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While the Braves have graduated three prospects to the Majors in the last two years who were challengers for, or won, the Rookie of the Year, it's good to know there is a wealth of young talent still to come in the Atlanta system. MLB Network and MLB.com released their top-100 prospects last night, and five Braves farm hands found their way onto the list.
The top guy was of course Julio Teheran, who was ranked as the fourth-best prospect in baseball. Here is the scouting report from Jonathan Mayo on the Braves young hurler:
With three pitches that grade as above-average or better, there’s good reason the Braves are excited about Teheran. With a clean delivery, he delivers fastballs in the mid-90s, and though he still looks like he could add some strength, durability and maintaining velocity have not been issues. To complement his fastball, Teheran also throws a curve and changeup, both above-average to plus, and he commands all three of his pitches well. The Braves were willing to push Teheran aggressively, then call him up at such a young age last year because of his outstanding poise on the mound. He’s not one to be fazed by taking his lumps at the highest level.
After Teheran, the next Braves prospect on the list was Arodys Vizcaino, who ranked 36th, followed by Randall Delgado at 42. Talking Chop's top prospect rankings have them reversed, with Delgado ahead of Vizzy. Much of that has to do with Delgado projecting as more of a starter, while Vizcaino has begun his MLB career as a reliever. Both are terrific young pitching prospects who should be impact players in the next year or two.
The last two Braves on the list are both hitters, a good sign for an organization that is a little thin in the hitting prospect department. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons ranks 65th on the list, more evidence that he is breathing down Tyler Pastornicky's neck, and may be ready for Major League action as soon as this season. John Sickels also ranked Simmons on his top-50 hitting prospects in baseball.
And the final Braves prospect on the list is catcher Christian Bethancourt. CB finally had a breakout year in the minors, while repeating at Rome in the first half. He then went to the Arizona Fall League and dominated, which likely earned him inclusion on this prospect list. He's still very raw and will move slowly through the system, but he's full of tools, and if he puts the right amount of energy into his everyday catching duties, he has a chance to be a special player.
Great seeing so many Braves listed in the top-100. As always you can find the Talking Chop top-25 prospects on the left sidebar all season long.
0 recs | 20 comments
Quite the pipeline
Having added Hanson, Heyward, Medlen, Freeman, Kimbrel, Venters and Beachy the last 3 years and having Minor, Pastornicky, Vizcaino, Teheran and Delgado set to contribute this year, then add Simmons, Bethancourt, Terdoslavich, Gilmartin, Hoover and Spruill getting closer, that’s an incredible pipeline of talent.
Thank goodness for the Braves Scouts and Player Development Dept, we might be a mess without them.
bighop - January 26, 2012
Absolutely. They have a mid-market identity and are doing incredibly well within that demographic by doing what they have to do and doing it exceedingly well.
I mean in the last few years we’ve acquired a bunch of talent we’re going to see in the next year, and hopefully the hits (or strikes) are gonna keep coming.
GumpBrave - January 26, 2012
Hey would you look at that...
A 100% scouting based list that ranks Simmons well ahead of Pastornicky. I could have sworn the expert around here said he was nothing more than a slap hitter with a Rey Ordonez ceiling…
nixa37 - January 26, 2012
Yes, because the MLB.com/MiLB.com ranking are never wrong.
cbwilk - January 27, 2012
They're 100% based on a poll of scouts
So actual scouts are apparently a whole of a lot higher on him than you (Rey Ordonez ceiling…cough, cough)
nixa37 - January 28, 2012
And again, actual scouts are never wrong, right? You can make all the snide comment you want, but until he proves me wrong in the Major League, my take on his future is just as valid as the scouts’.
cbwilk - January 28, 2012
"my take on his future is just as valid as the scouts’"
Except that they get paid by teams to give their opinions on these players.
And the larger point is they don’t just disagree about the future, but the present as well. You said he would never be any more than a slap hitter. Actual scouts praised his excellent bat speed.
nixa37 - January 28, 2012
Isn’t high bat speed one of the defining traits of a slap hitter?
swainzy - January 28, 2012
Its the exact opposite
Bat speed is what you’re looking for in power hitters. Gary Sheffield is the probably the best example of truly elite bat speed (obviously Simmons is nowhere close to that). Slap hitters have much shorter swings that uses mostly arms with little torso/leg involvement. They get the bat into the zone quick simply because the path the barrel of their bat takes to the ball is much more direct. You’re probably mistaking that trait of a slap hitter for what scouts are referencing when they talk about bat speed.
nixa37 - January 28, 2012
Gotcha.
swainzy - January 29, 2012
And again, the scouts are never wrong, right? At least if I’m wrong about a player I’m not wasting hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars of a team’s money.
cbwilk - January 29, 2012
Who said they were never wrong?
I simply said I’ll take the opinions of multiple guys getting paid to do this over yours. And its pretty hard to be “wrong” about whether or not a guy has excellent bat speed. Its something you either have or you don’t. Its not something they’re projecting, its something they can already see when they watch him play. You said he could never be anything more than a slap hitter and that he had a Rey Ordonez offensive ceiling. Perhaps you let your emotions get in the way of reasoned opinions?
nixa37 - January 29, 2012
Bethancourt "Dominated" AFL?
Author of this original post showing excessive carelessness with words again. You’re the Terdoslavich hater, and that’s OK, I guess. But Bethancourt “dominating” the AFL? Terdoslavich had a higher average, more runs, hits, XBHs, TBs, RBIs, and an OBP and OPS each about a hundred points higher than “dominating” Bethancourt. Ugghh. The carelessness that comes with hangin out in one’s basement!
Somewhat - January 27, 2012
Terdoslavich is 3 years older and plays a much easier defensive position
Not to mention Bethancourt apparently impressed a lot more people in the AFL than Terdoslavich did. You don’t have to try and knock Bethancourt to build up Terdoslavich.
nixa37 - January 27, 2012
Not one bad word about Bethancourt
Read my post mud-brain. I’m knocking the author, not Bethancourt.
Somewhat - January 27, 2012
And all becuase he chose a single word you disagreed with?
and proceeded to call him a “Terdoslavich hater” when he’s not mentioned (and deservedly not mentioned since he wasn’t on the top 100 list)? Perhaps you should read the original post “mud-brain”.
Mr. Sanchez - January 27, 2012
You specifically compared the two of them to show how Terdoslavich was "better"
Either Terdoslavich is a good prospect or he isn’t. Bethancourt really has nothing to do with that.
And seriously, mud-brain?
nixa37 - January 27, 2012
You need to cool it on the insults. These are 2 of the 4 comments you have on the whole site and they both have a personal attack. That kind of activity won’t be tolerated.
cbwilk - January 27, 2012
All of what nixa said...
And Terdoslavich plays a much more offense-heavy position.
Your position is somewhat akin to saying Alex Avila didn’t dominate offensively because Miguel Cabrera was so much better than he was.
-C
cthabeerman - January 27, 2012
Not a huge fan of this list, after the first 6 guys it seems like they just pulled names out of a hat
I see no structure on how they ranked players and why, I am looking forward to BA’s top 100
austinhb - January 27, 2012
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