Atlanta Braves 2018 Minor League Review: Right-handed starters

Upper minors

So, six guys that could make the major publications’ top 100 lists, and five of them made the major leagues. Of course, we’ll lead off with the one who did not. Ian Anderson came into the Atlanta Braves system with so much question due to his pick at #3 overall. Anderson received plenty of scrutiny due to his draft slot.

This season, Ian took a significant step forward, and the Braves rewarded him by letting him exercise his tools all the way to AA, and he incredibly performed better at AA. Overall, Anderson made 24 starts, tossing 119 1/3 innings, with a 2.49 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 49/142 BB/K ratio.

The definition of a guy that every team wants in their farm system, Enderson Franco had incredible value this year, pitching between AA and AAA, though just one of those was at AAA. He mad 29 appearances, 21 of them starts, throwing 133 1/3 innings. He posted a 3.85 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, with a 45/131 BB/K ratio that defined just how important he was to the organization, being able to hold down Mississippi’s rotation all season as multiple pieces were in flux.

Last June, the Atlanta Braves drafted Connor Johnstone in the 21st round out of Wake Forest. No way they would have imagined how quickly he would take to the role of org arm. His exceptional control and consistent performance may not be such that he’ll have a long major league career, but he’s had enough success in the upper minors that it cannot be put aside. Over the season, pitching for high-A Florida, AA Mississippi, and AAA Gwinnett, Johnstone made 30 appearances, 12 of them starts, tossing 87 1/3 innings. He posted a 3.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 26/71 BB/K ratio.

Originally undrafted out of Jackson State Community College, Wes Parsons had a lean, wiry frame that could fire hard-breaking pitches when the Braves brought him into the organization in 2013. He immediately made an impact with Rome’s rotation, but injuries and struggles with consistency in his delivery has set Parsons back.

Over the last two seasons, Parsons has maintained not just health, but performance, excelling as a swing man in the upper levels, posting a 2.76 ERA between AA and AAA over 24 games and 21 starts, with 117 1/3 innings and a 35/104 BB/K ratio. He even earned a promotion to the major leagues and made his major league debut this season.

Another of an impressive group that the Atlanta Braves have put together that is able to fill in the AA/AAA rotation or work effectively as a swingman, Andres Santiago was in his second year in the Braves organization in 2018. Overall, he pitched in 26 games, 15 of them starts, hurling 105 1/3 innings, with a 4.61 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and a 38/78 BB/K ratio.

Before the 2018 season, Mike Soroka was widely considered the top pitching prospect in the Atlanta Braves system. He did nothing this year to dissuade that opinion, posting a 1.76 ERA over 30 2/3 innings in the minors with a 6/34 BB/K ratio. He was shining in his time in the majors, battling through adjustments to a 3.51 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over 25 2/3 innings with a 7/21 BB/K ratio before an injury to his shoulder kept him out for the rest of the year. He’ll figure prominently in the plans for the 2019 rotation.

Perhaps the pitcher who has moved himself forward most in the immediate plans of the team this year is Touki Toussaint. Simplifying his delivery and focusing his grip on his pitch to allow his change to play with more effect allowed Touki to make 24 starts between AA/AAA, pitching 136 1/3 innings, with a 2.38 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, recording a 53/163 BB/K ratio. He’s come up to the major leagues, and he’s made a strong push for a playoff rotation spot by posting a 4.18 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 28 innings with a 21/29 BB/K ratio. The walks are concerning, certainly, but he’s shown enough to be very, very excited for his future.

One guy I’ve been keeping an eye on since his draft is Jeremy Walker, who is on this list due to one AAA start to finish his season, though he spent most of his year in high-A. Walker’s inconsistency was shown well by his monthly splits. Walker spent 3 of his 5 months with 2.67 or lower ERA and 1.28 or lower WHIP, but then had two months over 6 ERA and over 1.65 WHIP. He finished the season very strong, and over his final 9 starts, he posted a 2.50 ERA in 57 2/3 innings, 1.16 WHIP, and an impressive 14/46 BB/K ratio to finish the year.

The 2017 season saw the incredible rise of Ronald Acuna to the top prospect in the game, starting in high-A. Bryse Wilson climbed the same ladder in 2018, and he even made it to the major leagues. In the minors, Wilson tossed 125 2/3 innings, with a 3.44 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a 36/143 BB/K. He’s been sparsely used in the major leagues, unfortunately, and he’s struggled to find consistency in part due to the lack of use, posting a 6.43 ERA over 7 innings.

Really, a forgotten man at this point, Matt Withrow is still part of the Atlanta Braves organization, and in early 2017, a pro scout worked a week in Mississippi, labeling the rotation the first he’d seen with five potential major league arms. Another scout later recalled that Withrow was the best pitcher in Mississippi in April 2017. Injuries took him down in 2017, and he has not yet returned. Withrow may end up in the bullpen going forward, but his talented arm is one that people forget when considering the depth of the organization.

Drafted just last summer as the Atlanta Braves first round selection, Kyle Wright flew up the Braves system in 2018. He posted a 3.46 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 138 minor league innings, hurling a 51/133 BB/K ratio, numbers that belie just how quickly he adjusted to pro ball and learned on the fly to attack batters. Wright, like Wilson has struggled with a late-season promotion due to inconsistent use, posting a 4.50 ERA over 6 innings, but with a 6/5 BB/K ratio.

Phew! That’s a loaded group! Let’s take a look at the guys who populated the lower levels…