Atlanta Braves prospects Q and A with Kiley McDaniel
By Fred Owens
When the moderator asked if anyone had more questions, I jumped in with two about the Atlanta Braves future pitchers.
How good is the next wave of Atlanta Braves pitchers?
Q: What about the Burroughs and the other . . . next level of pitchers . . . it seems like we’ve got a couple three and four starters. a bunch of relievers, then come the A-Ball prospects.
"Kiley McDaniel: Yeah . . . once you get past Ian Anderson — and Touki Toussaint is not eligible for the list anymore but I think he probably fits into this — back end starters and relievers . . . I’m looking like Bryse Wilson is . . . probably a No. 4 starter when it comes down to it. Tucker Davidson I think will be a reliever, but there’s still a chance he can dial stuff down and throw more strikes and be a starter. Jared Shuster was sort of like a pop-up college guy . . . Might be a third or fourth starter, but it’s probably more fourth, fifth. Kyle Muller I think is a reliever; Ynoa is probably a reliever; de la Cruz is probably a reliever; Tarnok probably a back end guy; Vodnik reliever; Jeremy Walker, reliever; Pfeifer reliever. You kind of get where this is going. And there’s some exciting guys from the most recent draft, like Bryce Elder, sinker, slider, starter. I wouldn’t say exciting, but . . .could be higher on this list. Spencer Strider, Ricky DeVito, Tyler Owens, all guys from the last two draft classes that are in the high 90s, along with Vodnik. Like there’s some exciting guys, but I still don’t think they’re any better than like a seventh or eighth-inning guy when it comes down to it."
Q: I always pictured Wilson as a back-end closer. He has the mentality and the stuff for a fastball-slider reliever, go in and blow people away and eat them on the way off the mound. . . .
"Kiley McDaniel: . . .like you’re saying, I think his mentality fits better like later in the game, maybe even multiple innings rather than like spots, sort of has to conserve his stamina and whatnot. . . . in general the team can have an eighth-inning guy or a fourth starter. They’ll take a fourth starter, so. . . they’re going to push in that direction, but I definitely agree the mentality seems like that (of a closer)."