May 14, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Atlanta Braves cap and glove on the field prior to a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
May 14, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Atlanta Braves cap and glove on the field prior to a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
Atlanta Braves Minor League Weekend Wrap Up
Transactions
5/25 – RHP Matt Wisler recalled from Gwinnett Braves by Atlanta Braves 5/25 – RHP Danny Reynolds activated from 7-day DL by Mississippi Braves 5/25 – OF Connor Lien assigned to Danville Braves from Mississippi Braves 5/26 – 3B Adonis Garcia sent on rehab assignment to Gwinnett Braves 5/27 – LHP Eric O’Flaherty sent on rehab assignment to Gwinnett Braves 5/28 – RHP Enrique Burgos activated from 7-day DL by Gwinnett Braves 5/28 – RHP Kris Medlen assigned to Mississippi Braves from Florida Fire Frogs 5/28 – LHP Joe Rogers assigned to Rome Braves from Mississippi Braves 5/28 – RHP Andres Santiago assigned to Florida Fire Frogs from Danville Braves 5/28 – LHP Oriel Caicedo placed on 7-day DL by Rome Braves
Hitter of the week: This one really isn’t even close. Brett Cumberland absolutely dominated the week in the system. It’s not just that he had a great week, which he did, hitting .429/.500/.964 with 8 runs scored, three doubles, four home runs, 15 RBI, and even getting a stolen base to top it off.
It’s that Cumberland so far outpaced everyone else in the system. He had 15 RBI on the week. While my tracking may have missed someone, for sure no one else even had double digits on the week, and I could not find anyone with more than 6. Cumberland’s slugging percentage was better than all but 5 guys in the entire system put up for an OPS!
Cumberland’s bat is certainly coming alive now in his second season in the Braves system, though many fans are certainly eager to see him more behind the plate this season, which has been spent primarily as a designated hitter.
Honorable mention: A name from the 2015 draft that missed a significant portion of 2016 due to injury and fell out of mind of a lot of those who don’t follow the Braves minor league system deeply is Kurt Hoekstra. Assigned to Rome to open the 2017 season, he’s made starts at first base, third base, and shortstop this season for Rome, and while his bat struggled to open he season, it exploded with authority in coming alive this week.
Hoekstra hit .391/.440/.739 with 5 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, and a slick 2/2 BB/K ratio.
Pitcher of the week: With two tremendous starts on the week, the choice is pretty clearly Bryse Wilson on the week. While many were clamoring over the first three high school arms selected by the Braves in the 2016 draft, Wilson simply went out and put up the best stats of any of them as the team’s 4th round selection.
He’s continued that this season, sporting a sub-2 ERA over his first 10 starts for Rome this season, but this week was very good as he made two starts, going 11 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 9 hits and no walks, striking out 10.
Honorable mention: While Wilson’s pair of starts was better, Rome saw the Braves’ 2016 top draftee have his best start of the season as well for the best individual game of the week as Ian Anderson went 6 innings, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk, striking out 11, good for an 80 game score.
Next: Gwinnett Braves
AAA Gwinnett Braves (26-22)
Thursday
Buffalo used a 4-run 3rd inning to power past Gwinnett 4-1. Lucas Sims threw well outside of that one inning, posting 5 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, striking out 4. In the 3rd inning, he allowed all 4 runs, all 3 walks, and a home run. The other 4 innings, he scattered 4 hits, allowing no runs, walking none, and striking out 4.
Gwinnett backed a solid start from Aaron Blair to defeat Syracuse 6-2. Blair went 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, striking out 3. Caleb Dirks threw two perfect relief innings, striking out 3.
Mel Rojas, Jr. had a single, two walks, and a stolen base. Xavier Avery and Johan Camargo each had a triple. Anthony Recker had a double. Lane Adams had a stolen base.
Saturday
Gwinnett showed very well offensively on Saturday with 13 hits as they defeated Syracuse 6-4. Andrew Albers got the start, going 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and a walk, striking out 5.
Johan Camargo had a double and two singles. Ozzie Albies had a double and single. Carlos Franco and Xavier Avery each had two singles. David Freitas had two walks. Mel Rojas, Jr. had a double and a hit by pitch. Dustin Peterson had a single and a hit by pitch. Lane Adams had a triple. Adonis Garcia stole a base.
Sunday
Gwinnett closed out the weekend with a 6-1 victory over Syracuse Sunday. Sean Newcomb took the hill for the G-Braves, going 5 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 9.
Lane Adams had a big day at the plate, with two doubles, a single, and a stolen base. Anthony Recker had a home run and a double. Carlos Franco had a double and a walk. Mel Rojas, Jr. had a single and a walk. Johan Camargo had a double.
Leaders
BA: David Freitas .319 OBP: David Freitas .434 HR: Sean Kazmar, Lane Adams, and Mel Rojas, Jr. 5 SB: Ozzie Albies 14 W: Andrew Albers and Lucas Sims 4 SV: David Peterson 5 SO: Sean Newcomb 67 ERA: Rhiner Cruz 2.04
The series between two of the best pitching teams in the Southern League lived up to the hype on Thursday as Pensacola defeated Mississippi on Thursday 2-0. Kolby Allard was outdueled, but he hrew well, going 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks, striking out 5.
Two excellent starters at the beginning of the game gave way to the bullpens, and the Mississippi squad fell to Pensacola 6-5. Matt Withrow got the start, going 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 his and a walk, striking out 4.
Keith Curcio had four singles. Ronald Acuna had a double, two singles, and stole a base. Travis Demeritte had a triple and a single. Levi Hyams had a pair of singles.
Saturday
Pensacola put up an excellent attack plan with Max Fried, but he also showed good resolve pitching through that approach, as Mississippi lost 4-2. Fried went 5 2/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks, striking out 6.
Kade Scivicque had a solo home run and was hit by a pitch. Jared James had a triple and a walk. Keith Curcio had a triple. Ronald Acuna had a double.
Sunday
Mississippi scored 3 in the bottom of the 7th inning to take away a 3-2 victory over Pensacola on Sunday. Michael Mader made the start, going 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and 4 walks, striking out 4. Jesse Biddle provided 3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2.
Ronald Acuna had two singles. Jared James had a single and a walk. Reed Harper had two walks.
Leaders
BA: Ronald Acuna .375 OBP: Ronald Acuna .439 HR: Carlos Franco 11 SB: Connor Lien 11 W: Mike Soroka 5 SV: Akeel Morris 4 SO: Max Fried and Mike Soroka 51 ERA: Kolby Allard 1.83
Video Highlights
Next: Florida Fire Frogs
Florida Fire Frogs (21-30)
Thursday
Florida dropped a double header Thursday by identical 8-1 scores. In the first game, Kris Medlen made his second rehab start, and it went much worse than his first. Medlen threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up 5 runs on 9 hits and a walk, striking out 3.
Touki Toussaint took the hill for game 2, and he went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, striking out 6. Tyler Neslony had a double and two singles.
Friday
Palm Beach pounded Florida starter Enderson Franco to defeat the Fire Frogs 10-1. Franco went 2 innings, allowing 9 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks.
Anfernee Seymour and Braxton Davidson each had a single and a walk. Tyler Neslony and Austin Riley each had a double.
Saturday
Florida only scored in two innings, but they made use of those two scoring opportunities to defeat Palm Beach 7-4. Tyler Pike made the start, going 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks, striking out 4.
Austin Riley had a triple and a single. Tyler Neslony had a double and a single. Braxton Davidson had a double and a walk. Omar Obregon had a single, walk, and a stolen base. Anfernee Seymour, Alay Lago, and Ray-Patrick Didder each had a double.
Sunday
Florida became the first 30-loss Atlanta Braves minor league affiliate with a 12-4 loss to Palm Beach on Sunday. Drew Harrington took the hill, but he lasted just 4 innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2.
Ray-Patrick Didder had two singles and a walk. Tanner Murphy had two singles. Anfernee Seymour and Tyler Neslony each had a single and a walk.
Leaders
BA: Carlos Castro .345 OBP: Anfernee Seymour .382 HR: Alex Jackson 10 SB: Ronald Acuna 14 W: Tyler Pike and Drew Harrington 4 SV: Devan Watts 3 SO: Tyler Pike 58 ERA: Devan Watts 1.45
Video Highlights
No Video Available
Next: Rome Braves
Rome Braves (28-21)
Thursday
Rome took a 1-1 game into the 10th inning and came out with a 6-2 victory over Augusta on Thursday. Ian Anderson had a brilliant game, going 6 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk, striking out 11.
Rome finished strong to get the win 5-3 over Augusta. Ryan Lawlor left after 2/3 of an inning, giving up 2 runs on a hit and 4 walks. Tucker Davidson picked up the pitching staff, going 4 1/3 shutout innings in relief, allowing 3 hits and no walks, striking out 2.
Brett Cumberland had two singles, a walk, was hit by pitch, and stole a base. Lucas Herbert had a single and two walks. Cristian Pache had a single and a walk. Anthony Concepcion had a double. Randy Ventura stole a base.
Saturday
Rome fell in an excellent pitchers’ duel on Saturday to Augusta 1-0. Bryse Wilson had a great start, going 6 scoreless innings, allowing 5 hits and no walks, striking out 6.
Brett Cumberland was the only Rome hitter to reach base twice with a double and a single.
Sunday
Rome struck early and late, bunching their runs in the first three innings and the last two, defeating Augusta 9-1 on Sunday. Jeremy Walker had by far his best start of the season, going 7 strong innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and a walk, striking out 10.
Kurt Hoekstra had a double, triple, and two walks. Brett Cumberland had a home run, single, and was hit by pitch. Cristian Pache had a single, two walks, and stole a base. Justin Ellison had a home run, single, and a stolen base. Randy Ventura had a double and a single. Anthony Concepcion had two walks. Lucas Herbert had a single and a walk. Marcus Mooney had a stolen base.
Leaders
BA: Randy Ventura .335 OBP: Brett Cumberland .450 HR: Brett Cumberland 7 SB: Randy Ventura 17 W: Oriel Caicedo and Jon Kennedy 5 SV: Brandon White 5 SO: Ian Anderson 59 ERA: Brandon White 1.80
