That season opened yesterday. The Braves prospects are playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Here is how they fared:
Juan Jamie: 1IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 0K
Tommy La Stella: 2-4, RBI, BB
Robby Hefflinger: 0-5, 4K, 5LOB
Kyle Kubitza: 3-4, RBI, R, K
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That season opened yesterday. The Braves prospects are playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Here is how they fared:
Juan Jamie: 1IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 0K
Tommy La Stella: 2-4, RBI, BB
Robby Hefflinger: 0-5, 4K, 5LOB
Kyle Kubitza: 3-4, RBI, R, K
I like the group we have playing in the AFL. No elite prospects but most of them have a better than even chance of playing in the majors. I'd rank their prospect status as follows:
1. La Stella
2. Kubitza
3. Northcraft
4. Jaime
5. Cornely
6. Reyes
7. Hefflinger
I thought Shae Simmons is there as well. Is that not accurate?
Not surprised to see LaStella start out right. Hope he gets every chance to be our everyday second baseman next year
I like him a bit more than northcraft but I think the difference is negligible.
I'm not as high on Northcraft as you, but if I think the difference between 3 and 5 are very slim here.
Not sure on Kubitza. Had a nice rebound year. Ks a ton with marginal power, so that will have to improve. Good walk rate and supposedly a better fielder than his stats indicate.
Everyone knows I like Reyes, but I think all-glove back-up IF is his ceiling.
Hefflinger has supposedly has all-world power, but he really scuffled in Mississippi.
Oh Tommy La Stella. Just another 2-4 with a walk and no strikeouts....what a breath of fresh air he would be to this line-up.
Tough night for our prospects. Reyes took a size 4 collar and Northcraft, Simmons, and Cornely all got lit up.
For the hardcore, here's how that translates:
That Elmer Reyes, FYI 0-4, 2 K
Northcraft (SP, LP) 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, WP
Cornely (7th pitcher used) 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K, HR, WP
Simmons (8th) 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
The AFL is a tough league for pitchers. I can only recall Tommy Hanson and Kris Medlen doing well there among Braves prospects. We have also shied away from sending our top pitching prospects there. None of Minor, Wood, Kimbrel, Beachy, Teheran pitched there.
I think bringing in Infante and letting La Stella battle it out is the way to go unless there's some top of the order long term 2b that becomes available. I love La Stella and he projects as the type of player this lineup needs but we can't go into the season with him starting.
I get the approach you advocate but I disagree. If a player is ready he is ready. Now maybe LaStella isn't ready but I would roll the dice with him out of ST. If we have extra money then hell yeah bring in INfante but I wouldn't worry if he was the starting second baseman next year. We wouldn't be relying on him to be anything special.
..but apparently gosselin/elliot were better options....
La Stella went 1-3, with 2 RBI's and 2 walks tonight. Both Kubitza and Hefflinger went 0-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
Tommy La Stella is hitting .429 (3-for-7) with 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 3 walks & 0 strikeouts in two games.
I fail to see how LaStella's OBP skills won't translate. He may lack power, but damn, he's just hit everywhere.
Yeah makes no sense they felt Gosselin and ELLIOTT JOHNSON were better options. You can't be a worse option than Elliott Johnson. You just can't.
I don't know if it played into the decision or not, but La Stella has one more year before he has to go on the 40-man roster and if the Braves still have questions about him, they may not have wanted to use the spot in an off-season where there may be a lot of shuffling and as a result the spot on the 40-man would be needed.
Friday AFL report:
Jaime 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
Kubitza 0-3, 2 K
E. Reyes 0-2, BB, GIDP
Has anyone read any reports of La Stella's fielding?
LaStella the frontrunner? You are dreaming. He isn't the type of prospect to skip AAA and be a starter.
And Dan Uggla is still under contract and nobody is taking on that countract regardless of how much the Braves eat.
He's not the type of prospect to skip AAA and be a starter?? Is that a joke? He has an unbelievable minor league career OBP of .412 and .422 this year in AA. He's walked more times (111) than struck out (88). These qualities are not found very often, but they are exactly the qualities that do translate to the major leagues, probably more than any other. Oh, and his career batting average is .327. The guy is legit.
I like the guy a lot. But he isn't a top prospect. He won't be awarded a starting spot right out of AA.
Tommy's play will speak for itself. He has never NOT so far in his career. I dont think that is going to stop. He won't be a star or anything like that at the major league level but I think a solid piece on a championship club.
don't think the last part is true. Someone will be willing to take Uggla if they don't have to pay much. Its just a matter of how much the Braves are willing to eat. If he's still hitting .185 in May they'll sell him to the highest bidder. And it won't be very high.
If all the Braves can get for Uggla is a few million in relief, then it isn't worth the risk of him rebounding with another team. It would be a nightmare for Wren if the Braves only saved a few million bucks and then Uggla went on to hit .250 with 25 HRs for another team.
If Wren can't get significant salary relief he will just make Uggla compete for a roster spot. If Uggla ends up in AAA, so be it.
I'm in the opposite camp when it comes to LaStella. I firmly believe he has the bat to post a .800 OPS in the majors -- which, coming from a 2B (assuming he can play average defense at the position), IS absolutely a star. Maybe not a superstar, but definitely a star...
... and a star who will cost us pennies for years to come.