Atlanta Braves Minors: Prospects who could debut in 2020

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SURPRISE, AZ – NOVEMBER 03: AFL West All-Star, Cristian Pache #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) /

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RHP, Patrick Weigel / OF, Cristian Pache

LHP, Thomas Burrows

Weigel isn’t on a lot of folks radar, thanks to a Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2017. Since his return — in August of 2018 — the Braves have eased him back rather gingerly (even in 2019).

Also a Mississippi and Gwinnett pitcher this past season, Weigel is already on the Braves’ 40-man and has a great deal of experience pitching out of the bullpen.

In 2019, the 24-year-old made 18 starts and 10 relief appearances, finishing with a strong 2.73 ERA.

If you paid attention to the last slide of this piece, Weigel obviously won’t be competing for a spot in the big league rotation, but in terms of making a 2020 debut out of the Braves’ bullpen… I like his chances better than Tucker Davidson’s.

With so much starting pitching depth in the upper-minors, perhaps we could see Weigel in a limited role out of the bullpen during the latter portion of the 2020 season.

Pache makes the very short list as the most favorable hitting prospect when it comes to making a 2020 debut. The strides he made in 2019 regarding his plate discipline were right on time, as the 20-year-old dropped his K% by seven points and slightly improved his walk-rate.

There’s still work to be done for the Braves’ top prospect, but there’s just a strong feeling that his debut will come this upcoming season.

Whether it’s because Anthopoulos decided to stick with Nick Markakis and Adam Duvall — signing the former to a one-year, $4 million deal — or just because of some weird supernatural sense I’m feeling… it just feels like destiny for Pache in 2020.

Also, as I mentioned last week, Pache is a for-sure add to the Braves’ 40-man roster in the coming days, making a promotion even more realistic for the soon-to-be 21-year-old.

If there are any injuries in the Braves’ outfield during the 2020 season, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Pache is on the first shuttle to SunTrust Park. I think Anthopoulos is ready to see his most talented prospect.

Burrows will also garner some consideration regarding the Braves’ upcoming 40-man additions. As part of his most recent Q&A piece done at MLB.com, Mark Bowman relayed that he wouldn’t be surprised if Burrows were added this week, as there’s a real possibility the reliever could be selected by another team in the Rule 5 Draft on December 12.

As far as Burrows’ chances at earning an MLB debut in 2020… there is perhaps some hope.

After pitching extremely well in Double-A Mississippi this past season — 3.86 ERA, 10.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 — Burrows regressed a bit in Triple-A Gwinnett, finishing with a 5.00+ ERA with the Stripers.

However, I could see him following a similar route as that of Jeremy Walker, who made his debut with the Braves in 2019.

Another thing going for Burrows is that he’s left-handed. With the signing of Smith last week, the Braves now have four lefties in the big league bullpen, but that’s counting Sean Newcomb who may wind up back in a starter’s role by the time it’s all said and done.

I’m certainly not predicting a full-time role in the ‘pen for Burrows in 2020, but a late-season call-up to give a guy a break or to just give teams a brand new look could perhaps be in his immediate future.

So there they are… six Braves’ prospects that could potentially make their MLB debut this upcoming season.

This seems like a year that could go either way in terms of prospects making their debuts, considering the current uncertainty regarding the Braves rotation as well as the team’s plan to platoon Markakis and Duvall (which, I don’t expect to last all season).

With several injuries and a stretch of poor play by a few players, the Braves could easily see multiple debuts by season’s end.

On the other hand, the team could have another campaign of decent health in 2020, resulting in yet another stale year for first-time appearances.

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It certainly would be exciting to see some of these prospects get a taste of big league action in 2020. Let us know what you think. Who are your picks for 2020 debuts?

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