Atlanta Braves Minor League Weekend Wrap, Memorial Day
Atlanta Braves Minor League Weekend Wrap Up
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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