Atlanta Braves: Top 5 low-exposure prospects to keep an eye on

Most Braves fans have familiarized themselves with prospects closer to making their MLB debuts, but not many fans know about the guys sitting in the lower minor league levels. The farm system is as deep as ever, and some of these guys may earn big promotions in 2018.

The Atlanta Braves have a seemingly never-ending prospect list, and naturally, talented guys will get lost in the mix due to bad stretches of play or simply a lack of attention to the lower minor league levels.

We know all about guys like Mike Soroka, Kolby Allard, Ronald Acuña and Austin Riley. Aside from coverage of the Braves in Atlanta, the team’s writers have done a great job of keeping fans well-informed about the guys knocking on the door to the Major Leagues.

However, guys that haven’t yet made it to the upper-levels of the minor leagues don’t get the exposure that the aforementioned do, simply because the big-time writers have enough on their hands with the MLB and higher-level clubs. There’s just not a lot of time to squeeze everyone into conversation.

For the purpose of this article, all players that have played at the high-A level and/or are a top-10 Braves’ prospect are excluded from the list, as they’ve gotten a decent amount of exposure one way or another.

Kicking off my top-5 list is a guy whose name you’ve probably heard recently, but might not know much about.

4. Kyle Muller – LHP

There’s nothing I love more than a big, powerful lefty, and that’s essentially Kyle Muller in a nutshell. The 6-6 20-year-old was dominant in his GCL debut in 2016 (10 G, 27.2 IP), posting a miniscule 0.65 ERA and allowing just 4.6 H/9. That kind of performance was encouraging, but impossible to sustain as Muller moved up to Danville in 2017.

As expected, Muller came back down to Earth this season, posting a 4.15 ERA over 11 starts. Despite his not-so-sexy ERA, however, there were still a few things for the Braves to smile about in 2017.

Six of Muller’s starts with Danville went five innings, and five of those starts would have been a quality start had he pitched just one more inning. The young hurler was also able to cut down on his walk rate, going from 3.9 BB/9 with the GCL Braves to 3.4 BB/9 with Danville. Both of these are huge steps in the right direction for the 20-year-old, despite not being as dominant as before.

Kyle Muller won’t need another year with a rookie league team. I’m confident he’ll start 2018 in Rome, and could make it as far as AA before the year’s end. I’m extremely high on Muller because of his size and high strikeout rate, but he’s improving where he needs to improve. He’ll be exciting.

3. Thomas Burrows – LHP

Thomas Burrows is the only college guy on this list. He picked up 30 saves over three seasons as the University of Alabama’s closer, and dominated the SEC during his junior season, posting a 0.95 ERA in 21 relief appearances.

Burrows was drafted by the Mariners in 2016, and was acquired by the Atlanta Braves in the Luiz Gohara trade that sent Mallex Smith and Shae Simmons to Seattle.

In Rome this season, Thomas Burrows didn’t disappoint. He put up a 2.14 ERA to go along with a nasty 12.4 K/9 in 66.2 innings of relief. 21 of Burrows’ 38 appearances this year lasted two or more innings. This is a signal that the Braves may not be grooming him as a closer, but as a long relief option, which makes him even more valuable.

Whether Burrows becomes a setup man or a multi-inning guy in the MLB, it’s clear that this guy is the real deal, and could pitch at the highest level as early as September of 2018. His college experience will benefit him greatly as he hurries through the Braves’ system.

2. Cristian Pache – OF

If the Atlanta Braves are looking to add some speed to their roster in the coming years, Cristian Pache is definitely a guy they should keep around. Pache was an international signing back in 2015, and has shown nothing but great signs since his arrival.

After slashing a healthy .309/.349/.391 between the GCL and Danville in 2016, Pache followed up with a slightly less impressive, yet still encouraging .281/.335/.343 line in Rome this season. You can’t ask much of an 18-year-old, but Pache’s impressed many with his play nonetheless.

I mentioned speed earlier, and I didn’t do so lightheartedly. In 176 career minor league games, Cristian Pache is 43-for-62 stealing bases, and has racked up 15 triples. If you aren’t excited yet, you’re probably a fan of one of the 29 MLB teams that will have to suffer at Pache’s expense.

Good luck.

Cristian Pache should start 2018 at high-A Florida, where he’d take on fellow speedster and likely AA call-up Anfernee Seymour‘s duties. He’ll thrive in Florida, just as he has at each minor league stop thus far.

1. Bryse Wilson – RHP

Arguably the Atlanta Braves’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Bryse Wilson may be my favorite pitching prospect. Like Kyle Muller, Wilson dominated the Gulf Coast League in his short time there.

After posting a 0.68 ERA in 9 GCL starts in 2016, Bryse Wilson dominated with Rome to the tune of a 2.50 ERA in 137 innings. His 9.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 at just 19 years-old are a sign that he’s far more advanced than most pitchers his age. There aren’t many 19-year-olds that have such impeccable control against guys that are, on average, 2.9 years older than them.

Wilson is currently listed as the Braves’ number-19 prospect, but I’d expect that to change drastically in the 2018 preseason rankings. His dominance played well past his overall grade of just 45 on the 20-to-80 scale, and he’s still got plenty of time to develop.

While it can be risky to make assumptions about a player based on his performance at only minor league levels, Bryse Wilson is one of those guys I’m willing to go ahead and go all-in on. With pitching depth the Braves have, he may not remain a starter, but this kid is going to be special no matter where he’s situated in the MLB.

Not Just the Front-page Headliners

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From top to bottom, the Braves’ list of prospects is extremely impressive. They’ve got guys at the back-end of their top-30 that project to be successful MLB players. That’s something that can’t be said about many clubs’ farm systems.

When taking into account that there are guys like Kevin Maitan and Joey Wentz that didn’t make this list due to their prospect rankings, it’s evident that the future of the Atlanta Braves is bright. They’ve got waves of prospects on a beeline to the Major Leagues, ensuring that the big league club will see success for more than just a few years. This system could be one of the best ever.

Next: It's time to ditch Matt Kemp

I’m excited to see how the projections for these young guys hold up over time, as well as the eventual impact they have in Atlanta. One thing’s certain, though: The Atlanta Braves are going to be very good for a very long time.