ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 5: Johan Camargo #17 and Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate after the game against the Miami Marlins at SunTrust Park on August 5, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 5: Johan Camargo #17 and Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate after the game against the Miami Marlins at SunTrust Park on August 5, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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, complete list along with some others to know!
Next: Full List
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Complete List
The entire list with descriptions has come out in pieces over the last few weeks, extended due to technical issues on the writer’s part. Of course, once the list was originally done, I realized that I was missing 5 guys that I had intended to have in the top 100, so there is a top 105, and two guys didn’t get a write up previously, so theirs will be after the list.
First, links for the sections of the list with profiles on each player: 1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100
Born: 10/31/1999 Stats: .264/.319/.357, 141 PA, 1 HR, 10/21 BB/K Info: Gutierrez was considered the second-best prize behind Maitan in the 2016 IFA spending spree. Compared to Mike Piazza at 14 years old, Gutierrez is a big body catcher with a quick bat, which made the comparisons quite apt. In 2017, he made his first professional appearances, and the reviews were a bit mixed.
Behind the plate, the 6’2″, 215-pound Gutierrez was more than advertised. He showed excellent ability in the run game with a plus arm, good set up behind the plate, and a feel for framing. He has some definite work to do in his lateral movement behind the plate as he works up the system, but for a guy who turned 18 on Halloween, he’ll have plenty of time to build on those skills.
The bat was where there was generally more mixed review than expected. Gutierrez had been reported to have filled out more than expected before signing, and it was clear at fall instructs last year that he was bigger than the Braves wanted, but he showed up in spring having obviously worked at his weight and certainly his overall fitness level. He hasn’t seen it translate yet into a return in his bat speed.
Gutierrez has a similar bat speed “issue” that many have related to Austin Riley in that he has a long load into the zone, but once in the zone, he has a quick bat through the zone, and he had some resounding doubles over the course of his GCL season. The Braves have worked very well with Riley to adapt and allow him to utilize his incredible power, but Gutierrez also doesn’t have the same level of raw power as Riley, likely being a guy with plus raw and above-average in game power in the end, whereas Riley could be a guy with plus-plus in both areas when all is said and done.
Gutierrez is still young, but the upside here is immense, and he really did impress in the biggest question area I had, which was his glove work and ability to trim down the excess he’d put on after signing. He’ll likely open 2018 in Danville, and the Braves will let his glove likely lead his promotion schedule more than his bat.
35a. Dan Winkler, RHP, Rome/Florida/Gwinnett/Atlanta
Born: 2/2/1990 Stats: Minors: 14 G, 14 IP, 5.14 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 4/14 BB/K; Majors: 16 G, 14 1/3 IP, 2.51 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 6/18 BB/K Info: Winkler may end up being the longest-tenured Rule 5 pick ever, as he’s missed so much time since being picked in the Rule 5 draft in December of 2014 that he’s still attempting to fill his Rule 5 requirements.
A power-armed righty, the Braves took Winkler in the draft, knowing that he’d miss nearly all of 2015 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He then attempted to return in 2016 before suffering a gruesome arm break that ended his season after just 3 appearances.
He was eased back in 2017, attempting to protect his arm, and he showed better and better the more he threw, really looking good in the majors. Winkler is throwing a mid-90s fastball, cutter that sits in the low 90s, a low-80s slider, and a change that sits in the upper 80s. At their best, his fastball, cutter, and slider is a three-pitch mix that is devastating on hitters from both sides out of the bullpen. He should open in the 2018 bullpen.
Next: Others to know - Upper Minors
Others To Know – Upper Minors
Over the course of the next few pages, I’m going to highlight another 32 players that fans should at least be aware of. With the additional few names on the complete list, that gives almost 140 names for Braves fans to whet their whistle as the offseason begins!
Jesse Biddle, LHP – Picked up in spring training of 2016 when the Pirates attempted to slide him through waivers, Biddle spent 2016 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he was eased back in 2017 to a role in the bullpen as a multi inning reliever, which he excelled in. Once a top prospect with the Phillies, Biddle cruised into mid-July with the Braves when he tore his lat, costing him the rest of the season. On the year, he made 27 appearances, threw 49 2/3 innings, and posted a 2.90 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 16/53 BB/K ratio. If not for health concerns, he’d rank for certain in the top 100, and he likely would have seen Atlanta in 2017.
Keith Curcio, OF – I’ve said for a while that Curcio has the perfect design of a bench outfielder – good contact skills, good defense, the ability to even play a little infield – but his 2017 was not at that same level. Some of that was due to BABIP, and Curcio did still have a solid BB/K, but hitting .219/.294/.314 won’t turn the heads enough when you don’t have plus power or plus-plus speed to entice the move up the system. He could end up system depth, but there are still the skills there with a short, quick swing to be a guy who could give the Braves a similar year to what Lane Adams offered in 2017.
Enderson Franco, RHP – Franco is eligible for minor league free agency, and I have not seen anywhere that he has declared, nor that he has signed anywhere, so for now, I’ll assume he’ll return to the Braves. If so, he’s the type of guy who spends years as an org starter, but has the sort of stuff if he was ever put into a bullpen role could have a run of seasons like Cristhian Martinez did for the Braves in the early 2010s, giving 70+ innings of quality long-man work. He spent most of the season with Florida in 2017, but he filled in when Rome and Gwinnett needed an arm in a pinch. Overall, he posted a 3.86 ERA over 121 1/3 innings with a 1.34 WHIP and 43/103 BB/K. He has a heavy mid-90s fastball and a slider to pair with it, but he’s never developed a third pitch to really become a quality starter to project as a big leaguer, and he turns 25 in the offseason, so bullpen may be coming soon.
Michael Mader, LHP – Fas were very excited by the performance of Mader after his acquisition last season, as he made 5 starts for Mississippi, with a 2.40 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with a 6/26 BB/K over 30 IP. Knowing he’d move to the bullpen in 2017, the Braves had him participate in the Puerto Rican winter league in a bullpen role, and he was very good, posting a 0.63 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 14 1/3 innings. Sadly, he struggled with his location out of the bullpen this year, and it cost him, posting a 4.18 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 35 appearances and 64 2/3 innings, with a 41/57 BB/K. Mader has a quality pitch mix that isn’t going to ever be a front-line guy, but he could work as a multi-inning reliever, especially from the left side, if he can get his location ironed back out.
Evan Phillips, RHP – After a solid season in 2016 split between Carolina and Mississippi where Phillips posted a 3.02 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and struck out a hitter per inning, Phillips was primed for a quick road up the upper minors in 2017 with a path to the majors if he performed well. While he showed well in spring, Phillips had a rough start to the season, and it was hard to recover his season numbers. On the season, he made 40 appearances, 26 of them scoreless, but his season numbers wouldn’t show that due to the games he allowed runs being rough – 10 of 14 games where Phillips allowed a run, he allowed multiple runs. Phillips’ stuff was certainly not rough, and he still has a good shot to make a positive impression in spring and move into consideration for a bullpen role with the big league club, but as many of his “blow up” games also contained multiple walks, his ability to locate will be key to his success in 2018 and going forward.
Bradley Roney, RHP – Roney has tallied three things in his pro career: strikeouts, raised eyebrows, and walks. Roney throws from an extremely high arm angle, almost overhead, and he brings his fastball in the upper 90s with incredible movement and plane low in the zone. He also works with a hard curve that gets tremendous movement as well. His third pitch is a split change that often gets more rollover grounders than swing and miss, but it’s still a pitch that moves a ton as well. Roney could be a dominant reliever, if he could simply get his control in hand, but to this point, he’s posted a career 18.1% walk rate, roughly 10% more than you’d like to see out of even a “wild” reliever. Roney has the type of dominant pitches that could lead to a big league career in the bullpen if he could figure out how to pound the zone with them.
Next: Others to know - A-ball
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.
Next: Others to know - rookie ball
Others to know – rookie ball
Tanner Allison, LHP, GCL – The Braves selected Allison out of Western Michigan in the 17th round this June. He pitched very well with the GCL, with a 2.20 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 2/15 BB/K ratio over 16 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Allison was actually more highly-regarded by many as an outfielder after giving up pitching mid-year of the college season and hitting .356/.432/.574. His performance on the mound should re-kindle his possible future on the mound, however.
Carlos Baerga, OF – An “old” signee out of Puerto Rico, Baerga somehow went undrafted in spite of his recognizable name. He didn’t have a great first year at GCL, hitting .208/.317/.267, but he did have a 15/12 BB/K ratio at the plate, and he showed a very, very good arm in right field. His name should at least provide some interesting follow for a short time.
Griffin Benson, 1B – A big (6’5″, 210-225 pounds) switch-hitter from Texas, the Braves drafted Benson in the 23rd round in 2016. he came out in 2016, and while he hit for just a .559 OPS in his draft season, some of his BP displays were impressive enough that he warranted heavy consideration for my list last year. This year, he’s not a guy I really strongly considered, but he still made just as impressive a BP show, and he saw growth in nearly all areas offensively while moving up to Danville. However, those growth points were moving from a .559 OPS to a .610 OPS, a BB/K of 0.35 to 0.43, and a .271 SLG to a .285 SLG. There’s plenty of bat here, though the Braves have drafted plenty of guys who are locked into first base in the last two years now, and that could mean some difficulty finding playing time for Benson.
Jose Bermudez, OF – Moving to the GCL in 2017, the long, lean continued to flash plus speed, but struggled to get his longer swing around to get on base and use that speed. He’s still not filled into his 6’2″ frame, and there could be more there once he does, but for now, he’s a guy to keep in mind but not as a likely major riser.
John Curtis, LHP – College lefty from small Lenoir-Rhyne college put up elite stats with Danville in his draft year, with a 2.13 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 9/27 BB/K ratio over 25 1/3 innings. Curtis is absolute death on lefties and should be watched as a future LOOGY possibility.
Alger Hodgson, RHP – Signed out of Nicaragua, many regarded Hodgson as feasibly an even better prospect than other 2016 IFA pitching signings. Hodgson looked excellent in the DSL, and the report I got there was that he has heavy stuff that is impossible to drive. When he came stateside in the GCL, he struggled with location, and that led to him “aiming” some, which led to 3 home runs being allowed. He is an elite talent that could take some time to develop his stuff as he has just okay velocity, but the movement on his pitches is elite and he understands how to manipulate grips, so he could move quickly now that he’s in the system more firmly.
Odalvi Javier, RHP – The Braves signed Javier out of the Dominican in 2014. He made his stateside debut in the GCL in 2015. He repeated it in 2016. In 017, he moved up to Danville, and he moved full-time to the rotation, and he showed very well with his heavy fastball and hard curve/slider (questions have come which he throws, and he attempts to be sly about it, but it’s a slider with depth or a hard curve with horizontal movement. Javier should get a good test in 2018 with a bump to Rome, perhaps as a back-end starter or as a swing-man.
Bladimir Matos, RHP – Ramos was signed out of the Dominican in 2015 as a 21 year-old. He is a guy who was not pursued heavily as a teen due to a lack of raw stuff, but his physical maturity brought an increase in velocity that made him a legit bullpen option.
Gabriel Noguera, LHP – Venezuelan lefty is already 21, but his stuff is extremely polished, even if he isn’t going to blow anyone away in velocity. His numbers show just how well he can work with his pitchability against guys likely not ready for quality breaking stuff and sequencing, putting up a 1.58 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 51 1/3 IP between the DSL and GCL. He will be very interesting to track as he pushes forward due to his plus-level breaking stuff and how that works with a fastball that’s more average to above-average.
, OF – Part of the 2016 IFA class, Reyes has a big power bat from the right side in batting practice, but he hasn’t shown it quite yet in games, not hitting a home run in 249 plate appearances, but he did show his powerful arm, with 7 assists in 54 outfield games. He is an immense raw talent to keep an eye on as he likely comes stateside in 2018.
Estarlin Rodriguez, RHP – Signed this summer, Rodriguez was old enough that he could get his start already this year, and he made the most of it, with a 1.86 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 4/17 BB/K ratio over 19 1/3 IP in the Dominican Summer League.
Ricardo Rodriguez, C – Former elite international prospect that was acquired from the Padres in the Bethancourt deal, but he’s struggled with the Braves since coming on board, primarily due to a lack of playing time with other top catchers at the same level as him (2016 – William Contreras, 2017 – Abrahan Gutierrez).
Lisandro Santos, LHP – Signed in 2016, Santos was old enough to get a few games under his belt in 2016. He repeated the DSL in 2017, and he showed an excellent strikeout rate, but did miss his location at times. Santos has an excellent two-pitch mix with a change that could be something special if it’s developed well, and he’s only 19, so the team will likely give him the time to develop slowly.
Nicholas Shumpert, IF – Shumpert got very few plate appearances after being taken out of JuCo in 2016, but he really didn’t show all that well with more exposure in Danville in 2017. The raw tools and the family background will likely give him opportunities, but a 6/52 BB/K ratio will be a continued issue.
Connor Simmons, LHP – The Braves hit up the Georgia Southern pitching staff in their 2017 draft, selecting multiple members, grabbing Simmons in the 13th round. He had a very good introduction to pro ball as well in a short stint, with a 2.95 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 6/18 BB/K over 18 1/3 relief innings with Danville. He’ll likely be a candidate for the Rome pen in 2018 and get to see how things play from there.
Justin Smith, OF – The Braves drafted Smith out of a Florida Community College in the 20th round this past June. He is very raw in his skills, but he has an impressive blend of power and speed along with a very athletic 6’2″ 205-215 pound build. Smith hit .250/.320/.375 with 3 home runs and 5 stolen bases over 125 plate appearances. Smith is an impressive athlete, very similar to Justin Ellison, and he could be handled similar. His zone and pitch recognition will be the key to his future path within the system.
Ramon Taveras, RHP – A righty with a upper-80s fastball and a change being his lead off speed pitch, Taveras has struggled to make a splash in spite of good numbers 3 of his 4 years. In 2017, he repeated GCL, making 17 appearances, throwing 32 1/3 innings, with a 3.90 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 6/33 BB/K ratio. Taveras lives on his control, and with his stuff, that will be a tough recipe to keep as he moves forward.
Nicholas Vizcaino, 1B – Signed as an undrafted free agent, Vizcaino is already 20, though he did not attend college. He had better reports on his ability to drive the ball than many would assume, though it didn’t translate to home run power in 2017. Not overly big at 6’1″ and 200 pounds, Vizcaino will be a guy to track if he can develop more power.
That’s it! What did you think? Any surprises? Questions? Comment below!
