Mississippi. His defense took a step backward in his control on the run game and especially in his pitch framing. He remains at this point because the skills are still there to be a major league catcher, but he’ll need a big rebound in 2018 as he’s going to be 23 and in his 4th year in the organization in 2018.

48. Drew Lugbauer, C/IF, Danville/Rome

Born: 8/23/1996
2017 Stats: .261/.352/.514, 253 PA, 13 HR, 27/68 BB/K
Info: Lugbauer was one of the finds for the Braves this season, their 11th round selection out of the University of Michigan in the June draft. Lugbauer certainly had the offensive profile to go earlier, but questions about where he would profile defensively as a pro left him on th board for the Braves. What they found was a very coachable young man who has a cannon for an arm in his 6’3″, 220-pound frame. Lugbauer played catcher, first, and third with Michigan, and he did the same with the Braves organization. He’s not an elite defender behind the plate, but he is passable there. Lugbauer would be a tremendous asset at DH, and if the NL had the position, he’d rank significantly higher, but right now, he’s barely average at three positions (though he can handle corner outfield as well, just did not in games with the Braves after being drafted). If he’s just a masher that is a defensive liability, that’s of value, but the issue is that without defensive value, if the bat doesn’t make it, then he’s without a path. Lugbauer will likely open at Florida in 2018, and very feasibly, he’ll move up to Mississippi mid-season.

47. Joey Meneses, 1B, Mississippi

Born: 5/6/1992
2017 Stats: .292/.360/.403, 401 PA, 9 HR, 38/81 BB/K
Info: Meneses was signed out of the Mexican League at 19, and he struggled initially as he was primarily a pitcher that could also hit well. The Braves initially converted him to an outfielder, and he’s certainly got the arm for it, but his reads were raw in the outfield, so he was moved in to first base. Meneses has worked on his conditioning to go from a guy with questionable ability to make it through the season to a very good athlete, such that he was moved back to the outfield in 2016 and showed quite well. The M-Braves had a solid outfield core, so Meneses played only 1B in 2017. When he’s healthy, Meneses is a contact and doubles machine, but he doesn’t produce heavily in home run power. At 25 already, he’s likely not going to develop into a major league starter, but he has a very good ability to contact the ball and could end up as a solid pinch hitting option off the bench, along the lines of a guy like John Vander Wal.

46a. Kade Scivicque, C, Mississippi/Gwinnett

Born: 3/22/1993
2017 Stats: .270/.326/.365, 345 PA, 5 HR, 24/64 BB/K
Info: Scivicque started out on fire this season and struggled with Mississippi, reaching numbers that were quite similar to the numbers he had as a season-long stat line after putting up a near-equal stat line with Gwinnett in a month. Scivicque isn’t a major league starter, but he’s shown that he’s shown himself at the upper levels behind the plate and that he’s not going to hurt a team offensively, even if he isn’t a significant positive with the bat. He may not hit the majors in 2018 with Suzuki and Flowers signed for the season, but in 2019, Scivicque has a real chance to contribute as a backup catcher and could have a decent major league career in that role.

46. Jefrey Ramos, OF, GCL/Danville

Born: 2/10/1999
2017 Stats: .307/.349/.497, 209 PA, 7 HR, SB, 11/42 BB/K
Info: Ramos was part of the big 2016 IFA class, but because he had turned 17 in February that year, he was able to play last season, and he flashed some very impressive raw skills, including raw power that was evident but hadn’t had a chance to come out in Ramos’ frame. He showed up in the spring having put on another 15-20 pounds of muscle from the 165-170 pounds he was in the DSL in 2016. The added strength was clear in the way he impacted the ball, but he also showed that his quick, strong swing could reach quite a bit, and he expanded the zone in order to cover that. While he didn’t strike out at a terrible rate (20.1%), he walked at a very low rate (5.3%). Ramos’ defense is nothing amazing in the outfield, but he won’t hurt the team either. The bat has a chance to be special, but he just worried me in the few views I got (admittedly from his time in Danville, where he was an 18 y/o facing mostly college draftees or 2016 high school draftees in their first full pro season. In fact, he only had 15 plate appearances all season against pitchers younger than he was, which makes his season plenty impressive. He’s absolutely one to watch – far off, but a big ceiling if he can find the patience to take a pitch or two.

45a. Leudys Baez, OF, Danville/Rome

Born: 6/26/1996
2017 Stats: .300/.353/.498, 235 PA, 6 HR, 2 SB, 17/56 BB/K
Info: Signed later than most, so his age curve is off from a typical IFA type, Baez was signed in the winter before the 2015 season, and he played between Danville and Rome in that season. Two more seasons later, and Baez had the same schedule of teams in 2017. Baez has raw skills that are impressive with raw power and speed that are above average. He has a quick bat through the zone and can get to pitches, but that also gives him the confidence to swing at nearly everything. Baez has an impressive arm in right field, and he could be a very positive corner defender if he could polish up his patience at the plate. His strikeout rate was much better in 2017, resting around 20%, so he made significant strides. He’ll go to Florida in 2018 most likely, and from there we’ll be able to see what his future is within the organization.

Next: #41-45