Tomahawk Take’s Top 20 Atlanta Braves Prospects: #10-6

Tomahawk Take’s #10 Atlanta Braves prospect Hector Olivera

– by Fred Owens, Tomahawk Take Staff Writer

Who He Is

Hector Olivera must be one of the most frustrated players in baseball. After a career in Cuba where he was one of the best hitters in the league and a perennial member of the Cuban National Team he was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that stole a year of playing time in 2012 and limited him to DH in 2013.

In September 2014 Olivera defected from Cuba established residence in Haiti and began working towards permission to play in the US holding showcases in the Dominican Republic attended by a plethora of major league scouts. Rumors about a potential tear of his UCL sprung up as teams began to negotiate for his services but Olivera’s camp strongly denied those rumors and were eventually proved right when his pre-signing physical for the Dodgers revealed no damage to his UCL or need for elbow surgery.

The Braves offered Olivera around $40M but in the end the Dodgers inked him for six years and $62.5 million, including a $28 million signing bonus. On May 11th his Visa was approved and Olivera made the trip to LA. where he was officially signed by the Dodgers on May 19th.

On June 4th he played his first professional game since the end of the 2013-2014 season in Cuba going 1-4 with 2 walks. In six games with Tulsa, Olivera posted a .318/.400/.455/.855 line including a grand slam home run off Mark Peterson on June 9th.

On June 13th he made first of his seven appearances for Oklahoma City where he slashed .387/.387/.581/.968 before being sidelined with a severe hamstring injury. On 7 July he began his rehab with the AZL Dodgers and played in six games for them – two as a DH and four at third base – before the Hamstring flared up again and he remained sidelined until making his first start as a member of the Braves organization for the Gulf Cost League Braves on 8 August.

On 30 July the Braves sent Bronson Arroyo, Luis Avilan, Jim Johnson, Jose Peraza and Alex Wood to the Dodgers for Olivera with Zachary Bird. Paco Rodriguez and a comp round A pick from Miami.

Scouting Report

In January of last year Kiley McDaniel reported a scouting score of Hit: 45/55, Game Power: 45/50+, Raw Power: 55/55, Speed: 55/55, Field: 50/50, Throw: 55/55, FV: 50. McDaniel said Olivera possessed “undeniable talent” and went on to elaborate what he saw.

“. . . Olivera has above average bat speed, bat control, plate discipline and raw power, which is to all fields . . . He’s an above average runner that can play second base or third base and has an above average arm. That’s an above average everyday player with the statistical track record to give you some confidence that he’ll perform in the big leagues. . .”

He went on to say that Olivera might be an injury risk and implied that his age might make it hard for him to prevent regressing “in a few years” but an “optimistic outcome” would be a “.260-.280 with a good OBP, 15-20 homers and solid-

Ben Badler watched his January showcase for Baseball America and reported that “. . . scouts said Olivera . . . appeared to be in good physical condition. . ran a 60-yard dash in around 6.7 to 6.8 seconds, depending on the stopwatch, showing slightly above-average speed. . . he looked like a steady defender. . . (but while playing third didn’t show the) plus arm (he had previously.) Like a lot of Cuban hitters, he wraps the bat in his setup, but he has a history of making consistent contact in games and scouts have lauded his hitting approach and strike-zone management.”

2016 Projection and Future

Braves fans pining for Woody will start the year still moaning about the trade. They might be interested to know that fans in LA feel the Braves robbed the Dodgers in the deal leaving them with the second best Cuban. The Olivera Braves fans saw last year wasn’t near major league, that should not have been a surprise because of his long layoff from high level competition and the severe hamstring injury he was still feeling in September. Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer worked with him this winter and told Mark Bowman he liked what he saw.

“I was so impressed by his work ethic, his intensity, his focus and concentration to detail. It was really awesome. I was really impressed by how much more athletic he was in the outfield. It was fun to watch . . .The dude has the ability to put the fat part of the bat on the ball, which is impressive. That’s the biggest part of the battle. Now it’s just a matter of getting used to the adjustments mechanically to the point where the power starts to come. . . I see him hitting 15 to 20 home runs. If he can hit more than that, then great. If he can drive in 80 [runs], that’s great. If we get more than that, that’s icing on the cake. He’s a pretty talented kid. I think he’s going to make adjustments quick.”

Next: Prospect Number 9

I expect that given extended playing time Olivera will provide a solid 20 homer RH bat and post a line near the .260/.340/.440/.780 and play a solid left field.

9. Lucas Sims

– by Philip Tapley, Tomahawk Take Staff Writer

Who He Is

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Lucas Sims has been with the Braves since 2012, when the club drafted him 21st overall in the first round. The 21 year old right hander played his prep ball with Brookwood HS in the suburbs of Atlanta. Sims is one of those prospects that feels older than he is, probably because he enjoyed a great deal of hype upon his draft, and then developed at a pace that was less exciting than his initial promise. He had a great first pro season in 2013, posting a 2.62 ERA / 3.09 FIP that year. He experienced some growing pains in 2014, and was then affected by the bus accident befell the single-A-advanced Carolina Mudcats early in the 2015 season. No worries though; Sims again now finds himself again in the discussion among the most exciting prospects in the Braves system.

Sims features a fastball, curveball, changeup mix. His velocity sits 91-94 but reaches higher on its best days. He has received above average grades on his biting curveball since high school, which he delivers deceptively with similar arm speed and release point as his fastball. It seems that his changeup lags behind his other two pitches, but at 21, he has ample time to gain feel for the pitch as he climbs the ranks. The biggest knock on Sims has been command, though his time in the league has been short. HIs recent efforts have shown improvements in this department, which is largely why he now climbs near the top 5 on some Braves prospect rankings.

His 2015

2015 was a roller coaster year that ended on a high note for Sims. He started the year with the single-A-advanced Carolina Mudcats, but the bus crash mentioned earlier derailed the beginning of his season. The crash led to a month or so on the DL after having started the season with some strong starts. Sims floundered a bit once back in action, but still earned a call up to double-A Mississippi in late July. His 2015 numbers are fine but uninspiring overall, but he finished the year strong and followed up with an excellent performance in the Arizona Fall League. With the Peoria Javelinas in the AFL, Sims posted a 2.12 ERA backed up by a 2.88 FIP, while striking out 5.7 batters per every walk issued. His performance led to a start in the AFL all-star game, despite being two years younger than the average player in the league. Sims’ AFL stint was a small sample of 17 innings, but coming on the heels of strong finish in double-A Mississippi, and in the context of the bus crash that disrupted the beginning of his 2015, optimism abounds for Lucas Sims in Braves Country.

2016 Projection and Future

The youngster will probably begin the 2016 campaign back in Mississippi, which is a more than appropriate level for his age. While the Braves won’t feel the need to rush Sims, he could force their hand if he continues to build on his recent momentum. Especially as fellow Braves hurlers like Aaron Blair, Sean Newcomb, and Tyrell Jenkins make their way to Atlanta, Sims may be in Gwinnett sooner than later.

Next: Prospect Number 8

8. Austin Riley

– by Brandon Woodworth, Tomahawk Take Staff Writer

Who He Is

Austin Riley was a slightly controversial draft choice by the Braves in last summers draft. He was chosen 41st overall in the supplemental round, and many assumed it would be as a pitcher, as his big arm had gained some attention from scouts. But the Braves turned us who were slightly worried about drafting another pitcher right on our heads as he was immediately assigned to play third base after signing. He’s a 6’3′, 230lb product of Desoto Central High in Southaven, Mississippi, though he had leaned down significantly by the time he reported to the Braves.

His 2015

Riley’s 2015 quickly turned from a normal 18 year old getting his first crack at professional baseball to a “could we have struck gold here?” story for fans. After hitting a solid .255/.331/.500 with 7 homers in 121 plate appearances in the Gulf Coast league, Austin was on his way to Danville to continue his quest to put baseballs over fences. After he arrived in Florida, he raked to a .351/.443/.586 slash line with 5 more homers in 131 plate appearances. This left a big impressions on fans as well as scouts, as MLB.com has recently ranked him as number 6 in overall third base prospects in the game. And with guys like Joey Gallo and Brandon Drury ready to break into the bigs full time, another strong season could see Riley even higher this time next year.

2016 Projection and Future

Being just 18 years old with only 60 professional games under his belt, there is no reason to rush Riley or set your expectations unreasonably high. He will likely return to Danville to start the season, with a promotion to single A surely to come sooner than later. 2016 will be a year of establishing 2 fundamental things: Is Riley more than a home run hitter, and is he a third baseman long term? Nobody doubts the arm on this guy, and some think with his cannon and athleticism that he could transfer to a corner outfield spot rather well. But at the same time, 2016 is the year for him to take that athleticism and show off everything he can at the hot corner.

Next: Prospect Number 7

I expect a similar showing next season to that of his Gulf Coast stats: a .245-.260 batting average with a solid walk rate and 20+ homers. In a way, it will look like a regression, but he’ll likely just be enduring the same growing pains every power hitter does. And if he improves his play in the field, we should be really happy with the future at third base in Atlanta.

7. Touki Toussaint

– by Philip Tapley, Tomahawk Take Staff Writer

Who He Is

Touki came over to the Braves in a transaction that has become an enjoyable laugh line for Braves fans with a penchant for keeping up with such things. Lets start with his background though; Toussaint was the 16th overall pick in the 2014 draft for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The athletic righty came out of Coral Springs Christian Academy in Coral Springs, FL. Toussaint was hyped coming out of HS, but he only lasted through rookie ball and 7 appearance in single-A with Arizona before he was shipped to Atlanta in exchange for Phil Gosselin and cash in the form of the Braves taking on Bronson Arroyo’s oversized contract.

Touki’s pitching repertoire currently involves a heater that was clocked from 92 to 98 last year, with plus movement as well. His fastball seems to spin like mad out of his hand, which makes it perhaps no surprise that he features a truly knee-buckling hook. The Toussaint curveball consistently grades 60 or above on the 20-80 scouting grade scale. The scary thing is that this grade might tic up a notch once he has full command of the pitch, and can deliver it with arm action consistent with his fastball for deception. It’s possible that I’m biased after seeing Touki pitch last season, but my eyes see his curve as something very special if he can pair it with even average complementary offerings. And the ceiling for his fastball is of course well above average. Touki’s changeup rounds out his mix, which rates as a major league average pitch more or less. In sum, the stuff is already there; command and consistency will be what punches the kinetic righty’s ticket to dominance at this point.

His 2015

Touki’s 2015 was characterized by the inconsistency that comes along with a young, raw pitcher. In what was his first go-round with single-A, he pitched to a ho-hum 4.83 ERA, and carried a 1.36 WHIP fueled by a 4.9 BB/9inn rate. Basically, Toussaint walked too many batters and didn’t strike out enough to make up for it. This sounds like the opposite of an endorsement. However, Touki came to baseball later than most first round draft picks, and he has been in the process of developing more consistent mechanics and a more effective changeup. To paint the yin and yang of his 2015 season a little more clearly, Touki had 5 starts giving up 1 run or less, but also had 3 starts that saw him give up 5 or more earned runs. The guy has truly dominant pure stuff, but has seasoning left to acquire.

2016 Projection and Future

It’s not entirely clear where Toussaint will start 2016. Given the riches of talent that the Braves have spread throughout their system, it seems unlikely that such a raw talent would be rushed at this point. I expect to see Touki back in single-A Rome when the action starts, but a promotion to Carolina to start the year wouldn’t be shocking. Either way, Touki will begin to advance quickly if and when he harnesses his advanced velocity and spin. He’s the epitome of an exciting young prospect: high risk and high ceiling.

Next: Prospect Number 6