Freddie Freeman, Julio Teheran, or Mike Minor: Who Makes Biggest 2011 Impact?

In January, ESPN’s Keith Law announced that the Braves currently have the third-best minor league system in all of baseball, behind only the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays.

Evidence of the Braves’ minor league strength is already apparent when one looks at the team’s 2011 roster. By midseason, when most MLB insiders expect the flame-throwing Julio Teheran will be called up, the team’s roster will likely also feature a rookie first baseman, Freddie Freeman, and a rookie fifth starter, Mike Minor.

All three were named among the top 21 prospects on MLB.com’s Top 50 Prospect list this year.

Teheran, the team’s top prospect and MLB.com’s No. 10 prospect among all organizations, has received almost as much attention as Braves outfielder Jason Heyward did when he entered spring training in 2010.

In 24 combined starts for three of the Braves' minor league affiliates last season, Teheran went 9-8 and posted a 2.59 ERA.

After beginning the season in Class-A Rome, where he went 2-2 with a 1.14 ERA in seven starts, Teheran was promoted to High-A Myrtle Beach where he posted a 2.98 ERA in 10 starts. Teheran ended the season at Double-A Mississippi, when he posted a 3.38 ERA and held opponents to a .204 batting average.

Braves GM Frank Wren told reporters that he does want to rush Teheran to the majors to ensure that he builds up arm strength and is less prone to injury. Already this season, Teheran, 20, has reportedly been suffering from back spasms.

He will likely begin the season in Triple-A Gwinnett before earning a midseason call-up in late June, provided he stays healthy. If he does, expect him to first work out of the bullpen before stepping into a starter’s role if someone succumbs to injury.

Consequently, due to lack of innings pitched and appearances, Teheran won’t be the team’s top performing rookie this season.

Minor, MLB.com’s No. 21 overall prospect, is currently competing for the team’s fifth and final starting spot.

Before being promoted to Atlanta when starting pitcher Kris Medlen went down, Minor had gone 2-6 with a 4.03 ERA and 109 strikeouts for Double-A Mississippi and 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA for Triple-A Gwinnett.

Once he reached Atlanta, he recorded 12 strikeouts, tying a Braves rookie record, in an August 22 game against the Chicago Cubs, before losing his control and giving way to what many experts say was fatigue. He ended the season with a 3-2 record and a 5.98 ERA.

The Braves are relying on Minor, assuming he earns the fifth starting spot, and need his arm to last all season. In his first spring training game against the New York Mets, Minor threw two perfect innings, retiring all six batters he faced. However, in his second game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Minor gave up five hits, two walks and one run.

Minor will likely improve in his next few outings, solidifying his role as the team’s fifth starter. He’ll have an average 2011, going 7-10 with an ERA above four, something the Braves would likely be pleased with coming from its fifth starter.

Consequently, first baseman Freddie Freeman, MLB.com’s No. 17 overall prospect, will be the biggest rookie contributor on the Braves roster this season.

Freeman, the International League’s Rookie of the Year, was hitting .319 with 18 home runs for Triple-A Gwinnett before being called up to Atlanta late last season. In 24 major league at-bats, Freeman had four hits, one of which was a long home run off of two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay.

Freeman, 21, has not stopped turning heads since.

He is hitting .381 through seven games this spring training, the most impressive of which was the team’s season opener against the Mets. In that game, Freeman went 3-for-3, hitting a double to each field.

This season marks Freeman’s third spring training appearance, so, while he is lacking major league at-bats, he is prepared for a full season in Atlanta.

Expect Freeman to have a solid season for the Braves, hitting .267 with 10 home runs and 67 RBI.