House That Hank Built
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One year after sanctions, Atlanta Braves are moving forward

By Benjamin Chase

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 15: Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred appears at a SiriusXM Town Hall at The Library of Congress on July 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for SiriusXM,)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 15: Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred appears at a SiriusXM Town Hall at The Library of Congress on July 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for SiriusXM,) /
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Royals pair hold serve

A surprise signing by the Atlanta Braves out of Cuba, outfielder Juan Carlos Negret came out in 2017 in the DSL and showed very well, hitting .264/.410/.391 with 23 steals, showing excellent speed and defense.

After signing with the Royals, Negret worked with coaches with the Royals who adjusted his swing, allowing him to tap into impressive raw power. He struggled to make great contact with his swing change, but he did club 11 doubles and 9 home runs in 201 at bats, with a .199 ISO, which is quite impressive.

Negret continued to play impressive defense, though due to elite center fielders alongside him, he moved to right field, where his fringe-plus arm played well along with his excellent route running.

Arguably the second-most-desired prospect removed from the Atlanta Braves was right-hander Yefri Del Rosario. He came out with the Atlanta Braves in 2017 and tossed 37 1/3 innings, with a 3.62 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and a 14/36 BB/K ratio in the DSL and GCL.

The Royals pushed the young righty to full-season ball with low-A Lexington, where Del Rosario held his own. He used his mid-90s fastball, above-average curveball, and rapidly improving change to put up a 3.19 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 79 innings with a 29/72 BB/K ratio.

Del Rosario has established himself firmly in the forefront of a system now suddenly loaded with pitching after a focus on pitching in the 2018 draft. In spite of the depth of arms in the system, he’s made a name for himself and could be a cog in the Royals rebuild.

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