SURPRISE, AZ - NOVEMBER 03: AFL West All-Star, Cristian Pache #27 of the Atlanta Braves signs autographs before the Arizona Fall League All Star Game at Surprise Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SURPRISE, AZ – NOVEMBER 03: AFL West All-Star, Cristian Pacche #27 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the Arizona Fall League All Star Game at Surprise Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
The Atlanta Braves have multiple impressive young center fielders in their farm system, but one could contend for a Gold Glove right now!
The Atlanta Braves have built a tremendous farm system based on pitching, defense, and finding overlooked skills. However, Cristian Pache is a case of a top-money signee turning into exactly what he was hoped to be when he was signed.
Player Profile
Considered one of the top prospects in the 2015 international free agent class, the Atlanta Braves signed Cristian Pache for a $1.4 million bonus, the highest they gave out in that year’s class, signing him out of the Dominican Republic.
Pache began his Atlanta Braves career with the Gulf Coast League in 2016, and he performed well enough to earn his way to advanced rookie Danville, where he actually put up better numbers than with the GCL. He hit .309/.349/.391 with 4 doubles, 7 triples, 11 steals, a 5.5% walk rate, and a 10.2% strikeout rate.
He was promoted to the Atlanta Braves low-A affiliate in Rome for his first full-season league in 2017. He spent the entire year with Rome, hitting .281/.335/.343 with 13 doubles, 8 triples, and 32 stolen bases. He posted a 7.6% walk rate and a 20.2% strikeout rate.
The Atlanta Braves had a 19-year-old Pache open the 2018 season in high-A Florida. He played well enough to earn a promotion to AA Mississippi. Overall, he hit .279/.307/.410 with 23 doubles, 6 triples, 9 home runs, and 7 stolen bases. He posted a 4% walk rate and a 19.6% strikeout rate.
He was an Atlanta Braves representative in the Arizona Fall League this past fall. With Peoria, he hit .279/.323/.360 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, and 3 stolen bases. He posted a 6.4% walk rate and a 19.1% strikeout rate.
He was ranked the #85 prospect by Baseball America this offseason, the #37 prospect with MLB Pipeline, and the #62 prospect with Baseball Prospectus.
Scouting Report
Size/Build
One of the most impressive things about Pache is his build. He’s truly put the effort into developing his body, signing at a lean 6’1″, he’s grown to 6’2″ and while he’s listed at 185, it’d not surprise me if he’s 10-20 pounds heavier than that, but it’s all good weight, as he’s dedicated himself to strength training and bettering his body the past two offseasons.
Hitting
Contact (55) – One of the huge things to love about Pache is that he is a relentless worker, and that includes his swing. He has developed a ton from the point when he was at Rome in 2017 and seemed to struggle to put any “oomph” into a ball. He’s shortened his swing plenty and his added strength allows for him to generate gap power well when he’s on the ball.
Pache does have a tendency to slip back into his old, longer, loopy swing with two outs rather than going the other way and tightening up and shortening his swing. However, as he really worked to develop power in the swing over the last 12-15 months, his 2-strike approach improving over the next 12-15 is certainly feasible.
Power (45) – This is a BIG discrepancy number in raw versus game. In the batting cage, Pache can put on shows with his improved physicality and shortened swing. However, he has a penchant in the game to be more aggressive in seeking contact, and that often means he does not seek out the best pitch to drive, but instead ends up hitting plenty of balls hard to a gap.
If he were to calm his approach, he could certainly be a guy who could threaten 20 and potentially even 30 home runs (especially with the big league ball).
Eye (45) – I struggle with this grade. I truly have seen Pache show plus ability with the eye in his judgment in what to swing at, but his aggressive approach has led to putting himself into bad positions with two strikes. Pache was working on his eye during the AFL, and to his credit, he had 2 walks over 6 plate appearances coming into Thursday’s Spring Training game with a pair of hits as well, so he’s making strides at least.
Base Running/Fielding
Speed (70) – This is the portion of the scouting ledger where Pache shines. He has true raw plus-plus speed, but he is much more refined as a base runner than as a base stealer at this point in his career. He did do some work down in the AFL on this, and it is noted that (small sample size alert!) he stole three bases without being caught over 20 games in Arizona. However, many detractors want to downgrade his speed due to noting his increased muscle mass and his tick down in stolen bases from 2017-2018 (32-7). That’s trying to scout the stat line and not really reality with Pache.
Clock times have barely wavered on Pache at this point, so what you’re seeing is simply a guy who is unrefined as a base stealer, though every report and every viewing says he’s an excellent and instinctual base runner once on the bases, so perhaps he won’t steal second, but he’ll get first to third on a single just fine.
Defense (80) – It is a legitimate argument that Pache is the best defensive player in the minor leagues right now. That’s a huge statement, but it’s absolutely true. He makes center field look easy, and he’s making plays that no one else in the minors is making right now. Many have stated that he would immediately challenge for a Gold Glove if he were brought up to open 2019, the defense is that good.
Arm (70) – Pache isn’t just instincts and glovework in the outfield, however. He possesses an arm that is one of the best in the minor leagues as well. While he may not have the raw power of the absolute best in the game, he has some impressive accuracy, and his arm will absolutely be a weapon for Pache early on in his major league career until runners realize that they cannot run on him.
MLB Player Comp
With Pache, there’s such a wide array of outcomes possible. He has worked on his physicality to the point that you could see him becoming an elite defensive player with 30 home runs down the road. He’s also got work to do on his eye at the plate, but he’s working on it, so it’s hard to gauge a good comp for him.
Many want to throw out Mike Cameron with Pache, but Cameron was a guy who did walk at a 10%+ rate and had a crazy high strikeout rate over his career, even if the power/speed and defensive skills fit. Instead, I went further back to the second-best defensive center fielder I’ve seen in my lifetime (of course Andruw Jones is #1).
Drafted out of high school in New York, Jamaican-born Devon White took his time coming up the minor league chain for the Angels before he finally grabbed a big league job in 1987 at age 24. From 1987-1996, you could make a legit argument that no one was in White’s class defensively. Many will argue for Ken Griffey, Jr., but while Griffey made highlight plays, White glided to the same plays with less publicity.
Over a 17-year career, White hit .263/.319/.419 with 208 home runs and 346 stolen bases, averaging 17 home runs and 29 steals per 162 games, and he posted a career walk rate of 6.7%, but like Pache, his strikeout rate was fairly low, with an 18.9% rate for his career.
Future Role
If Pache can develop into a player like White was, he’d be a potential player in the lower half of the order with production from that spot that could also be an elite defender.
The ceiling with Pache, though, is that he works with his zone and pitch recognition the way that he did with his swing and becomes a guy who could plug into the top of the order with power and speed along with that elite defense.
Either way, the pitching staff for the Atlanta Braves will be very happy to have him patrolling behind them!
Braves rotation is a mess right now. dark. Next
Atlanta Braves fans want to debate Pache and Drew Waters right now, but rather than picking one over the other, fans should enjoy having both players in the organization right now!
