Atlanta Braves Top 100 Prospects: Top 20

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Jul 12, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; World Team infielder Ozhaino Albies hits during batting practice before the All Star Futures Game with the U.S. Team at Great American Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves Top 100: 16-20

20.Luke Dykstra, 19 (11/7/95), 2B, Rome

Stats: .318/.353/.422, 21 XBH, 3.3% BB, 6.6% K
Dykstra was drafted in the 7th round in 2014 and he shows a lot of the grit of his father, Lenny Dykstra. Dykstra plays hard from pitch one until the final out, and he has great baseball intuition. I don’t think you’ll see Dykstra ever hit 20 home runs or steal 20 bases, but he’s the type of player that could bring a ton of value to a major league team, and very quickly as well. I really, really enjoyed watching Dykstra playing at Rome this year. He simply has a charisma about him on the field the way he plays the game, and he certainly knows how to put a ball in the gap, hitting even better in Rome than he did for Danville
Professional comparison: Braves fans will see a lot of Martin Prado when they watch Dykstra.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Dykstra moved late to Rome, so he may start there in 2016, or they could push him up to Carolina at 20.
Expected time of arrival: 2019

19.Isranel Wilson, RF/CF, 17 (3/6/98), GCL

Stats: .222/.349/.479, 10 HR, 15% BB, 32.4% K
Signed out of the tiny island of Saint Martin just east of Puerto Rico, Wilson was brought to the US to the GCL. While his contact and strikeout rate were both worrisome, in a scant 173 plate appearances, Wilson pounded out 10 home runs. He also drew walks at a very high rate for any 17 year old. Wilson is a ridiculously good athlete, and he has a great arm to pair with his solid range. He played 16 of his 42 outfield games in center field, and he certainly didn’t look out of place. The big thing for Wilson will be to see how he can improve on that contact rate.
Professional comparison: Like Matt Kemp, Wilson has ridiculous athleticism that is nearly unmatched in the Braves system. However, unlike Kemp, his athleticism is extremely raw.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Danville
Expected time of arrival: 2020

18.Juan Yepez, 1B/3B, 17 (2/19/98), Danville

Stats: .299/.364/.458, 9.6% BB, 24.1% K
Yepez signed out of Venezuela last summer as possibly the Braves’ biggest name in their 2014 IFA class. He started in the US this year rather than the DSL, and his performance certainly showed that move was warranted. Yepez has a great contact bat, and he has shown a solid power swing from the right side. While signed as a 3B, Yepez has played primarily at 1B for the Braves. Yepez has some hitch to his swing, and he struggles with good curveballs as well. Yepez handled as hard a fastball as he saw in the minors, and that bodes well for him moving quickly in the system. Yepez has some bad weight that he will need to work off as he moves up in the system.
Professional comparison: Edwin Encarnacion had similar walk/strikeout rates and power numbers as he moved up the system. He went from borderline starter, even with defensive deficiencies, to elite MVP candidate when he really became incredibly selective at the plate, and Yepez definitely has the eye and power to follow that path.
Likely 2016 starting destination: He had very solid results in Danville last year, so it’d make sense to move him up to Rome to start 2016, but the Braves may have him go to extended spring.
Expected time of arrival: 2019

17.John Gant, RHP, 22, AA

Stats: 10-5, 140 ⅓ IP, 3.08 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 8.6% BB, 22.9%
Many of the Braves fans were disappointed to watch Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson go to the Mets and fuel their drive to the playoffs with timely hitting and contributions, but in a few years, that deal could look like a huge win for the Braves, and Gant could be a big reason why. Gant was a 21st round selection in 2011 by the Mets, and he struggled for his first few years to advance bit by bit, but he performed tremendously well at high-A this year and moved up to AA for the Mets before his move to the Braves. For Mississippi, Gant was spinning tremendous pitches, hurling a 1.99 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 8.9% BB, and 27.4% K in 40 ⅔ innings. Gant has tremendous stuff with a fastball up to 95 with a lot of movement, a changeup that can leave hitters baffled, and a breaking ball that can simply freeze hitters.
Professional comparison: Gant’s stature and stuff reminds me of a young Matt Garza, a guy who exploded up the Twins system, going from high-A all the way to the minors in one season. I could absolutely see Gant pulling something similar next season and pushing his way either onto the roster or into a trade for much more than what the Braves gave away to get him.
Likely 2016 starting destination: AAA Gwinnett
Expected time of arrival: 2016 late season call up

16.Dustin Peterson, LF, 21 (9/10/94), Carolina

Stats: .251/.317/.348, 8.8% BB, 18.3% K
Peterson was acquired in the Justin Upton trade, and the Braves moved him from third base to left field upon acquiring him. The Braves went to work overhauling his swing, trying to take away the huge strikeout rate that Peterson showed in the Midwest League in 2014. They did, cutting his strikeout rate by over 6%, and before the bus crash, this opened up Peterson’s offensive game, allowing him to square the ball up frequently and even allowing him to show his athleticism, stealing 6 bases when he’d only stolen 4 in his previous two seasons. Many remarked about his athleticism when he was drafted, but he’d really not displayed it until this year with Carolina. In spite of his post-crash struggles as he played through injury, Peterson still showed the improved eye throughout the season. His defense in left field was also solid.
Professional comparison: Peterson’s athleticism and skills on the field are similar to Ryan Braun as he came up in the Brewers organization.
Likely 2016 starting destination: The Braves will likely send Peterson to AA Mississippi and let him keep growing with his rebuilt swing. His progress will determine how quick he moves up.
Expected time of arrival: 2017

Next: 10-15

Mar 2, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Rio Ruiz (81) pose for photo day at Wide World of Sports. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves Top 100: 11-15

15.Mike Soroka, RHP, 18 (8/4/97), Danville

Stats: 0-2, 34 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 3.5% BB, 25.9% K
Soroka was picked in the compensation round of the first round in the 2015 draft out of high school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He has great size at 6’4, and while he’s lean now at right around 200 pounds, He’s got a great frame to add 20-30 pounds of strength. Soroka’s fastball sits in the low-90s, but it has tremendous movement. He has a great changeup that draws as good of reviews as any of his pitches. It acts as a sinking change, adding a ton of effectiveness to the pitch in general. His slider lags behind some, but it shows promise as well with great break when he really snaps it off. Soroka could grow even more, but he’s already intimidating on the mound. Added strength could add a tick or two to his fastball, but hopefully he doesn’t lose the movement in adding velocity.
Professional comparison: Like Soroka, Zack Greinke came into pro ball with his changeup as his lead pitch, and he’s built a tremendous repertoire around it.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Danville
Expected time of arrival: 2018 late season call up

14.Rio Ruiz, 3B, 21 (5/22/94), AA

Stats: .233/.333/.324, 12.9% BB, 19.2% K
Ruiz came into the season with elite prospect pedigree, and the Braves pushed him to AA. He struggled with the move to his first upper-level assignment, and his first pitching-friendly league of his career as well. Ruiz rebounded to finish the year strong however, hitting .302/.353/.481 in August. The story of Ruiz’s season was two elite months of June and August with three putrid months. The Braves will hope to have Ruiz find more consistency in 2016. He has a very even, line drive swing that could generate a ton of doubles from the left side. Ruiz has a solid eye as well and that was the one thing consistent throughout the season. I’ve also seen a lot of mixed reports on his defensive skills in 2015. He has a big frame, and some saw him said that he was quite stiff at the position. Others raved about his movement in and out on balls, stating that he’s not great chasing down balls to his sides, but he comes in very well and has good first steps. He does have a good arm, so he could make a move to the outfield if he has to move off of third.
Professional comparison: Ruiz’s swing makes me think of Matt Carpenter in the way he can drive balls off the wall.
Likely 2016 starting destination: In spite of his struggles in AA, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Ruiz bumped up to AAA Gwinnett to start 2016.
Expected time of arrival: 2016 late season call up

13.Ronald Acuna, CF, 17 (12/18/97), Danville

Stats: .269/.380/.438, 237 PA, 22 XBH, 16 SB, 11.8% BB, 17.7% K
Acuna was signed out of Venezuela, and the Braves brought him immediately to the states rather than putting him in the Dominican Summer League. Acuna did nothing but rake in his time between the GCL and Danville. His overall season numbers reflect his excellent eye and his power/speed combination. He played primarily center field in 2015, and from what limited video I saw, he has the speed to play center, but he also has an arm that’d play in right if he moved. Acuna truly is a big-upside 5-tool sort of player that could really be an elite prospect in a year or two. He’ll also be only 18 in 2016 as he hits his first full season in the US. I am very excited to see how he progresses.
Professional comparison: Comparing Acuna to Adam Eaton may seem pessimistic compared to my other optimistic comparisons, but Acuna has a solid level swing, and while he could try for more power, I could see him ending up more like an Eaton with gap power, speed, and a good eye at the top of the order.
Likely 2016 starting destination: I would be surprised if Acuna isn’t pushed into a full season at Rome, but the Braves may want to have him in extended spring training to work on some things.
Expected time of arrival: 2019

12.Andrew Thurman, RHP, 23 (12/10/91), AA

Stats: 7-8, 89 ⅔ IP, 4.12 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 7.3% BB, 17.1% K
In the midst of the Evan Gattis trade, most saw Rio Ruiz with his prospect pedigree and Mike Foltynewicz and his big fastball. Instead, the guy who had the best season out of the deal was the “third” piece in the deal. Thurman threw very well at Carolina, even after recovering from injuries suffered in the Carolina bus crash. His bump up to AA didn’t go as well as his time in Carolina, but he had put up just short of 90 innings in spite of missing some significant time after the crash, so he very likely had some wear by the time he got to AA. Thurman has a very good pitch mix with a fastball that ticked up to mid-90s after he was drafted by the Astros in 2013. Thurman still struggles with the feel on that added velocity, and he’ll continue to work on that in 2016.
Professional comparison: Like Thurman, Ubaldo Jimenez had a velocity spike in his early 20s that he harnessed into a couple very good seasons for the Rockies and a nice career since. Hopefully, Thurman can keep the feel on his stuff once he gets it, unlike what Jiminez has struggled with in his career.
Likely 2016 starting destination: AA Mississippi Braves
Expected time of arrival: 2016 late season call up

11.Kolby Allard, LHP, 18 (8/13/97), GCL

Stats: 6 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.17 WHIP, 0% BB, 60% K
Many will wonder why Allard isn’t much higher on the list. I’ve seen him as high as #2 in the whole system on some early organization lists, but I’m more than comfortable with my placement here. Allard has tremendous stuff, with a mid-90s fastball with a lot of movement, a curveball that has solid bite, and a changeup that I could see becoming an absolute weapon. Allard came out and blew away hitters in his limited innings as well, which has many very excited about Allard. The thing I worry some with Allard is that he had a back issue pre-draft, specifically a stress reaction. Back issues with a young pitcher always worry me, and especially guys who are still growing as Allard is. He came into the draft listed as 6’1, and I’d wager he’s at least another inch taller, and maybe two inches taller now, and while he still is quite lean, he has added some muscle to his frame. That changing frame worries me if he’s already had some back issues. The Braves will likely be very patient with Allard, moving him quite slow along the system.
Professional comparison: Allard’s stuff drew comparisons to Matt Moore when he was part of Team USA, and as he’s adding some size, there’s a definite comparison there as well. The Braves would be very excited if Allard’s prospect path is similar as well.
Likely 2016 starting destination: He’ll most likely go to extended spring training and then a short-season team, whether that’s the GCL or Danville.
Expected time of arrival: 2019

Next: 6-10

Mar 2, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Mallex Smith (83) pose for photo day at Wide World of Sports. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves Top 100: 6-10

10.Braxton Davidson, RF, 19 (6/18/96), Rome

Stats: .242/.381/.374, 10 HR, 17% BB, 27.3% K
Braxton absolutely is a “three true outcomes” sort of player. He either hits a monster ball, strikes out, or takes first on a walk. The Braves selected Davidson in the compensatory first round in 2014. Davidson could use some work on his swing as he frequently gets pull happy, trying to yank the ball out of the park and ends up popping the ball up. If he would go with pitches more and use his natural power to drive them to whatever field works, he could quickly be a guy to hit 30 home runs in the major leagues. The thing that really caught my eye this year was Braxton’s defense. Coming into 2015, many of the scouts assumed that Braxton’s displayed defensive deficiencies in 2014 would mean a permanent move to first base is the only place for him to play. Instead, when I saw Braxton on multiple viewings this year, he showed very good athleticism along with a more than solid arm. I’m more than convinced that he can stick in right field and be at least an average defender there long-term.
Professional comparison: The easy comparison is Adam Dunn, even if Braxton doesn’t have quite Dunn’s tremendous size. The thing that brings them closer together is the higher level of athleticism that Braxton showed this year.
Likely 2016 starting destination: high-A Carolina Mudcats
Expected time of arrival: 2017 late season call up

9.Max Fried, LHP, 21 (1/18/94), N/A (low-A)

Stats: No 2015 statistics
The Braves acquired Fried in the Justin Upton trade, and they were unable to see any “return” on their investment in 2015 as Fried continued to recover from his 2014 TJS. Fried is considered an elite arm, drafted #7 overall in 2012. Fried was a top 50 prospect in all of baseball before his surgery, and he has elite comparable names. For now, though, there’s not a ton more to write about him.
Professional comparison: Fried has a young Cole Hamels frame, and he has some similarity in stuff, but we’ll have to see how Fried’s stuff returns.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Fried had just pitched at low-A so far before his injury, so it’s unlikely that he will be moved beyond that to start, but he could move quickly once he gets on his feet.
Expected time of arrival: 2018

8.Austin Riley, 3B, 18 (4/2/97), Danville

Stats: .304/.389/.544, 12 HR, 10.3% BB, 25.8% K
What can be said about Riley that hasn’t been said already? The young man was drafted by the Braves in the first competitive balance round this June, and he bombed his way through the GCL and Danville in one season. Most impressively, Riley also displayed a very solid eye at the plate. Coming into the draft, many were debating whether Riley would be a pitcher or a hitter as a professional. The Braves drafted Riley and played him as a hitter from day one. While he showed a “bad body” in summer and fall show cases in 2014, when he showed up to the Braves, he was in very solid shape and displayed enough agility to think that he could stay at third base or take his arm and move to a corner outfield spot if he couldn’t stick at third. Riley does struggle some with hard breaking stuff, and he does get into streaks where he’ll miss a lot of pitches, which could show that perhaps he presses some when he struggles, but his struggles were so few and far between in 2015 that it’s hard to really get a good gauge on how he mentally handles such things.
Professional comparison: In 2014, Kyle Schwarber was drafted due to his advanced bat with the Cubs basically saying that they would figure out a position for him. I think you could compare Riley adequately to Schwarber or his teammate Kris Bryant in raw hitting ability. The Cubs allowed those two to let their bats determine their advancement, and hopefully the Braves do the same.
Likely 2016 starting destination: I’d love to see Riley pushed to Rome in 2016, but I could also see him sitting in extended spring and starting back with Danville and advancing quickly if he continues to hit.
Expected time of arrival: 2018

7.Touki Toussaint, RHP, 19 (6/20/96), Rome

Stats: 5-7, 87 ⅔ IP, 4.83 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 12.8% BB, 17.8% K
The Braves acquired Toussaint in a trade with the Diamondbacks by taking on Bronson Arroyo’s salary. Toussaint has been considered the best high school pitching prospect from the 2014 draft with his devastating curveball and upper-90s heat. Touki is 6’3 and listed at 185, and he’s got a lean frame with easy velocity, not having to go max effort to hit the high-90s with his fastball. The big issue with Touki is that his motion is seldom repeated, and due to that, he struggles with locating his pitches. With work on consistency in his motion, he could move quickly up the system, regardless of still being a teenager until about the minor league all-star break next season.
Professional comparison: Throughout his minor league career, Corey Kluber struggled to get his pitches over, and it wasn’t until he took a big step forward with his command at age 26 that turned him into the pitcher that won the Cy Young Award in 2014.
Likely 2016 starting destination: high-A Carolina Mudcats
Expected time of arrival: 2017 late season call up

6.Mallex Smith, CF, 22 (5/6/93), AAA

Stats: .306/.373/.386, 8 triples, 57 SB, 10.5% BB, 17.6% K
Smith was acquired by the Braves in the Justin Upton trade after 88 steals in 2014 along with a solid showing in the Arizona Fall League. Smith started off very well in AA Mississippi, earning a promotion to Gwinnett, where he struggled mightily out of the gate, but he worked his way back to a respectable .281/.339/.367 line and finished with a huge flurry of steals to lead the organization in the statistic. Smith caught a lot of eyes among fans as they read about his .340 batting average in Mississippi and his blazing speed. The thing that caught my eye was quite different, and nowhere near a positive. Smith has simply terrible reads off the bat in center field. The Braves reportedly had Todd Cunningham work with him in Gwinnett on just that, but I saw very little progress, especially when tracking down a ball straight at him in center field. Right now, Smith has the blazing speed to cover up some of those terrible routes to balls, but it will get more obvious when he’s on a big stage every night rather than the minor league outfields.
Professional comparison: Michael Bourn was another guy who had tremendous athleticism and had to work to make himself a great defender, and he worked to the point of becoming an elite defender in center field before injuries and age took away his elite speed.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Smith will likely open in Atlanta’s outfield, but whether it’s left or center depends on what moves are made in the offseason.
Expected time of arrival: 2016

Next: Top 5

Sep 2, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Hector Olivera (28) hits a 2 RBI single in the third inning of their game against the Miami Marlins at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Braves Top 100: 1-5

5.Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, 23 (7/20/92), AAA

Stats: 8-9, 138 ⅓ IP, 3.19 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 10.3% BB, 14.9% K
Jenkins was acquired along with Shelby Miller in the Jason Heyward trade in the offseason, and many discussed Jenkins as recovering from injury and a big wild card. I personally thought we as fans should be happy to have Jenkins perform well in AA in 2015 and have a chance to show himself at the major league level in late 2016. Instead, Jenkins moved up to AAA Gwinnett this year mid-season, and he continued to show excellent skills as a sinker ball pitcher. Jenkins has a three-pitch mix with a fastball that sinks hard and sits 93-95 and can touch up to 97 along with a 12-6 curveball that can be a strikeout pitch when he buries the pitch, but even when he leaves it up, it seems to be a pitch hitters can’t square up and often roll over. The changeup is where Jenkins will define his future major league role. The fastball/curve combo would make him an elite reliever, but if he can keep his changeup down in the zone, which he’s struggled with at times, Jenkins could be an excellent #2-3 starter. Jenkins displayed enough with the changeup this year that I’d feel very comfortable with him as a starter at this point, even in the major leagues. Jenkins is 6’4 and very lean, listed at 180 and likely fairly accurately so, and he uses his long arm and legs in his delivery very well with a tremendous high leg kick and a lanky arm that batters seem to struggle to find the release point with. I’ve gone from a doubter to a believer this season in Jenkins, and I’m excited to see what he has in store for 2016.
Professional comparison: Their builds wouldn’t make a great comp, but in stuff, Lance Lynn is a great example of what Jenkins could be with a power sinker and a wicked curveball. Lynn was also considered as a dominant starter or inning-eater starter, and he’s gone the latter route. Jenkins seems to get quick outs in the count, which may hurt his strikeout rate, but it leaves his pitch count low enough to go deep frequently.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Jenkins will get a chance at the major league rotation in spring training, but I would wager he starts at AAA Gwinnett and rides the Gwinnett/Atlanta train a few times over the season.
Expected time of arrival: 2016

4.Lucas Sims, RHP, 21 (5/10/94), AA

Stats: 7-6, 92 ⅔ IP, 4.37 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 13.4% BB, 24.8%
Until the last three weeks of the season, many would have considered this a lost season for Sims as he spent the season between Carolina and Mississippi and struggled to find the strike zone all season long. However, those last three weeks for the Braves’ 2012 first round selection were stellar: 5 starts, 30 ⅔ IP, 4-0 record, 0.88 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 10.2% BB, 28% K. While the walk rate even in that run was too high, it’s hard to argue with the results against the most advanced hitters he’d faced in his career. Sims sits in the low- to mid-90s with his fastball, but it has an incredible amount of movement, coming in on right-handed hitters and away from lefties with late movement. His curveball has an incredible amount of break and comes in around 70 MPH, which is a drastic velocity change from his fastball. His changeup is still average, but it has flashed above average, especially in his late-season run of success.
Professional comparison: Before 2012, the comp to Max Scherzer would have made a significant amount of sense. At 27, Scherzer made the adjustment he needed to make to move from an inconsistent thrower to a dominating pitcher, and Sims has that level of upside still, and he’s only 21. However, remember that Scherzer went through four seasons of inconsistent pitching before he had that mental switch flip (along with adding his cutter and refining his curveball to an unhittable level). While Sims has a similar stature and raw stuff on the mound as a young Scherzer, he’ll have to continue the work to get to that level.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Most likely Sims will start at AA Mississippi with a quick move to AAA Gwinnett, but the Braves could push him to AAA to see how he can handle himself.
Expected time of arrival: 2016 Late-season call up

3.Manny Banuelos, LHP, 24 (3/13/91), MLB

Stats (minors): 6-2, 86 ⅔ IP, 2.18 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 11.6% BB, 19.8% K
Stats (majors): 1-4, 26 ⅓ IP, 5.13 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 9.9% B, 15.7% K
Banuelos showed tremendous recovery this year after struggling through multiple seasons of recovery from Tommy John Surgery. Banuelos before his surgery was a top-30 prospect in all of baseball, and you saw glimpses of that level of domination this year. When Banuelos had his location working, he really gave AAA hitters little opportunity. He wore down some as the season went along, but he did eclipse 100 innings pitched for the first time since 2011, so it was a big step in the right direction. His delivery is near textbook and very repeatable, and his mid-90s fastball returned in spurts this season. One thing that really impressed me throughout the season is the improvement throughout the season with his feel on his curveball. By the time he was called up to the majors, he was using his curveball as his “out” pitch with two strikes with hitters, and at the beginning of the season, he struggled at times to even control the pitch, let alone rely on it in important situations like that. Banuelos will be most likely starting in Atlanta in 2016, but he will likely be sitting on a cap of 150ish innings, so I’d see him as a probable 5th starter just to manage his innings throughout the season.
Professional comparison: C.J. Wilson has a very similar repertoire as Banuelos, and when someone mentioned the idea of Banuelos moving to the bullpen to me, Wilson became a very obvious comp as he’s had success in both roles.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Will be fighting for a rotation spot in spring training, and could start the season in Atlanta or return to Gwinnett to keep building up innings.
Expected time of arrival: 2016

2.Hector Olivera, 3B, 30 (4/5/85), MLB

Stats (minors): .272/.326/.376, 6.7% BB, 11.1% K
Stats (majors): .250/.310/.395, 6% BB, 13.1% K
Olivera was acquired in the July trade with the Dodgers. Olivera was a highly-sought-after free agent in the offseason from Cuba, and the Braves lost out on the bidding with the Dodgers. Instead, the Braves saved significant money and still got the player they badly desired. Olivera has good bat control and flashes solid power, but he has been off for significant time due to his defection from Cuba and injury issues. Olivera got a late-season run in Atlanta and showed some solid positives and some concerns. My personal concerns rest with his swing and his shoulder. I see a big hitch at the start of his swing that seems to me to hurt his ability to hit same-side pitching, and it’s shown up so far with his struggles against lefties. The other big concern is the shoulder/elbow issues he’s had. When healthy, Olivera has a “good enough” arm to hang at 3B long-term defensively, but when he’s hurt, he really struggles to get mustard on the ball, making tough, long throws a near-guaranteed baserunner rather than possibly getting the tough out.
Professional comparison: Pablo Sandoval – Olivera likely won’t ever knock out 30 home runs, but I could see him clubbing 40 doubles a season for quite a while with 10-20 home runs, provided he can lessen the hitch in his swing.
Likely 2016 starting destination: Atlanta
Expected time of arrival: Should start 2016 as the opening-day starter at 3B

1.Ozhaino Albies, SS, 18 (1/7/97), Rome

Stats: .310/.368/.404, 29 steals, 8.2% BB, 12.8% K
Easily the #1 prospect on this list, Albies is possibly going to find his way into the top 25 of many overall prospect lists throughout baseball this offseason. Albies was only 18 this year at Rome, and he showed the talent that had his value skyrocketing before the season on prospect lists. He’ll continue to climb up those lists as he showed the ability to handle shortstop at a very high level defensively along with hitting as well as anyone could have hoped. Albies is a small guy, but he’s not showed any slowing down with his bat.
Professional comparison: Jose Altuve – Albies squares up balls very well at this point in spite of his small stature, much like Altuve did as he improbably rose through the minor leagues.
Likely 2016 starting destination: high-A Carolina Mudcats
Expected time of arrival: 2017

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