House That Hank Built
Fansided

Atlanta Braves Top 100 Prospects: 81-90

By Benjamin Chase

Apr 4, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; The teams lineup and the flag is pulled across the outfield prior to the game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; The teams lineup and the flag is pulled across the outfield prior to the game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next

90. Alan Rangel, RHP

More from Tomahawk Take

Rangel was part of the 2014 July 2nd international free agent class for the Braves, signed out of Mexico. Rangel is a tall lean guy with very long arms and legs on his frame. He’s listed at 6’2, but many have said he’s likely added an inch or two to that, but his listed weight of 165 pounds is likely quite close.

Rangel has a fastball that sits in the low-90s and touches up to 94 along with a very good curve and a good feel for a change for an 18 year-old kid. He has good over-the-top mechanics to generate plane on his fastball. While Rangel may not have elite velocity, his combination of pitches is difficult for hitters to drive, as seen in his low home run rate this year (0.4 HR/9).

On the season, Rangel threw 46 2/3 innings for the Gulf Coast League Braves. He posted a 3.28 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 10/47 BB/K. He does a good job of attacking the zone on hitters, and he forces hitters to hit the ball into his defense.

Rangel will likely be heading to Danville in 2017 to open the season, but with a strong spring or a strong start in Danville, it’s very possible that he’ll finish next season in Rome with his excellent maturity on the mound in attacking hitters.

89. Luis Mejia, 3B

Mejia was brought up to GCL this year, and the 19 year-old struggled to show the same success he had the previous year in the DSL. Mejia has been tagged with solid defensive skills, and he has been labeled with a solid gap-power bat with above-average speed and good strike zone judgement. He did avoid strikeouts at a similar rate with GCL this year, but his walk rate plummeted from nearly 15% to more like 4%, and whether that’s due to lack of playing time, injury, or what, I have not received any clear confirmation.

Mejia has smooth hands around the infield and an average arm that he throws accurately with to play it up to likely above-average. He played mostly at third base, and he probably fits best long term as a utility infielder that can field multiple positions. The guy who I hear Mejia compared to frequently by people who review him is a young Martin Prado, and that defensive flexibility and solid contact would be excellent, though Mejia has some work to do to get to that level of production for sure.

Next: #88 & #87

Home/Braves Minors