5 Atlanta Braves minor leaguers who could surprise this year
By Josh Brown
Right Handed Pitcher – Devan Watts
Devan Watts is sort of a new breed of pitcher. He’s being groomed to be a bullpen guy right out of the gate. Watts was drafted by the Braves last year in the 17th round out of Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee. (Fun fact – Tusculum’s home park, Pioneer Field, is also home to the Houston Astro’s rookie ball club, the Greeneville Astros. It was built in 2004, but looks very old school. Highly recommended.)
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Our own Benjamin Chase did a fantastic scouting report on Devan several months ago. He throws in the mid-90’s and has a wicked slider so far, but what makes him more intriguing has been his ability to handle guys on base.
When I watched him up close in Rome last year, I saw a guy who didn’t care about the well-being of the guy at the plate or the guys on base. He posted a 0.92 ERA in Rome last year and 23 strikeouts over 19.2 IP. Small sample size, but promising.
Based on his performances in Danville and Rome, we know that Devan has good stuff and can throw. But now we’ll see if he can pitch.
So far in Florida, he’s posted a 2.25 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP. We’ll see if it lasts, but based on his makeup, I think the chances are good. Look for that WHIP to drop before making it to Mississippi.