Atlanta Braves 2017-2018 Top 100 Prospects List: Complete List and Others To Know
Others to know – A-ball
Walter Borkovich, RHP – A pitcher the Braves signed as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State in July, Borkovich has an impressive stature at the mound at 6’5″ and 220ish pounds. H worked his way quickly all the way up to Rome, finishing with 16 appearances, 27 1/3 innings pitched, a 2.30 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 3/30 BB/K ratio. He works with a fastball and a curve that is very impressive with its tight spin and could work well in the bullpen.
Oriel Caicedo, LHP – After 3 seasons, Caicedo finally broke through what seemed to be the glass ceiling of Rome for him. While not an elite starter, Caicedo is excellent in a swing man role. He doesn’t have overwhelming stuff, but he’s a guy who has walked less than 5% of hitters he’s faced in his minor league career. Between Rome and Florida in 2017, he made 25 appearances, 14 of them starts, throwing 105 1/3 innings, allowing a 3.42 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 21/72 BB/K ratio. His pro prospects may be slim, but he’s the type of guy that 10 years from now you’ll hear a handful of guys who are now All-Star pitchers give credit for his work with them while they passed through the system.
Anthony Concepcion, 1B/OF – Concepcion was a “late sign”, signing with the Braves at 20 years old, and until 2017, he’d really done nothing but hit everywhere he’d gone. With Rome in 2017, he put up a .228/.321/.329 line in 98 games showing his power/speed combination, with 4 triples, 5 home runs, and 10 stolen bases. Concepcion very well may end up org fodder, but he has a good blend of skills that could show up in a flash and lead to him moving forward as a bench hitter.
Kurt Hoekstra, IF – A guy I’ve liked since the Braves picked him from Western Michigan in 2015, Hoekstra isn’t a guy with a likely future MLB star, but he’s the type of guy who is notable any time I watch him for his hustle down the line, his adaption over the course of a game in each at bat, and his study of the game. In talking around the organization a bit, a few have mentioned him as a guy who has a good career in coaching, but after spotty playing time in 2015/2016, he had a full time role in 2017, and he showed fairly well, hitting .255/.313/.354 with 7 triples, 3 home runs, and 11 stolen bases. He split his time almost evenly between first base and third base defensively, but he has a history of playing shortstop and could be a guy who ends up working up the system as a utility guy.
Landon Hughes, RHP – Hughes was the Braves’ 7th round pick in this past June’s draft, and like a typical senior sign, he was a reliever as a pro. Hughes saw a significant velocity spike in his senior year to mid-90s from upper-80s, and that made him a legit prospect. He has an above-average slider to pair with the fastball. He does have a tendency to see his fastball straighten out anywhere belt up in the zone, but he gets good plane on the ball low in the zone. He showed well in Danville in his pro debut with a single game in Rome. Overall, he had a 1.99 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 8/28 BB/K ratio over 22 2/3 IP.
Taylor Lewis, RHP – Considered an elite reliever coming out of Florida in the 2015 draft, Lewis came out with a very good season in his draft year, but he’s struggled to replicate it every since. His control was the biggest issue in 2017, as he posted a 5.03 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and a 31/59 BB/K ratio over 62 2/3 IP. Lewis still has a quality slider that works very well on righties, but his fastball seemed to get off, and with his low-3/4 arm slot, it can be hittable for righties when it’s exposed to the hitter for as long as it is.
Marcus Mooney, IF – A smooth college infielder from South Carolina drafted in the 10th round in 2016, Mooney was a solid contributor for Danville in his draft season. In 2017, he moved up to Rome, and it was assumed that he would help Derian Cruz in his development. Cruz faltered, and Mooney ended up taking a lot of the starts at shortstop. Mooney is a steady shortstop, albeit not elite. He offers no power at the plate, and he really does not have great instincts stealing bases, so his best role is as a quality backup infielder, but he’s been consistent, if not spectacular, thus far in the organization.
Luis Mora, RHP – Mora has an incredible fastball, reaching triple digits. His breaker is average to above-average, and his change is below-average to average, but that fastball can top out at 102 and has good movement, but after missing time in 2016, he missed almost all of 2017, and there have not been good reports of exactly what is going on with him, health-wise.
Jordan Rodgers, IF – Rodgers is a very quality infield defender, with a plus arm and very good hands. He was advanced to Rome after being drafted in the 6th round and signed for a paltry $5,000 this summer, mostly because of a need for infielders at the Rome level. Rodgers has the glove, but his bat has some definite room for growth, and he probably could have used some time at Danville, but if he spent a full season with Rome, that could give him some of the work that is needed on his swing and approach along with his pitch and zone recognition.
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