Final 2014 Rankings of Braves' Top 10 Prospects
While the Atlanta Braves are playing themselves out of a playoff spot, it’s time to turn our attention to the prospects on the farm.
The Braves' minor league system is not as strong as it once was. That is due in part to several top prospects, like Tommy La Stella and Shae Simmons, graduating to the majors in recent years.
The system has also lost top prospects in trades. Victor Caratini was sent to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, and Sean Gilmartin was shipped to the Minnesota Twins in the offseason.
There are still some good, even great, prospects among the Braves' top 10. To those of you who followed Bleacher Report’s weekly Braves' Prospect Stock Watch series this season, many of these names will be familiar. There is a new name on the list who makes a high-ranked debut, however.
No. 10 Prospect: RHP Wes Parsons
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Wes Parsons was one of the fastest-rising prospects before the season. Though he was an undrafted free agent, he signed for a sizeable bonus and put up stellar numbers in his pro debut at Low-A Rome in 2013.
Pitching this season one level higher at High-A Lynchburg, Parsons was plagued by nagging injuries that drove him to the disabled list several times. Those stints on the DL, and the rust that accompanied him back to the mound, led to a near doubling of his ERA from 2.63 to 5.00.
The luck factor bit him a little harder this year, just as it was kinder to him last year. His FIP only rose a run from 3.05 in 2013 to 4.19 this year.
Despite the nagging injuries, Parsons increased his innings totals and should be able to look forward to a promotion next season to Double-A. He still has the ceiling of a midrotation workhorse starter with plus command and good velocity.
No. 9 Prospect: RHP J.R. Graham
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J.R. Graham was possibly the most disappointing prospect in the Braves system this year. After missing most of 2013 as a precaution against aggravating a shoulder injury, he battled more arm and shoulder troubles off and on this season.
In between trips to the DL, Graham showed plenty of rust from a lack of in-game experience and the practice of regular work, with his control suffering the most.
His numbers this season do not bear repeating, as they were awful across the board, with no silver lining. But when evaluating a prospect who should still possess an electric fastball when healthy, we have to wait to see him when he’s healthy.
The hope is that Graham will finally be healthy enough for a full season next year, but he may find himself pitching out of the bullpen instead of in the rotation.
No. 8 Prospect: RHP Mauricio Cabrera
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Like the two guys below him in these rankings, Mauricio Cabrera also spent a significant amount of time on the disabled list this season. As the top international pitching prospect in the Braves system, there was a lot expected of Cabrera in his second full season.
An arm injury derailed him in the season’s first month and kept him from returning until August. When he did return, he worked as a reliever, though initially with great success.
His final four games were atrocious, but that could have been a result of fatigue at the end of an injury-plagued season.
He continues to show a great fastball, good control and is young enough to still be ahead of schedule in his development.
No. 7 Prospect: OF Braxton Davidson
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The Braves first-round draft pick this year, Braxton Davidson, makes the end-of-year prospect list. Like most prep draftees, the Braves started him off at complex ball in Orlando, but they rewarded him with a promotion to High-R Danville for the final two weeks of the season.
While Davidson didn’t hit the cover off the ball at either level, this year was just about getting his feet wet and learning about life in professional baseball.
With the end-of-year promotion to Danville, the Braves sent the signal that they intend to give Davidson the opportunity to start 2015 in full-season ball at Low-A Rome. He should be a fun player to watch develop next year and in the years to come.
No. 6 Prospect: RHP Jason Hursh
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Last year’s first-round pick, Jason Hursh, had a good season at Double-A Mississippi. The Braves challenged him against tough competition, and while he struggled at times, he battled through it and finished the season strong.
Excluding his final start of the year, in which he got lit up, Hursh had a run of 10 starts at the end of the year in which he posted a 1.80 ERA and .239 batting-average against. This helped bring his season ERA of 3.58 and .267 BAA into respectable territory.
Hursh may initially return to Mississippi next year, but he should find his way to Gwinnett eventually. It’s probably too much to expect him to compete for a rotation spot in Atlanta next spring, but he could make a strong case in March that he deserves to be in the conversation.
No. 5 Prospect: SS Ozhaino Albies
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The new arrival on our prospect list is shortstop Ozhaino Albies—you may call him Ozzy, like most people in the States do. He’s a 17-year-old kid from Curacao, who burst onto the scene this year after signing as an international free agent just last year.
The Braves thought enough of this young talent to have him skip the Dominican League, where most international signees start their careers. Their move paid off, as Ozzy destroyed the ball at Low-R Orlando, hitting .381/.481/.429.
They challenged the youngster again with a promotion to High-R Danville, where he continued his great hitting, posting a slash line of .356/.429/.452. That will set him up to begin next season in full-season ball at Low-A Rome.
Albies is super fast on the bases, with 21 stolen bases in 26 chances this year. He has a similar profile to that of Jose Peraza (appearing later on this list), and both players have drawn comparisons to Rafael Furcal.
No. 4 Prospect: 3B Kyle Kubitza
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In 2014, prospect Kyle Kubitza emerged from the middle of the pack of possible top hitting prospects in the Braves system to become one of the best all-around prospects in the organization. His numbers across the board were up from last year, even as he moved to the make-or-break Double-A level.
With a slash line of .295/.405/.470 and good speed on the bases (21-for-27 in stolen base attempts), Kubitza established himself as a player who could take over for Chris Johnson at the hot corner as early as next year.
No. 3 Prospect: RHP Lucas Sims
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Previously the Braves' top prospect, Lucas Sims had a disappointingly average year at High-A Lynchburg. While he was one of the youngest players in the league, he didn’t put up the eye-popping numbers he had the year before.
The Braves certainly challenged him with a hard level at a young age, but he struggled with consistency most of the year and failed to live up to his billing as a top-of-the-rotation starting pitching prospect.
While he did flash shades of brilliance, including pitching seven innings of a combined no-hitter, it will be interesting to see if the Braves continue to challenge him by promoting him to Double-A next year. At some point, the hope is that Sims will catch up to the league and have a dominant performance that reasserts his status as an ace pitcher.
No. 2 Prospect: C Christian Bethancourt
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The Braves' catcher of the future, Christian Bethancourt got several extended looks this year at the major league level. He showed enough at Triple-A to make the Braves believe he was ready for more, but has he done enough in the majors to make them believe he’s ready to be the team’s everyday catcher next year?
With Evan Gattis expected to be a hot commodity in the offseason trade market, Bethancourt could find himself in possession of a starting job in the majors next spring. However, both his offensive and defensive game could use more refinement in the minors.
He’ll play most of next season as a 23-year-old, so there’s no need to rush him if he’s not completely ready.
No. 1 Prospect: 2B Jose Peraza
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The speedy Venezuelan Jose Peraza tore up the minor leagues this season. In the season’s first half, he hit .342/.365/.454 at High-A Lynchburg, stealing 35 bases in the process.
After being promoted to Double-A Mississippi, Peraza hit .335/.363/.422 with 25 more steals as one of the youngest players in the league. Those numbers might have been even better had a leg injury not slowed Peraza in the final weeks of the season.
He will enter spring training next year with a great chance to win the starting second base job in Atlanta. His speed is exactly what the Braves are looking for in the leadoff spot, and his defense at second is better than any of the other in-house options.
If there is a knock on him, it’s that he doesn’t walk enough, a fault which could keep him in the minors for another season. But Peraza has proven to be very coachable, and that could have the Braves believing that he could learn on the job in the majors.
Stats for this article were taken from Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com.
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