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Atlanta Braves 2018 top 125 prospects: top 25

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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Atlanta Braves
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 04: Chad Sobbotka #61 of the Atlanta Braves delivers the pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game One of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 4, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

20. Chad Sobotka, RHRP

Level(s): Florida Fire Frogs, Mississippi Braves, Gwinnett Stripers, Atlanta Braves
Stats: Minors: 4-3, 11 saves, 44 G, 1 GS, 57 2/3 IP, 2.03 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 12.6% BB, 33.3% K; Majors: 1-0, 14 G, 14 1/3 IP, 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 15.5% BB, 36.2% K
Sobotka was a huge surprise for many more casual minor league Atlanta Braves fans, but those who have been digging deep knew just how talented Sobotka has been since he was drafted in 2014 in the 4th round out of the University of South Carolina Upstate. Injuries, specifically to his back, were a plague to Soboka in his first few seasons in the minors, ending his chances to start. Sobotka’s delivery to accomodate some of those back issues has led to issues at times holding his arm slot, but if you look at his WHIP, his walk rate isn’t hurting him in the overall baserunners that are on base, especially with how many strikeouts he adds. Sobotka should factor prominently into the 2019 Atlanta Braves bullpen.

19. CJ Alexander, 3B

Level(s): GCL Braves, Danville Braves, Florida Fire Frongs
Stats: .352/.429/.495, 52 G, 226 PA, 8 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 4 SB, 11.9% BB, 18.6% K
One of a pair of talented brothers in the 2018 draft that perhaps went later than they were expected and both signed, surprisingly. Alexander then simply came out and blew up, hitting a ton across three levels, even skipping straight over Rome and not missing a beat in Florida. Alexander defensively is an average third baseman, and at 6’5″ and 215-225 pounds, he’s going to have to work some in the corner outfield spots, but he has hit so well already that he will likely get a shot at AA to open 2019, and after controlling the strike zone and also making solid contact, Alexander has an inside track to being considered the best bat in the Atlanta Braves farm system by the end of 2019.

18. Patrick Weigel, RHSP

Level(s): GCL Braves
Stats: 4 G, 3 GS, 4 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, 0/6 BB/K
Weigel had an incredible ascent through the system since being drafted in 2015 by the Atlanta Braves. His incredible velocity mixed with a pair of very good breaking balls seemed back in short bursts as he returned from Tommy John surgery. Weigel will be an intriguing one to watch in 2019 to see how he is as he comes back, as he could threaten for starts by the end of the season if he’s all the way back. If he has to move to the bullpen, his stuff would be elite. Where he opens 2019 will be intriguing to watch.

17. Freddy Tarnok, RHSP

Level(s): Rome Braves
Stats: 5-5, 27 G, 11 GS, 77 1/3 IP, 3.96 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 11.5% BB, 23.3% K
Tarnok was drafted in the 3rd round in 2017 by the Atlanta Braves very, very raw with very good velocity, and spending the year with Rome was very beneficial as Tarnok was able to turn into more than just velocity. Tarnok is needing to work on his polish and secondaries, but he’s made big strides in those already, flashing great presence on the mound. He should likely spend all season at Florida, but his ceiling is that of a very possible ace in the Braves system, and there simply are not a lot of pitchers with that type of upside in the system.

16. Huascar Ynoa, RHSP

Level(s): Rome Braves, Florida Fire Frogs
Stats: 8-12, 24 GS, 116 1/3 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 10.6% BB, 25.8% K
Ynoa was a man of two levels in 2018 with the Atlanta Braves, his first full season in the Braves organization after being acquired last summer from the Minnesota Twins. Ynoa has a wide array of pitches, but the Twins had focused Ynoa on three pitches. The Braves let him work in a fourth (and fifth if you include both his two-seamer and four-seamer as separate pitches), but still haven’t let him bring out all his weapons. At Rome in 2018, Ynoa really worked with coaches to hone his presence on the mound and how to attack hitters with his stuff that seems to constantly move. He posted a 3.63 ERA and 1.21 WHIP at the level in 91 2/3 innings, earning a well-deserved promotion to Florida. Why exactly it happened has been a point of multiple theories, but Ynoa was suddenly incredibly hittable by FSL hitters, who hit .317 on a .407 BABIP on Ynoa. The BABIP is high enough to assume there’s better days ahead for Ynoa, and his stuff is such that he could jump multiple levels in 2019 at age 21, likely opening in Florida.

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