Stock Up, Stock Down for Atlanta Braves' Top 10 Prospects for Week 20

Alex Wood's delivery makes me cringe. I won't lie. 

In fact, in spite of his success thus far this season, I would advocate that his best long-term role be as a filthy lights-out reliever in high leverage situations, a la Drew Smyly. 

As for the rest of 2013 though, Wood has elevated himself from top prospect to probable Game 3 starter of the National League Division Series, with the remainder of Brandon Beachy's season in doubt.

Via Baseball-Reference, Wood has posted an insane 1.72 ERA in his past five starts, totaling 31.1 innings pitched and 30 strikeouts in all. 

Assuming the Atlanta Braves trot out Mike Minor (25 years old), Julio Teheran (22), Alex Wood (22) and Kris Medlen (27) as their playoff rotation, they would have an average age of 24. Talk about trial by fire.

Prospect rankings courtesy of MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. Statistics via Baseball-Reference.

10. Aaron Northcraft

Level: Double-A (Mississippi)

Position: Starting pitcher

Throws: Right-handed

Season Stats: 7-8, 3.54 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 127.0 IP, 116 H, 45 BB, 107 K 

Last Week's Stats: 0-0, 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Analysis

Aaron Northcraft continues his upward trajectory this week, throwing 6.0 innings of one-run, six-strikeout baseball to lower his ERA to 3.54 on the season. Since June 11, Northcraft has thrown 73.1 innings and posted a very encouraging 2.70 ERA, via Baseball-Reference.

The big righty lacks elite stuff, but he makes up for it with his competitiveness and the sheer amount of movement on his pitches. He could easily find himself on the Braves pitching staff in a couple of years, in one role or another.

Stock: Up

9. Matt Lipka

Level: High-A (Lynchburg)

Position: Outfield

Throws/Bats: R/R

Season Stats: .257/.309/.371, 73 R, 28 2B, 7 3B, 5 HR, 40 RBI, 27 BB, 103 K, 33 SB

Last Week's Stats: .179/.324/.250, 4 R, 2 2B, 0 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, 3 SB

Analysis

Matt Lipka has to be frustrated with his performance in the second half of 2013. Since June 14, the center fielder has posted a triple slash line of .230/.293/.319, via Baseball-Reference. Curiously enough, he was able to draw four walks last week and add another three stolen bases to his yearly total, but that still might not be enough to halt his downward spiral.

Lipka will probably repeat High-A next season in the hopes of finally taking a step forward at the plate. He'll turn 22 years of age in April 2014, so he certainly has time to make the leap. But the former first-rounder's star has definitely lost its luster.

Stock: Down

8. Todd Cunningham

Level: Triple-A (Gwinnett)

Position: Outfield

Throws/Bats: R/S

Season Stats: .267/.341/.339, 57 R, 13 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 36 RBI, 37 BB, 60 K, 19 SB (AAA)

.286/.286/.286, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 SB (Majors)

Last Week's Stats: .176/.176/.235, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 3 K (AAA)

.000/.000/.000, 1 K (Majors)

Analysis

Todd Cunningham still hasn't rediscovered his groove at the plate, collecting only three hits in his 17 at-bats in Triple-A last week. That didn't stop the Braves from calling him back up once Jason Heyward went down with a broken jaw, though.

He'll likely never hit for power, but he possesses a great eye at the plate, and his speed helps him both on the basepaths and in center field.

Stock: Even

7. Cody Martin

Level: Triple-A (Gwinnett)

Position: Starting pitcher

Throws: Right-handed

Season Stats: 3-3, 2.82 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 67.0 IP, 63 H, 27 BB, 71 K (AA)

2-4, 3.79 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 61.2 IP, 54 H, 29 BB, 62 K (AAA)

Last Week's Stats: No action seen.

Analysis

Without any action seen in the past week, Cody Martin's stock stays put for the time being.

Though his ERA in Triple-A isn't exactly minuscule at 3.79, it's deceivingly high. Save for his eight-run meltdown in his 5.1-inning start on June 10, Martin's stint at Triple-A has been as impressive as his stop at Double-A.

With a plus cutter and great command, it wouldn't be out of line for Martin to pitch in Atlanta down the stretch, especially with Brandon Beachy injured.

Stock: Even

6. Mauricio Cabrera

Level: Low-A (Rome)

Position: Starting pitcher

Throws: Right-handed

Season Stats: 3-8, 4.18 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 131.1 IP, 118 H, 71 BB, 107 K

Last Week's Stats: 1-1, 9.1 IP, 10 H, 8 ER, 7 BB, 5 K

Analysis

After a 10-start stretch where it seemed Mauricio Cabrera could do almost no wrong, the young righty came crashing back down to earth last week, throwing one mediocre start of 5.1 innings and getting lit up in his other start of 4.0 innings. 

There's no cause for concern, though; Cabrera is but 19 years of age and will only continue to improve as he masters his breaking pitches. At this point, he could start the year in either Low-A or High-A, should the Braves brass believe he's ready for the challenge.

Stock: Down

5. Jason Hursh

Level: Low-A (Rome)

Position: Starting pitcher

Throws: Right-handed

Season Stats: 1-1, 0.67 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 20 H, 10 BB, 15 K

Last Week's Stats: 0-0, 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K

Analysis

It seems unfair to the hitters of Low-A that they have to face Jason Hursh; the hard-throwing righty out of Oklahoma State may not be striking many hitters out, but he's grinding them up like it's his job. Which it is. 

At this point, the Braves may not decide to move Hursh up to High-A for the rest of the season, but expect him to earn a promotion over the winter months.

Stock: Even

4. Sean Gilmartin

Level: Low-A (Rome)

Position: Starting pitcher

Throws: Left-handed

Season Stats: 3-8, 5.63 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 80.0 IP, 100 H, 30 BB, 54 K (AAA)

0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 11 (Rookie)

1-0, 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K (Low-A)

Last Week's Stats: 0-1, 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 6 K (Triple-A)

Analysis

The bad news is that Sean Gilmartin was hit pretty hard last week in his 4.0-inning Triple-A start. 

The good news, though, is that he struck out six and failed to give a single batter a free pass. And for that, Gilmartin gets a free pass for the seven hits and four runs he surrendered in his latest start.

With Brandon Beachy on the disabled list, both Gilmartin and Cody Martin are one more injury away from a serious look at a Braves rotation spot. 

Stock: Even

3. Christian Bethancourt

Level: Double-A (Mississippi)

Position: Catcher

Throws/Bats: R/R

Season Stats: .284/.312/.451, 39 R, 20 2B, 12 HR, 44 RBI, 15 BB, 55 K, 11 SB

Last Week's Stats: .239/.259/.385, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K

Analysis

After resurrecting his status as a top prospect over the past couple of months, it was only a matter of time before Christian Bethancourt had an uninspiring week at the plate. 

The young backstop turns 22 on September 2 and at this point probably won't dramatically raise his walk rate, but if he simply crushes everything he swings at, that shouldn't be much of a problem.

With a strong finish to 2013 and a good showing in either the Arizona Fall League or winter ball, Bethancourt could potentially challenge for Atlanta's starting catcher gig in 2014.

Stock: Even

2. J.R. Graham

Level: Double-A (Mississippi)

Position: Starting pitcher

Throws: Right-handed

Season Stats: 1-3, 4.04 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 35.2 IP, 39 H, 10 BB, 28 K

Last Week's Stats: Seven-day disabled list; no action seen.

Analysis

This writer has lost hope that J.R. Graham will throw another pitch in the Braves farm system during the 2013 season, but that's not to say that Graham won't make an appearance in an offseason league once he's fully healthy. 

With a logjam at starting pitcher moving forward (Minor, Teheran, Beachy, Medlen, Wood, Gilmartin, Martin and Northcraft), Graham's future looks to be in the bullpen. The hard-throwing sinkerballer will likely get one more crack at a rotation job, though.

Stock: Even

1. Lucas Sims

Level: Low-A (Rome)

Position: Starting pitcher

Throws: Right-handed

Season Stats: 10-4, 2.78 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 106.2 IP, 74 H, 44 BB, 121 K

Last Week's Stats: 1-0, 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Analysis

In only one year, 19-year-old Lucas Sims has managed to catapult himself to the top of the Braves' prospect rankings, simply dazzling hitters in Low-A all year long with his 94 mph fastball and tight curve.

He followed up an unbelievable 7.0-inning, one-hit, no-run, nine-strikeout performance with an impressive 5.1-inning, seven-strikeout outing last week. 

Gaining steam, expect Sims to earn a promotion to High-A at the tender age of 20 next spring.

Stock: Up