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Atlanta Braves Midseason Top 50 Prospects: 20-11

By Benjamin Chase

May 25, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; A general view during sunset in the firth inning of the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; A general view during sunset in the firth inning of the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jul 21, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; A baseball, baseball glove and baseballs are shown on the infield during batting practice before the game against the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; A baseball, baseball glove and baseballs are shown on the infield during batting practice before the game against the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

20. Luke Dykstra, 2B, Low-A Rome

When I mentioned him in this range in the offseason, it caught many people by surprise because they hadn’t considered Dykstra as a legitimate prospect. He’s not flashy, he doesn’t put up big power numbers or steals or flashy defensive skills. How could this guy be someone that fans need to know?

Dykstra was drafted in the 7th round in 2014 out of high school in California, and in spite of his baseball bloodlines, many were worried that he’d never really develop into more than an org-filler type. His first season in the GCL didn’t exactly inspire anyone to think differently, as he hit .262/.316/.376 over 44 games. He did steal 7 bases, but he was not noted to have great speed, so it was figured he stole bases as much due to a mature baseball feel than anything.

Last season, he was simply a pleasure to watch. I think many people saw 0 home runs and 3 stolen bases and a guy playing 2B and thought he was nothing special, but if you look back, you see a combined line of .318/.353/.422 with an impressive 8/16 BB/K ratio over 241 plate appearances. Yes, he didn’t walk much, but he nearly never struck out either. He also had 19 doubles, so it’s not as if he was devoid of power.

What caught my eye on Dykstra last year and still does now is that he just always seems to do the “little things” right. He’s a guy who will hit the ball perfectly to the right to allow a runner to advance from second to third. He also always seems to throw to the right base and be backing up when he should be. Those little baseball things that are hard to teach just seem to come naturally for Dykstra.

On top of those little things, Dykstra’s done a pretty big thing this year, he’s hit. The 20 year-old is hitting .314/.344/.372 over 310 plate appearances with 15 doubles and 7 steals. Dykstra’s name has even started to pop up on other teams’ fan message boards as a player they’d like as a second-tier prospect involved in a trade. That’s something nearly no one was saying just a year ago!

19. Ray-Patrick Didder, OF, Low-A Rome

To say that Aruba doesn’t exactly have a rich baseball heritage would be drastically understating things. The first All-Star from Aruba was this season when Xander Bogaerts made the American League team for the Red Sox. Didder doesn’t exactly find himself coming from a country with a long-established history of baseball.

That it took Didder a couple of seasons to be noticed by scouts and still another couple of seasons to figure out his true position is not surprising as his skills were expected to be quite raw. However, he showed excellent plate discipline from the get go at every level, if not some raw skills with his blazing speed.

After two seasons trying to work his arm and speed into a tremendous shortstop in the DSL, Didder was transitioned to the outfield in 2015, and he took to the switch like a duck to water. Didder may be the best defender off the bat in the outfield of any outfielder in the entire Braves system. He doesn’t have the arm that Connor Lien has, but he has even better instincts, and that is saying something as Lien has received grades 60 and up on his range and fielding from scouts.

Didder may also be one of the fastest players in the entire system, but much like his fielding, he was initially quite raw. His big step in this area was taken this year, as he had stolen 22 bases in his 154 games played from 2013-2015 while being caught 14 times, a success rate of 61%, hardly passable at the professional level. This year in Rome, however, he’s taken that next step as he’s stolen 23 out of 28 attempts for a cool 82% success rate, where anything over 80% is considered among the elite.

Didder’s arm has been considered elite, but I think even the most optimistic scout has been blown away this season by how accurate he is. He’s not as strong-armed as Lien, but he has tremendous accuracy in his arm and the ability to put great accuracy on his throws while on the dead run. He’s already tallied 10 assists on the season from the outfield, and any season reaching double digits is an excellent year for a FULL season.

Didder’s .266/.383/.367 line may not blow anyone away, but his incredible defense, speed, and good OBP will keep him on the field, and this year he’s starting to flash more power (6 triples and 3 home runs). He may have gotten a late start, but Didder’s making up for that start in a hurry!

Next: 18, 17

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