A look at what Lindy’s says about the 2019 Atlanta Braves
By Clint Manry
What the Magazine Says
The Braves’ pages start with a small excerpt that summarizes a quote from a major league scout. Here’s what he thinks:
"They’ll have Ronald Acuna from day one, so they’re already a bit better. He’s going to be a real five-tool guy. He’s got the quickest hands I’ve ever seen in a while. If he can cut the strikeouts, he’ll be a Mike Trout-type player…"
…okay, hold on a second – “A Mike Trout-type player?”. Yeah I like this magazine!
As crazy at that might sound – I think it’s true! Acuna has the pitch-awareness of a ten-year veteran already. We saw his power and ability to drive in runners in 2018, and with a full campaign coming up in 2019 – yeah, I agree on that comp. It’s not that outlandish to predict a Trout-like career path for the young Acuna.
Lets continue the scout’s take (quoting from the magazine):
"Their starters need to throw more strikes and cut the walks. Way too many walks last year. I think that’s why they changed pitching coaches and brought in Rick Kranitz. He did well with a lot less in Philadelphia. I’m betting on Josh Donaldson having a huge year. He’s got a lot to prove, and he’s always done better with a chip on his shoulder. You don’t hear a lot about their GM. He’s not a self-promoter – but he’s done a good job here, just like he did in Toronto. He stepped into a turbulent situation and calmed everything down."
So it looks like this scout shares most of the same opinions of a lot of us on this site. The Braves’ pitchers need to cut down on their walks, we need a full and healthy season from Josh Donaldson, and Alex Anthopoulos could be the greatest poker player of all time. Pretty simple stuff.