Grading the Atlanta Braves 2019 draft: Picks 30-21
It will be several years until we can fully appreciate the Atlanta Braves’ 2019 draft, but it’s the perfect time to look back at each draftee’s performance this past season.
Today we continue our Atlanta Braves 2019 Draft Grades, moving on to our second post of the series (picks 30-21).
This particular group of players certainly vary in performance, as a few struggled mightily in their first pro season, while several seemed to of thrived once in the Braves’ system.
We’re also getting into the last couple of picks that went unsigned, as eight of the 10 in this group went on to actually sign with the Atlanta Braves.
Although, like before I have also included these nonsigners, as we may see them again in the 2020 draft, plus it also keeps these lists similar in size.
As a refresher, here’s what we’re trying to accomplish in this series…
light. Related Story. Grading for '19 draft: Picks 41-31
The Method
In this series, we will look at each and every player drafted (and signed) by the Braves in 2019, though to break this up a bit we’ll cover the class in four pieces, with today’s column covering picks 30 down to 21.
The group of 10 will include a table featuring each player’s last minor league level reached, and most importantly — as a way to characterize each player’s 2019 performance — I will give each player a grade:
- A: excelled
- B: held his own
- C: struggled
This may seem like an oversimplified way to go about such a thing, but the focus here is less about the actual grading rubric and more about simply determining how each player performed in their first professional season.
Choosing A, B and C obviously allows for only three different grade outcomes, which is plenty for such a small sample of results (most of these players played no more than 30-35 games).
We must remember that these players were drafted for a reason and giving a struggling 18-year-old an ‘F’ in his first taste of minor league baseball probably doesn’t accurately represent his actual skills on a baseball field.
So don’t interpret each grade as a description of the player’s talent level.
To jump back to Monday’s group (picks 41-31), click here.
Braves’ 2019 draft: picks 30-21
| PLAYER | LAST LVL | GRADE |
|---|---|---|
| RHP, James Acuna | (none) | — |
| RHP, Ben Thompson | GCL | B |
| RHP, Indigo Diaz | GCL | A |
| DNS | — | |
| RHP, Chad Bryant | GCL | C |
| 1B, Bryce Ball | Rome | A |
| OF, Drew Campbell | Rome | C |
| LHP, Alex Segal | Danville | A |
| C, Javier Valdes | GCL | C |
| RHP, Peyton Williams | Danville | B |
DNS: Did Not Sign
No. 30, James Acuna, RHP
6’5″, 180 lbs.
Did not play with Braves in 2019
Acuna — not related to Ronald Acuna Jr. — pitched two seasons for the Oregon Ducks, racking up 70.2 innings for the Pac-12 team in 2017 and 2018. He transferred to Azusa Pacific University the following year, but a Tommy John surgery forced the tall and lanky righty to miss most of his junior season in 2019. Acuna reportedly wields a mid-90s fastball, but at 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, he could easily add more velocity as he fills in. The 2020 campaign will be his age-22 season.
No. 29, Ben Thompson, RHP
6’5″, 220 lbs.
Grade: B
2019 stats: 2 app., 1 start, 4.2 innings, 1.93 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 1.9 BB/9
A native of New Zealand, Thompson is another big pitcher (6’5″) with mid-90s velocity. For whatever reason (perhaps because of an arm injury in 2018) Thompson didn’t get much of a look this past season in the GCL, only accruing 4.2 innings across three games. It appears the Braves were concerned with and elbow injury that prevented Thompson from pitching at all the previous season. I expect him to be in full-season ball at some point in 2020.
No. 28, Indigo Diaz, RHP
6’5″, 250 lbs.
Grade: A
2019 stats: 6 app., 10.1 innings, 3.48 ERA, 13.1 K/9, 1.7 BB/9
As a 20-year-old during the 2019 season (he turned 21 in October), Diaz dominated the Gulf Coast League after being taken in the 27th round — out of Michigan State — by the Braves. Diaz is yet another 6-foot-5 power-pitcher who can run it up into the high-90s. However, command and middling secondary pitches really held him back while with the Spartans (5.73 ERA, 5.9 BB/9) in 2019, though he had no such problems during his first taste of pro ball. Diaz struck out 15 batters in just 10.1 innings of work with the GCL Braves.
No. 27, Riley King, 3B
6’0″, 186 lbs.
Did not sign
King, a third baseman from the University of Georgia, is the last of the 2019 draft picks the Braves selected but didn’t sign. As a redshirt junior, King started all 63 games for the Bulldogs in 2019, hitting .295 with eight home runs and 43 RBI. Surprisingly, King is the first UGA player drafted by the Braves since Ryan Lawlor and Sean McLaughlin, two pitchers selected in the 2015 draft. King will return to the Bulldogs for the 2020 season, where he’ll be one the team’s leaders.
No. 26, Chad Bryant, RHP
6’0″, 210 lbs.
Grade: C
2019 stats: 7 starts, 4 app., 24.1 innings, 8.88 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, 2 HR
As a hard thrower sought after by several powerhouse programs in the country (including Mississippi State and Alabama), the now-20-year-old Bryant lacked the command to accurately harness his 95 mph fastball. Regardless, the Braves were the third team to draft Bryant in the last three years, where he pitched for the team’s GCL squad and struggled. Walks were a bit of a problem for the righty (4.8 BB/9), but more than anything Bryant’s .372 BABIP-against and 4.92 xFIP illustrated a pitcher suffering from some poor luck.
Braves’ 2019 Picks: 25-21
More from Tomahawk Take
- Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 1-5
- Braves News: Braves acquire Diaz, moves around the division, more
- Atlanta Braves 2012 Top Prospects Review: J.R. Graham
- Atlanta Braves Acquire Lewin Diaz from the Orioles
- Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 6-10
No. 25, Bryce Ball, 1B
6’6″, 235 lbs.
Grade: A
2019 stats: 62 games, .329 AVG, 17 home runs, 18 doubles, 52 RBI
Perhaps the best performer of the 2019 draft class, Ball hit the ground running once in Rookie-Advanced Danville, slugging .676 (13 homers / 12 doubles) in his first 41 games with the D-Braves before being promoted to Single-A Rome. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Ball looks to be a late-round steal for the Braves (24th round), costing the organization just under $200,000. This will be a fun player to watch in 2020. Ball will turn 22-years-old around midseason this coming year.
No. 24, Drew Campbell, OF
5’11”, 170 lbs.
Grade: C
2019 stats: 28 games, .224 AVG, 1 home run, 4 doubles, 7 RBI
Campbell came out of the University of Louisville as a high-contact player with decent speed and strong defense, slashing .304/ .377/.424 in two seasons with the Cardinals. There’s not a lot of power to speak of (yet), as Campbell hit just 4 home runs in 117 collegiate games, but at just 170 pounds he certainly has some room to grow. At 21-years-old when he signed, the lefty swingy Campbell started out in Rome in 2019, but struggled to the tune of a 66 wRC+. Fortunately, despite struggling to draw walks (only 4.4 BB%), he kept the strikeouts down (12.3 K%), meaning he wasn’t completely overmatched.
No. 23, Alex Segal, LHP
6’4″, 190 lbs.
Grade: A
2019 stats: 16 app., 1 start, 28.1 innings, 4.13 ERA, 11.1 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, 1 HR
Segal is a big lefty, standing at 6’4″ and 185 pounds with mid-90s velocity. Drafted out of Wichita State, the tall southpaw was sharp with the Danville Braves in 2019, striking out 35 batters in 28.1 innings of work and surrendering just one home run. Considering how much he struggled in his last collegiate season (5.50 ERA, 7.3 BB/9), Segal’s respectable numbers in his first pro stint deserves a strong grade.
No. 22, Javier Valdés, C
5’10”, 195 lbs.
Grade: C
2019 stats: 23 games, .088 AVG, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 1 stolen base
Valdes’ calling card is that he’s an ultra athletic player behind the plate, stemming from his days as an infielder. Reports indicate he could still use more work on his actual catching skills, though a mini-power breakout (8 HR) in his final collegiate season at FIU earned himself some attention at draft time. Sadly, Valdes was simply overmatched in the GCL this past season, finishing with a pathetic 37 wRC+. Although, a .114 BABIP coupled with strong BB/K rates may indicate he suffered from some misfortune during his first 23-game stint in the minors.
No. 21, Peyton Williams, RHP
6’1″, 180 lbs.
Grade: B
2019 stats: 11 app., 4 starts, 26 innings, 6.23 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 4 HR
Reports indicate that Williams is relatively new to pitching, though despite his rawness on the mound the 6-foot-1 righty has an above-average fastball (tops out at 97 mph) and a recently added curveball. Williams got just one start in the GCL before being deployed with Danville, where he struck out 21 batters in 24 innings. As a 21-year-old D2 product with very little pitching experience, I’d say he held his own for the most part.
Next. What Donaldson pursuit means for the outfield. dark
Next up we will take a look at picks 11-20 from the Atlanta Braves 2019 MLB Draft class.