Tomahawk Take’s Atlanta Braves Prospect Rankings: 10-6
Members of the Tomahawk Take crew got together to rank the top 30 prospects in the Atlanta Braves organization.
Amidst a lockout, the Tomahawk Take crew ranked their top prospects in the Atlanta Braves organization. The following contributed:
- Alan Carpenter (@Carpengui)
- Jake Mastroianni (@ShortStopBall)
- Payton Wilkerson (@pmwilkerson99)
- Thomas Ashworth (@ThomasAshworth0)
- James Kunkle (@Jimmy_Kunkle)
- Matt Melton (@Matt_Melton20)
- Sam Peebles (@SPeeblesSports)
- Andrew Cicco (@Andrewnotsicko)
- Trent Dickeson (@trenciarte)
Nine writers ranked the Braves’ prospects, and the rankings were then averaged together to get an overall ranking.
The Braves farm is not as highly ranked as it once was. Gone are the days of the Braves carrying the top farm system in baseball with prospects such as Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Austin Riley, Max Fried, Mike Soroka, Ian Anderson, and many others.
Check out the previous rankings:
- Tomahawk Take Atlanta Braves Prospect Rankings 30-26
- Tomahawk Take Atlanta Braves Prospect Rankings 25-21
- Tomahawk Take Atlanta Braves Prospect Rankings 20-16
- Tomahawk Take Atlanta Braves Prospect Rankings 15-11
We move into the top 10 of the Tomahawk Take Atlanta Braves prospect rankings! This is the area of the rankings where we get excited about some of the names we see!
In the 10-6 range, we see some guys who have the ceilings to jump into the top 5 of the rankings soon. We also feature two guys that have already made it to the majors but have not exhausted their prospect status.
Quick update on the rankings. I was working on these when the Matt Olson trade was announced, which obviously impacted the rankings. They will be listed as their rank before the trade, but I will also place where they would fall on the updated list.
Ryan Cusick also comes in at 8 on this list but is obviously no longer in the Braves organization. There will be a limited write up about him due to the timing of the trade.
With that being said, here is the
10th
7th ranked prospect for the Atlanta Braves!
10. Jared Shuster
Updated Rank: 7
Personal Rank: 13
Updated Personal Rank: 9
The 1st round pick out of Wake Forest in 2020 ranks inside our top 10 prospects for the Braves.. Jared Shuster is an interesting case study.
There were rumors that he was not healthy at the alternate site in 2020, and that he may not have been healthy to begin the 2021 season. This could explain the down season.
He split time between High-A Rome and AA Mississippi. The stats:
- High-A: 14 starts (15 games), 58.1 innings, 3.70 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 4.09 xFIP, 1.06 WHIP, 31.1% strikeout rate, and 6.4% walk rate
- AA: 3 starts, 14.2 innings, 7.36 ERA, 6.54 FIP, 4.53 xFIP, 1.64 WHIP, 25.0% strikeout rate, and 7.4% walk rate.
Not the prettiest of years for Shuster. Maybe it was an injury that held him back, but this is a concern.
His fastball sat in the low to mid 90s rather than consistently in the mid-90s. Shuster’s best pitch is his changeup, which has been considered one of the best changeups in the entire draft class. However, an ineffective fastball would allow hitters to sit on that changeup.
He struggled to get guys out with the fastball, which led to longer at-bats. This forces his pitch count up, not allowing him to go deep into games.
His third pitch, a slider, is not currently reported as being a great pitch. He struggles to throw it for strikes consistently, which means he is currently a two-pitch pitcher.
If his fastball does not improve, he might struggle to get batters out as he advances levels. There is a lot of concern around Shuster heading into 2022.
The changeup is one of the better pitches in the organization, but if he cannot develop a second reliable pitch, his ceiling is limited.
Honestly, we still have not seen much of Shuster. The limited alternate site information and the injury in 2021 make it hard to truly scout.
I was the lowest on Shuster in the rankings. I think there is a legitimate concern with Shuster’s future and that he has a limited upside.
Maybe the injury was a big issue. He should start back in Mississippi to begin the year and will need to prove himself to improve his prospect ranking.
9. Vaughn Grissom
Updated Rank
Updated Rank: 6
Personal Rank: 6
Updated Personal Rank: 4
Vaughn Grissom comes to the Atlanta Braves out of Paul J. Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Florida. The Braves selected him in the 11th round of the 2019 draft and the returns so far look like a steal.
In 2019, Grissom got in 44 games at rookie ball, hitting .288/.361/.400 3 HR, 22 R, 23 RBI, 3 SB, .366 wOBA, and 120 wRC+. This includes an 8.7% walk rate, and only a 14.7% strikeout rate.
An impressive start. Impressive enough that the Braves brought the 19-year-old to the alternate site during the 2020 season. They saw something in Grissom and made sure he was getting to work with the team despite the lost minor league season.
He rewarded the organization with a stellar 2021 season. Grissom was the main attraction in Augusta, hitting .311/.402/.446 5 HR, 52 R, 33 RBI, 13 SB, .396 wOBA, and 135 wRC+.
Grissom also proved his defensive versatility. He is listed as a shortstop but played several games at both second and third base this year. The ability to play multiple defensive positions makes him much more appealing as a prospect.
The great year at Augusta was rewarded with an end of season promotion to High-A Rome where he played 12 games. In the short stint, he hit .378/.519/.595 2 HR, 12 R, 10 RBI, 3 SB, .478 wOBA, and 196 wRC+. A short sample, but he walked in 21.2% of plate appearances and only struck out five times.
The main thing that pops out for me is the elite plate discipline for a young prospect. He walked 45 times in 380 plate appearances (11.8%)! That is phenomenal for Grissom’s age.
It is possible that the time spent at Gwinnett in 2020 benefitted Grissom’s development at the plate. The Braves have a plethora of talented arms, and Grissom spent months facing them, working on his game.
He appears to have more power than originally anticipated. He is currently listed as 6’3 180 pounds, so he could add more as the frame fills out.
The hit tool is also far more advanced at this age than most projected. He also has the ability to play three defensive positions well.
Combine this with an advanced feel at the plate and at recognizing pitches, and we may be looking at the next special prospect in the Braves system. So much so, that some are wondering if this is the shortstop of the future in Atlanta.
I think he has the ability to be a special prospect and I come in as the highest on Grissom. It would not shock me to see Grissom being ranked inside the Braves top 3 by midseason.
He should start back in Rome, and the Braves may give him a shot in Mississippi this year as well.
8. Ryan Cusick
Personal Rank: 12
Ryan Cusick was traded to the Oakland Athletics in the deal to acquire Matt Olson.
That deal happened as I was starting the Cusick section. I decided to leave him in to not mess with the formatting of the article. Also, to highlight what prospects the Braves gave up to get this deal done.
That is why there are updated ranks under everyone’s name for this section. There will be an updated top 30 prospect list soon to reflect the changes to the system after the deal.
I will provide a quicker write up for Cusick than normal.
The 1st-round selection out of Wake Forest featured what was considered the best fastball in the entire 2021 draft class. It regularly touches triple digits and Cusick relies on it heavily.
He also has a slider that is vicious. He just cannot always control it. Control is a big issue with Cusick and will be one of the issues he needs to fix if he is to become a reliable major league arm.
He struck out 50.7% of batters in Augusta. He was a college arm facing Low-A batters, but that still is an impressive number that pops off the page.
He needs a third pitch, preferably a changeup. If he can develop one that can be serviceable, it really changes how he is viewed as a prospect.
I was a little lower on him that most but still see the great potential in this arm. I also see reliever risk, and that keeps him lower in rankings for me.
Fangraphs slots Cusick in at number 8 for the Oakland Athletics.
7. Kyle Muller
Updated Rank: 5
Personal Rank: 7
Updated Personal Rank: 6
Kyle Muller comes to the Braves from Jesuit College Preparatory in Dallas, Texas. The big lefty was the Braves 2nd round pick back in 2016.
After climbing through the ranks of the Braves minor league system, Muller finally got some game action with the big-league club in 2021.
Muller appeared in 9 games, started 8, pitched 36.2 innings with a 4.17 ERA, 3.95 xERA, 3.66 FIP, 4.88 xFIP, and 4.85 SIERA. It was a mixed bag with Muller in his short stint in Atlanta.
He struck out 23.1% of batters but walked 12.9% of guys faced. That walk rate is the concern with Muller, and what will be the main roadblock he needs to overcome in order to become a major league pitcher.
In AAA, Muller pitched 79.2 innings with a 3.39 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 4.30 xFIP, 27.0%, and 12.2% walk rate.
The 6’7 lefty features arguably the best fastball in the system when he has control over it. He also features a slider, curveball, and changeup. The changeup is mostly for show, as the slider and curveball are his go to secondary offerings.
The issue with Muller will be the control. His stuff is electric, but it does not matter unless he throws them for strikes.
The lack of control also leads to a higher pitch count for Muller. This often prevents him from going deep in games, limiting his impact.
Muller will be given an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in Atlanta. He might need to start back in Gwinnett, but should still see time in Atlanta in 2022. This will probably be the last time he is featured on prospect lists.
6. Tucker Davidson
Updated Rank: 4
Personal Rank: 11
Updated Personal Rank: 7
Tucker Davidson was selected in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB draft from Midland College. He was not highly regarded at the time, but slowly worked his way up the prospect rankings.
Davidson got a spot start back in 2020 that did not go well. He got a second shot in 2021, that went slightly better. He started 4 games, pitched 20 innings with a 3.60 ERA, 6.08 xERA, 4.52 FIP, 4.42 xFIP, & 1.15 WHIP. The numbers are largely inflated due to one bad start.
He may never be a high strikeout guy, but rather will rely on getting weak contact to succeed in the majors.. He showed promise in his run with Atlanta early, but an injury kept him out of action for much of the year.
He did return in time to be added to the postseason roster due to another injury. He got the start in game 5 of the World Series out of necessity but was overmatched by the Astros offense.
Davidson would only last 2 innings, allowing 2 hits, 3 walks, 4 runs (2 earned), and 1 strikeout. He was at 53 pitches which was probably his limit coming off the forearm injury.
When Davidson was drafted, some figured he would be more of a relief pitching prospect. He proved he has value as a potential starter and climbed up rankings because of it.
He throws a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. While there are signs of life in all his offerings, they are still fairly inconsistent right now.
He should still be in the mix for a role with the big-league club in 2022 if he is healthy. The injury was forearm tightness which is always worrisome for a pitcher. The fear for rust or lingering injury could create problems in 2022.
I do have Davidson lower than most. I still really like his potential, but just see him having a much lower ceiling compared to other guys within the system.
To me, he projects as a backend of the rotation pitcher. Nothing wrong with that, as he could still create a very nice career in that role.
Next. Matt Olson vs. Freddie Freeman Numbers Comparison. dark
Hopefully, Davidson is healthy in 2022 and can make the most of the opportunity he is given. He will most likely graduate from prospect lists this year.