Jun 3, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt (27) asks for a replay against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Braves Minor League Ag Report
Braves affiliates continue to climb up the rankings everywhere but Rome seemingly. Even Danville has gotten to .500 in recent weeks.
A big player spotlight in this ag report is a guy who likely won’t qualify for many prospect lists right now, and he probably has about the most negative vibe among top 10 preseason guys within the organization currently. That guy is Christian Bethancourt.
Bethancourt had a bit of an injury bug recently, and he played through it, which really hurt his stats, but after taking a few days off last week, he returned in the series versus Durham with a force, collecting 8 hits, including 5 doubles. The defense worried you at the MLB level? Watch the start he caught of Tyrell Jenkins. He was in perfect position on so many pitches and really worked well with Jenkins all game long.
This is the time of year when a lot of guys are moved around the league, and we’ll see tomorrow how the deadline turns out, but if the Braves, as expected, move A.J. Pierzynski in a trade, Bethancourt could be spending a lot of time in Atlanta to finish out the year. For those who are concerned heavily on Bethancourt’s offense, remember that Yadier Molina (a guy Bethancourt has a lot of similarity to both at the plate and behind it in raw skills) had a .238/.291/.342 in his first 1000+ plate appearances in the major leagues. The biggest thing for Bethancourt would be to get stable playing time if he’s in Atlanta, something manager Fredi Gonzalez wasn’t affording him this season for myriad reasons that make sense in the moment, but not for the long-term.
Next: Gwinnett Braves Report