Mar 30, 2015; Lakeland, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Chris Johnson (23) prepares to hit in the batting cage before the start of the spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2015; Lakeland, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Chris Johnson (23) prepares to hit in the batting cage before the start of the spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /
Keith Curcio continued his progression up the Atlanta Braves system in 2016. Can the Braves hope for any major league production from him?
Player Profile
The Atlanta Braves selected Keith Christopher Curcio out of Florida Southern College in the 6th round of the 2014 draft.
He was jumped straight to the advanced rookie level with Danville in the Appalachian League for a scant 8 games before showing he was ready for Rome in the low-A South Atlantic League.
Combined between both levels, he played just 16 games, hitting .283/.358/.435 with one home run and one stolen base, posting a 5.45% walk rate and 12.73% strikeout rate.
Curcio came out hitting incredibly well in early 2015 with low-A Rome, hitting over .340 when he was promoted to high-A Carolina in the Carolina League, where he struggled a bit.
Combined between the two levels, Curcio hit .265/.327/.369 with 4 home runs, 24 stolen bases, 10 triples, a 7.65% walk rate, and a 12.99% strikeout rate.
Curcio played the winter in the Australian League in 2015-2016, hitting .219/.276/.248 with no home runs and 9 stolen bases over 152 plate appearances with a 7.24% walk rate and 8.55% strikeout rate.
Curcio spent the entire regular season with Carolina, filling a multitude of roles in the lineup, showing exceptional leadership of the team, especially after all three of Dansby Swanson, Joey Meneses, and Joseph Odom had been promoted to Mississippi.
Curcio hit .271/.352/.389 with 3 home runs, 24 stolen bases, and 8 triples. He also posted a 10.11% walk rate and an 11.99% strikeout rate.
He did finish the season playing in the playoffs with Mississippi. He hit .091/.167/.364 in 5 games as a backup during their playoff run, hitting one home run and striking out 3 times over 11 at bats.
Curcio is listed at 5’10” and 170 pounds, and both could be generous, frankly. He’s a fairly small guy.
Hitting
Contact (55) – Curcio stands in the back of the batter’s box, approaching pitchers by getting the best look he can at pitches.
He has a quick, level swing that can really spray the ball all around the field.
Power (30) – While Curcio has good contact skills, he is more skilled at getting the bat to the ball than getting the BEST part of the bat to the ball.
On top of having limited natural power, that leads to most of Curcio’s power being exhibited through gap power.
Eye (55) – Curcio’s excellent bat control is aided by his tremendous strike zone judgement. He does tend to have a contact-oriented approach, which means he’s not going to take a ton of walks, but he also does not strike out at a high level either.
Base Running/Fielding
Speed (60) – Curcio’s small size does have one advantage in that he has tremendous quickness, getting his feet down quickly.
He has both short burst and also solid long distance speed, allowing him to disrupt pitchers while he’s on base and also take an extra base on a gap hit.
Defense (55) – Curcio’s speed also allows him to be an above-average defender essentially wherever he’s placed around the field. He shows solid outfield range at all three positions, though his reads off the bat are only average.
At second, he’s passable, though probably not a guy you’d want starting long term either.
Arm (50) – Curcio’s arm is average in the outfield, though he does very well setting himself up for accurate throws from the outfield.
At second, I was impressed with how well Curcio threw as many outfielder struggle with the move to the infield, especially to second base.
MLB Player Comp
Considering who I would use in this spot was difficult until I talked with a couple scouts this offseason. One brought up a player as a future MLB “best case” role for Curcio, and in watching a bunch more video, I think it’s a good fit.
Skip Schumaker came up with the Cardinals as a solid contact-hitting infielder that could also handle outfield, which is reverse in positioning, but still the same positions.
Their offensive skills are also similar, even with similar swings from the left side. Schumaker ended up having a 3 year run as a starter for the Cardinals before slipping into more of a reserve role. He didn’t appear in the majors in 2016 after getting his first real long look in 2007.
A solid decade of contributing to a major league team is certainly nothing to sneeze at, and I think Curcio’s speed could provide even a bit more value if he could crack the majors than Schumaker was able to offer.
