Atlanta Braves Camp: Leading Candidate for Fifth Starter Spot?
By Jeff Schafer
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Manny Banuelos
Banuelos was once the New York Yankees top prospect and one of which Yankees great Mariano Rivera called the greatest pitching prospect he has ever seen and that he “likes everything about him.”
He had to have Tommy John surgery late in the 2012 season and sat out all of 2013. When he returned in 2014, he struggled with his command and the Yankees lost interest in him. The Braves traded David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve for Banuelos this past offseason.
“I will do everything I can, try to pitch well. The best thing is my arm feels much better than last year, so that’s a good thing,” Banuelos said. “My ball’s coming out good. I feel more confident. I’m ready for everything. I want to fight for it, try to get a shot.”
“For me, he’s in the mix of being that No. 5 starter,” Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “If he could help us in the bullpen and we could do that as a way to manage his innings a little bit, we’re open to that.”
Banuelos stats during his minor league career
| Year | Age | Tm | Lev | W | L | ERA | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | WHIP | H9 | HR9 | BB9 | SO9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 17 | Yankees | Rk | 4 | 1 | 2.57 | 12 | 3 | 42.0 | 32 | 14 | 12 | 3 | 13 | 37 | 1.071 | 6.9 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 7.9 |
| 2009 | 18 | 2 Teams | A-A+ | 9 | 5 | 2.64 | 26 | 19 | 109.0 | 88 | 40 | 32 | 4 | 28 | 106 | 1.064 | 7.3 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 8.8 |
| 2009 | 18 | Charleston | A | 9 | 5 | 2.67 | 25 | 19 | 108.0 | 88 | 40 | 32 | 4 | 28 | 104 | 1.074 | 7.3 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 8.7 |
| 2009 | 18 | Tampa | A+ | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.0 |
| 2010 | 19 | 4 Teams | A+-Fal-AA-Rk | 0 | 6 | 2.81 | 22 | 22 | 89.2 | 85 | 39 | 28 | 4 | 35 | 101 | 1.338 | 8.5 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 10.1 |
| 2010 | 19 | Phoenix | Fal | 0 | 2 | 3.60 | 7 | 7 | 25.0 | 31 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 1.640 | 11.2 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 5.8 |
| 2010 | 19 | Yankees | Rk | 0 | 0 | 1.80 | 2 | 2 | 5.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0.800 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 5.4 | 10.8 |
| 2010 | 19 | Tampa | A+ | 0 | 3 | 2.23 | 10 | 10 | 44.1 | 38 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 62 | 1.173 | 7.7 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 12.6 |
| 2010 | 19 | Trenton | AA | 0 | 1 | 3.52 | 3 | 3 | 15.1 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 1.500 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 4.7 | 10.0 |
| 2011 | 20 | 2 Teams | AA-AAA | 6 | 7 | 3.75 | 27 | 27 | 129.2 | 130 | 63 | 54 | 9 | 71 | 125 | 1.550 | 9.0 | 0.6 | 4.9 | 8.7 |
| 2011 | 20 | Trenton | AA | 4 | 5 | 3.59 | 20 | 20 | 95.1 | 94 | 46 | 38 | 7 | 52 | 94 | 1.531 | 8.9 | 0.7 | 4.9 | 8.9 |
| 2011 | 20 | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre | AAA | 2 | 2 | 4.19 | 7 | 7 | 34.1 | 36 | 17 | 16 | 2 | 19 | 31 | 1.602 | 9.4 | 0.5 | 5.0 | 8.1 |
| 2012 | 21 | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre | AAA | 0 | 2 | 4.50 | 6 | 6 | 24.0 | 29 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 22 | 1.625 | 10.9 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 8.2 |
| 2014 | 23 | 3 Teams | AA-AAA-A+ | 2 | 3 | 4.13 | 26 | 25 | 76.1 | 64 | 38 | 35 | 10 | 31 | 71 | 1.245 | 7.5 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 8.4 |
| 2014 | 23 | Tampa | A+ | 0 | 0 | 2.92 | 5 | 5 | 12.1 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0.973 | 7.3 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 10.2 |
| 2014 | 23 | Trenton | AA | 1 | 3 | 4.59 | 17 | 16 | 49.0 | 40 | 28 | 25 | 8 | 19 | 44 | 1.204 | 7.3 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 8.1 |
| 2014 | 23 | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre | AAA | 1 | 0 | 3.60 | 4 | 4 | 15.0 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 1.600 | 8.4 | 1.2 | 6.0 | 7.8 |
| 6 Seasons | 21 | 24 | 3.31 | 119 | 102 | 470.2 | 428 | 207 | 173 | 32 | 188 | 462 | 1.309 | 8.2 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 8.8 | |||
| Fal (1 season) | Fal | 0 | 2 | 3.60 | 7 | 7 | 25.0 | 31 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 1.640 | 11.2 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 5.8 | ||
| Rk (2 seasons) | Rk | 4 | 1 | 2.49 | 14 | 5 | 47.0 | 33 | 15 | 13 | 3 | 16 | 43 | 1.043 | 6.3 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 8.2 | ||
| A (1 season) | A | 9 | 5 | 2.67 | 25 | 19 | 108.0 | 88 | 40 | 32 | 4 | 28 | 104 | 1.074 | 7.3 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 8.7 | ||
| A+ (3 seasons) | A+ | 0 | 3 | 2.34 | 16 | 15 | 57.2 | 48 | 20 | 15 | 1 | 16 | 78 | 1.110 | 7.5 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 12.2 | ||
| AA (3 seasons) | AA | 5 | 9 | 3.89 | 40 | 39 | 159.2 | 149 | 82 | 69 | 17 | 79 | 155 | 1.428 | 8.4 | 1.0 | 4.5 | 8.7 | ||
| AAA (3 seasons) | AAA | 3 | 4 | 4.17 | 17 | 17 | 73.1 | 79 | 36 | 34 | 6 | 39 | 66 | 1.609 | 9.7 | 0.7 | 4.8 | 8.1 |