Atlanta Braves minors: Week 6 AFL report and fall season wrap up
This is Week 6, the final installment in our weekly look-in that covers several Atlanta Braves prospects in the Arizona Fall League.
On Friday, the Scottsdale Scorpions wrapped up its 2019 AFL season, capping off the last bit of live baseball for eight Atlanta Braves minor leaguers.
To get caught up on the rest of our 2019 AFL reports:
We’ll talk about how each Braves’ player performed, both this past week and overall, but first let’s look at how the fall season ended for the Scorpions.
Week 6 recap
After playing rather well in Week 5, Scottsdale returned to its poor form from Week 4, going winless this past week (0-4 record). The Scorpions didn’t put much of a fight, either, getting outscored 23-6 in the process.
The team’s only competitive contest was its 4-3 loss to Peoria on Monday, a game in which only one Braves’ representative participated, struggling outfielder Gary Schwartz.
Tuesday was a day off for the Scorpions — as well as the other five Arizona teams — followed by a 6-1 loss to Peoria, again, on Wednesday. Scottsdale finished AFL play on a sour note, dropping its final two games by a combined score of 13-2:
- Thursday: lost 10-2 vs. Surprise
- Friday: lost 3-0 vs. Mesa
Overall, it was a bad week for the Scorpions and a rough way to end the season. It appeared that perhaps Scottsdale had been overmatched throughout the entire fall season, as the team will wrap it up for the winter as the worst team in the AFL.
A disappointing ‘fall’
Despite struggling to win games and ending the season with the worst record in the AFL (not counting the five Mexican teams), the Scorpions did well to avoid last-place offensive numbers (for the most part).
As a team, Scottsdale posted a .230 batting average (4th) and .654 OPS (5th), all while ending the 29-game season with 16 home runs (t-4th). However, the Scorpions’ also tallied 306 strikeouts — 23 more than any other team in 2019.
The lineup lacked very much power, as San Francisco Giants’ top prospect Joey Bart led the team with 4 homers and a .767 SLG%.
New York Mets No. 3 prospect, shortstop Andres Gimenez, paced the offense with a .371 batting average, though he only played in 19 games.
Other leaders on the team consisted of: Philadelphia Phillies top prospects, third baseman Alec Bohm (.925 OPS / 19 games); Toronto Blue Jays eighth ranked prospect, shortstop Logan Warmoth (.837 OPS / 17 games); and Giants’ 24-year-old third baseman, Jacob Heyward (.717 / 12 games).
The pitching side of things looked a bit better. Scottsdale hung in there with a 3.38 ERA (3rd-lowest), surrendering only 15 home runs as a group (fewest in the league).
The team’s success on the run-prevention side translated well when it came to strikeouts, though not when compared to the rest of the league. The Scorpions finished last in total punchouts, with 260, but that’s still 9.36 K/9.
23-year-old starter and Phillies second ranked prospect, Spencer Howard, led the team in the rotation, along with former Braves prospect, Tristan Beck (now the Giants 20th ranked prospect).
Howard and Beck finished Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the Scorpions strikeout leaderboard; with the former going 1-1 with 27 strikeouts and a 2.11 ERA in 6 starts (21.1 IP) and the latter finishing 1-2 with 23 strikeouts and a 3.63 ERA in 6 starts (22.1 IP).
JoJo Romero, another Phillies minor leaguer (No. 8 prospect), led the bullpen, as he was Scottadale’s shut-down reliever. The 23-year-old Romero allowed just one run in 10.2 innings (and it was a homer) worth of work this Fall, ending his AFL season with a solid 0.84 ERA.
Other strong pitchers for the Scorpions this fall were Mets No. 20 prospect Ryley Gilliam (0.96 ERA / 7 games); Giants High-A reliever, Frank Rubio (1.64 ERA / 9 games); and Blue Jays minor leaguer, Mike Ellenbest (1.59 ERA / 8 games).
Now for the Atlanta Braves players…
A look at the four Atlanta Braves minor league hitters
Week 6 featured more of the same for the Braves’ portion of the Scottsdale lineup, though a few players didn’t get to see much action, and one didn’t even play at all (again).
OF, Trey Harris
Week 6: 1 game, 1-for-4
Overall: 16 games, .281 AVG, .810 OPS, 2 home runs, 4 doubles, 5 RBI, 7 runs, 2 stolen bases, 7 walks, 12 strikeouts
We’ll talk a bit more about Harris later, but it was yet another mastered assignment for the rising 23-year-old star.
Harris, the Florida Fire Frogs 2019 Player of the Year as well as the Braves overall minor leaguer of the year (along with pitcher Ian Anderson), has really put his name on the map this season… and his performance in Arizona this fall was an outstanding ending to an epic 2019.
OF, Justin Dean
Week 6: 2 games, 2-for-7, 1 run, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, 1 stolen base
Overall: 14 games, .200 AVG, .502 OPS, 3 RBI, 7 runs, 3 stolen bases, 7 walks, 18 strikeouts
Despite his middling numbers with Scottsdale this Fall, Dean has had a year similar to Harris’ above (of course not as good). This is Year 2 for Dean, as he now has posted promising numbers within the Braves organization, especially in 2019 with the Rome Braves.
As the Scorpions’ leadoff hitter, Dean finishes the AFL season tied for the team’s most stolen bases, even though his OPS was good for 16th on the team (of 21 Scottsdale hitters).
1B, Greyson Jenista
Week 6: Did not play
Overall: 12 games, .214 AVG, .574 OPS, 3 RBI, 6 runs, 6 walks, 20 strikeouts
Once again, for the second week in a row, Jenista was nowhere to be found on the Scottsdale lineup. I’m still not sure what’s going on or if the Braves just decided to shut him down for the year. I’m still searching for answers.
Unfortunately, the fall season didn’t go well for Jenista, as only three other Scorpions’ hitters struck out more than him (and all three others played in at least 5 more games). The numbers obviously look poor, but the 22-year-old former 2nd round pick still has a bright future ahead of him.
OF, Gary Schwartz
Week 6: 3 games, .200 AVG, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Overall: 10 games, .103 AVG, .381 OPS, 3 runs, 6 walks, 15 strikeouts
After struggling much of the AFL season, Schwartz actually got more playing-time than any of the other Braves’ players this past week.
And speaking of strikeouts, nobody topped Schwartz when it came to strikeout rate, as he whiffed at a 51.7% clip during the fall.
There’s no sugar coating it — even though he hit better in the last 2 weeks — Schwartz was essentially unplayable in Arizona. But I guess it really shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering Schwartz has a career 29.6% K rate and .226 batting average, in 3 seasons in the Braves organization.
A look at the four Atlanta Braves minor league pitchers
Overall, Braves’ pitchers were strong in Week 6 (except for one particular pitcher on Thursday). If there’s anything to take away from this Fall season, it’s that the organization has very wide range of excellent relievers.
SP, Connor Johnstone
Week 6: 1 start, 3 innings, 3 hits, 3 strikeouts
Overall: 6 starts, 22.0 innings, 2-3, 3.27 ERA, 24 hits, 4 walks, 19 strikeouts, 2 home runs
Johnstone got the start on Friday and pitched well, though immediately after he left the game (after 3 innings) the pitcher that relieved him allowed a three-run homer, ultimately costing the Scorpions, as they lost 3-0.
Johnstone has never been much of a strikeout pitcher (career 6.7 K/9), and even at Wake Forest he depended on weak contact. So his numbers in Arizona this Fall are right in line with his usual hit totals (9.81 hits-allowed per nine in AFL / 9.3 per nine for his career).
RP, Daysbel Hernandez
Week 6: 1 appearance, 2 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
Overall: 8 appearances, 11.1 innings, 1 hold, 1 save, 4.76 ERA, 9 hits, 10 walks, 6 strikeouts, 1 home run
The trusty Hernandez appeared in Thursday’s rout (which we’ll get to in a minute) and did a nice job to calm the storm, pitching scoreless innings in the 6th and 7th and striking out two.
The 23-year-old from Cuba was lights out during the 2019 regular season with High-A Florida (1.71 ERA / 35 games), striking out 12 batters per nine. He wasn’t as sharp this Fall, but given how much he was used this season, I wouldn’t be too concerned with his final numbers.
RP, Brandon White
Week 6: 1 appearance, 0.1 innings, 0-1, 2 hits, 4 ER, 3 walks
Overall: 7 appearances, 8.2 innings, 0-1, 1 save, 8.31 ERA, 12 hits, 10 walks, 7 strikeouts
After pitching pretty well all Fall (he had a 4.32 ERA after Week 5), White got stuck in a disastrous appearance on Thursday. The former 12th round pick came in the game to start the 4th inning and got his first batter to line out; however, that was the only out White could manage.
Here’s how White’s 26-pitch inning went on Thursday:
- Soft line-out
- Ground ball single (deflected by White)
- Walk
- (runners on 1st and 2nd)
- Wild pitch
- (runners on 2nd and 3rd)
- 2-run double
- Wild pitch
- (runner on 3rd)
- Walk
- (runners on 1st and 3rd)
- Mound visit
- Walk
- (bases loaded)
- Mound visit
- Pitching change
Other than the blowup listed above, White had himself a respectable Fall season. He should build off his strong 2019 regular season with Florida and Double-A Mississippi (1.35 ERA between the two clubs).
RP, Bradley Roney
Week 6: 1 appearance, 2 innings, 4 strikeouts
Overall: 8 appearances, 11.1 innings, 1-0, 1 hold, 1 save, 1.59 ERA, 3 hits, 7 walks, 16 strikeouts, 1 home run
Roney got in some work on Wednesday, working the 7th and 8th innings. As he has been all Fall, Roney was sharp, throwing 16 of his 24 pitches for strikes on his way to setting down all six batters he faced (4 punchouts, one ground out and one flyout).
The 26-year-old Roney kept the momentum going from his 2019 season with Florida and Mississippi (1.94 ERA / 28 games combined), and looks to have a chance at getting back up to Triple-A Gwinnett in 2020.
2019 Atlanta Braves AFL Batter and Pitcher of the Year
Of course, there have to be MVPs! Here were the top two Atlanta Braves players in the Arizona Fall League this year.
Hitter of the Year
OF, Trey Harris: It’s rather obvious who amongst the Atlanta Braves minor league hitters was the best this year, in the AFL. Outfielder Trey Harris was head and shoulders better than his three Braves position-player teammates, and in the end wound up finishing within the top-five on the team in OPS (between batters that played in at least 5 games).
I know I’ve harped on and on about Harris ALL season, but this is a player that could potentially shake things up in 2020.
Cristian Pache and Drew Waters are clearly still the outfielders of the future, but Harris could work his way up to Gwinnett next season.
Could you imagine a Stripers outfield of Harris, Pache AND Waters, in 2020? Wow.
We should probably wait and make sure Harris can maintain his success, but at the very least we should be aware of how special of a player he truly is.
Pitcher of the Year
RHP, Bradley Roney: Among Scottsdale relievers that appeared in at least 5 games, Roney finished the Fall with the 5th best ERA and second best WHIP (0.88).
It’s a good sign that he was able to keep up the good work from his 28-game campaign in 2019, a sign that hopefully he’s ready to give Triple-A another try — Roney last pitched in Gwinnett in 2016 (3.57 ERA / 27 games).
I’m currently working on a piece detailing how incredibly deep the Atlanta Braves’ minor league organization is with relief pitching, and Roney has definitely worked himself into that column.
If Roney’s 2019 regular season and AFL performance are any indication of his future… the Braves could have yet another viable option for its bullpen in the next season or two.
The 2019 AFL Champion
Led this Fall by third baseman Royce Lewis (Minnesota Twins top prospect) and first baseman Seth Beer (Arizona Diamondbacks No. 13 prospect), the Salt River Rafters defeated the Surprise Saguaros 5-1 on Saturday, winning the 2019 Arizona Fall League Championship game.
Surprise jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning, thanks to an RBI ground ball single by Luis Garcia (Washington Nationals No. 2 prospect). However, Salt River recovered quickly, pushing across 5 runs in the 4th, a lead the Rafters wouldn’t relinquish.
Four of those runs came from a grand slam by Jerar Encarnacian (Miami Marlins No. 28 prospect) and one came from an RBI single off the bat of 21-year-old catcher Ronaldo Hernandez (Tampa Bay Rays No. 6 prospect).
Overall, along with the 2019 title, Salt River finishes 18-11 this year. Since 2010, this is the Rafters third AFL championship, as they’ve become a bit of a Fall League powerhouse. The team has now made it to the end-of-season Championship game four times in that span.
Next. Be very afraid of these 5 players. dark
That’s it for Arizona Fall League action this year. Be sure to check back for more Atlanta Braves minor league updates throughout the offseason, including my upcoming 2020 Atlanta Braves Prospect Rankings as well as more minor league player spotlights and eventually my way-too-early minor league roster predictions.
*All prospect ranks used in this piece were retrieved from FanGraphs.