Atlanta Braves 2017 Top 10 Prospects: Where Are They Now?
By Seth Carter
4. Kolby Allard
It’s so interesting to go back a couple of years and see Kolby Allard ranked ahead of names like Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Sean Newcomb, and even Ronald Acuna. Believe it or not, Allard was a first-round pick in the 2015 draft taken 14th overall by the Braves.
At one point, it looked like Allard could be the ace of the future. He was coming off of a 2016 in which he posted a 2.98 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 87.2 innings between Rookie and A-Ball.
He began 2017 in Double-A and continued his success with a 3.18 ERA in 150.0 innings. The next season he began in Triple-A and registered an even better 2.72 ERA in 19 starts. He walked 34 batters in 112.1 innings while striking out 89.
He got his first crack at the majors that season and pitched in 8.0 innings for the Braves. He gave up three homers, walked four, and allowed 12 total runs.
Allard began last season in AAA-Gwinnett and was traded at the deadline to the Texas Rangers in exchange for reliever Chris Martin. Allard didn’t have a lot of room with the pitching-rich system of the Atlanta Braves. It was a savvy move for the Braves’ front office to move such a talented prospect to address a current need.
The Braves are still stocked with starting pitching talent and they were able to re-sign Chris Martin this offseason.
Allard pitched in 45.1 innings for the Rangers at the big-league level last season and projects to start the season in Triple-A for the Rangers after they acquired Corey Kluber, Kyle Gibson, and Jordan Lyles this offseason.