17. Alex Jackson – Catcher/Outfielder
Also known as “AJax” (no, not the dish soap; also no, not the villain from Deadpool), Alex Jackson impressed many with his .480 slugging percentage in 96 games (402 PA) between high-A and double-A. His 19 home runs and 21 doubles in 2017 were both career bests. AJax’s .513 slugging percentage in the Arizona Fall League also raised some eyebrows.
While his future as a backstop is not certain, Jackson’s bat may land him an opportunity to start in a corner outfield position for the Atlanta Braves one day. However, he’ll have to further prove himself as a hitter in double-A and triple-A before anyone’s ready to cross that bridge.
16. Akeel Morris – Right-Handed Relief Pitcher
Akeel Morris had a brief stint in the MLB in 2017 in which he posted a 1.23 ERA in 8 relief outings, but was sent down in puzzling fashion following his misuse by manager Brian Snitker. Personally, Morris is my favorite relief prospect in the Braves’ system, and his change-up could be devastating as an MLB reliever.
Between double-A and triple-A in 2017, Morris owned a 2.65 ERA and was striking out more than a batter per inning. The 25-year-old righty showed no signs of regression following his demotion back to Triple-A and looks ready to go for the 2018 MLB season.
15. Drew Waters – Outfielder
All surrounding controversy aside, Drew Waters is a dang stud. At 18 years-old, Waters slashed .278/.362/.429 in rookie ball with 14 doubles, two triples, and four home runs in just 50 games (224 PA). While Waters was able to rack up the extra-base hits, he was also able to rack up the strikeouts.
After putting up a God-awful 31.3% strikeout rate in rookie ball, it’s apparent that Drew Waters was a bit too free-swinging. Although his seemingly fearless approach at the plate paid off quite often, he’ll need to work on turning some of those strikeouts into productive outs in 2018. If he can do that, Waters could find himself in Atlanta by 2021.