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Atlanta Braves 2018 top 125 prospects: 26-50

By Benjamin Chase

BOSTON, MA - JUNE 24: A glove and the rosin bag sit on the mound before the interleague game between the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park on June 23, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 24: A glove and the rosin bag sit on the mound before the interleague game between the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park on June 23, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images) /
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50. Walter Borkovich, RHP

Level(s): Rome Braves, Florida Fire Frogs
Stats: 5-1, 2 saves, 34 G, 6 GS, 85 2/3 IP, 1.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 4.5% BB, 16.6% K
Standing 6’5″, Borkovich came out of Michigan State in 2017 and performed very well at three levels pitching purely out of the bullpen, with a 2.30 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 27 1/3 IP. He opened the season with Rome, and he was pitching multiple innings for a lot of the season, but things took a different turn when he was put into the rotation at the end of his time with Rome. Borkovich absolutely dominated as a starter, and he blew away those watching him at Florida as he used pinpoint command and incredible late movement to make 3 scoreless starts for Florida without a single walk over those starts. Borkovich doesn’t offer overpowering stuff, but he has developed more confidence and feel on his secondary pitches to go along with his dominant sinker, and that could certainly allow him to project in the middle of a rotation. He’ll likely open at Florida in 2019, but he could be a guy that moves quickly if his finish to 2018 was more truth than mirage.

49. Odalvi Javier, RHSP

Level(s): Rome Braves
Stats: 3-10, 26 G, 25 GS, 126 IP, 4.14 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 10.3% BB, 23.5% K
Javier has been productive throughout his time in the Atlanta Braves organization. He took a big step forward in his first full season. Odalvi’s delivery is simple and focuses on his release point as the point of variance that can cause issues for him. If he keeps his arm at a normal 3/4 release point, he works low in the zone with excellent late movement. He has a habit of dropping just a touch with his arm slot to a low-3/4 slot, and when he does, he tends to throw more of a flat fastball that stays up in the zone, and his change and breaker don’t get the depth that they do when he’s in his true 3/4 slot. Javier will likely move up to Florida in 2019, but more consistency in his arm slot could allow for Javier to really push forward with a back-end starter profile, but a ceiling of a mid-rotation inning eater.

48. Braxton Davidson, 1B

Level(s): Florida Fire Frogs
Stats: .171/.281/.365, 121 G, 481 PA, 19 2B, 20 HR, 12.1% BB, 44.3%
Former Atlanta Braves first-rounder Davidson played his third season at the high-A level. The adage of a three true outcomes player is that he either hits a home run, takes a walk, or strikes out. Incredibly, Davidson strikes out nearly half of the time, even though he finally reached a point where he was actually getting to his power. Braxton’s ISO of 194 in 2018 was nearly 60 points higher than he’s ever produced before, but even then, he produced an extra-base hit roughly 8.5% of the time, and if you add in his walks, that’s 20.5% of his plate appearances that he delivers a walk or powerful hit. He is getting a chance to showcase in the Arizona Fall League, and he could be a trade candidate this offseason as his future in the Braves organization is growing dim and there are young first sackers that will be pushing for more time soon.

47. Dilmer Mejia, LHSP

Level(s): Danville Braves, Rome Braves, Florida Fire Frogs
Stats: 5-7, 1 save, 19 G, 17 GS, 90 1/3 IP, 3.99 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 8.4% BB, 18.1% K
Mejia showed out in his first season in the Atlanta Braves system as a 16-year-old in 2014, but injuries have hampered ever since. At 20 in 2018, Mejia pitched multiple games at 3 different levels, showing some of the same exciting stuff from the left side as he did in 2014. Mejia is limited in his size at 5’11”, 165-pound frame, and he might end up a long reliever if his body is an issue with health, but as he showed in 2018, when he’s healthy, his stuff is definitely legit!

46. Luis Valenzuela, IF

Level(s): Mississippi Braves
Stats: .282/.306/.369, 114 G, 386 PA, 22 2B 2 3B, 2 HR, 5 SB, 3.4% BB, 17.1% K
Watching his smooth play, it’s hard to believe that the Atlanta Braves originally got Valenzuela for roughly a month and a half of Jonny Gomes. Valenzuela was part of the intentional work the Mississippi squad did in getting their infielders work at multiple infield positions throughout the year, and Valenzuela excelled at 2B, 3B, and SS defensively. With the bat, he’ll never be a major power hitter, but he does have excellent gap power and good contact ability, though he isn’t a guy that will draw a high rate of walks. Valenzuela’s ceiling may be limited, but his floor is very high, which should give him a legitimate chance at an infield bench role.

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