ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 7: Arodys Vizcaino #38 of the Atlanta Braves throws a ninth inning pitch against the Miami Marlins at Turner Field on August 7, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 20: Chad Sobbotka #61 of the Atlanta Braves throws a ninth inning pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies at SunTrust Park on September 20, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
With the minor league season complete, it’s time to take a look back at the performances in the Atlanta Braves system this year.
With the major league club reaching success, many Atlanta Braves fans have shifted their focus from the intense scrutiny of the minor league system that was the norm for the last few seasons to a more concerted cheering for the big league squad – and that’s expected. However, there were some very notable things to happen in the minor league system this year, so it’s definitely worthwhile to review all that happened!
This will part of our positional reviews here at Tomahawk Take. We will begin with catcher and work our way through the infield, outfield, right-handed starters, left-handed starter, and relievers. Finally, we will announce our Tomahawk Take 2018 Atlanta Braves organizational team of the year and team awards. That will all lead up to the top 100 prospect list that will once again appear on this page after a year’s hiatus while our Benjamin Chase was working with other sites (though he did produce a top 100 last season, just not with TT!).
We’ll then push into our awards for the season in the minor leagues, finishing with the start of our Braves top 100 on October 15th! So, let’s take a look at the outfielders in the Atlanta Braves system…
Position review
The Atlanta Braves have put together some incredible arms in their farm system, both starters and relievers. They currently have a host of power arms from the right side with a chance to be major league relievers down the road. Along with the starters who move to the bullpen, there should be plenty of arms for the Braves to choose from over the next few seasons to fill out the bullpen.
We’ll go through the deep group of relievers one-by-one here, but warning, this is going to be extensive!!
Let’s dig deeper into those players!
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 31: Josh Ravvin #71 of the Atlanta Braves throws an ninth inning inning pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies at SunTrust Park on March 31, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
Upper minors
The biggest success story of relievers in the Atlanta Braves system in 2018 was certainly Chad Sobotka. A tall righty with a hard sinker and slider that had struggled with injury, Sobotka was finally healthy in 2018. He jumped from high-A all the way to the majors, making such an impression at the major league level to earn a spot on the postseason roster with the Braves.
Combined across three levels of the minors, Sobotka made 44 appearances, tossing 57 2/3 innings, with a 2.03 ERA and 1.02 WHIP, posting a 29/77 BB/K ratio. Once in the majors, he made 14 appearances, pitching 14 1/3 innings, with a 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and a 9/21 BB/K ratio, flashing triple-digit heat and poise beyond his experience level.
Converted from catcher to pitcher at Oregon before being drafted in the 4th round in 2015, Josh Graham has struggled at tiems with his control. In 2018, that was once he got to AA Mississippi. Combined between high-A Florida and AA Mississippi, he posted a 5.71 ERA over 63 innings with a 1.62 WHIP and a 41/74 BB/K.
The Braves first round pick in 2013, Jason Hursh has been solid, if not spectacular in the bullpen as a ground-ball master. In 2018, he spent his time between AA and AAA, posting a 3.71 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and a 38/58 BB/K ratio over 68 innings with 14 saves.
After years in Cuba, Elian Leyva was signed by the Braves at 29 years old and spent his first season in the Braves org in 2018 between AA and AAA, with a 2.69 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 25/79 BB/K over 34 games, 5 of them starts, tossing 87 innings.
Former University of Georgia pitcher Sean McLaughlin struggled in 2018 between high-A Florida and AA Mississippi, posting a 6.14 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and a 22/31 BB/K ratio over 40 games and 58 2/3 innings.
Brought in from the Dodgers organization, Josh Ravin had a rough season with injuries, making just 19 appearances in AAA and 2 major league appearances, though his time in AAA was good, with a 0.00 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 9/30 BB/K ratio over 18 2/3 innings.
The Braves gave Miguel Socolovich a few calls early on in the season to the major league level, but he posted a ghastly 10.80 ERA over 5 innings. He showed better in 30 appearances with Gwinnett, posting a 2.65 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 51 innings, with a 12/49 BB/K ratio.
Signed as a minor league free agent before the 2018 season out of the Texas Rangers organization, Kelvin Vasquez pitched across three levels in 2018, though he spent most of his time in AA Mississippi. Overall, he made 31 appearances, tossing 52 1/3 innings, with a 5.16 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and a 31/41 BB/K.
An elite strikeout reliever, Jacob Webb simply needs to keep his devastating stuff in the zone to have a future at the back end of a major league bullpen. In 2018, he pitched across AA and AAA, making 51 appearances, throwing 54 1/3 innings, with a 3.15 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 18 saves, and 23/69 BB/K ratio.
The Braves brought in Chase Whitley after the Rays put him on waivers. Injuries bugged his 2018 season, however, limiting him to just one poor appearance in the majors and only 18 appearances in the minors. In those 18 games, he tossed 29 2/3 innings, with a 4.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and a 7/28 BB/K ratio.
A-ball
The righty from Michigan State, Walter Borkovich, pitched his first full season in the Atlanta Braves organization in 2018, and he may have asserted himself as one of the surprise prospects in the entire organization. Used primarily as a starter for most of the season with Rome, he made 3 starts late in the season before getting 3 more starts in Florida where he didn’t allow a single run.
Between the two levels, Borkovich made 34 appearances, 6 of them starts, tossing 85 2/3 innings, with an incredible 1.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 15/56 BB/K ratio, using his incredible sinker to generate plenty of weak contact.
Picked in the 4th round of the 2017 draft, Troy Bacon has been a very solid reliever in his first full season in the Atlanta Braves organization, splitting his time between Florida and Rome. Combined, he made 32 appearances, tossing 54 1/3 innings, with a 2.48 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and a 18/55 BB/K.
A 37th round pick in the 2018 draft, the 6’7″ 245-pound Alex Camacho made a big impression out of the bullpen, getting 4 games between the two A-ball levels after 14 in the Gulf Coast League. In those 18 games, he tossed 30 2/3 innings, with a 3.82 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 11/30 BB/K ratio.
Picked from the University of Iowa in the 19th round this June, Zach Daniels pitched well enough with Danville to earn a promotion to Rome to finish out the season. He totaled 17 games and 25 1/3 innings pitched, with a 2.13 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 10/20 BB/K ratio.
A 17th round pick in 2017, Cutter Dyals continued his solid, albeit not spectacular work with Rome in 2018, making 28 appearances and throwing 47 2/3 innings, allowing a 3.02 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 20/43 BB/K ratio.
Another Cuban relief signee for 2018, Daysbel Hernandez spent the 2018 season working between both A-ball levels with plenty of success with Rome, but finding the sledding more difficult at the high-A level in Florida. In total, he made 21 appearances, with a 4.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 23/36 BB/K over 38 innings.
Pitching across both A-ball levels in 2018, Lander product Brandon White was purely dominant with Rome, but then couldn’t seem to fool a soul with Florida. He posted a 1.23 ERA with a 9/40 BB/K ratio over 36 2/3 innings with Rome and a 7.77 ERA and a 15/14 BB/K ratio over 22 innings with Florida. Overall, he finished with a 3.68 ERA over 41 appearances and 58 2/3 innings, saving 11 games, with a 24/54 BB/K ratio and 1.30 WHIP.
The 7th round pick for the Braves this June out of Stetson, Brooks Wilson was so dominant with Danville that he earned a promotion to Rome to finish the season. He finished with 17 games pitched, 27 2/3 innings, and a 1.30 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 9/25 BB/K ratio.
Rookie Ball
After two seasons attempting to make it as an infielder, Alex Aquino made the transition in 2017 to the mound. In 2018, he made many more appearances with GCL, still showing plenty of raw tools to impress on the mound, but with plenty of polish still needed, even to make it as a reliever. He finished with a 5.92 ERA over 24 1/3 innings.
An impressive young arm with control issues, Jorge Bautista tossed 8 games for DSL, accumulating 11 1/3 innings with a 3.18 ERA.
After a pair of seasons in the DSL, Javier Ciriaco finally broke through to the GCL in 2018, posting a total of 16 games between DSL and GCL with a 1.58 ERA over 40 innings with a 20/43 BB/K ratio.
An older signee from the Dominican, 22-year-old Carlos De La Cruz tossed 27 2/3 innings over 13 games with a 2.28 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 9/17 BB/K.
Originally born in Boston, Luis Diaz was signed out of the Dominican after establishing residency there, and he’s a very promising young arm. He is quite raw, however, as his 16/22 BB/K over 32 2/3 innings in the DSL shows.
The Braves got just 4 1/3 innings out of 18th round pick Cameron Kurz this season, but the UC-San Diego product impressed in those innings, not allowing a single run and posting a 1/7 BB/K ratio.
A raw outfield prospect, the Atlanta Braves chose to move Yoeli Lopez to the mound to use his elite arm. He’s still quite raw as a pitcher in his first year on the mound, but he showed incredible flashes, pitching to an 8.79 ERA over 14 1/3 innings, striking out 18.
Drafted in the 24th round in 2017, Jackson Lourie spent his second season with the GCL in 2018, pitching to a 4.76 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over 22 2/3 innings.
Mason McReaken went through the 2018 draft unselected, and the Braves signed him at the end of July, so he had just a month with the org to show his skills. Pitching with Danville, McReaken made 7 appearances, tossing 12 innings, with a 1.50 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and an 8/15 BB/K ratio.
One of the elite arms in the system, Luis Mora spent most of 2018 on the disabled list, looking rough when he was with Danville on rehab, striking out 7 over 6 innings, but also walking 7 as well.
In his first season in the DSL, Roddery Munoz showed his incredible arm strength but also his difficulty controlling that elite raw stuff, with a 6.88 ERA and a 14/17 BB/K over 17 innings. He’ll need to show big improvements in control to come stateside in 2019.
Using a wicked moving sinker, Miguel Pena posted a 5.32 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP over 23 2/3 innings with the GCL this year in his first year stateside.
The 2017 season showed Walner Polanco‘s raw ability but his need to control it. The 6’7″ righty was a late signee with his wicked stuff coming from his height, and in 2018, he was able to control it better, with a 8/24 BB/K over 30 innings.
The 5th round pick of the Atlanta Braves in June, Trey Riley may end up in the rotation, but his power arm will work well in the bullpen if he’s unable to master his third pitch. He struggled with control in the GCL, with a 10/13 BB/K over 9 innings.
The first player ever chosen from Minnesota-Crookston in the draft when the Atlanta Braves selected him in the 27th round, Zach Seipel made 15 appearances, tossing 24 innings with a 2.63 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and a 15/30 BB/K ratio.
The Texas Tech program has been good to the Braves over the years, and they went back to the well again in the 6th round, drafting Ryan Shetter. Shetter made 11 appearances for Danville, 3 of them starts, pitching 27 2/3 innings with a 3.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 3/21 BB/K ratio.
The Braves specialize in finding players with advanced body types that are older than typical Latin American prospects. This year’s big name among scouts was Nonato Valdez, a 21-year-old that stood 6’4″ and had a hard, heavy sinker. His introduction to the DSL did not go well as he struggled with control, walking 32 in 22 1/3 innings, but good reports should keep him on the radar for a stateside promotion in 2019.
Originally a pitcher the Braves were very excited about, Joselin Vallejo only made 6 appearances, tossing 9 innings before he was suspended for PEDs and missed the rest of the season.
A Colombian righty with tremendous sink on his stuff, Leonardo Vargas made 5 appearances, two of them starts, tossing 12 innings with a 1.50 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, posting a 7/12 BB/K ratio.
An older signing originally, Willians Vasquez has simply not worked his way out of the DSL, and he very well may be an offseason casualty after pitching 39 innings to a 5.31 ERA and 1.82 WHIP with a 21/34 BB/K ratio.
Considered a difficult sign, Victor Vodnik was not given a ton of guidance in his development through high school, but he signed with the Braves as a 14th round selection and made 4 appearances, striking out 9 and walking just one over 4 2/3 innings. He has the strong fastball and feel for a slider to be a future late-inning reliever as he gets more tutelage, but he could be a slow riser as he picks up nuance on his delivery and command.
In his first season with the Atlanta Braves organization, Bradey Welsh earned his way out of the GCL to Danville, making 14 combined appearances, pitching 25 2/3 innings, with a 4.21 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, and a 13/20 BB/K ratio.
The Atlanta Braves 23rd round selection this past June, William Woods made 10 appearances, 4 of them starts, tossing 20 2/3 innings, with a 6.10 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and a 10/20 BB/K ratio.
Next. Braves 2018 minors review: Lefty starters. dark
There’s a deep group here for sure. I think multiple pitchers here could impact the Atlanta Braves bullpen in the near future, and there’s plenty of depth in the lower levels.
