Atlanta Braves: Top 10 Rookie-Eligible Prospects for 2018

We have reached the point of the offseason where prospect lists abound. We continue our top 10 prospects for every team with the Atlanta Braves!

Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the Atlanta Braves.

This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of 2017 record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.

The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!

Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.

System overview

Last year’s list

The Atlanta Braves have been in a rebuild for the last few seasons, but they had a major blow to the process when their major 2016-2017 international free agent class was mostly stripped away as part of punishment for improper actions by previous GM John Coppolella.

The Braves have built an enviable farm system that has ranked at the top of farm system rankings for the last two seasons and will be in contention for #1 again when CTTP puts out org rankings. In 2017, multiple pieces of that farm found their way to the major leagues and began to make an impact. The 2018 season should see more of the farm system begin to impact the major league level.

Let’s take a look at that system….

Next: #9 and #10

8. Max Fried, LHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 1/18/1994
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Mississippi Braves, AAA Gwinnett Braves, MLB Atlanta Braves
2017 Stats: Minors: 21 GS, 92 2/3 IP, 5.54 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 11.1% BB, 22.5% K; Majors: 9 G, 4 GS, 26 IP, 3.81 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 9.9% BB, 18.2% K

Info: Recovering from Tommy John surgery when the Atlanta Braves acquired him in December of 2014, Fried first took the hill for the Braves in 2016 as the elder statesman of an extremely talented Rome pitching staff. Much of that Rome staff moved up to AA to open 2018, but Fried struggled through a year of injury.

Never seeming right in his minor league season, when he was feeling good for a single game, the results were there, as evidenced by a 7 shutout inning performance on April 25th and a 10 strikeout performance on May 6. However, the positives were spread thin during the regular season for Fried.

Then he got to Arizona for the fall league, finally rested and healthy. Fried made 6 starts in the AFL, tallying a 1.73 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP, striking out 32 over 26 innings against some of the best prospects in baseball.

When he’s on his game, Fried features a fastball that sits around 92-94 and touches 96-97 with a curve that is one of the best in the entire game. He has come a long way with his change, but it’s still an average pitch. Fried does utilize an electric pickoff move to control the run game for hitters that do reach against him.

Fried will be competing for a roster spot with the big league club, but most likely, he’ll open the season in the Gwinnett rotation, where he’ll hope to refine his control to get back up to Atlanta in a hurry in 2018.

7. Cristian Pache, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 11/19/1998 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Rome Braves
2017 Stats: .281/.335/.343, 514 PA, 32 SB, 39/104 BB/K

Info: When punishments were being decided against the Atlanta Braves organization this past fall, many Braves fans were resigned to losing a prospect or two, but one of the names frequently mentioned that fans did not want to see lost was Pache.

It’s what he does with a glove on his hand that makes Pache so special

Pache was one of the Atlanta Braves big money signings in 2015. His scouting report at signing raved about his arm and his above-average speed. Pache has expanded those skills significantly, with an easy 70 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale on his run tool, if not an 80.

It’s what he does with a glove on his hand that makes Pache so special. Using his top-end speed, Pache has worked hard on his center field defense, with incredible instincts off the bat, and he still possesses an exceptional arm.

He does show some unorthodox length to his swing, but he seems to make excellent contact in spite of it, and he’s continued to work on his swing as well, as it’s significantly improved in 2017 from what he showed in 2016. The next step will be adding in power to his hitting approach.

Adding in that power could be a challenge in the Florida State League, where Pache is likely to open 2018, but a good showing there could earn him a quick bump up to AA before he even hits 20.

Next: #5 and #6

6. Austin Riley, 3B

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 4/2/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Florida Fire Frogs, AA Mississippi Braves
2017 Stats: .275/.339/.446, 542 PA, 20 HR, 2 SB, 43/124 BB/K

Info: A burly third sacker with a powerful right arm, Riley was considered strongly by many teams in the draft as a pitcher coming out of high school in Mississippi in 2015. The Atlanta Braves instead chose to select Riley as a third baseman with a 2nd round pick.

Riley came out in his draft season and showed tremendous raw power, pummeling 12 home runs in just 60 games between the GCL and Appy League. He followed that up with 20 home runs and 39 doubles in 2016 in Rome, giving many the idea that his power was going to be present, but curious whether his plate discipline would allow the power to play.

Those concerns were certainly viable at the outset of the 2017, as Riley posted a .408 SLG in the FSL, but a promotion to AA seemed to bring out the best in Riley as he hit .315/.389/.511 over 48 games before then going to the Arizona Fall League and continuing the positive hitting, putting up a .300/.364/.657 line and challenging for the AFL lead with 6 home runs.

Riley’s defense has been a question since he was drafted, but he’s taken steps each season in that regard to the point where a number of scouts were considering his defense in the AFL above-average.

Riley will most likely open 2018 in AAA, and how he handles AAA could play significantly into how the Atlanta Braves approach the free agent market in the next offseason.

5. Kolby Allard, LHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/13/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Mississippi Braves
2017 Stats: 27 GS, 150 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 7.2% BB, 20.8% K

Info: Allard was a guy who worked primarily in the low-90s in high school until he had one showcase where he popped off a few pitches in the mid-90s and from there, many felt that was his new assumed velocity level. Back issues bumped him down from the early 1st round to the Atlanta Braves selection at 14th overall.

That plus secondary stuff allows for Allard’s less-than-premium velocity to play up

The Braves pushed Allard aggressively up to AA in 2017, and there were natural growing pains, but some of that had to do with getting on a regular rotation schedule. Allard’s velocity settled in at 88-92 with excellent command. He also manipulates his fastball through various grips to get different breaks on the pitch.

Allard’s secondary stuff is absolutely plus, with a change that gets plenty of weak contact, and his curve can draw plenty of swing and miss when it’s at its best. That plus secondary stuff allows for Allard’s less-than-premium velocity to play up.

Allard may not be a guy who has frontline projection, but his advanced control and ability to sequence and out-smart hitters should allow him to play to a quality mid-rotation projection. He will open 2018 in AAA.

Next: #3 and #4

4. Kyle Wright, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 10/2/1995 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Braves, high-A Florida Fire Frogs
2017 Stats: 9 GS, 17 IP, 2.65 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 8.8% BB, 26.5% K

Info: Considered one of the top college arms in the entire 2017 draft, the Atlanta Braves were overjoyed to have Wright available at the 5th overall selection.

The Braves went overslot to sign Wright, and they feel it’s going to be definitely worth it

The Braves went overslot to sign Wright, and they feel it’s going to be definitely worth it as he should move quickly through their system. Wright works with a fastball that can touch 98 with excellent late movement. He commands and gets better movement when he works in the 92-94 range.

Wright features a pair of breaking pitches that flash plus, with a late-breaking curve and a hard slider. His change has excellent arm deception and showed good late movement in his pro debut.

The Atlanta Braves will want Wright getting used to a pro rotation schedule, so his destination to open 2018 is in question, but a move all the way up to AA to open wouldn’t surprise, an indicator of just what kind of expedited path he’ll be on to the majors.

3. Luiz Gohara, LHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 7/31/1996 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Florida Fire Frogs, AA Mississippi Braves, AAA Gwinnett Braves, MLB Atlanta Braves
2017 Stats: Minors: 26 G, 25 GS, 123 2/3 IP, 2.62 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 8.5% BB, 28.4% K; Majors: 5 GS, 29 1/3 IP, 4.91 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 6.5% BB, 25.2% K

Info: Signed out of Brazil by the Mariners, Gohara struggled with his conditioning, ballooning up to near 300 pounds before really dedicating himself to his craft in 2016 and seeing his stuff play up as a result, especially in the Arizona Fall League.

The Atlanta Braves acquired Gohara before the 2017 season along with reliever Thomas Burrows and Gohara responded well to the Braves focus on teaching change ups and control.

Gohara works with a pair of double-plus pitches, a fastball and a slider that are each 70-grade each, if not both 80-grade on the 20-to-80 grade scouting scale. He uses a fastball that reaches 99 MPH, and he has a slider that works into the mid-80s with exceptional arm deception and late break. The Braves focus on change really clicked with Gohara, and he began to really get better arm deception out of the pitch, though he struggled with consistency in movement and control of the pitch.

While Gohara had an excellent showing in the majors in 2017, his quick ascent could lead to the Atlanta Braves giving him a start back in AAA to open the season if he doesn’t show out in the spring, though he should be up soon in 2018.

Next: #1 and #2

2. Mike Soroka, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/4/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Mississippi Braves
2017 Stats: 26 GS, 153 2/3 IP, 2.75 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 5.4% BB, 19.9% K

Info: Receiving doubting reviews nationally since he was the Atlanta Braves 2nd selection in the 2015 draft, 28th overall in the draft. He has simply shown them all wrong along the way, continually producing ahead of his age.

In 2017, the Braves pushed Soroka up to AA in 2017 at 19 years old, and his numbers were incredible for a teenager in the upper minors. Soroka is primarily a sinker/slider pitcher, but that’s not that totality of his profile at all.

Soroka works with a sinking fastball that works in the low-90s that can touch 95 that he can manipulate to get multiple breaks on the bottom of the zone. He features a four-seam fastball that works to 95-96 that he uses primarily to adjust hitter’s views by working it up in the zone with nearly pinpoint control.

Off of his sinker, Soroka features a breaker that he can manipulate to a mid-80s deep breaking curve or a high-80s slider in its break, looking the same coming out of his hand. His change is still not quite consistent, but it has nice sinking movement to pair with his quality sinker.

Soroka can give hitters 8 or more looks over the course of a game’s worth of at bats and still have more left that they didn’t see, allowing him to constantly leave hitters guessing. While he may not have raw frontline stuff, Soroka has the type of ability to manipulate the ball and mentality on the mound that he could pitch his way into a frontline pitcher or at least a very good mid-rotation one.

1. Ronald Acuna, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/18/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Florida Fire Frogs, AA Mississippi Braves, AAA Gwinnett Braves
2017 Stats: .325/.374/.522, 612 PA, 21 HR, 44 SB, 43/144 BB/K

Info: When the Atlanta Braves signed the son of a Venezuelan scout for a $100,000 bonus, many saw it as a typical six-figure Latin lottery ticket. Instead, now coming into the 2018 season, Acuna is considered one of the 2-3 best prospects in the entire game.

Acuna simply got better over the 2017 season

After an injury-riddled 2016 regular season, the Atlanta Braves sent Acuna to the Australian winter league, where he was absolutely dominant, beginning what would become an impressive streak where Acuna simply got better over the 2017 season.

Acuna opened 2017 with high-A Florida and hit .287/.336/.478 over 28 games with a 6.3% walk rate and 31.7% strikeout rate. He was then promoted to AA Mississippi, and in 57 games, he hit .326/.374/.520 with a 7.4% walk rate and a 23% strikeout rate. Then he was bumped up to AAA Gwinnett, where he hit .344/.393/.548 over 54 games with a 7% walk rate and 19.8% strikeout rate.

Then, just to top off the season he’d just had, Acuna went out against some of the best prospects in all of baseball and hit .325/.414/.639 in the Arizona Fall League, leading the league with 7 home runs and putting up a 12.1% walk rate and a 22.2% strikeout rate.

To describe it best, on offense, Acuna has it all – power, speed, a lightning quick bat with an ability to barrel balls consistently. He’s filling into his frame such that he’ll likely mature into more of an above-average runner than a plus one, but he should also fill into plus power with that maturity as well.

Acuna may not open 2018 with the Atlanta Braves, but he should be up to the big league club quickly and will be a rookie of the year favorite in the National League.

Next: Newcomers to watch

2017 Acquisition: Freddy Tarnok, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 11/24/1998 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Braves
2017 Stats: 8 GS, 14 IP, 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 5.2% BB, 17.2% K

Info: One of the things the Atlanta Braves have done well over the years is found quality arms in need of development and brought those arms to maturity with their instruction. Tarnok will be a high-upside variety of that instruction.

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Tarnok filled into his gangly 6’4″ frame plenty in his final 12 months before the draft, and he saw a significant rise in his velocity due to the physical maturity. Able to pitch into games in the low- to mid-90s, Tarnok was clocked in some spring contests as high as 98 with an easy delivery that still showed room for more. His impressive velocity comes along with excellent late sink.

Paired with his quality fastball is a curve that gets over 20 MPH velocity difference from the fastball and has a high spin rate that generates a steep downward drop on the pitch, leaving many high school hitters flailing.

In his pro debut, Tarnok showed quick teachability, picking up a change and showing well with it by the end of the GCL season. He will certainly need to iron out consistency with all of his pitches, but he really impressed scouts and coaches alike with his willingness to learn and adaptability once he was in camp.

He may open with short-season Danville in the Appy League this year due to the fact that he didn’t throw a ton of innings in high school, but the Atlanta Braves could push Tarnok’s coachability by sending him straight to low-A Rome as well.

Next: Projecting the 2018 Braves 'pen

So that is the Atlanta Braves top 10 prospects for 2018. Who is too high? Too low? Missing entirely from the list? Comment below!!