Atlanta Braves 2016-2017 Top 100 Prospects: 31-40
38. Keith Curcio, OF
I was describing my list to someone before doing the write-ups, and they asked me where the guys who are “my favorites” are. I said, other than the elite talents, of course, that it seemed that my favorites were bunched from about 31-41, with others scattered around. Curcio definitely fits into that bill.
Curcio was drafted in the 6th round in 2014 by the Braves. He pushed to Rome in his first season in the system, hitting a combined .283/.358/.435 across two levels in just 55 plate appearances.
In 2015, he started with Rome and was a hitting fool before being promoted to Carolina. After a rough start, he had a very good finish to the season. In all, he hit .265/.327/.369 with 10 triples, 4 home runs, and 24 stolen bases.
Curcio returned to Carolina in 2016, and he was the one constant in that Mudcat lineup all season, finishing with a .271/.352/.389 slash, 8 triples, 3 home runs, 24 stolen bases and a 54/64 BB/K ratio over 534 plate appearances.
Curcio is about the perfect definition of a baseball grinder. He’s a guy who just goes out every day and does what it takes to help his team win. The video I posted above him was one of my favorite moments that I caught live watching the minors this year. Curcio’s joy after that home run in the playoffs for Mississippi was palpable through a computer screen.
Curcio has shown the ability to handle second base as well as being passable in center and left. He’s probably never going to win a Gold Glove at any position, but he won’t hurt you anywhere he plays.
On offense, he’s not going to be a big power guy, but Curcio does have very good speed and above all, excellent baseball instincts that allow him to use that speed to get an extra base, whether by steal or by taking an extra base running the bases.
While Curcio may never be an elite starter, he’s continued to show his value as a player that keeps working hard, and he has enough talent that he could certainly be an excellent bench piece in the majors if not a guy who could start for a few years at his best.
Curcio will likely open 2017 in Mississippi and his performance there will dictate his future role – bench or fringe starter.
37. Bryse Wilson, RHP
While many noted the trio of excellent high school starters that the Braves drafted with their first three selections in the 2016 draft, their 4th round pick out of high school in North Carolina had probably a more storied background.
In his senior year of high school, Wilson threw three no-hitters, one of which was a perfect game in the first round of the state playoffs!
Wilson has a bit of a long arm motion in his delivery, which could lead to control issues in the future, but certainly in the GCL, he didn’t have any issue with that.
You could make a legitimate argument that Wilson had the best GCL performance of any 2016 HS draftee, throwing 26 2/3 innings with a 0.68 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 8/29 BB/K ratio.
Wilson has a fastball that can top out at 96 but sits more like 91-93 with a slider that was impressive in its break. His change is the pitch that needs the most work currently as he struggles to have consistent arm angle with the fastball to change.
The big question going forward will be how well Wilson keeps his delivery, and if he can do that, he has enough in his current repertoire to do very well as a starter. If he struggles with that delivery, he could make a very, very good reliever.
I’d wager that he moves to Danville to open 2017, likely starting with fellow 2016 draftee Kyle Muller as a very exciting 1-2 in that Danville rotation.
Next: #36 & #35