10. Ian Anderson – Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
At 19 years-old, Ian Anderson produced an impressive season in Rome (Georgia, not Italy), 3.14 ERA in 20 starts (83 IP). While the Braves were careful to limit a young Anderson’s innings, he capitalized on what opportunities he was given in 2017.
Ian Anderson still has some growing to do, though. At 6-foot-3, he’s listed at just 170 pounds, and it’s hard to imagine such a lanky frame having success at high minor league levels. Anderson’s deemed a “wait for it” prospect due to his body not being fully matured, but once he develops, his full potential will be unleashed.
9. Austin Riley – Third Baseman
After racking up an impressive 61 extra-base hits with Rome in 2016, Austin Riley came back down to earth a bit in 2017. The 20-year-old third hot corner occupant still managed to notch his second consecutive 20-homer season but was only able to muster up 19 doubles, compared to the 39 he hit in 2016.
From his promotion to double-A through his time in the Arizona Fall League (65 games, 280 PA), Riley batted .310 with 14 doubles, two triples, and 14 home runs, giving fans hope that the void left by Chipper Jones at third base will soon be filled. We’ll see how Riley does with Mississippi and Gwinnett in 2018, and if all goes well, he could be up as early as September.
8. Max Fried – Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
Max Fried did not impress in the minor leagues in 2017, posting just a 5.54 ERA in 21 starts between Mississippi and Gwinnett, but the soon-to-be 24-year-old owned 3.81 ERA after arriving at the MLB, where he pitched in a combination of starting assignments and relief appearances.
What has me excited, though, is Fried’s dominant performance in the Arizona Fall League. The lanky lefty posted a 1.73 ERA in 12 starts (50.0 IP) in the AFL, turning in perhaps the most dominant performance by a starting pitcher against some of baseball’s top prospects. It will be interesting to see how Fried’s abilities are put to use by the Atlanta Braves, who will inevitably run into a logjam of pitching sometime in 2018.