MINORS FINAL SATURDAY 4/21/18: Transactions posted, updated

[rico43]

SATURDAY'S SCOREBOARD

All Times Eastern

CLASS AAA

Pawtucket 6, Gwinnett 0
Only 3 hits

LP: Allard (1-1) 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB. 5 K
Whitley 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Pfeifer 1 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K

Acuna 1-4, K
Stewart 1-3, 2B

CLASS AA

Mississipppi 3, Mobile 1

WP: Wright (1-2) 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Clouse 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Webb (Save, 2) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Riley 2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI (.386)
Morales 1-4, 2 RBI
Neslony 1-4, R, SB

ADVANCED CLASS A

Florida 7, Lakeland 5

SP: Wilson 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
WP: Matos (1-0) 1.2 ip, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Rice 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Sobotka (Save, 1) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Pache 3-4, 3B, 2R. RBI
Bautista 1-3, R, BB (playing 3B)
Didder 1-4, 3B, R, RBI

CLASS A

Augusta 5, Rome 4
BLOWN SAVE, 3 runs allowed in 9th

SP: Muller 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Allison 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LP: White (BS, 0-1) 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Delgado 1-4, RBI (.362)
Waters 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Wilson 1-2, 2 R, BB

[bravesfanforlife88]

Jose Bautista playing for fire frogs tonight

[msstate7]

Awesome lineup of pitching. For the love of God, start hitting, acuna

[thethe]

Will the underrated Wilson train continue today?

[Hulavol]

Yes- Wilson will continue- he is going to push way forward this season. Why? look at what his pitch sequencing and command is producing. He looks for real.

[ball4life32]

Soroka, Wentz and Wilson are my 3 favorite pitching prospects right now.

[cajunrevenge]

How has Wright pitched so far?

[Preacher]

Soroka, Wentz and Wilson are my 3 favorite pitching prospects right now.

Soroka, Wright and Wentz for me.

[TheBravos]

Awesome lineup of pitching. For the love of God, start hitting, acuna

What’s super 2 cutoff ...like 65 days? If he doesn’t start setting the world on fire coupled with Neck and Tucker still hitting well...it will not surprise me at all that they keep him down. He is still so young.

I’m not saying I “want” that, but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me.

[thewupk]

Joey Bats 1-3 with a walk.

Pache 3-4 with a triple

[thethe]

Joey Bats 1-3 with a walk.

Pache 3-4 with a triple

Bats is ready

[bravesfanforlife88]

Bats is ready


Had a double single and a homer at extended spring training in 9 at bats

[Garmel]

Allard isn't having a very good first inning.

[Garmel]

Acuna doesn't seem to know where the strikezone is. Weird.

[thewupk]

Acuna doesn't seem to know where the strikezone is. Weird.

don't worry. he'll show us when he is ready.

[jimsnores]

Allard isn't having a very good first inning.

Did well after that, though.

[ball4life32]

Bryse Wilson
4.2 ip, 4 h, 1 er, 2 bb, 5 so

ERA is 0.68 in 13.1 ip

[Russ2dollas]

don't worry. he'll show us when he is ready.

Can’t tell if serious

I think aa is doing the right thing. Acuna has a limited number of at bats in the minors. He’s moved too fast for people to get a book on him. If he needs to define his batters eye let him do it.

I have no doubt he can hit anything in the zone. But part of mlb sequences will include a lot out of the zone

[Garmel]

Riley is 2-3 with 2 doubles so far.

[Russ2dollas]

Riley is 2-3 with 2 doubles so far.

I know his babip is crazy but it doesn’t sound like he is Chris Johnson or RYAN fhlarity out there. Lots of double

Interesting to see if the scouting community says he can handle premium velocity or not. Kiley said he made a mechanical change and he has plenty of doors and others like klaw are sticking to sider bar spee.

[Heyward]

Kyle Wright 6 IP, 1 H, 0 runs, 1 BB, 4 K's.

Nice rebound for him.

[thethe]

Riley has to be in the discussion as a 60 FV guy. That is quite the development early on in the minor league season.

[thewupk]

Riley has to be in the discussion as a 60 FV guy. That is quite the development early on in the minor league season.

I think you would need to see Riley continue to mash the ball with his K's dropping for him to get to that point. As is if he keeps hitting well I could certainly see him be bumped to a 55 guy.

[thethe]

I think you would need to see Riley continue to mash the ball with his K's dropping for him to get to that point. As is if he keeps hitting well I could certainly see him be bumped to a 55 guy.

Agreed. But if you squint real hard you see a path.

[Russ2dollas]

Agreed. But if you squint real hard you see a path.

I’ve seen 60 grades on his arm and power. That is it.

To get to a 60 fv his d is going to have to be plus and his hit took better.

Anyone seen his defense graded above 50? I have not.

I still see s 250/300/500 guy. With avg d at 3b that’s 1-2 war

Needs a ton of walks and better d to consider 60 to me

[ball4life32]

I’ve seen 60 grades on his arm and power. That is it.

To get to a 60 fv his d is going to have to be plus and his hit took better.

Anyone seen his defense graded above 50? I have not.

I still see s 250/300/500 guy. With avg d at 3b that’s 1-2 war

Needs a ton of walks and better d to consider 60 to me

Albies was a 20 power guy by all the analysts and look what’s happend. I could see Riley being better than a 50 hit and defense. Both have improved tremendously

[thethe]

Scouting reports from a year or greater on riley are irrelevant. He changed his body and his game

[msstate7]

Riley at AA...
2017 in 203 PA = .315/.389/.511 iso = .197
2018 in 58 PA = .377/.431/.736 iso = .358

How long we leave him there? BTW in ST, he slashed .208/.367/.542. This kid is having one hell of a start to his pro career

[Tapate50]

Riley at AA...
2017 in 203 PA = .315/.389/.511 iso = .197
2018 in 58 PA = .377/.431/.736 iso = .358

How long we leave him there? BTW in ST, he slashed .208/.367/.542. This kid is having one hell of a start to his pro career

Probably another 200 abs or so conservatively .

I’m encouraged as hell. He was most folks pick to regress

[striker42]

Riley reminds me so much of Troy Glaus. The bat speed may not be elite but it's good enough to get to the ball and has tremendous force behind it.

[Tapate50]

Lot of great pitching last night. Wright bounced back in a big way.

[Deester11]

Riley is a case in point where a scout or a couple of scouts see a prospect and the "book" is out. Riley is not Brooks Robinson lite at 3rd but he is solid now. Coming in on balls has really improved and he goes to his right much better. He's got surprisingly good reaction time too. As for the bat, I think it'll play quite well but he'll continue to have to make adjustments like he has along the way. If he does I'm sure a 55/60FV will be legit.

[TheBravos]

Riley reminds me so much of Troy Glaus. The bat speed may not be elite but it's good enough to get to the ball and has tremendous force behind it.

Good comp

[Russ2dollas]

Riley at AA...
2017 in 203 PA = .315/.389/.511 iso = .197
2018 in 58 PA = .377/.431/.736 iso = .358

How long we leave him there? BTW in ST, he slashed .208/.367/.542. This kid is having one hell of a start to his pro career

All year

[thethe]

All year

Riley is going to get a promotion to AAA at some point this year. Then he will start at AAA next year for 2 months.

[Russ2dollas]

Albies was a 20 power guy by all the analysts and look what’s happend. I could see Riley being better than a 50 hit and defense. Both have improved tremendously

Not saying he hasn’t. I just want to see it from a non bravessource

Albies always had more than 20 power. He is small. He was super young. And mlb has juiced the ball and shrank the parks.

I hope Riley is awesome. I’m just not reading that from non braves biased people. And the days of coppy pushing someone up a level bc they had s hot couple of months are hopefully gone.

I think with aa studs will do a level a year unless you are a college guy

[GeorgiaGirl]

AA might do it with his guys, but he seriously can't with the cat is out of the bag players and Riley counts as one of them.

Riley is going to be playing in Atlanta by sometime in the summer of 2019.

[Russ2dollas]

AA might do it with his guys, but he seriously can't with the cat is out of the bag players and Riley counts as one of them.

Riley is going to be playing in Atlanta by sometime in the summer of 2019.
All guys are his guys.

Y’all are crazy. It’s perfectly reasonable for a hs player to spend a year per level and come up around 23-24

Especially a power bat

Let him play somewhere and manage a whole year and see the same guys some time.

No need to rush

Plus double a is where most of the elite talent is. If Riley is a 3 plus war guy then let him destroy as all year. Nothing to prove in aaa. Then you put him in aaa for three weeks next year and then call him up

[GeorgiaGirl]

All guys are his guys.

Y’all are crazy. It’s perfectly reasonable for a hs player to spend a year per level and come up around 23-24

Especially a power bat

Let him play somewhere and manage a whole year and see the same guys some time.

No need to rush

Plus double a is where most of the elite talent is. If Riley is a 3 plus war guy then let him destroy as all year. Nothing to prove in aaa. Then you put him in aaa for three weeks next year and then call him up

Simple, it becomes incredibly stupid if you look up, it's mid June, and Riley is still hitting .350+.

And no, the guys that have been there for more than one season are mainly the cat is out of the bag guys that AA can't really put his fingerprints on too much.

[Oklahomabrave]

Simple, it becomes incredibly stupid if you look up, it's mid June, and Riley is still hitting .350+.

And no, the guys that have been there for more than one season are mainly the cat is out of the bag guys that AA can't really put his fingerprints on too much.

I’m really not following what you mean by this.

[GeorgiaGirl]

I’m really not following what you mean by this.

There are some promotions that have been stupid, but I'm honestly going to get pretty mad if the Braves start to go on the end of the Pirates like being overly cautious with the new regime. There's an in the middle here.

[Russ2dollas]

Simple, it becomes incredibly stupid if you look up, it's mid June, and Riley is still hitting .350+.

And no, the guys that have been there for more than one season are mainly the cat is out of the bag guys that AA can't really put his fingerprints on too much.

What do you mean the cat is out of the bag? We aren’t hiding guys. The question is what is best for the player and the team.

If he’s hitting 350 in double a that is great. There is nothing to prove in aaa. The only reason to get him out of as is to get him into a ballpark and league more conducive to hrs.

[GeorgiaGirl]

What do you mean the cat is out of the bag? We aren’t hiding guys. The question is what is best for the player and the team.

If he’s hitting 350 in double a that is great. There is nothing to prove in aaa. The only reason to get him out of as is to get him into a ballpark and league more conducive to hrs.

It's clear, I mean the cases that are too late for AA to put his fingerprints down of what he truly wants to happen with them.

[Russ2dollas]

It's clear, I mean the cases that are too late for AA to put his fingerprints down of what he truly wants to happen with them.

That’s ridiculous

He is already doing it. If coppy is here acuna is up and comargo would be the everyday 3b.

Aa can trade him tomorrow. He can have him repeat next year.

He is in charge.

[thethe]

Is there any performance level that you would set to promote Riley by July?

[jpx7]

Is there any performance level that you would set to promote Riley by July?

Some of this tends to be dictated by how the player's team is doing, along with what's happening at the same respective position at levels above and below. If the AA team is fighting for their playoffs, and Ruiz is showing any semblances at Gwinnett, maybe they think about leaving Riley at AA regardless of his performance—especially since there aren't any 3B prospects pushing up from below.

Having said that: if Riley's hitting .350+ with 20+ doubles and 10+ homers by July, I think it'd make sense to bring him to AAA, irrespective of other considerations, given he did see PA in AA last season, as well. Or if his slash numbers regress to something more in line with his 2017 performance in AA (which is a much likelier scenario), but he shows improvement in his k% and bb%—say, the former down at 20% or below, and the latter up over 10%—then I think his performance would likely merit a call-up to AAA, depending on some of those other contexts and factors aforementioned.

[thethe]

Some of this tends to be dictated by how the player's team is doing, along with what's happening at the same respective position at levels above and below. If the AA team is fighting for their playoffs, and Ruiz is showing any semblances at Gwinnett, maybe they think about leaving Riley at AA regardless of his performance—especially since there aren't any 3B prospects pushing up from below.

Having said that: if Riley's hitting .350+ with 20+ doubles and 10+ homers by July, I think it'd make sense to bring him to AAA, irrespective of other considerations, given he did see PA in AA last season, as well. Or if his slash numbers regress to something more in line with his 2017 performance in AA (which is a much likelier scenario), but he shows improvement in his k% and bb%—say, the former down at 20% or below, and the latter up over 10%—then I think his performance would likely merit a call-up to AAA, depending on some of those other contexts and factors aforementioned.

Agreed. I'm not into rushing him but if the player is showing the challenge isn't there then you have to promote

[Russ2dollas]

Is there any performance level that you would set to promote Riley by July?

No

Give me a full year in a setting

Full year in aa vs aaa time has no difference for me regarding his mlb timetable

[thethe]

No

Give me a full year in a setting

Full year in aa vs aaa time has no difference for me regarding his mlb timetable

I'd rather Riley see more time at AAA and the junk ballers that understand pitch sequencing and have more command.

Riley might see 2 major league pitchers a week at AA. He will see more at AAA.

[Russ2dollas]

I'd rather Riley see more time at AAA and the junk ballers that understand pitch sequencing and have more command.

Riley might see 2 major league pitchers a week at AA. He will see more at AAA.
Based on what? You’d have to scout the league.

Most teams stud pitchers are in aa. His issue is supposed to be elite velocity not junk ballers.

I’d prefer he hit vs top 100 guys and high ceiling guys than sims wisler Blair

[msstate7]

Based on what? You’d have to scout the league.

Most teams stud pitchers are in aa. His issue is supposed to be elite velocity not junk ballers.

I’d prefer he hit vs top 100 guys and high ceiling guys than sims wisler Blair

Soroka and allard... gohara and Newcomb last season

[jpx7]

Based on what? You’d have to scout the league.

Most teams stud pitchers are in aa. His issue is supposed to be elite velocity not junk ballers.

I’d prefer he hit vs top 100 guys and high ceiling guys than sims wisler Blair

I'm with thethe on this. I think the book, ten-plus years ago, was that top prospects didn't "need" AAA, because that league was mostly filled with non-elite prospects, fringey MLB guys, and career quadists. But I think we've come back around from that now, and most teams give their elite guys some time in AAA—realizing, I think, that the average rotation in AA might have younger, harder throwers, but that it's useful for a developing hitter to accrue some PAs against guys who have more advanced understanding and deployment of sequencing, better control, et cetera. Ditto for pitching prospects facing fringe and AAAA hitters who have a better idea of what they're doing at the plate, even if they aren't top-shelf prospects or major-league caliber starters. One effect is that an elite guy's also going to face more fellow elite guys cycling through AAA.

[Russ2dollas]

Soroka and allard... gohara and Newcomb last season

That’s the braves. The team that went all in on pitchers and was not trying to win

[Russ2dollas]

I'm with thethe on this. I think the book, ten-plus years ago, was that top prospects didn't "need" AAA, because that league was mostly filled with non-elite prospects, fringey MLB guys, and career quadists. But I think we've come back around from that now, and most teams give their elite guys some time in AAA—realizing, I think, that the average rotation in AA might have younger, harder throwers, but that it's useful for a developing hitter to accrue some PAs against guys who have more advanced understanding and deployment of sequencing, better control, et cetera. Ditto for pitching prospects facing fringe and AAAA hitters who have a better idea of what they're doing at the plate, even if they aren't top-shelf prospects or major-league caliber starters. One effect is that an elite guy's also going to face more fellow elite guys cycling through AAA.

He will get aaa next yr

Even if he’s great he’ll get a month in aaa

[thethe]

He will get aaa next yr

Even if he’s great he’ll get a month in aaa

I'm just confused why you are so against riley getting promoted if he is dominating AA for another couple of months. Probably 90% of the pitchers he faces in AA are trash.

[Russ2dollas]

I'm just confused why you are so against riley getting promoted if he is dominating AA for another couple of months. Probably 90% of the pitchers he faces in AA are trash.

You just made up a number

I’m against it bc he’s 21. He has had legit struggles. He got promoted to as last year without earning it. He was hot and still is.

I think there is value in doing a full year. Everyone here wants to promote you off a hot month.

We should not be urging 21 and 22 yo into mlb. Braves should be more conservative and get guys up 23 and 24. That extra year of prime is important. Helps for negotiations for extensions.

Coppy ruined y’all

[thethe]

You just made up a number

I’m against it bc he’s 21. He has had legit struggles. He got promoted to as last year without earning it. He was hot and still is.

I think there is value in doing a full year. Everyone here wants to promote you off a hot month.

We should not be urging 21 and 22 yo into mlb. Braves should be more conservative and get guys up 23 and 24. That extra year of prime is important. Helps for negotiations for extensions.

Coppy ruined y’all

Do you disagree with the amount of talented pitchers IN AA? How many guys that are pitching in southern league at any point in time are going to make the major leagues? 90% trash might be conservative.

Basically you're admitting the decision you are making is solely on control/money. That's a mistake. It should be a mix. Riley should be promoted to AAA mid season (if excelling) because he earned it. Them you let him start next year in AAA until the super 2 deadline. You can't just artificially hold these guys down just to benefit the organization financially.

This also has an impact in the reputation of organizations. Why would amateur sign with the braves if they think they will be petty about serve time to the extremes you're proposing.

Riley is going to be up on 2019. Not sure when but it's going to happen. Need to get him as much time as possible in AAA against advanced pitchers before that happens.

[Russ2dollas]

Do you disagree with the amount of talented pitchers IN AA? How many guys that are pitching in southern league at any point in time are going to make the major leagues? 90% trash might be conservative.

Basically you're admitting the decision you are making is solely on control/money. That's a mistake. It should be a mix. Riley should be promoted to AAA mid season (if excelling) because he earned it. Them you let him start next year in AAA until the super 2 deadline. You can't just artificially hold these guys down just to benefit the organization financially.

This also has an impact in the reputation of organizations. Why would amateur sign with the braves if they think they will be petty about serve time to the extremes you're proposing.

Riley is going to be up on 2019. Not sure when but it's going to happen. Need to get him as much time as possible in AAA against advanced pitchers before that happens.

I think there are better pitchers with better stuff in aa

I would submit that for a particular year you’d have to look at the teams in each league to judge

I would think in aaa you might see better relief pitching

By calling them 90 percent trash based on mlb potential then that is most of the minor leagues

I think it is useful to have longevity in a place. I don’t see aaa as a step up from aa.

In the braves case the big difference is in aaa he probably has more hrs

The industry isn’t half as high on Riley as this board is. Even talking chop isn’t that high on him.

[GeorgiaGirl]

As my sig says, I prefer a middle ground between aggressive and stupid and overly cautious, like a Pittsburgh.

I'll be honest, I didn't buy Riley before he went to AA and did think that it was a very stupid promotion (even stupider than Acuna before the absolute explosion...oops) but the longer he goes the more for me, it becomes keeping someone at X place just for the sake of it.

We're not there yet, for all we know he could break his wrist and be out for a couple of months, but if he's hitting .350+ in mid June or goes back to what he was doing last year and lowers his K rate/keeps a good walk rate, I'm sorry but we're on the end of being ridiculously cautious.

That's all I mean.

[Heyward]

Regarding Riley, i mean, if he keeps hitting like this for another month or so, you probably have no choice but to bump him up to Triple A.

Then pull an Acuna and keep him down next year until the Super-2 deadline. Cant just keep a player down because of salary/control, if they're ready, they're ready.

[jpx7]

He will get aaa next yr

Even if he’s great he’ll get a month in aaa

I'm not one of the folks who think it'll be some huge dereliction of duty if Riley isn't in AAA by the end of the year, the starting 3B in 2019, et cetera. If performance dictates, I think it'd be fine for him to stay in AA all season. But I also think (a) there are parameters under which it'd be prudent, on 1 July, to move him up (.900 OPS, bb%>10, k%<20), and (b) that he will benefit enough from AAA that "he'll get a month in 2019 even if he's great" is insufficient. He had 203 PA in AA last season, he has 62 now in 2018, and by 1 July he'll hopefully (barring injury) have accrued another ~200, giving him over 450 PA in AA—or almost a season's worth. I think that's both a sufficient number, if he's performing well and meeting parameters, and it's likewise around the number I'd like to see him accrue in AAA (which he'd be near if he spends July/August 2018 and the first two-to-three months of 2019 in Gwinnett).

You can say, "Coppy ruined y’all", but these aren't unreasonable time-lines for high-performing prospects (and, again, Riley will need to keep performing highly, or this is all moot). The previous regime would've likely already had Riley in AAA, and would be thinking about a mid-season 2018 call-up to Cobb County—which is obviously ludicrous. But the new regime shouldn't hypercorrect its course because of the previous regime's inanity.

[Russ2dollas]

Regarding Riley, i mean, if he keeps hitting like this for another month or so, you probably have no choice but to bump him up to Triple A.

Then pull an Acuna and keep him down next year until the Super-2 deadline. Cant just keep a player down because of salary/control, if they're ready, they're ready.

Recall Swanson was rushed
Swanson was older two years ago than riley will be next year
Swanson played at the highest level in college
Swanson was ranked higher across the board

I’d rather call them up late than early

I’d rather trade vets a year early than a year late

[msstate7]

Recall Swanson was rushed
Swanson was older two years ago than riley will be next year
Swanson played at the highest level in college
Swanson was ranked higher across the board

I’d rather call them up late than early

I’d rather trade vets a year early than a year late

Yep, Swanson could've used some AAA ABs

[Russ2dollas]

I'm not one of the folks who think it'll be some huge dereliction of duty if Riley isn't in AAA by the end of the year, the starting 3B in 2019, et cetera. If performance dictates, I think it'd be fine for him to stay in AA all season. But I also think (a) there are parameters under which it'd be prudent, on 1 July, to move him up (.900 OPS, bb%>10, k%<20), and (b) that he will benefit enough from AAA that "he'll get a month in 2019 even if he's great" is insufficient. He had 203 PA in AA last season, he has 62 now in 2018, and by 1 July he'll hopefully (barring injury) have accrued another ~200, giving him over 450 PA in AA—or almost a season's worth. I think that's both a sufficient number, if he's performing well and meeting parameters, and it's likewise around the number I'd like to see him accrue in AAA (which he'd be near if he spends July/August 2018 and the first two-to-three months of 2019 in Gwinnett).

You can say, "Coppy ruined y’all", but these aren't unreasonable time-lines for high-performing prospects (and, again, Riley will need to keep performing highly, or this is all moot). The previous regime would've likely already had Riley in AAA, and would be thinking about a mid-season 2018 call-up to Cobb County—which is obviously ludicrous. But the new regime shouldn't hypercorrect its course because of the previous regime's inanity.

A level a year is not hypercorrection

A level a year is fast for a hs product who is doing really well

[Russ2dollas]

Yep, Swanson could've used some AAA ABs

Clever

No. He needed more at bats. He needed to be raking and pounding down the door to be called up

[Heyward]

Recall Swanson was rushed
Swanson was older two years ago than riley will be next year
Swanson played at the highest level in college
Swanson was ranked higher across the board

I’d rather call them up late than early

I’d rather trade vets a year early than a year late

I agree Swanson was rushed, and even Albies to a lesser extent.

IF, IF i say IF Riley keeps pounding the **** out of the ball in Double A, i dont think it's a bad thing if he gets promoted to Triple A Gwinnett. He'd have more than a large enough sample size for him to come up, as long as they dont stupidly call him up in September to hurt his clock.

[jpx7]

A level a year is not hypercorrection

A level a year is fast for a hs product who is doing really well

As I said: by 1 July, barring injury, Riley will have accrued about a season's worth of PAs in AA, because of his time there in 2017. That is exactly in line with the "level a year" thinking. You're clutching to this "level a year" concept as if "calendar year" is what matters, when the issue is really "season's worth of PAs".

If he's still performing really well, and meeting those parameters I outlined—which, I should probably admit, I'm skeptical will actually happen—then it's hardly rushing him to move him up to AAA. A level per year for a high-pedigree high-school draftee performing at a high level and showing progress in key areas is really not especially fast.

[Southcack77]

I think its never a bad thing to leave a prospect in place long enough to see whether a second time around the league will start showing some holes. If he gets a good sample and isn't being challenged then sure, move him up to face a difference challenge in AAA. I do think most prospects should spend a reasonably significant time in AAA as well. It's an interesting mix of MLB players, former MLB players, and future MLB players. I don't necessarily agree that AA has more talent.

[thewupk]

Riley should spent most of 2018 in AA. If he keeps hitting he could go to AAA towards the end of the year depending on if either team is in a playoff situation to get him exposure there. There is no rush here.

[Russ2dollas]

Riley should spent most of 2018 in AA. If he keeps hitting he could go to AAA towards the end of the year depending on if either team is in a playoff situation to get him exposure there. There is no rush here.

totally agree with this. maximize his at bats. probably AFL too.