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Atlanta Braves Midseason Top 50 Prospects: 21-30

By Benjamin Chase

May 25, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Rio Ruiz (14) throws to first base but is unable to make the out in the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Rio Ruiz (14) throws to first base but is unable to make the out in the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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30. Carlos Castro, 1B, Florida Fire Frogs

Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic as a catcher, Castro is a great example of the Braves’ continued scouting on players in Latin America beyond just the 13-15 year olds in showcases for the July 2nd signings. Atlanta has been known for finding gems that they signed at 18-19 years old in Latin America, which is usually indicative of a prospect that many teams had passed on at that point typically.

Castro struggled as a catcher, but after he moved full time to first base, his bat took off, hitting .319/.340/.412 in 50 games with Danville in 2015. Castro had never really hit for power nor walked much, so he worked with the Braves coaches to adjust his swing to help him tap into his natural power.

That led to leading the entire Atlanta Braves minor league system in home runs in 2016, with 17 home runs for low-A Rome, in just 84 games, hitting .266/.301/.508.

Castro opened strong with Florida, but he’s really struggled since he was hit in the head with a pitch on May 11th, missing 20 games and hitting .162/.159/.235 since returning.

29. A.J. Minter, LHP, Florida Fire Frogs

A Texan lefty with a big arm, Minter was drafted in the 38th round out of high school in 2012, but he had a strong commitment to college at Texas A&M, and after three seasons with the Aggies, the Braves selected him in the 2nd round of the 2015 draft.

Minter was coming off of surgery, which took him from an early first round talent to their second round selection. While some were worried about Minter’s desire to start, the Braves had him do nothing but relieve in 2016, and even then, they were very careful not to pitch him on back to back days or for deep appearances.

The results were dynamic, as Minter left a lot of flailing bats in his wake, pitching 34 2/3 innings, with a 1.30 combined ERA across 3 levels in 2016, posting a 0.84 WHIP and a 11/47 BB/K ratio.

Minter’s small stature and incredible arm speed puts his arm in some future injury worry, and he’s struggled to get healthy this year due to initial arm soreness and then feeling rough after his first appearance of the season. He’s been absolutely dominant as usual when on the mound, but that health will be the big question going forward. So far in 2017, he’s made 6 appearances, throwing 6 innings, allowing a 1.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and a 0/10 BB/K ratio.

Next: 28, 27

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