TomahawkTake’s top-30 Atlanta Braves’ prospects: The Top 10
Today we release the final installment of our Braves’ Top-30 Prospect Rankings, capping off the series with the organization’s top-10 players.
The final installment of our prospect rankings series starts now, as we’ve spent the last couple of days delivering quite an impressive list of twenty Atlanta Braves prospects.
We started here on Monday, sharing the back-10 of the rankings, featuring a few players that took the pros by storm in their first year in the system; guys like right-handed pitcher Kasey Kalich (No. 24) and first baseman Bryce Ball (No. 26), two players that greatly exceeded expectations and even made it to Single-A Rome by the end of the 2019 campaign.
Monday also included a couple of Braves’ prospects that didn’t quite perform as we had hoped this past season; guys like catcher William Contreras (No. 23) and third baseman CJ Alexander (No. 27), though the latter of that duo was limited to only 43 games in 2019.
Then on Tuesday we hit the middle of these rankings, covering Nos. 20-11 on the list; that group had a little bit of everything, featuring the Braves’ top-two picks in 2019, catcher Shea Langeliers (No. 16) and shortstop Braden Shewmake (No. 15). The list also included a few breakout-players from 2019, as outfielder Justin Dean (No. 14) and reliever Daysbel Hernandez (No. 19) both flourished this past season, even earning invites to the Arizona Fall League several months ago.
Outfielder Greyson Jenista (No. 17) — also an AFL invitee — and pitcher Freddy Tarnok (No. 20) were also included in Tuesday’s group of ten, though both didn’t exactly excell in 2019, at least when considering what each had accomplished in the season prior.
But now we’ve made it to the most elite group of Braves’ prospects, the top-10 players within the organization’s minor league system. These are the players with the most upside, talent and tools; the guys that make this current prospect class one of the best in the business.
Several of these players are right on the cusp of making it to the big leagues, while a few may still have a ways to go but have been so impressive in recent seasons that their talent level had to be reevaluated.
Some nuances to consider
After fighting with several different objective-based models, we have decided to go with a subjective approach for these rankings.
But keep in mind, this list is meant to be the first report for the 2020 season, meaning there will be more versions of these rankings to come later on. Think of this as the Spring report, with a Midseason and End-of-season report to follow. Each version will be updated according to how each player is trending (via performance, upside, promotions…etc).
Obviously, everyone won’t necessarily agree with each and every ranking, as we all have our own opinions regarding these players; although, it’s much easier to look at the list of 30 players overall in terms of tiers instead of attempting to assess the report as a whole.
Consider my tiers for the list below:
- Nos. 1-10 — Tier 1
- Nos.11-20 — Tier 2
- Nos. 21-30 — Tier 3
You could perhaps break the rankings up in to even more tiers or groups if you desired, but the point is that the actual ranking is less important than the tier or group the player is part of. Obviously, the higher the tier means the player has more upside and is closer to the majors.
Remember, these rankings are subject to change, as an updated version of this list will be published around the midseason point of the 2020 season (July-ish).
With all of that now covered, let’s look at our final group of rankings, the Braves’ top-10 prospects.
Braves’ Top-30 Prospects: Nos. 10-1
(Spring version)
| RANK | PLAYER | HIGHEST LVL |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | LHP, Mitch Stallings | Single-A |
| 29 | 2B, Greg Cullen | Single-A |
| 28 | LHP, Hayden Deal | High-A |
| 27 | 3B, CJ Alexander | Double-A |
| 26 | 1B, Bryce Ball | Single-A |
| 25 | RHP, Tyler Owens | Rookie |
| 24 | RHP, Kasey Kalich | Single-A |
| 23 | C, William Contreras | Double-A |
| 22 | LHP, Thomas Burrows | Triple-A |
| 21 | OF, Jefrey Ramos | High-A |
| 20 | RHP, Freddy Tarnok | High-A |
| 19 | RHP, Daysbel Hernandez | High-A |
| 18 | C, Logan Brown | High-A |
| 17 | OF, Greyson Jenista | Double-A |
| 16 | C, Shea Langeliers | Single-A |
| 15 | SS, Braden Shewmake | Double-A |
| 14 | OF, Justin Dean | Single-A |
| 13 | C, Alex Jackson | MLB |
| 12 | RHP, Jasseel De La Cruz | Double-A |
| 11 | RHP, Victor Vodnik | Single-A |
| 10 | OF, Trey Harris | Double-A |
| 9 | RHP, Jeremy Walker | MLB |
| 8 | LHP, Kyle Muller | Double-A |
| 7 | RHP, Patrick Weigel | Triple-A |
| 6 | RHP, Bryse Wilson | MLB |
| 5 | RHP, Kyle Wright | MLB |
| 4 | LHP, Tucker Davidson | Triple-A |
| 3 | RHP, Ian Anderson | Triple-A |
| 2 | OF, Drew Waters | Triple-A |
| 1 | OF, Cristian Pache | Triple-A |
(italicized players were covered in previous posts)
The table is now complete, as our 2020 Braves’ Top-30 Prospect Rankings have been finalized and released for this spring. This list should hold us over until midseason, which will then feature an updated version of these same rankings.
Just like in the two posts prior to this one, to provide clarity as to why each player is ranked where, check out the following excerpts on each new player listed in the table. I’ve also provided video (via FanGraphs) for most of these players below. All listed ages are for the 2020 season.
No. 10: Trey Harris, OF
- Drafted: (ATL) 32nd RD, 2018
- Missouri University
| AGE | 24 |
| HEIGHT | 5’8″ |
| WEIGHT | 215 |
| BAT/THROW | R/R |
Harris, the Braves’ 2019 Minor League Batter of the Year, has quickly become one of the organization’s most beloved prospects as he put all of his tools on display this past season, slashing .323/.389/.498 with 14 home runs and 26 doubles in 131 total games (56 in Single-A Rome, 34 in High-A Florida and 41 in Double-A Mississippi).
Oh, and in over 900 innings in the outfield in 2019, the 23-year-old committed just one error to go along with 8 assists. There’s arguably no other Braves’ prospect whose stock has risen as high in one season than Harris’ going into the 2020 season.
No. 9: Jeremy Walker, RHP
- Drafted: (ATL) 5th RD, 2016
- Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs NC)
| AGE | 25 |
| HEIGHT | 6’5″ |
| WEIGHT | 205 |
| BAT/THROW | R/R |
(VIDEO) Walker earned an MLB debut in 2019, where he showed his above-average mid-90s fastball, making six appearances and only allowing two runs with the Braves; that after pitching in 32 games combined between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett, where he left the minors with a 3.21 ERA.
The first two years of his pro career Walker worked as a starter, but now on the Braves’ 40-man it appears he has found his calling as a three-pitch pitcher (fastball, changeup, curveball) out of the bullpen, earning the title of the Braves’ top prospect reliever.
No. 8: Kyle Muller, LHP
- Drafted: (ATL) 2nd RD, 2016
- Jesuit College Prep (Dallas TX)
| AGE | 22 |
| HEIGHT | 6’6″ |
| WEIGHT | 225 |
| BAT/THROW | R/L |
(VIDEO) In many other organizations, Muller would most likely be the top prospect, standing 6-foot-6 on the mound with a mid to high-90s mph fastball and filthy slider (he also throws a changeup and curveball) coming at batters from the left side.
His 2019 season — despite struggling a bit with walks — deserves a high grade, considering he posted similar numbers as the previous year while at a level higher in the minors. With 22 starts in Double-A Mississippi to round out this past season, he’ll certainly be in Triple-A Gwinnett at some point in 2020.
No. 7: Patrick Weigel, RHP
- Drafted: (ATL) 7th RD, 2015
- University of Houston
| AGE | 26 |
| HEIGHT | 6’6″ |
| WEIGHT | 240 |
| BAT/THROW | R/R |
(VIDEO) Understandably, Weigel’s Tommy John surgery in 2017 (which caused him to miss all of 2018) caused many to sort of look elsewhere; however, as he was eased into action this past season, Weigel showed why he was so highly touted before his surgery.
The 6-foot-6 righty throws easy gas, sitting in the mid-90s mph and ramping it up to 98-99 at times, while also flashing three additional pitches.
Weigel’s swing-and-miss offering is a mid-80s big breaking slider. Also currently on the Braves’ 40-man, Weigel could potentially be a weapon out of the big league ‘pen in 2020.
No. 6: Bryse Wilson, RHP
- Drafted: (ATL) 4th RD, 2016
- Orange HS (Hillsborough NC)
| AGE | 22 |
| HEIGHT | 6’1″ |
| WEIGHT | 225 |
| BAT/THROW | R/R |
(VIDEO) The Bulldog lost a little bit of his bite in 2019, pitching rather poorly in six games at the major league level (4 starts / 2 relief appearances) and finishing with a bloated 7.20 ERA with the Braves.
It would be irresponsible to let 20 mediocre innings in the big leagues define Wilson’s stock going forward, as frustrating as it may seem. He was just fine in Triple-A Gwinnett (3.42 ERA / 21 starts) this past season, perhaps a sign he’s still not quite ready to crack the Braves’ starting staff.
No. 5: Kyle Wright, RHP
- Drafted: (ATL) 1st RD, 2017
- Vanderbilt University
| AGE | 24 |
| HEIGHT | 6’4″ |
| WEIGHT | 200 |
| BAT/THROW | R/R |
(VIDEO) In a very similar boat as Wilson above, the 2019 campaign was mostly a stinker for Wright (at least at the major league level), as the former 1st round pick pitched to an even worse 8.69 ERA in seven big league games (4 starts / 2 relief appearances).
Still, the solid stuff remains and it was just two seasons ago that Wright put up a 3.46 ERA across Double-A Mississippi an Triple-A Gwinnett. Sure, the expectations were much higher for Wilson and Wright this past season, but they will get the benefit of the doubt on this list for now.
No. 4: Tucker Davidson, LHP
- Drafted: (ATL) 19th RD, 2016
- Midland College
| AGE | 24 |
| HEIGHT | 6’2″ |
| WEIGHT | 215 |
| BAT/THROW | L/L |
(VIDEO) Tucker had a huge season in 2019, making it up to Triple-A Gwinnett with Ian Anderson, Cristian Pache and Drew Waters this past August. Even in Gwinnett, Davidson was sharp, posting a 2.84 ERA in 19 innings at the highest minor league level (4 starts).
Prior to his promotion, though, Davidson was one of the best pitchers in the Southern League (Double-A), leading the league in ERA (2.03) for much of the season and striking out 9.9 batters per nine. This is the best left-handed pitcher in the system right now.
No. 3: Ian Anderson, RHP
- Drafted: (ATL) 1st RD, 2016
- Shenendehowa HS (Clifton Park NY)
| AGE | 22 |
| HEIGHT | 6’3″ |
| WEIGHT | 170 |
| BAT/THROW | R/R |
(VIDEO) For a guy who has never experienced failure as a pro pitcher, Anderson’s little blip in Triple-A Gwinnett at the tail end of 2019 is nothing to worry about.
The Braves 2019 Minor League Pitcher of the Year still managed an exceptional K rate (11.4 K/9) overall this past season, while leading the Southern League (11.9 K/9) in strikeouts for much of the time he was in Double-A.
He’s still working on his changeup, but Anderson’s mid-90s fastball and 12-6 curveball are still allowing him to mow down hitters at will. 2020 is a BIG year for the Braves’ top pitching prospect.
No. 2: Drew Waters, OF
- Drafted: (ATL) 2nd RD, 2017
- Etowah HS (Woodstock GA)
| AGE | 21 |
| HEIGHT | 6’2″ |
| WEIGHT | 183 |
| BAT/THROW | B/R |
(VIDEO) Waters played like the Braves’ best prospect for much of the season, after leaving Double-A as the Southern League MVP and still carrying a .271 AVG with 7 XBHs in 26 games with Triple-A Gwinnett. Offensively, the only thing still holding Waters back a bit is some poor plate discipline, as he struck out 36.1% of the time in Gwinnett and posted a 6.2% walk-rate in Mississippi. Tools-wise — save for some glove work– the Braves’ top-two prospects are about as close as it gets.
No. 1: Cristian Pache, OF
- Signed: (ATL) July 2 INT signing, 2015
- Dominican Republic
| AGE | 21 |
| HEIGHT | 6’2″ |
| WEIGHT | 185 |
| BAT/THROW | R/R |
(VIDEO) We’ve never questioned Pache’s talent, especially his skills on defense, but we had been waiting for him to adjust at the plate.
Well, he did just that in 2019, essentially doubling his walk-rate from prior seasons, including a 136 wRC+ in Double-A Mississippi this past year, after just a 79 wRC+ there in 2018.
A drastic improvement in plate discipline and already-major-league caliber defense is what separates Pache from the rest of this class. More positive strides regarding the former of those two and we’ll be seeing the Braves’ top prospect in Atlanta at some point during the 2020 season.
Next. A start placed in perspective. dark
Let us know in the comments who you’re most excited about this coming season.