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Thread: Chop Country's pre-2014 season Top 30 Prospects

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    Director of Minor League Reports rico43's Avatar
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    Chop Country's pre-2014 season Top 30 Prospects

    Revised. Deal with it.

    1. Lucas Sims (19, 6-2, 195), RHP. Scouts and writers will be beating a path to the Braves' minor league camp to get the lowdown on Sims, who will not be invited to the MLB camp. In the same vein, he will not be rushed and figures to have his innings limited the first half of Lynchburg's season.

    2. David Hale (26, 6-2, 210), RHP. Anyone who watched his two late-season starts in Atlanta can understand this lofty placement. He's ready for a big league job, and not necessarily in a bullpen. His mixing of pitches as a starter allowed him to post an 11-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His time should be now, but it's a numbers game.

    3. Christian Bethancourt (22, 6-2, 210), C. His assignment is the Gwinnett job in 2014, and with Laird and Doumit under contract, his permanent arrival in the major hinges on injury or a total flameout by Gattis.

    4. Luis Vasquez (27, 6-4, 175), RHP. A gift as a free agent from the Dodgers' system, he was unhittable over the winter (3-0, 0.86 ERA) and will have to pitch himself out of a bullpen job in the spring.

    5. Jason Hursh (22, 6-3, 190), RHP. Figures to have his Gwinnett innings restricted the first half of the season after spot duty led to a 1-1, 0.67 ERA in his 2013 debut. From there, anything is possible and the sky is the limit. Did not play winter ball.

    6. Jose Peraza (19, 5-11, 167), 2B. A long way off, but his undeniable asset (speed) puts him on a different plane than any other Braves' prospect. Indecision about his long-term position (second or short) seems to be the only question about his future.

    7. Shae Simmons (23, 5-9, 180), RHP. No one projected this guy to be a lights-out closer when he was plucked out of the 22nd round from SEMO in 2012. His all-star partial season in Rome was followed by a 0.90 ERA in nine AFL games.

    8. Ryan Buchter (27, 6-4, 230), LHP. I cannot imagine a logical scenario where this big lefty isn't part of the Braves' bullpen. Devastating against lefties, he began getting everyone out during the winter league (1-0, 4 saves, 0.69 ERA in 12 games). After striking out 103 in 62 innings, he is a good bet to be the next Venters.

    9. Tommy La Stella (25, 5-11, 185), 2B. This week's BBA Weekly article quotes Fredi saying Uggla WILL be the Braves' 2B; the article adds La Stella WILL be in Gwinnett. Someone high in the organization does not like him as a prospect or believe in his ability. Why no Sept. look-see? Why does Uggla still have a uniform? So I'm not sure what he has to do to win the job. To me, a much-needed type of hitter to add.

    10. Victor Caratini (19, 6-0, 192), 3B. There's a lot to love about a switch-hitting teenage hitting machine. He began his career hitting doubles like crazy, marking him as another Terdoslavich – only with a four-year head start on his career.

    11. Gus Schlosser (25, 6-4, 215), RHP. How in the hell can he drop in everyone else's ratings when he posted a 2.39 ERA for Mississippi? When he was named organizational Pitcher of the Year in '12, his ERA was 3.38. He had a short-term injury problem, but I am a results guy, and this sidearmer gives me a chance to win every time out.

    12. J.R. Graham (24, 5-10, 195), RHP. Has his shoulder healed? Or will he waste another year putting off what I figure to be the inevitable surgery? Clock is ticking on his returning to top prospect status. I personally see too many red flags to believe without seeing.

    13. Mauricio Cabrera (20, 6-2, 180), RHP. He's 20 and can throw 100, so why am I not higher on his prospects? Two words: Jose Capellan.

    14. Cody Martin (24, 6-2, 210), RHP. To mix baseball metaphors, he's the on-deck hitter among prospective starters behind Hale and ahead of Hursh. A strong first half in Gwinnett should work wonders and further raise his stock.

    15. Edward Salcedo (22, 6-3, 195, 3B. Forget that the Braves signed him way back in 2010. Instead, member that he got over 500 plate appearances in Double-A pitching last year and at times showed leadership traits. And he's 22.

    16. Victor Reyes (19, 6-3, 175), OF. If, as expected, his power develops, his track is the fastest in the organization. The Braves love his tools and need an international win among their annual batch of signees. Can't rush him, though.

    17. Carlos Perez (22, 6-2, 195) LHP. At age 22, his career has roller-coastered more than most. Now considered a matchup reliever, he allowed only 26 hits In 46 innings but had critical control problems. Still stuck in Class A.

    18. Ian Thomas (26, 6-4, 210), LHP. One of the jewels snatched off the scrap heap of indy league rosters, Thomas followed an undefeated 2012 with a 2013 that showcased his versatility. He worked 104 innings, striking out 123 and allowing only 72 hits.

    19. Wes Parsons (21, 6-5, 190), RHP. How did everyone miss him? An undrafted free agent from the 2012 draft, he was an indy leaguer for less than a month before the Braves jumped. He wound up an all-star for Rome.

    20. Kyle Wren (22, 5-10, 174), OF. His remarkable start out of the gate (.335, 35 steals in 53 games) have him poised to begin his first full pro season in Double-A. The same kind of production in an injury-free year could put him on the cusp of the show.

    21. Josh Elander (22, 6-1, 215) OF. His first half (.916 OPS) carried him to the Braves Minor Leaguer of the Year award, but scouts are much more concerned with his second half dropoff (four homers in 61 games) after moving up to Lynchburg. His power potential is the best in the system regardless.

    22. Kyle Kubitza (23, 6-3, 190), 3B. Others like this big Texan more than me. To me, his 57 RBIs production is nothing special for 520 plate appearances. Still, drawing 80 walks is a positive sign, but more than offset by 132 strikeouts. Not moving ahead of Salazar this way.

    23. Wilson Rivera (24, 6-1, 195), RHP. Since being converted to a pitcher, the former infielder has merely gone 10-0, 2.36 in 93 games with 200 strikeouts in 148 innings. Still only 24, he needs to be pushed but figures to be in Mississippi.

    24. John Cornely (24, 6-1, 195), RHP. The numbers speak volumes – which is good, because little else has been said about this up-and-coming reliever. The 2013 season was his best as he cut down on walks and had a career-high 11 saves for Lynchburg.

    25. Ryan Hinson (26, 6-3,2 220), LHP. My Sleeper pick, without a doubt. He was solid when plucked off the indy scrap heap (4-4, 2.48), the former Clemson stud was all aces in the A.A. for Wichita and worked a remarkable 50 winter league innings, holding hitters to a .240 average. No control problems, either. You saw it here first.

    26. Mark Lamm (25, 6-4, 215) RHP Handled his first taste of AAA well enough to get a shot at closing some games. Curious to see how he holds up after back-to-back 50-game seasons.

    27. Juan Jaime (26, 6-1, 230), RHP. Bullpen version of Cabrera. Velocity is impressive as hell, but went from 18 saves to zero and allowed way too many baserunners per inning. Less on the fastball might improve results.
    28. Carlos Salazar (19, 6-0, 200), RHP. Can somebody please get this guy some live innings? So far, it's all promise, no returns for this big Cali righty.

    29. Aaron Northcraft (23, 6-1, 225), RHP. If the AFL didn't kill him (1-5, 8.00), perhaps it made him stronger. His toe-hold on this list is slipping
    .
    30. Elmer Reyes (23, 5-11, 160), SS. Unfair to post him this low, but is a guy that does some things fairly well but nothing remarkable. Needs to move back to second, but prefers short.

    Missed cut: Todd Cunningham and Matt Lipka are slipping down the same slope, but both have this spring to impress. … Free agent reliever Lay Batista belongs, in my opinion, on the list more than Jaime and Northcraft, but I can't back that up this early. … Johan Camargo … eh, I could be persuaded, but what's the rush? All catchers step to the side and watch how a true prospect does it in Gwinnett this year.

    David Jenkins
    Last edited by rico43; 02-15-2014 at 09:58 PM.

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    Connoisseur of Minors zitothebrave's Avatar
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    Re-Tommy, I think he will start out in Gwinnett. I think that the FO is doing more or less what I said they would. Give Uggla some rope and see if he climbs or hangs. There's no reason not to start with Uggla and there's no reason to start Tommy's clock on the Bench. As far as last September, we would have had to have used a 40 man spot on Tommy, and the Braves figured it wasn't worth it. I would have brought him up and gambled personally but they liked Elliot Johnson for some reason.

    ALso I think Cunningham is what he is, a backup OF. I'd put him in my top 30 because I think making the majors alone is enough of a feat that many on the list won't do.
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    Shift Leader thethe's Avatar
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    I really like Elander moving forward as an impact bat. He had a tough adjustment period to Lynchburg but started smacking the ball all over the place right before the season ended. He is my pick for breakout prospect this year.
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    Anytime Now Frankie...
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    Ok......Every list is sleeping on Alec Grosser. That kid is gonna open some eyes this season just watch.

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    You've stuck to your logic and I agree with elements of your logic. That said, you kind of lost me with Vasquez at #4, Simmons at #7, etc. When you talk of red flags, I can't help but think that Vasquez' age and the fact he's never been in the big leagues to this point is a pretty big one. There are pitchers who develop late (list is too long to even start) and he will likely be with the big club at least part of the season. Just can't believe the rest of baseball has been asleep on the guy.

    I'm with Jay on Grosser and I think Salazar probably belongs on the list as well.

    Other than that, looking at the list makes me realize how far we have to come on offense. Three OFs on the list (of which Elander is supposedly "barely" an OF) with Victor Reyes having the highest ceiling by far. Just not a good set of offensive prospects.

    Still can't figure out why everyone is so surprised La Stella wasn't called up last year. He doesn't have to go on the 40-man until after this season, so he wasn't coming up unless he was a surefire thing and obviously some among the Braves' staff don't think he is.

    Thanks for putting Elmer Reyes on there. I'm probably his biggest fan on the site, but I don't know if I would have put him in the Top 30. He's the next Rafael Belliard by my thinking. Could be valuable in the right situation. I would definitely have Camargo on the list instead of Elmer Reyes.
    Last edited by 50PoundHead; 02-15-2014 at 01:06 PM.

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    Expects Yuge Games nsacpi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 50PoundHead View Post
    Other than that, looking at the list makes me realize how far we have to come on offense. Three OFs on the list (of which Elander is supposedly "barely" an OF) with Victor Reyes having the highest ceiling by far. Just not a good set of offensive prospects.
    Victor Reyes is a very important player for us. Not in the sense of being a great prospect but in the sense that he plays a position where there is likely to be an area of need. I don't think we'll hold on to both Heyward and Justin Upton, which will open up at least one corner outfield position. Ideally, you want a good internal prospect ready to fill those kinds of openings. Reyes probably won't be quite ready in 2016. So even if he develops, we will need a bridge player for a year or two at a corner outfield spot. Terdoslavich is probably the best internal candidate. I suppose there are others in our system who do no current play a corner outfield spot who could change positions.

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    Director of Minor League Reports rico43's Avatar
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    OK, Cunningham made it to the majors. So did Gosselin, and the Braves saw enough of him to drop him from the 40-man.

    Vasquez was originally an infielder, and shortly after his conversion to the mound, he hurt his arm and saw little action until 2009. Dodgers did not want to lose him when he hit his six-year mark.

    Grosser has an upside. But control issues are always something that impact me negatively, and he got those.

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    Anytime Now Frankie...
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    Vasquez has control issues and he's 27 so does Perez, Jaime and Butcher. Grosser came in and pitched very well and has very good stuff.

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    Director of Minor League Reports rico43's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay212033 View Post
    Vasquez has control issues and he's 27 so does Perez, Jaime and Butcher. Grosser came in and pitched very well and has very good stuff.
    Buchter had no control issues in the winter and were not that frequent during the 2013 season. This is a case of an old review being parroted by too many people who have not watched the guy in action.

    Vasquez was 100 percent better in 2013 with Chattanooga than he was in '12. Likewise, his winter league was overpowering.

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    High School Draftee gamecock4braves's Avatar
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    No big deal, but you are missing #14. That would make room for one more on your list. Thanks for the write-ups!

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    Quote Originally Posted by nsacpi View Post
    Victor Reyes is a very important player for us. Not in the sense of being a great prospect but in the sense that he plays a position where there is likely to be an area of need. I don't think we'll hold on to both Heyward and Justin Upton, which will open up at least one corner outfield position. Ideally, you want a good internal prospect ready to fill those kinds of openings. Reyes probably won't be quite ready in 2016. So even if he develops, we will need a bridge player for a year or two at a corner outfield spot. Terdoslavich is probably the best internal candidate. I suppose there are others in our system who do no current play a corner outfield spot who could change positions.
    I think I'm a good bit higher on Terdoslavich than most. I think if he got more opportunities he could be anywhere from an average to a little above average hitter with decent defense. I'm a huge La Stella fan because of his excellent OBP skills. I'm very high on Peraza who could fill a huge need for us as a true leadoff hitter with elite speed, and my favorite prospect is Victor Caratini, a switch hitting 3rd baseman who could take over for Johnson in a couple years and could develop into a cornerstone type player for us.

    As correctly pointed out, we are very thin on outfield prospects and I agree, at least one of Justin or Jason will be gone in two years. I hope that is a focus in this year's draft.

    Two other important prospects are JR Graham and Shae Simmons, one of which could replace Kimbrel in the next year or two who will soon be out of our price range.
    Last edited by skillet; 02-15-2014 at 06:22 PM.

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    It's OVER 5,000! cajunrevenge's Avatar
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    I'm sorry but Gus Schlosser is not a big league name. Now Will Startup, that's a mlb caliber name. I know he didn't make it to the majors but my theory is that he was actually terrible but through sheer name awesomeness he managed to dominate the minors. But name alone can only get you so far. The braves scouts were all over this that's why they traded him. Name is like the 6th tool. Thats why the braves took Chipper over Van Poppel. True story.

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    Director of Minor League Reports rico43's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cajunrevenge View Post
    I'm sorry but Gus Schlosser is not a big league name. Now Will Startup, that's a mlb caliber name. I know he didn't make it to the majors but my theory is that he was actually terrible but through sheer name awesomeness he managed to dominate the minors. But name alone can only get you so far. The braves scouts were all over this that's why they traded him. Name is like the 6th tool. Thats why the braves took Chipper over Van Poppel. True story.
    Yikes. Will fix; Lamm was my first cut. By the way, Joe T not a rookie any more (at least in terms of days of service), like Wood, he is not eligible for this list.

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    It's OVER 5,000! cajunrevenge's Avatar
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    Terdo is doomed with his name. His only saving grace is that when he makes a great defensive play you can call him the terd burglar.

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    On BBA's Top 100 Prospects List PurpleBrave's Avatar
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    I'll bite...

    How is Hale so high? His BB and K rate in the majors last season look like an anomaly. Seems to get a fair amount of grounders and keeps the ball in the park though, he does have that going for him. Normally when a 26 year old pitcher is at the top of your prospect list and he's not from Cuba, it's not a good sign.

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    Hale is so high because the list obviously rates relievers highly. Go back and look at the minor league stats of Avilan and Venters. Its not all that inspiring. Hale has a tremendous 1-2 combo in his slider and low 90s sinker. He has a fringy changeup just like Venters too. He has the upside of mid rotation starter but more likely a #4 starter or a very good reliever. He is older because he didn't start pitching until senior year in high school and was still raw coming out of high school. He throws mainly a sinker and he didn't exactly have quality defenders behind him most of the time. The braves have churned out under the radar prospects like crazy lately. Beachy was minor league filler until getting a chance as a starter. Medlen was supposed to be a backend starter. When Justin Upton was drafted you would have had to be a Bill Shanks caliber homer to think Prado would be traded as the main piece for Justn.
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