Atlanta Braves Minor League Hitter of the Year: Michael Reed
Level(s): AA Mississippi, AAA Gwinnett, MLB Atlanta Braves
Stats: Minors: .342/.453/.520, 97 G, 404 PA, 26 2B, 11 HR, 10 SB, 62/98 BB/K; Majors: .286/.286/.286, 7 G, 7 PA, 0/3 BB/K
Signed as a minor league free agent before the 2018 season, Michael Reed put together tremendous numbers all season long in the outfield for the Atlanta Braves in the upper minors, actually hitting better in AAA than he had in AA.
Reed did not get many opportunities once he got to the majors to show he could do well, even though he did go for 2/7 in his time and had the ability to play all three outfield positions at least adequately.
Whether Reed will stick around with the Atlanta Braves or not in 2019 is still in the air, but he should certainly have interest this offseason if he is a minor league free agent again.
Runners-up
The third first-round selection of the Atlanta Braves in 2015, Austin Riley garnered the imagination of many Braves fans immediately in his draft season by hitting 12 home runs in his draft season. He then hit 20 home runs his next two seasons in the minors as he worked on his infield defense. He is now considered at least an average third base infielder, if not an above-average defender. His hitting was excellent as well, as he combined between AA and AAA primarily this year to hit .294/.360/.522 with 30 doubles and 19 home runs.
The Atlanta Braves were overjoyed to see the top player in the state of Georgia fall to them in the 2nd round of the 2017 draft. As a teenager in 2018, he played across both A-ball levels with tremendous success, hitting .293/.343/.476 with 39 doubles, 9 triples, 9 home runs, and 23 stolen bases.
Probably the biggest surprise of the Atlanta Braves 2018 class was CJ Alexander, who they drafted in the 20th round. Alexander opened with the Gulf Coast League, but by the end of the year, he’d hit his way all the way to high-A, and he hit at least .325 at every level along the way. Overall, he combined to hit .352/.429/.495 with 8 doubles, 7 triples, 2 home runs, and 4 stolen bases in 52 games.