Baby Braves

New Location

2007-02-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

Baby Braves has moved over to MVN. Please come check it out and see the new features that will be introduced for the 2007 season.

Here is the link: Baby Braves at MVN

Scott Thorman community project at Minor League Ball

2007-01-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would direct your attention to a relevant piece over at John Sickel's site, minorleagueball.com.

Scott Thorman Community Projection

For what it's worth, I'd say that Thorman will have a similar career path to Adam LaRoche. LaRoche was surprisingly given the starting job, at least against right-handers, in 2004 after a solid 2003 in both Greenville and Richmond. Scott Thorman had an all-star season in Richmond last year and looks to be given the same job Adam did in '04. Craig Wilson may serve as the "Julio Franco" to Thorman while he develops into a full-time player.

Major league and minor league swap

2007-01-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Braves and Pirates finally completed the on again, off again LaRoche for Gonzalez deal but the surrounding players were somewhat surprising. It was widely believed that Schuerholz was holding out for a second quality player in the deal. A few of the names included Paul Maholm, Zach Duke, Tom Gorzelanny, and Chris Duffy. It seems they finally came to an agreement which sent one of the Pirates top prospects, Brent Lillibridge, to Atlanta for a marginal prospect in Jamie Romak.

Since this is a minor league blog I'll cover the minor leaguers involved more than LaRoche and Gonzalez since every other site will have their opinions on those players.

Brent Lillibridge was drafted out of Washington University in 2005 and has been rated as the third best prospect in the Pirates organization by John Sickels.

Strengths: He hit over .300 with an OBP over .400 last year in low-A and high-A, his speed is very good with 53 steals last year, he works the count well as seen with his 87 walks, his defense has been said to be even better than his offense, and being a college player he should advance through the system quickly.

Weaknesses: His power took a somewhat significant hit upon his promotion to high-A. He hit 11 of his 13 home runs in low-A. He has been slightly older than his competition at every level thus far. Other than that he really doesn't have any other weaknesses right now.

Follow this link to see what John Sickels has to say about Lillibridge in his 2007 prospect book: Book Excerpts

Now on to Jamie Romak, whom the Braves gave up along with LaRoche in exchange for Gonzalez and Lillibridge.

Jamie hasn't gotten much attention as a prospect but is still young (20 years old) and has some power potential. He is sometimes considered a "moneyball" player because he hits for low averages with high OBP's and has power. Last year in Rome he hit .247 with 16 homers and a .369 OBP. He also struck out 102 times to go with his 59 walks. And that's only in 348 at-bats so he needs to cut down on the k's.

Obviously the Braves like Lillibridge a lot because they took the difference between Lillibridge and Romak when they have been wanting major league contributors. The Braves are probably thinking that Lillibridge is pretty close to the majors, given his age while the Pirates are getting the slugger they have been coveting and a young power bat in the minors.

I don't feel comfortable declaring a win for either side in this deal. It seems that both sides are pretty happy with it for the most part and a lot if it depends on a couple of guys in the low minors.

Baseball America Releases Their Top 10

2007-01-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

This is it:

1.	Jarrod Saltalamacchia, c
2.	Elvis Andrus, ss
3.	Matt Harrison, lhp
4.	Brandon Jones, of
5.	Van Pope, 3b
6.	Eric Campbell, 3b
7.	Scott Thorman, 1b/of
8.	Jo-Jo Reyes, lhp
9.	Joey Devine, rhp
10.	Yunel Escobar, inf

There are really no surprises on this list except for Van Pope at #5. The rest of the guys round up most of the well known Atlanta prospects. Van Pope is surprising not because I don't think he should be there (that's exactly where I would have him on my list), but because he is ahead of players such as Campbell, Devine, and Escobar who are much more hyped. Eric Campbell thought of by some people as the #1 prospect in the Braves organization and yet here he is one spot below Van Pope. The article does not give any reasons for the rankings but they do list Pope with the best infield defense and arm which adds to his value.

We also see yet another list with Yunel Escobar as the 10th best prospect. I guess people are scared away by his age and lack of development time but others seem to really like him. If I had to choose I would agree with those who list him as #10 although his sophomore slump could be attributed to his first full season of professional baseball in America.

There are a lot of tools at the top of the list with Elvis Andrus 2nd and Brandon Jones 4th. Brandon Jones is once again listed as the top athlete in the system and Andrus would lead the list of those with greatest potential if there was such a list. Andrus played much of 2006 in single-A as a 17 year-old with mixed results but obviously has immense untapped potential.

The fact that there are 2 starters and only 3 pitchers on this list further emphasizes the shortage of upper level arms in the system. Harrison is a well liked prospect but he doesn't have much star potential. The good news is that our crop of young arms in the low minors is more promising than ever.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T09:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone and may 2007 be a better year for Atlanta than 2006.

Also, please check out the prospect profiles as I will be periodically updating them with full stats from the 2006 season with updated projections. I will also be replacing Chuck James, Scott Thorman, and Matt Wright so let me know who you want to see on the list.

Another Top 10 List

2006-12-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

Here is yet another top ten list for your viewing pleasure. I'll list the top ten but you can click here to see the write-up on each of the players.

1. Elvis Andrus
2. Jarrod Saltalamacchia
3. Eric Campbell
4. Matt Harrison
5. Brandon Jones
6. Joey Devine
7. Anthony Lerew
8. Jeff Locke
9. Chase Fontaine
10. Yunel Escobar

The top three prospects are the same as usual but he obviously went for potential over performance with Andrus as the #1 prospect.

Jeffrey Locke, just drafted this year, seems to be getting a lot of good reviews from people. He could very well turn out to be the best pitcher from that draft.

He is not high on Yunel Escobar and neither am I, however, his great fall league showing at least provides a glimmer of hope.

Schuerholz finally makes a deal

2006-12-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

I know this is a minor league blog but I wanted to chime in on the Braves first trade this offseason. Count me as one who loves the Ramirez for Soriano swap. Both seem to be somewhat of an injury risk but Soriano could provide so much more value in Atlanta than Ramirez can. Soriano is automatically the official setup man and could close in a pinch if needed. His numbers last year before he got hurt were excellent.

Because of that deal, the Braves backed out of the LaRoche for Mike Gonzalez deal. That makes sense even though the additions of both Soriano and Gonzalez would have given the Braves not just a good bullpen but a great one. LaRoche could fetch a different position of need now that we have Soriano. Starting pitcher and left field or leadoff comes to mind. Giles or maybe even Davies could be added to sweeten the pot so the Braves can land who they want.

Good News

2006-12-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Rule V Draft is complete and Sean White was the only Braves player selected. He was taken by the Pirates with the 4th overall pick. White must remain on the Pirates major league roster for the entire season or he can be sold back to Atlanta for half of the purchase price, which was $50,000.

The good news is that Dan Smith is safe for now. I really think he can help our bullpen in the future because he is left-handed and puts up huge strikeout totals. He was successful in AA last year and is 23 so he could move fast.

In other Rule V news, Josh Hamilton was selected by the Cubs and traded to the Reds. This is very interesting because Hamilton was a huge prospect before injuries and drugs led to his demise. He came back and played last year for the first time since 2002 but it was only at low-A ball. It would be an amazing story if he stuck with the Reds the entire year.

Rule V Draft

2006-12-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Rule V Draft will take place tomorrow, the last day of the winter meetings. The Rule V Draft is usually not a good day for the Braves as they usually lose a couple of decent prospects each year. This year will probably not be any different with the Braves not expected to take anyone as usual.

Bill Shanks has said that Dan Smith and Sean White are two likely candidates to be taken in tomorrow's draft. Losing White wouldn't bother me that much but I would not be happy if someone took Dan Smith. Smith is already 23 but he only busted onto the scene this season. Whoever takes him will have to include him on their 25-man roster the entire season so hopefully nobody will want to take that gamble.

We've already lost a couple of really good prospects while getting nothing in return. Hopefully we won't lose another one. Cross your fingers.

Arizona Fall League Results

2006-11-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

The Arizona Fall League is over and here are the stats from the Braves participants. The results can be pretty much summed up by saying the pitchers sucked but our position players raked.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia-
Jarrod played only 6 games before a minor injury kept him out for the remainder of the games. However, those 6 games were phenomenal. He hit .565 with 3 homers and 12 RBI's in 23 at-bats while slugging 1.000. His defense wasn't good but the sample size is so small I wouldn't be worried.

Yunel Escobar-
Escobar won the batting title by hitting .407/.463/.558. That is very encouraging after seeing him display almost no power in 2006. He also continued to show good strike zone judgement with 9 walks and 7 strikeouts.

J.C. Holt-
Holt was on fire as well as he hit .388/.453/.507. J.C. hit one home run while driving in 8. He also stole 3 bags in 4 attempts.

Josh Burrus-
Burrus may have been the only player who didn't torch the AFL but he made some major contributions. Josh only hit .261 but he led his team with 4 homers and 24 RBI's. He really made his hits count. He also stole 4 bases without getting caught. Burrus has a lot of tools and I hope he rebounds with a strong 2007.

Sean White-
Now on to the pitchers where it is a whole different story. White started 5 games, losing 3 to go with 2 no-decisions while compiling a hefty 6.35 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. He walked 11 and struck out 12. And this is just the beginning.

Anthony Lerew-
After dominating AA in the second half of the season, Lerew came to the AFL and stunk it up again. In 14.2 relief innings, Lerew had a 5.52 ERA, 1.98 WHIP, and walked 12 while striking out only 8. Those numbers are even worse than White's.

Will Startup-
In 9 innings, Will has both White and Lerew beat. He gave up 16 hits and 17 runs on his way to a 13.00 ERA and 2.44 WHIP. He walked 6, struck out 6, and gave up 4 home runs.

Joey Devine-
Devine wasn't good but he looks great compared with the others. In only 8 innings, Devine walked 7 and struck out 9 for a 4.50 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. He also collected 2 saves.

Notes over Sickels' Top 20

2006-11-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

There seems to be two camps of people when it comes to the Braves top prospects. The camp that thinks Salty is the top prospect and the camp that thinks Campbell is the top prospect. Sickels goes so far as to rank Salty third behind Elvis Andrus. That is very interesting because Andrus is fairly low on some lists because of his performance but his potential alone warrants this ranking.

Matt Harrison has solidified himself as the organizations top pitching prospect and John Sickels sees it no differently ranking him #4.

Jamie Richmond is the first guy who jumps out at you. John admits that it is an aggressive grade and that Richmond doesn't have the raw talent of some other young arms, but his performance is hard to overlook. This is the first list where I've seen him crack the top 10.

Chase Fontaine has a good looking bat at shortstop but he was just drafted so a top 10 ranking seems very optimistic. I hope he is right.

Jo-Jo Reyes seems a little low at #12 given all the talk about his good season. However, I tend to agree with John. Reyes started out really well upon his promotion to Myrtle Beach but was erratic after that. Also, his performance in previous seasons is not in par with last season so I would like to see him do it again in '07.

Neftali Feliz is getting the credit he deserves despite his 4-something ERA in Danville. He throws 98 mph and struck out 42 in 27 innings last year.

Kris Medlen is another guy who is finally getting some recognition. He put up the same ridiculous numbers as Richmond but also put up the strikeouts as well.

The list rounds out with some good young arms with high ceilings. Left-handers Locke and Evarts along with right-handers Rasmus and Hanson provide some low-level, high potential pitching prospects.

Van Pope is a strange omission but he said this is a preliminary list and Pope may end up in the top 20.

John Sickels' Top 20

2006-11-15T21:04:00.001-08:00

Here it is. Analysis will come later.

2007 Top 20 Atlanta Braves Prospects
Eric Campbell, 3B, Grade B+ really like his bat)
Elvis Andrus, SS, Grade B+ really like his birthday, lots of development potential)
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, Grade B (I am more worried
about reports of excess weight gain and defensive problems in the
Arizona Fall League more than his erratic regular season)
Matt Harrison, LHP, B
Brandon Jones, OF, B
Joey Devine, RHP, B (he has been handled poorly but still has a good arm)
Yunel Escobar, SS, B can read the comment I wrote below)
Jamie Richmond, RHP, B (an aggressive grade but the numbers are great and my intuition likes him)
Scott Thorman, OF-1B, B- (below 150 at-bats so he goes in the book)
Chase Fontaine, SS, B-
Anthony Lerew, RHP, C+
Jo-Jo Reyes, LHP, C+ (nice rebound season but slumped down the stretch)
Neftali Feliz, RHP, C+ (terrific arm but a long way from the majors)
Kevin Gunderson, LHP, C+
Kala Kaaihue, 1B, C+ (sleeper bat, watch this guy)
Kris Medlen, RHP, C+
Jeff Locke, LHP, C+
Cory Rasmus, RHP, C+
Steve Evarts, LHP, C+
Tommy Hanson, RHP,C+
Others: Gregor Blanco, OF, Francisley Bueno, LHP; Dustin Evasn, RHP,Tim Gustafson, RHP; J.C. Holt, 2B; Lee Hyde, LHP; Cody Johnson, 1B;Beau Jones, LHP; Jeff Lyman, RHP; Brayan Pena, C; Tony Pena, C; Van Pope, 3B (may end up in top 20); Chad Rodgers, LHP; Jamie Romak, OF:Zach Screiber, RHP; Will Startup, LHP; Jake Stevens, LHP.

Bad News

2006-11-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass on a piece of bad news. According to some sources discussed over at Talkingchop.com; Matt Wright, Arthur Santos, Onil Joseph, and Cody Clark have all signed minor league contracts with Kansas City as they were all 6 year minor league free agents. The one that hurts the most is obviously Matt Wright, although Santos was a good looking relief prospect as well. Wright and Harrison were about our only chances of having some young faces in the rotation and now the most advanced of the two is gone.

On a lighter note, John Sickels over at minorleagueball.com is going to post the Braves top 20 prospects today. I would encourage everyone to take a look at that and I will post the list on this site as well.

TopProspectAlert.com's 2007 Braves Top 10 Prospects

2006-11-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

J.P. Schwartz compiled this list of top 10 prospects for the Braves but he didn't do any analysis of his picks. I'll list who he picked and try to give you a little insight into why he may have picked them or why I may disagree with the ranking.

1. Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
No argument from me on this pick. Although his numbers took a huge dip this year, he had a big second half and is currently tearing up the Arizona Fall League. Another reason I have never doubted Salty is that in 2006 spring training, Bobby Cox said Salty looked like a special hitter with the way the ball exploded off of his bat. You don't just lose that overnight. He'll be fine and he deserves this top spot.

2. Elvis Andrus SS
As far as ceiling goes, this is an appropriate spot. Nobody doubts Anrus's ceiling because he is so young and talented. The problem is that his results haven't been too great so far. However, the managers he has played for thus far have said that there is something special about Andrus as well. I think he just needs a little more time to tap into his full potential.

3. Matt Harrison SP
Harrison is ranked correctly, in my opinion, as the top pitching prospect in the organization right now. He isn't flashy but he gets the job done while maintaining an adequate strikeout rate. Being a lefty makes him even more valuable. He's the kind of guy that I could see making an easy transition to the majors once he makes it. He's here because he is more of a sure thing and not because of his upside.

4. Beau Jones SP
Beau is the complete opposite of Matt Harrison except for the fact that they are both lefties. He has a ton of talent but has had poor results up to this point, especially in 2006. Control has been a huge problem so far. If he can start throwing strikes, it's only a matter of time before he quickly moves through the system. However, this ranking seems rather high given his extremely poor results in Rome this year. I was even thinking about dropping him off of my top 15 list. But the talent is there; no doubt about that.

5. Van Pope 3B
Number five is a pretty high climb for Pope but I think he deserves it. He was Myrtle Beach's most consistent offensive threat and he is a big guy with a lot of power with the potential to develop even more power. I agree with J.P. that he has burst onto the scene as a top prospect but I would be hesitant to rank him above Eric Campbell.

6. Eric Campbell 3B
Speaking of Eric Campbell, he comes in at number six. Eric had a fantastic year in Rome after winning co-mvp honors in the Appalachian League in 2005. He is a level behind Pope but he produces in ever phase of the game. He hits for power, average, and has some speed on the bases. I probably would rank him higher. He is probably here because he has yet to play above low-A ball.

7. Anthony Lerew SP
This is an interesting pick. Lerew was absolutely atrocious in Richmond this year before being sent down to Mississippi where he dominated. So it's hard to tell which one is the real Lerew. I have never been a big fan of Lerew because he relies too much on a decent fastball and doesn't have much confidence in his secondary pitches. In the majors, you can't make it on your fastball unless it is a great one, like Joel Zumaya's.

8. Yunel Escobar SS/3B
Some people might have Escobar higher that this but he did take a small step back this year. He really showed nothing in the way of power and struggled with defense. He is an older prospect so he may develop quickly but he needs to start now before it is too late.

9. Tim Gustafson P
This is where J.P. might now something that I don't. Gustafson didn't even pitch in Atlanta's minor league system last year after going to the World Series with Georgia Tech. His teamate Lee Hyde and Kevin Gunderson of the champion Oregan State Beavers did pitch for Rome and pitched well, or extremely well in the case of Gunderson.

10. Cory Rasmus P
Cory is here because of his talent. He pitched a little bit in the GCL and it didn't go well. However, he has an overpowering fastball and could be a fast riser. We'll se how he does in 2007.

2006 Richmond Braves

2006-11-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

C- Brayan Pena
Pena started the year slowly but was on fire in the second half. He hit .357 in the second half vs. .271 in the first half. He only hit 1 homer but that is not part of his game. Hopefully he will be Atlanta's backup catcher next year. The Braves don't need to go out and sign another washed up catcher like Todd Pratt. Pena's line in 2006 .302/.342/.372 will hopefully convince Atlanta that this is true.

1B/LF- Scott Thorman
Scott didn't play the entire season in Richmond but he made the most of his time there. He was hitting .298/.360/.508 when he was promoted to Atlanta. He also showed great power with 15 homers and 48 RBI's. His time in Atlanta come with some mixed results but I think that overall he showed a lot good signs including some nice opposite field power.

OF- Gregor Blanco
Blanco split the season between Mississippi and Richmond and performed very well at both stops. He actually played better upon his promotion in the second half to Richmond. Before this year, Blanco was just another good speed, no power, light hitting outfielder. However, Blanco showed something this year as he hit .290 with an OBP of .403. He still didn't show any power with zero home runs but he stole 14 bases and played some great defense.

3B- Wes Timmons
Wes had another solid yet unspectacular year with the bat in 2006. He missed some time with an injury so he only logged 281 at-bats. In those at-bats, Timmons hit .281/.393/.406. He walked 45 times and struck out only 24 times all year. He is definitely the best contact hitter in the organization. His power isn't very good as he only hit 6 homers but it is decent enough for him to be a utility guy in the majors some day. He really handles the stick well and will likely get a look in Atlanta sometime soon especially if Giles is traded.

2B- Martin Prado
Prado played the first half of the year in Mississippi and the second half in Richmond. The thing I like about Prado is he improved upon his promotion to AAA. I always like to see that in a prospect. Overall, Prado hit .281/.321/.360. Prado is a solid middle infielder who hits for decent average but not a lot of power or speed. He will probably get a legitimate shot at winning the starting 2B job if Giles is traded.

SP- Kevin Barry
Kevin Barry had a really solid year in Richmond but his time in the majors proved that he just doesn't have what it takes at that level. He may be a 4-A player. Barry had his ups and downs in Richmond and finished 4-5 with a 3.30 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. Barry had a really long scoreless streak in the middle of the season and was Richmond's best starting pitcher for most of the year. He even started out in Atlanta with 11 scoreless inning, but the rest is history I guess. I doubt we'll be seeing much more of him in Atlanta.

RP- Wayne Franklin
Here is another guy who dominated in Richmond but didn't pitch well at all in Atlanta. In Richmond, Franklin struck out 52 guys in 53.1 innings with a 2.36 ERA and 1.05 WHIP out of the bullpen. That is a really excellent year but he couldn't translate it into major league success unfortunately.

RP- Manny Acosta
Acosta is on here because he pitched well in Mississippi before coming to Richmond and saving 17 games. His ERA and WHIP steadily rose throughout the season to 3.63 and 1.57 respectively in Richmond. He struck out 44 in 44.2 innings but walked 32. I am not all that impressed with Acosta but he did improve a lot this year so we'll see what he does next year.

RP- Will Startup
Startup flew through the organization before settling down in Richmond. After some early struggles, Will settled down to a 3.43 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. He struck out 38 in 42 innings while walking only 11. Startup is probably going to get a shot at winning a bullpen spot in Atlanta next year. As bad as the other guys have been, I like his chances.

RP- Paul Bush
Paul Bush, 28, is old for a prospect but I think he has what it takes to contribute at the major league level. After being called up to Richmond, Bush recorded a 3.60 ERA and 1.13 WHIP while striking out 36 in 40 innings. Bush has made some great strides over the last couple of years and I hope Atlanta gives him a shot at the bullpen sometime soon. If they don't, he may become the next Kevin Barry.

RP- Phil Stockman
Stockman is up here because he put some ridiculous numbers up in Richmond. In 33.1 innings, Stockman struck out 41 while allowing only 13 hits and 3 runs for a 0.81 ERA and 0.69 WHIP. That is just absolutely dominant. I still think Stockman would have stuck in Atlanta longer if he didn't get hurt shortly after his first callup. However, he is still a journeyman and is unlikely to repeat this performance next year.

2006 Mississippi Braves

2006-10-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

SS/3B- Yunel Escobar
Although Yunel did make an appearance in the major league futures game, his 2006 season was somewhat of a disappointment. His power was non-existent with 2 home runs and a .346 slugging percentage. He stole 7 bases but was caught 9 times. He committed 26 errors in the field and hasn’t settled on a position. However, with all this being said, he did show some good plate discipline as he led the team with 59 walks. Also, his athleticism indicates that he is capable of doing some major improving and it shouldn’t take that long as he is about to turn 24 years old.

C- Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Salty came into 2006 with huge expectations after a great year at Myrtle Beach in 2005. However, his first half of the season was so bad that some people were beginning to write him off as a prospect because of it. He went from being Atlanta’s top prospect to almost a non-prospect in half a season. However, we can now see that those judgments were premature and Jarrod has once again established himself as the top prospect with a big second half. His final line of .230/.353/.380 doesn’t look so hot but considering he was under the Mendoza line for much of the season, it doesn’t look that bad. Also, despite his enormous struggles, he was still able to post a very good OBP of .353. Jarrod is currently playing in a winter league and he has been punishing pitchers. He is hitting .565/.655/1.000 in his first 6 games with 3 home runs. I think he is back.

OF- Barbaro Canizares
Canizares is another Cuban defector like Escobar. However, Canizares is 26 going on 27. Barbaro hit .301 for Mississippi with an OBP of .365 while striking out only 44 times. He only hit 4 homers which isn’t a lot for a guy who is 6’3”, 210 pounds. But the guy can hit and could find his way to the majors as a pinch hitter for a few years.

SP- Matt Wright
Matt Wright continued his trend of dominating at a level one year after struggling mightily at the same level. After posting a 6.11 ERA in Mississippi last year, Wright went 7-3 with a 2.22 ERA while striking out 84 in 89 innings. Control is what seems to get Matt in trouble. When he isn’t walking people, he is a very effective pitcher. He struggled in the second half with Richmond so I suspect he will have a very good year in Richmond next year.

SP- Fancisley Bueno
Bueno is a yet another Cuban defector which not a lot of people know about. His 1-7 record will probably turn people off to him but his other numbers look a lot better. His ERA was 3.59 and he struck out 84 batters in 80.1 innings while walking only 19. His WHIP was 1.20 but he did give up 10 home runs which needs to come down.

SP- Matt Harrison
Harrison continued his good pitching at Mississippi after being an all-star in the first half with Myrtle Beach. In Mississippi, he went 3-4 with a 3.61 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. His strikeouts were slightly down at 54 in 77 innings but he will probably bring that up to an acceptable number. Matt is probably the top pitching prospect in the organization right now which doesn’t speak that well for our pitching at the higher levels but Matt still a very good pitcher.

RP- Dan Smith
Smith was probably the surprise of the year in 2006 and he didn’t even come on until later in the season. His numbers were downright nasty. He started 8 games in his 28 appearances and struck out 86 guys in 60.1 innings while holding opponents to a .196 average. His ERA was 3.13 but his ERA over his final 10 games was 1.52. He is a left hander who can strike guys out and could be a candidate for Atlanta’s bullpen sooner rather than later.

RP- Arthur Santos
Santos is a very intriguing pitcher. He is a right-handed late inning reliever but doesn’t strike out a guy per inning. In 40.1 innings, Santos struck out 26 but walked only 8. His ERA was 1.79 and his WHIP was 0.94. Those are excellent numbers but he doesn’t overpower people. It will be interesting to see how he progresses at AAA.

RP- Zach Schreiber
Santos was the 8th inning guy while Schreiber was the 9th inning man. Zach’s style was very different from Santos, however. Schreiber struck out a lot of people but had major issues with his control. Zach pitched 39.2 innings and struck out 45 while walking 28 but he was able to keep his ERA down to 2.50 while recording 21 saves. Schreiber and Santos have been advancing at the same pace which would put them both in Richmond some time next year.

2006 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

2006-09-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

OF- Carl Loadenthal

Loadenthal had a fantastic season in Myrtle Beach, but his age really limits what we can take from it. Carl is 24 years old which is very old for advanced A ball. Anyways, here is what he did. He hit .323 and got on base at a .425 clip to go with 7 homers and 48 RBI. He was second on the team with 25 stolen bases and had an excellent K/BB ratio at 67/62.

OF- Matt Young

Young had a very nice season despite displaying virtually no power. He hit .281 and walked 71 times against 55 strikeouts for a .389 OBP. He also stole 21 bases in 31 attempts. Young combined with J.C. Holt to form a solid 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup in the second half of the season.

2B- J.C. Holt

Holt also had a decent year without any power to speak of. He batted leadoff much of they year and hit .266 while stealing 35 bases in 40 attempts. His plate discipline wasn’t ideal for a leadoff hitter, however, as he walked 41 times and struck out 80 times.

3B- Van Pope

Pope started slow but became the star of the offense once Brandon Jones was promoted. Pope hit .263 with 15 homers and 74 RBI’s to go along with 31 doubles. His batting averages from June to August were .338, .299, and .280 respectively. He also hit 7 home runs during the month of August.

1B- Kala Kaaihue

Kala struggled quite a bit in his first exposure to High-A ball, but there were also many positives. He hit .223 but still slugged .473 thanks to 13 homers in 188 at-bats. He also continued to show a tendency to not only strike out a lot but also walk a lot. He walked 30 times but also struck out 49 times. He has the power, he just needs to improve his contact a little bit.

SP- Kelvin Villa

Kelvin was the lone representative in the all-star game for the Pelicans. The lefty had a nice year, going 8-6 with a 3.83 ERA. He really pitched well during the first half of the season before tailing off a bit in the second half.

SP- Matt Harrison

Harrison began his season in Myrtle Beach and earned a mid-season call-up by going 8-4 with a 3.10 ERA. His K/9 was decent at 6.65 and he had excellent control by only walking 16 and allowing a WHIP of only 1.14. In my opinion, he is possible the brightest pitching prospect in the organization right now.

RP- Michael Nix

After dominating Rome for a few weeks, Nix came up to the Beach and pitched very well there as well, compiling a 2.90 ERA with 7 saves. He struck out 50 guys in 49.2 innings but also walked 30 for a 1.49 WHIP. He is going to have to get that WHIP down to be a successful reliever at higher levels.

Prospect Profile: Van Pope

2006-09-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Name: Van Pope
Age: 22
Height: 6'0
Weight: 200
Bats: R
Throws: R

History:
Van Pope was drafted in the 4th round of the 2004 draft by the Braves out of Meridian College. He was originally drafted by the White Sox in 2003 but he didn't sign. Pope started his career in Danville and had a decent season for a first year player. He hit .270/.333/.429 with 5 homers and 39 RBI's. In 2005 he was promoted to Rome where he improved his plate discipline but his power was still lacking. He hit .277 and got on base at a .347 clip but hit just 6 home runs. He played about a month in Myrtle Beach in 2005 but he did not fare well as he hit just .167.

Current:
2005 was a different story for Pope in Myrtle Beach. Pope was a steady force on offense throughout the entire year for the Pelicans. He hit .263 after a slow start and improved his power with 15 homers and 74 RBI's. His 15 homers are even more impressive considering he played half of his games in the pitcher's haven at Myrtle Beach. He also walked 58 times to go against 92 strikeouts.

Projected:
Pope is a pretty big guy with some decent power potential which makes 3rd base a good position for him. He took a big step forward this year at Myrtle Beach this year and can hopefully step his game up again next year to be a top prospect. Braves scouts have always liked Van Pope and it is obvious he has a lot of talent. How he projects depends on how he develops over the next year or two, but it looks like he can be a good hitter with some decent pop. He is one stop ahead of Eric Campbell so it will be interesting how they sort that out when the time comes for both of them to play in Atlanta.

Year	Team Name	Org.	Level	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2004	Danville	Atl	Rk	60	233	39	63	18	2	5	39	5	1	11	44	.270	.333	.429
2005	Rome	Atl	A	100	386	48	107	24	7	6	60	0	1	42	70	.277	.347	.422
	Myrtle Beach	Atl	A+	25	84	7	14	1	0	1	5	0	0	9	21	.167	.253	.214
2006	Myrtle Beach	Atl	A+	127	467	78	123	31	1	15	74	7	4	58	92	.263	.353	.430

New Prospect Profiles

2006-09-20T09:39:00.001-07:00

I’m planning on replacing 2 of the players on the current top-15 prospect profile list. I’m taking off Max Ramirez because he was traded and Chuck James because he has solidified himself as a major leaguer. Now I would like to ask your opinion on whom to replace them with. Please give me your thoughts in the comments section. I’ve thought about upper level guys like Anthony Lerew, Paul Bush, Wes Timmons, and Gregor Blanco. I’ve also thought about some of the younger guys like Dan Smith, Zach Schreiber, Josh Burrus, or Van Pope. Who would you like to see a prospect profile on?

Rome Braves

2006-09-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Rome Braves were the first half division champ at 42-28 but went 29-40 in the second half. It probably had something to do with a couple of all-stars (Reyes, and Kaaihue) being promoted along with the trading of another one (Max Ramirez). Anyways, they finished up a little bit above .500 and were home of some good looking prospects.

1B- Kala Kaaihue

Kala only played the first half of the season in Rome but put up some ridiculous numbers. His line was .329/.458/.614 for a whopping 1.072 OPS. He also hit 15 home runs and drove in 49 during his time in Rome. He struck out 66 times which is a lot considering he only had 228 at-bats. However, he also walked 52 times which is a huge positive. He found it more difficult to hit at Myrtle Beach as his .223 average there indicates, but his power was still there as he hit 13 home runs to give him a total of 28 on the season.

3B- Eric Campbell

Campbell solidified himself as a top prospect with a standout season in Rome. Campbell hit .296 with 22 homers and 77 RBI’s while being named to the all-star team. He also showed another facet of his game as he stole 18 bases in 22 attempts. His strike-zone judgment could use a little work as he walked 23 times and struck out 68 times.

SS- Elvis Andrus

Elvis’s numbers were not great but they were good considering he was 17 during most of the season. His physical talent is unmistakable and he has the potential to be a star. As a 17 year-old in full season single-A ball, Elvis hit .265 with 3 homers and 25 doubles to go along with 23 stolen bases. However, he was caught stealing 15 times and committed 32 errors at shortstop. Elvis obviously needs a lot of refining but his raw talent is exciting.

SP- Jo-Jo Reyes

Reyes is another guy who was promoted at mid-season from Rome. His promotion was well-earned as he went 8-1 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He also increased his strikeouts this year by striking out 84 batters in his 75.1 innings at Rome. Jo-Jo was great initially in Myrtle Beach before struggling later in the season. I expect he will rebound next year and pitch very well for Myrtle Beach.

SP- Dustin Evans

Dustin was the 4^th player taken by the Braves in this year’s draft but he was still taken in the 2^nd round. He dominated a few innings in Danville before being promoted to Rome where he pitched well. In 40.2 innings, he only struck out 25 but his ERA and WHIP were low at 2.88 and 1.18 respectively.

RP- Devin Anderson

Anderson was excellent out of the bullpen in Rome before being promoted to the Beach. I’ll admit that his peripherals don’t match up with his 2.13 ERA but he was effective in his time with Rome. His WHIP was 1.29 and he struck out 27 guys in 38 innings. Those aren’t bad numbers but they don’t add up to a 2.13 ERA.

RP- Lee Hyde

Hyde was taken in this June’s draft as well out of Georgia Tech. He faired decently well in his first exposure to pro ball. In 27 innings, he struck out 19 to go with a WHIP of 1.37 and an ERA of 3.33. The Braves hope he will turn into a nice left handed reliever.

RP- Kevin Gunderson

Gunderson got a late start this year as his team, the Oregon State Beavers, won the national championship thanks in no small part to Kevin, who was their closer. In his short time with Rome, Kevin put up some impressive numbers. In 24 innings, he gave up only 16 hits and 4 walks for a 0.83 WHIP while striking out 21. His ERA ended up at 1.13 to go along with 3 saves. Kevin is a lefty but will probably close in the minors and will hopefully be a very effective late inning guy in Atlanta someday.

Danville Braves

2006-09-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the complete lack of posts over the past few weeks but things have been hectic at my new dwelling which included about a week of no internet access. During my time away, it seems that the Danville Braves have concluded their already successful season by taking home the Appalachian Leauge Championship. Unlike the GCL Braves, Danville's strength was the offense, however, they couldn't have won the title without the help of some talented pitchers. Here are some of the top performers this year for the Danville Braves.

OF- Larry Williams
Williams lead a strong outfield in Danville by driving in a team-leading 46 runs while hitting .338 with an OBP of .389. He didn't show much power or speed with 2 homers and 2 stolen bases but his average and RBI's lead the team.

OF- Willie Cabrera
Cabrera was the other offensive leader and showed a little more pop than Williams. He hit .308 to go along with 7 homers and 37 RBI's. He only walked 11 times but he only struck out 32 times which indicates that he is a free swinger who makes consistent contact. However, at higher levels his contact rate will likely decrease.

SS- Robert Fontaine
Fontaine was a 2006 draftee out of a community college in Florida. Robert had a really strong year at the plate with a .296 average and 4 homers to go with an OBP of .411. His on base skills are very strong thanks to a team-leading 37 walks. He did make 20 errors at shortstop so he will definitely need to work in that area.

C- Phillip Britton
Britton was drafted in 2005 and looks like another talented hitting catcher in the Braves system. He it .296 with a slugging percentage of .471 to go with his 7 homers. He only walked 7 times so he will need to address that but his raw power potential is obvious.

IF- Ernesto Meija
Ernesto had a nice year at the plate as well. His .296/.371/.473 line matches up with the other top hitters on the team. His OPS of .845 was 2nd only to Jon Mark Owings.

C- Tyler Flowers
Yes, another catcher. Flowers only had 129 at-bats but he did hit 5 homers for a .465 slugging percentage and walked 16 times for a .373 OBP. His numbers are pretty good but they don't look as good when you see all the great numbers of the other Danville players.

OF- Jon Mark Owings
I'm putting him here because he had a very good season but I will say that he has had experience at higher levels which the other guys haven't. In only 162 at-bats, he slugged .519 with 8 homers and hit .284. His OPS of .861 and home runs lead the squad.

SP- Jamie Richmond
Richmond was not only one of the organization's biggest surprises, but he was also possibly the biggest success as a starting pitcher. Richmond dominated the Appalachian league with a 7-1 record, 1.21 ERA, and 0.82 WHIP. Those numbers are just ridiculous. He only struck out 52 in 67 innings but got away with it by walking a minuscule 4 batters the entire season.

SP- Carlos Sencion
Sencion is a lefty with a poor 0-4 record but his peripherals suggest he is better than that. First of all, his 2.56 ERA and 1.10 WHIP were very good. He struck out 60 guys in 52.2 innings to go with 17 walks which could be a little high but is not troubling at this point.

SP- Tommy Hanson
Hanson is one of my favorite young pitchers in the organization. He was a draft and follow signee early this year. He pitched extremely well in Danville as his ERA was 2.09 and his WHIP was 0.99. Eight of his 13 appearances were starts as he went 4-1 while striking out 56 in 51.2 innings. Equally as impressive as his strikeouts were his 9 walks given up.

RP- David Williams
Williams was a very solid pitcher for the Braves out of the bullpen. He saved 4 games and held 3 more in 22 appearances. In those appearances, Williams struck out 29 in 25 innings while walking 11 for a 2.52 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.

RP- Kristopher Medlen
The star of the bullpen was Medlen. He finished 19 games in 20 appearances while collecting 10 saves. His ERA was 0.41 and his WHIP was 0.73 as he struck out 36 guys in 22 innings while walking only 2. That was just domination. His 18/1 k/bb ratio dwarfs even Jamie Richmond's 13/1 mark.

GCL Braves

2006-08-26T09:28:00.001-07:00

Final Record: 23-27

The 2006 GCL Braves were all about pitching this year. Many of the offensive players were disappointments but the pitching was tremendous. There were seven pitchers that really stood out to me. I will list them alphabetically because I don't want to rank them.

Steven Evarts:
Evarts is a big 6'3'' lefty who was taken in this year's draft. In 11 games (9 starts), Evarts went 2-2 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. He walked 12 and struck out 33 in 43 innings while not allowing a home run all year.

Steve Kent:
Kent was a lefty who was taken in this year's draft as well. He walked 16 against only 20 strikeouts in 36 innings but he did finish the year with 12 straight scoreless innings. Overall he was 1-4 with a 4.00 ERA.

Neftali Feliz:
Feliz is a young right hander from the Dominican Republic who put up some great peripheral numbers this year. In 29 innings he allowed only 20 hits and struck out 42 for a 1.17 WHIP and 4.03 ERA. He also did not allow any homers. His ERA seems a little inflated given his low WHIP and high strikeout total.

Jeffrey Locke:
Locke is another good looking lefty taken by the Braves in this year's draft. He went 4-3 with a 4.22 ERA in 10 games. His hit total was high, 38 hits in 32 innings, but he only walked 5 and struck out 38 over those 32 innings. Locke has a good arm and could make great strides next year.

Michael Mehlich:
Mehlich is an 18 year old right hander who went 1-0 with a 3.22 ERA for the GCL Braves. In 22.1 innings he struck out 25 and walked only 7. His WHIP was right around 1.00.

Jose Ortegano:
Ortegano is a very small left hander who enjoyed some success with the GCL Braves this year. In 46.1 innings, he only walked 10 batters and struck out 31. His ERA was 3.30 and his WHIP was 1.15.

Chad Rodgers:
The Braves have yet another strong young lefty in Chad Rodgers. Chad went 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He also struck out 30 in 39 innings pitched while only allowing 31 hits.

That great crop of young pitchers makes the offensive players look pretty bad. Here are some of the notables.

Cole Miles:
Miles was taken late in last year's draft and really came around this year batting leadoff for the GCL Braves. He hit .307 with 22 walks and only 20 strikeouts in 114 at-bats. He stole 18 bags in 20 attempts while his OBP was great as well at .432.

Adam Coe:
Coe was taken in this year's draft and started off red hot before cooling off toward the end of the season. His early power surge left him with 7 homers on the season to go along with 32 RBI's. He hit .269 with an OBP of .343.

Cody Johnson:
Johnson is on this list because he was the top pick of the draft and not because he did well because he really struggled. Johnson hit .184 in 114 at-bats and hit only one homer. His .281 slugging percentage is even worse considering power was his biggest strength coming out of high school. On the bright side, he is still really young and there is probably not a lot to worry about right now.

One more vacation

2006-08-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

I will be leaving today for one last vacation before school starts. I will have internet access where I am going but blogging will be either minimal or nonexistent for about a week. When I get back I will look at our teams' chances of making the playoffs this year, which start in September.

8/12 Recap

2006-08-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

AAA - Richmond 1, Columbus 7
Nothing much happened in this game. Martin Prado cooled off and went 0-4. Wes Timmons went 1-3 with a double. Brian O'Connor (L, 7-10) started and gave up 5 runs in 5.2 innings for the loss.

Box Score

AA - Mississippi 4, Huntsville 2
Yunel Escobar went 1-3 with a walk and 2 RBI's for the victorius Braves. Luis Hernandez went 2-3 with 2 runs and Salty went 0-3 but did drive in a run. Matt Harrison put together another good start by allowing only 3 hits, 2 walks, and an unearned run in 6 innings. Glen Tucker (W, 2-3) got the win despite allowing 3 hits and a run in his inning. Zach Schreiber didn't allow any hits or, more importanty, any walks in 2 innings while striking out 5 for his 18th save.

Box Score

High A- Myrtle Beach 4, Salem 8
Kala Kaaihue continued his power surge with a 2-run homer in 3 at-bats to go with a walk. Matt Young went 2-3 with an RBI and walked twice. Kelvin Villa (L, 7-6) got the start and gave up 5 runs on 5 hits in 4 innings. Brad Nelson continues his good work with 2 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 0.54 in Myrtle Beach.

Box Score

Low A- Rome 3, Augusta 2 (13)
Adam Stanley was outstanding through 6 as he allowed only one run on one hit in 6 innings but Kevin Gunderson blew his first save by allowing a run. Rudy Quinonez (W, 2-1) pitched 3 scoreless innings for the win. Eric Campbell had a big day going 4-5 with a double, homer, and 2 runs scored. His average is up to .297. Josh Morris also drove in a run.

Box Score

Rookie- Danville 2, Princeton 3
Carlos Sencion (L, 0-3) was a hard luck loser as he gave up only one run on 3 hits in 5 innings. Jon Mark Owings homered in the loss and Larry Williams also drove in a run. Chase Fontaine went 2-3 with a walk.

Box Score

GCL Braves 12, Phillies 0
It was a big day for 2006 draft picks as Adam Coe went 3-4 with his 7th homer and 3 runs scored. Cody Johnson went 1-5 and hit his 1st homer of his professional career while driving in 4 runs. Adam Parliament also had a big day with 3 hits and 3 RBI's. Jeffrey Locke (W, 3-3) started and looked great as he gave up only 2 hits and a walk in 5 shutout innings while striking out 8. Neftali Feliz got a 3 inning save, his 2nd.

Box Score

Prospect Profile: Matt Wright

2006-08-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

Name: Matt Wright
Age: 24
Position: SP
Height: 6-4
Weight: 230
Bats: R
Throws: R

History:
Matt was taken by the Braves in the 21st round (640th overall) of the 2000 draft out of high school in Waco, Texas. The Braves saw in Wright a big kid who they could develop into a good pitcher. It has taken a while but Matt Wright is finally making his way to the majors. Matt started his professional career on a good note. He pitched out of the bullpen for the Gulf Coast Braves in 2000 and struck out 30 in 21 innings while allowing just 8 hits. His ERA was 0.86. In 2001, Matt went to Danville and was very good there as well. He struck out 89 in 72.2 innings and lowered his walk rate to 3.22/9 for a 1.18 WHIP. In 2002, Wright was promoted to single-A, Macon. He went 10-8 and lowered his ERA to 3.18 but his strikeouts were down to 8.61/9 and his walks were up to 3.54/9. The Braves decided to keep him in single-A to start 2003 and it was the right decision. He dominated the Sally league to the tune of a 1.65 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 10.76/9 K/9 before being promoted to high-A in the middle of the season. However, he struggled mightily in the second half of the season with MB with an ERA of 6.38 and a WHIP of 2.04. In 2004, he stayed at Myrtle Beach and fared much better. His ERA 3.53 and WHIP of 1.38 were decent but he also raised his strikeout rate to 9.55/9. Wright was hurt to start 2005 and when he came back to Mississippi he never found his groove. He once again struggled at his new stop by going 6-8 with a 6.11 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. Matt's prospect status in 2005 was not good being that he was 23 and he had just been injured and was struggling in AA.

Current:
2006 was a different story as Matt once again shook off his early struggles at his new level by dominating the Southern League. He went 7-3 with a 2.22 ERA and 1.15 WHIP before a callup. His strikeouts were good but not as good as they have been in the past. He struck out 84 in his 89 innings at Mississippi. In Richmond, Matt has once again struggled after a promotion. He is currently 1-4 with a 7.45 ERA. If history tells us anything it says that Matt will struggle for the remainder of the season before pitching well in Richmond next year.

Projected:
I think Matt projects as a quality middle of the rotation starter. His walk rate has been around 3/9 when his is pitching well. He is going to have to keep that down because he is not going to be able to sustain a h/9 rate of 5 or 7 like he did some seasons in the minors. His strikeouts have been good all the way up so that shouldn't be a problem. Matt will probably be in Atlanta by 2009 but I suspect he will struggle initially. The test is going to be how well he can overcome his initial struggles and how the Braves deal with him when he struggles. If they are in a pennant race, the will not be able to allow him to struggle and this could stunt his development. If he is allowed to develop, however, I think he will be a good middle of the rotation guy for a while.

Year	Age	Level	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	H9	BB9	K9	WHIP
2000	18	Rk	0	2	0.86	12	0	21.0	8	5	2	11	30	3.43	4.71	12.86	0.90
2001	19	Rk	3	5	3.72	14	14	72.2	60	40	30	26	89	7.43	3.22	11.02	1.18
2002	20	A	10	8	3.18	26	25	152.2	135	68	54	60	146	7.96	3.54	8.61	1.28
2003	21	A	10	2	1.65	14	13	82.0	53	19	15	32	98	5.82	3.51	10.76	1.04
	21	A+	2	7	6.38	13	13	60.2	82	47	43	42	58	12.16	6.23	8.60	2.04
2004	22	A+	4	6	3.53	23	20	119.2	111	55	47	54	127	8.35	4.06	9.55	1.38
2005	23	Rk	1	1	3.12	3	3	8.2	11	8	3	2	9	11.42	2.08	9.35	1.50
	23	AA	6	8	6.11	17	14	84.0	101	60	57	37	63	10.82	3.96	6.75	1.64
2006	24	AA	7	3	2.22	15	14	89.0	74	26	22	28	84	7.48	2.83	8.50	1.15
	24	AAA	1	4	7.45	6	6	29.0	39	25	24	19	22	12.10	5.89	6.82	2.00