Atlanta Braves Top 100 Prospects: 61-80

October 9, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher

(48) pitches the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves Top 100: 71-75

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75.Stephen Gaylor, 24 (10/4/91), CF, Rome
Stats: .286/.379/.353, 17 SB, 9.7% BB, 11.1% K
Gaylor was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2014, and he did well in his first full season with the Braves in 2015. Gaylor hit very well for Rome, and the Rome, GA native enjoyed playing in front of his hometown fans. Gaylor has solid speed, though he had a poor success rate on the base paths. He didn’t put any balls over the fence, but he did show solid gap power in his bat that could translate up the ladder, especially if he can maintain his low strikeout rate and solid eye. Gaylor has solid defensive skills in center, but he could be elite in a corner spot defensively.
Professional comparison: Like Gerardo Parra, Gaylor brings high-end defense at any outfield spot, and if he can hit like he did in 2015 as he continues up the ladder, he’ll have a role as a high-end 4th outfielder/low-end starting outfielder for a major league team.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Carolina
Expected time of arrival: 2018

74.Jaret Hellinger, 18 (11/18/96), LHP, GCL
Stats: 34 ⅓ IP, 3.15 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 9.5% BB, 22.3% K
Hellinger was selected by the Braves in the 20th round in June’s draft, and he got a lot of rave reviews for his increasing feel for pitching and his athleticism coming up to the draft. A number of evaluators felt the Braves were lucky to get Hellinger where they did. Hellinger doesn’t run his pitches up to the upper 90s, but there is still projection left in his frame as he’s still filling out a 6’3 frame and throws currently in the low 90s with a plus curve and change up right now. He showed a little tendency to push his pitches to the plate in the minors, though he did stay around the plate well. I’ll be interested to see how quickly the Braves move him forward – whether they’ll keep him at Danville for the entire 2016 season or allow him to move forward to Rome if he pitches well enough to earn it.
Professional comparison: While he doesn’t have Gio Gonzalez’s top-end velocity, he does have Gio’s curveball by all reports (and the limited “promo” video I’ve seen of him). Coming from the left side, if he adds even a tick or two of velocity as he fills out, which would bring him to Gio’s velocity level, this could be an interesting comparison.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Danville
Expected time of arrival: 2019

73.Wes Parsons, 23 (9/6/92) , RHP, Carolina
Stats: 19 ⅔ IP, 2.75 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 1.3% BB, 21.3% K
After signing him as an undrafted free agent in 2013, the Braves had to watch as Parsons lost a year of development to injury in 2015. Parsons still showed all the same stuff that has had scouts dumbfounded how he slipped through the cracks before the Braves signing. Not a lot has changed with Parsons from last season, but the injury stuff with Parsons’ long and very lean frame does raise some definite concern.
Professional comparison: Before Jacob deGrom exploded on the scene, he was a lot like Parsons, under the radar with good stuff and a very lean, long frame. They also have similar stuff, but Parsons has a lot to master to get into the same stratosphere as deGrom on the field.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Carolina
Expected time of arrival: 2018

72.Jake Lanning, 22 (2/4/93), 3B/2B, Danville
Stats: .273/.345/.341, 8.8% BB, 25.7% K
Lanning was a 24th round selection in June out of Holy Cross, and he hit very well with Danville, albeit without hitting a ball out of the stadium. Lanning has a solid line drive swing, and he showed a decent eye, though he did struggle with high velocity and laying off of it. Lanning showed his defensive versatility by spending nearly even time at third and second in 2015, and with Austin Riley at third in Rome most likely to start 2016, Lanning’s best spot to get at bats will possibly be 2B, though he’s definitely got the arm to play third base. Lanning does offer a switch-hitting bat to the lineup with gap power, which could allow him the versatility to move up toward the major leagues.
Professional comparison: If you get a chance to see the two side by side, Lanning and David Freese could be body doubles. Now, they look nothing alike facially, but they do have very similar builds, and Freese’s Angels numbers are a likely expectation for Lanning.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Rome
Expected time of arrival: 2019

71.Caleb Beech, 22 (4/18/93), RHP, Rome
Stats: 5-2, 62 ⅔ IP, 2.87 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 6.6% BB, 16.6% K
Beech was selected in the 13th round in 2014, and the Braves chose to jump him over Danville in 2015, moving him directly to Rome. Their decision paid off in droves as Beech was arguably the best pitcher on the Rome staff before injury ended his season at the end of June. Drafted as a reliever, Beech has worked as a starter with the Braves, and he’s shown well with a very solid sinker and slider combination that could have him projecting well past initial thoughts of him as a bullpen only guy. Beech has a chance to be an inning-eater type at the back of a rotation if he continues in the progression he was headed toward before his injury just after the class-A all-star game.
Professional comparison: Physically, and stuff-wise, Beech reminds me a lot of Mike Leake when he heads out there. He’s not the hitter Leake is at the plate, but Beech gets on top of his sinker when he’s on his best and makes it tough to elevate anything he throws.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Carolina
Expected time of arrival: 2018

Next: 66-70

Sep 27, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher

reacts as Miami Marlins center fielder

(13) rounds the bases after his home run in the seventh inning at Marlins Park. The Marlins won 9-5. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves Top 100: 66-70

70.Jake Schrader, 24 (3/1/91), 1B, AAA
Stats: .264/.312/.470, 15 HR, 46 XBH, 5.1% BB, 25.1% K
Schrader’s right-handed power bat was called up to Gwinnett for their final push for the playoffs, but otherwise he spent his season at high-A Carolina. He was a 27th round selection in 2013 from the University of Tampa. Schrader led the Braves organization with his 15 home runs, and he has a swing built to drive the ball, for better and for worse. Schrader offers a touch more athleticism than you’d imagine when you first see his 6’2, 215-lb. build, but it’d be a stretch to put him anywhere in the outfield long-term without some major work on his conditioning. I’d be interested to see if the Braves do try to move him around some just to get his right handed power in the lineup more, akin to what they did with Adonis Garcia this year by moving him off of just 3B to the outfield and other places in order to get his power into the game.
Professional comparison: As he’s aged, Marlon Byrd has turned into a player who’s primarily sold out for power, and his swing and Schrader’s swing are very similar.
Likely 2016 starting destination: AA Mississippi
Expected time of arrival: 2016 late-season

69.Josh Graham, 22 (10/14/93), RHP, Danville
Stats: 17 ⅓ IP, 2.60 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.9% BB, 27.3% K
Graham was a “pop up” prospect late in the draft process, who the Braves were happy to grab in the 4th round this year. Graham is 6’1, and that could be a stretch, but he’s got some explosive stuff, including a heavy mid-90s fastball, a hard breaking slider, and an improving change up. Graham was labeled as a future reliever by most teams, but the Braves are letting him work as a starter until he shows the need to move to the bullpen, and so far, they’ve been rewarded as Graham showed much more command than anyone could have imagined.
Professional comparison: Like Johnny Cueto, Graham is a shorter pitcher who flashes untouchable stuff at times. The Braves would be very pleased if he continues up the ladder flashing that same level of unhittability.
Likely 2016 starting destination: With his change from catcher to pitcher just two years ago, the Braves may want to limit his innings and start him back at Danville, but whether he starts there or not, Rome will most likely be on his agenda at some point of 2016
Expected time of arrival: 2018

68.Daniel Winkler, 25 (2/2/90), RHP, MLB
Stats (majors): 1 ⅔ IP, 10.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 12.5% BB, 25% K
Winkler was selected from Colorado in the Rule V draft in last offseason and were able to let Winkler spend the season mostly on the Disabled List as he recovered from TJS. His numbers in AA Tulsa were incredible before his surgery in 2014, but many already had seen Winkler as a future reliever, based mostly on his delivery, which puts tremendous stress on his arm, specifically on his elbow. The Braves will have the freedom to move Winkler to AAA if they want to put him back into the rotation, but with the glut of starting pitching that the Braves have and the needs they have in the bullpen, Winkler’s stuff in short stints would not only play up, but it could be incredibly elite, and elite to the level on par with a certain former closer who liked to lean in for his signs.
Professional comparison: The size differences means a Craig Kimbrel comparison doesn’t really work, but Ken Giles is a perfect size and stuff comparison for Winkler and a good example of the level of pitching Winkler could approach if he and the team choose to have him work in the bullpen.
Likely 2016 starting destination: MLB
Expected time of arrival: 2016

67.KD Kang, 27 (2/6/88), RF/LF, AA
Stats: .271/.347/.384, 27 XBH, 10% BB, 24.7% K
Kang was signed by the Braves in the offseason, and he played on his third team in three seasons. Kang was on his fourth season on a team in the Southern League, and what he showed for the Braves wasn’t necessarily more than any other season, but he did receive high marks for his work on defense. Kang is a solid corner outfield defender with an above-average arm. He has a solid eye and streaky power. When he’s going well, he can tally up power numbers in a hurry, but then he’ll go through streaks where he’s hitting nothing but singles as well. Kang isn’t likely to open in the starting outfield for the Braves, but he offers a source of left-handed power off the bench that could have some value for the team, and one of his power streaks could carry even a major league club for a short time.
Professional comparison: Kang’s power streaks remind me strongly of Khris Davis of the Brewers, and his defensive skills also strongly resemble Davis.
Likely 2016 starting destination: AAA Gwinnett
Expected time of arrival: 2016

66.Dilmer Mejia, 18 (7/9/97), LHP, GCL
Stats: 0-3, 21 ⅔ IP, 5.82 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 4.3% BB, 20.2% K
While on pure, raw talent, Mejia probably is a top 20 guy, he’s simply not put it together when he is on the field, and injuries have slowed his development thus far. Mejia was signed out of Nicaragua in 2014, and he pitched so well in the Dominican Summer League that he was brought stateside to finish the year. Mejia only pitched for GCL this year, but he struggled significantly to stay healthy and on the field. The ERA looks rough, but Mejia’s peripherals indicate that he was pitching at a very high level when he was healthy. My biggest worry about Mejia is his size. He’s listed at 5’11 and 160 lbs. I honestly do not think he’s even achieved either number, and I worry that his injuries this year could be a sign of more to come for Mejia. That said, if he can remain healthy, there’s not many on this entire list with more natural talent, and Mejia could be one to leapfrog his way into the top 20 with a healthy season.
Professional comparison: Mejia’s build and stuff reminds me strongly of Jose Quintana, but Quintana added quite a bit to his frame after getting to the majors, and while I hope Mejia gets himself more filled out, I don’t want him going too far either!
Likely 2016 starting destination: Mejia will start at extended spring, but then it will depend on the team whether he’s starting with GCL or Danville.
Expected time of arrival: 2019

Next: 61-65

Oct 8, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder

slides into second base with a RBI double against the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning in game one of the ALDS at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves Top 100: 61-65

65.Ryan Clark, 21 (12/9/93), RHP, Danville
Stats: 6-1, 52 ⅔ IP, 3.08 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 4.8% BB, 19.1% K
Clark was a 5th round selection of the Braves in June out of UNC-Greensboro. Clark has a solid frame at 6’5, 220, and he produces “easy” mid-90s velocity at that size. Clark’s secondary stuff is a step behind his fastball, though he did enjoy plenty of success locating those secondary offerings, and as long as he can locate them, an average-caliber secondary/off speed grouping will play up as he advances, at least until he gets to the higher minors. Many predicted Clark as a reliever due to the late life on his fastball that could play up in velocity even more as a reliever rather than starting. Clark showed a lot of poise on the mound, and the Braves will likely push him as far as they can as a starter before reconsidering his role.
Professional comparison: With one of my more “outside of the box” comparisons, Wei-Yin Chen came to mind when I watched the start of Clark’s that I got eyes on. One of the things I really like about Chen is that he rarely seems rattled on the mound, and the one start I saw of Clark’s had the opportunity to blow up on him, but he didn’t appear rattled whatsoever on the mound as he worked his way out of jams.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Rome
Expected time of arrival: 2018

64.Sander Boeldak, 19 (7/17/96), LF/RF, DSL
Stats: .317/.385/.376, 8.2% BB, 14.7% K
Stop me if you heard this before – the Braves found a solid athlete with huge upside out of Curacao. Boeldak was signed by the Braves before the 2015 season with additional funds acquired in trades of guys like Tommy LaStella over the offseason. Boeldak’s tremendous skills shown through all season as he showed solid power along with a good eye and very good speed. The biggest notable is that, in spite of Boeldak’s raw baseball skills, he kept his strikeout rate quite low. Boeldak’s got a good amount of speed, but he happened to be on a team with Randy Ventura, so he only saw one game in center field. Boeldak is a guy who in 2016 could be in the top 20 and could also have fallen off of the list entirely as he has a very high ceiling, but a very low floor.
Professional comparison: Coming into this season, comparisons to A.J. Pollock probably wouldn’t have overly thrilled Braves fans about a player, but I have a feeling the comparison in skills at the plate that each has will have Braves fans overly excited about Boeldak.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Due to his “late age” signing, I hope the Braves bring him stateside to start at GCL and then let his performance determine how far he goes in 2016.
Expected time of arrival: 2020

63.Trevor Belicek, 22 (12/10/92), LHP, Rome
Stats: 5-0, 57 IP, 2.53 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 5.2% BB, 17.7% K
Now and then, a guy just pops up immediately in his first exposure to professional ball and pitches well beyond his draft position. This year, that guy on the pitching side was Belicek, a 16th round selection with good size at 6’3 and 215 who worked his way all the way to Rome in his first exposure to the minors. He was a late riser with his performance at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, and he continued that to the minors.
Professional comparison: I wasn’t sure what to expect with Belicek, but in watching his Rome starts, I see a lot of Brett Anderson in his pitching, both good and bad. Belicek doesn’t have a past injury history, but he does have some of the same strains his body angles put onto his shoulder and elbow that Anderson does.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Belicek should start at Carolina in 2016, but continuing his work in 2015 could have him rocketing to the high minors by season’s end.
Expected time of arrival: 2017

62.Levi Hyams, 26 (10/6/89), 2B, AA
Stats: .257/.351/.373, 12.3% BB, 22.9% K
Most would see Hyams, and they’d wonder why he’s on this list, but Braves fans know the value of guys like Martin Prado and Omar Infante, guys who weren’t stellar prospects, but kept producing and pushed their way to major league relevance. Hyams was a 19th round selection in 2013 out of the University of Georgia, and the former Bulldog moved through two levels in 2015, ending with a solid partial season in AA Mississippi. Hyams has worked around the infield, except for shortstop, and he even got some time in the outfield last year. He’s got a solid line drive swing that finds gaps well, even if he isn’t going to be a guy who hits 20 home runs. He also has a solid eye, walking at a 12% rate on the season. A guy with that versatility and the ability to play the infield corners as well as 2B will have a solid chance to make the major league club.
Professional comparison: Levi’s skills resemble Stephen Drew’s production, though he’s not got Drew’s “upside” for sure.
Likely 2016 starting destination: AAA Gwinnett
Expected time of arrival: 2016

61.Joseph Daris, 23 (11/22/91), LF, Rome
Stats: .272/.336/.396, 12 triples, 23 SB, 7.6% BB, 17.6% K
Daris was a 14th round selection in 2014, and he ended up leading the Braves organization in triples in 2015. He showed well in Rome defensively, flashing skills that would be worthy of center field, but would also be elite in left field. Daris is still working to develop a more consistent eye, as he struggled through streaks where he really had trouble recognizing breaking stuff and was susceptible to low-outside breaking pitches in the zone. Daris is going to be 24 to start 2016, and that may concern many of his detractors, but if he continues to produce going forward, I don’t think his age will stop him from being a solid 4th outfielder and even having a chance to break through as a future starter in the Atlanta outfield.
Professional comparison: Kevin Pillar broke through this year with Toronto fairly under the radar and ended up being a starter for a playoff team, and Daris has very similar skills that can surprise many if he keeps it up as he moves up the system.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Carolina
Expected time of arrival: 2018

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