Atlanta Braves Week 10 Farm Report: A Week Chock Full of Promotions

(27-32) Mississippi Braves (AA)

Week 10 Record: 2-3

Players of the Week

(OF) Drew Waters

5 games, 5-for-13 (.384 BA), 2 doubles, 3 triples, RBI, 2 SB

At the current trajectory Waters is on, he may find himself in Atlanta before top-prospect, Christian Pache. Over his last 10 games, Waters has three doubles and three triples; and through 58 games this season, Waters has been literally the best hitter in the Southern League of Double-A (remember, he only played 30 games in Florida last season).

Here are Waters’ ranks amongst his peers:

• .316 batting average (1st)
• .862 OPS (4th)
• 38 runs-scored (1st)
• 74 hits (1st) leads by 9
• 19 doubles (1st)
•  7 triples (1st)
• 116 total bases (1st) leads by 7

What’s amazing is he’s doing all of this with a 6.8 BB% and 31.6 K%. Just think if he was bit more selective at the plate?

Other Notables Batters 

(SS) Riley Unroe: .380 BA, 2 doubles, 4 RBI, SB

Unroe is hot! He has five multi-hit games in his last 10 contests, and has at least one RBI in four-straight games.

(OF) Christian Pache: .222 BA, 2 HR, 4 RBI, SB

Yeah his batting average is nothing to be excited about, but guess what? Pache walked more than he struck out in Week 10 (5 walks / 4 strikeouts). That’s good enough for me.

(SP) Ian Anderson

1 start, 1-0, 5.2 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 7 K

We should start by appreciating just how great the pitching has been for the M-Braves so far this season, despite several prospects not starting the year well. Frankly, if the M-Braves rotation would’ve started the season pitching to their potential, this would be a historic Double-A staff.

To illustrate how well the pitching has been performing — and to avoid going too deep into various numbers — out of the top-25 Southern League pitchers, based on WHIP, the M-Braves have five pitchers listed:

• Ian Anderson
• Jeremy Walker
• Tucker Davidson
• Kyle Muller
• Joey Wentz

Granted, each and every one of these pitchers have various strengths, as far as strikeouts and ‘stuff’; but overall every single one of them has done a great job of limiting walks and hits, which in the end usually depicts a excellent ability to prevent runs — the most important characteristic of pitching.

Now as far as Anderson, he’s getting in his groove, basically dominating every start over the last couple weeks. Anderson is now second on the strikeout leaderboard, with 77 strikeouts (only two behind the leader). He also has the 10th lowest ERA (3.12), right behind teammate Walker, who is sporting a rate of 2.59.

With K/BB rates of 11.52 K/9 and 4.94 BB/9, it may look as if he’s struggling with walks this year. That’s partly true, as he did struggle with free passes at the start of the season; but, over the last month or so he has been fine. Anderson is 3-4 in his first 12 starts, but don’t expect that record to stay under .500 very long.

Week at a Glance

June 3 – June 9

(6/3) Monday: Lost 3-0 vs. Biloxi Shuckers 

 FULL RECAP

• (P) T. Davidson: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• (2B) A. Salazar: 2-4, K
• (C) J. Morales: 2-3, 2B

Before Monday’s game, there were awards and roster moves impacting Mississippi.

Pitcher Kyle Muller and outfielder Drew Waters received Players of the Week honors by Farm Bureau. Both players have won the award multiple times, with Muller winning it three times now and Waters twice.

The M-Braves gained a new bullpen arm in Jonathan Aro, from Gwinnett. Righty Conner Johnstone was transferred to Danville, as the D-Braves get ready to start play on June 19.

The game Monday wasn’t so positive. The M-Braves were blanked by Biloxi’s starter, Johan Belisario, who improved to 5-0 this season after pitching a three-hitter versus the Braves. Belisario struck out six and walked one.

Mississippi’s starter, Tucker Davidson, came into Monday’s start leading the league in ERA (1.49), but without any help from the offense — his outing resulted in a loss, though he still leads the team with a 1.82 ERA.

(6/4) Tuesday: Lost 4-3 vs. Biloxi Shuckers 

 FULL RECAP

• (P) De La Cruz: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, K
• (CF) C. Pache: 2-3, HR, RBI, BB
• (3B/SS) R. Unroe: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R

The M-Braves suffered a loss Tuesday night, but outfielder Christian Pache did two things we Braves fans love to see. He hit a home run (his 5th) and he drew a walk (his 16th in 204 AB). Walks are good, and with a walk-rate right under 8% (7.84), they’re especially welcoming coming from Pache.

Here’s Pache’s homer in the 5th inning, cutting the lead to 4-2, Biloxi:

Pache’s partner, Drew Waters, picked up a base-hit and a walk, also scoring the M-Braves last run of the game, a 5th inning RBI-double from Riley Unroe.

Mississippi’s starter Jasseel De La Cruz didn’t pitch bad, working to contact most of the night. However, his one punchout was by far the lowest strikeout total he’s had as a M-Braves starter.

(6/5) Wednesday: Won 5-1 vs. Biloxi Shuckers 

 FULL RECAP

• (P) I. Anderson: 5.2 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 7 K
• (1B) R. Casteel: 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI
• (LF) D. Waters: 3-3, 3B, 2B, 3 R, BB, SB

Before the game, the following roster moves were made:

For the second time in seven days, Drew Waters came a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, as the M-Braves won off the back of another excellent start from Ian Anderson.

Anderson still leads the Southern League in strikeouts, now with 77 punchouts in 12 starts. He improved to 3-4 with the win, and is sporting a 3.12 ERA.

The M-Braves struck first in the 3rd inning, thanks to two runs from a Ryan Casteel double. A third run was scored in the 5th, an RBI double by Ryan Casteel. Then in the 7th, Tyler Neslony plated a run of his own with an RBI single; and Casteel knocked in another run with a base-hit later in the inning.

Reliever Thomas Burrows got the hold and Jeremy Walker shut the door in the 8th and 9th innings, striking out four and giving up only two hits. Neither reliever surrendered a run.

(6/6) Thursday: Lost 7-6 vs. Biloxi Shuckers 

 FULL RECAP

• (P) K. Muller: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 7 K
• (CF) C. Pache: 1-4, HR, 3 RBI
• (LF) D. Waters: 1-4, 2B, RBI, BB

Lots went on before Mississippi’s game Thursday: for the second consecutive day, a player from Florida was added to the team:

Also, with the 2019 Southern League All-Star game coming on June 18, these six M-Braves players were selected to represent the Braves organization:

(OF) Christian Pache
(OF) Drew Waters
(SP) Ian Anderson
(SP) Tucker Davidson
(SP) Kyle Muller
(RP) Jeremy Walker

As for the game, Ryan Casteel and Christian Pache homered Thursday, but starter Kyle Muller couldn’t control his pitches as the M-Braves fell to the Shuckers.

Casteel finished 1-for-5 with his 8th-inning longball being his only hit of the night. Catcher William Contreras picked up his first hit as member of the team, though he did commit an error.

Greyson Jenista’s first game with the M-Braves consisted of two strikeouts and an 0-for-4 night, while batting 6th in the lineup. Shortstop Riley Unroe hit 3rd in the Braves lineup, and went 2-for-5, knocking in a run in the 9th to put the M-Braves within one run.

The first four hitters in the lineup (Pache, Waters, Unroe, Casteel) combined to knock in six runs, slug two homers and a double, and go 5-for-18. Notably, Waters kept his streak alive:

(6/7) Friday: Won 7-6 vs. Jackson Generals 

 FULL RECAP 

• (P) J. Wentz: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• (LF) G. Jenista: 1-4, 2 RBI
• (RF) T. Neslony: 3-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 SB

The M-Braves opened up a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate, the Jackson Generals, and faced 36-year-old pitcher and Marlins legend, Ricky Nolasco.

Drew Waters sat out most of the game, giving Greyson Jenista the start in left field; but in the 8th inning Waters came in to pinch-hit and was hit by a pitch, keeping his on-base streak alive (15 games).

Infielder Riley Unroe had a great game, going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, also scoring a run. Ryan Casteel, Carlos Martinez and Luis Valenzuela all had one hit apiece, with Valenzuela’s being a double.

Mississippi stole five bases Friday:

• Tyler Neslony: 2 (both 2nd base)
• Christian Pache: 1 (2nd base)
• Ray-Patrick Didder: 2 (2nd and 3rd base)

(6/8) Saturday: Leading 4-1 (SUSPENDED / 4th inning)  vs. Jackson Generals 

FULL RECAP

• (P) T. Davidson: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K
• (1B) R. Casteel: 2-2, HR, 4 RBI
• (LF) D. Waters: 2-2, 3B, R

Saturday’s matchup with Jackson was suspended in the bottom of the 4th inning, with Mississippi leading 4-1 from a three-run home run by Ryan Casteel in the 1st inning. Then in the 3rd, Casteel struck again with an RBI-single, scoring Christian Pache.

(6/9) Sunday: POSTPONED (rain)

More rain on Sunday forced the already-suspended game from Saturday to be postponed even longer. The game will be resumed on June 11.