Disclaimer: These are rico43's selections, and no one else's.
In big leagues: David Hale (2), Shae Simmons (7), Tommy La Stella (9).
1. Lucas Sims (20, 6-2, 195), RHP (1 previously). He has done nothing to lose his grip on the top spot, earning five wins in the first half of the season. His ERA is lofty (4.82), but he is coming off his worst outing of the season.
2. Jose Peraza (20, 6-0, 167), SS (6). More like 1A. His strides this season have been the system's biggest positive surprise. He is second in the Carolina League in hitting (.335) with an .807 OPS, and leads the league in hits (92) and stolen bases (32).
3. Christian Bethancourt (22, 6-2, 210), C (3). Finding consistency, if not power, in AAA, Bethancourt goes into the all-star break hitting a solid .271 with only 34 strikeouts. His defense is beyond reproach, and will be ready for the show by the end of the year. When he plays is now the question.
4. Elmer Reyes (23, 5-11, 160), SS (30). We were not alone in underrating the Mississippi SS, who led the SL in hitting much of the first half thanks to a .383 April, before slumping to his current .326. He has proved to be a capable shortstop, but is a likely candidate for a position swift.
5. Aaron Northcraft (23, 6-4, 235), RHP (29). We put way too much stock in his horrid AFL campaign, when all he needed was rest. He has been a horse in AA this year with seven wins and at strong 2.84 ERA, plus a strikeout per inning. It's no mystery as to why he's stronger – he's grown three inches in the last year-plus.
6. (DL) Victor Reyes (19, 6-3, 175) OF (17). His tools have continued to impress in his first full season on a crummy Rome team, but has hit only .214 in June to bring his average down to .291. His power is still lacking, with only nine doubles in 61 games. He's a switch-hitter and a growing boy.
7. Braxton Davidson (17, 6-3, 215) 1B-OF (NR). Climbing onto the list despite his lack of playing time, his effortless power and plate discipline make him a thrilling prospect in a system crying for power hitters. We'll see.
8. Jason Hursh (22, 6-3, 200), RHP (5). The concern isn't that he's handling himself in AA in his first full pro season (5-4); it's that he's doing it without striking anyone out – only 37 (as opposed to 74 hits) in 71 innings. Opponents are hitting .277, but he's escaped major damage and has a 3.44 ERA.
9. Cody Martin (24, 6-2, 210) RHP (15). He has pronounced himself close, if not ready, for prime time with a series of strong starts at Gwinnett. Since April 26, he has had four starts where he has allow one or fewer runs, but had a three-game skid end last week.
10. Vic Caratini: TRADED.
11. Wes Parsons (22, 6-5, 190), RHP (20). The free agent find of 2013 has turned into a rock-solid prospect. After being an all-star in Rome, he's gone 4-3, 3.76, but opponents are hitting only .244 against him. He is, as they say, projectionable.
12. Juan Jaime (26, 6-1, 230), RHP (27). He has established himself as the Gwinnett closer (1-0, 2.70, 12 saves). He's struck out 34 in 23 innings and is holding hitters to a measly .177, but his 18 walks (as opposed to 15 hits) are the principal concern.
13. James Hoyt (27, 6-5, 220), RHP (NR). The free agent pickup from 2013 was a shutdown setup man in AA (seven holds) before supplanting Shea Simmons as closer (5). Overall, he's 2-2, 1.26 with 41 strikeouts in 29 innings. The only strike against him is that he's 28 in September.
14. Joey Meneses (22, 6-3, 190), 1B-OF (NR). The breakout power bat of the 2014 season, the Mexico native hit for the cycle at Rome and connected for eight homers in just 45 games before going on the DL on May 25. He's also hit for average, hitting .351 for May when he went out with a left wrist injury.
*15. Alex Grosser (19, 6-2, 190), RHP (NR) Snapped up in the 11th round last year, the prep righty from Virginia allowed only 12 hits in 29 innings both as starter and reliever. A little too wild (15 walks, seven HBPs, 3 WPs) but owner of nasty stuff.
16. Kyle Wren (23, 5-10, 175), OF (21). A slow May has largely been left behind (hitting .400 in June) as he's enjoying his first full pro season batting behind the red-hot Peraza. His speed has moved up with him to Lynchburg with 29 SB and is up to .295 with almost as many walks (28) as strikeouts (36). A so-so arm is his only drawback, but those of you who remember Brett Butler understand this choice.
*17. (DL) Felix Falcon (18, 6-2, 190), LHP (NR) Maybe this is a totally misguided revision, but how can I ignore 9-0, 1.90 from a kid who'd just turned 18 last August. Moved from DSL to FSL, we'll cross our fingers. Allowed only one HR in 61 IP.
18. (DL) Ian Thomas (26, 6-4, 210), LHP (19). He has twice failed auditions (1-2, 4.22) in Atlanta, but if he gets his breaking ball in order, he'll be right back because the Braves love his makeup. He has a 5.23 ERA at Gwinnett due to one lousy outing. But the indy league find has a future.
19. Chasen Shreve (23, 6-3, 190), LHP (NR). Having a breakout season at Miss., the lefty is 3-0, 2.50 and a save with 51 Ks in 40 innings. Word is he's added a pitch, but he has not allowed a run in his last seven outings, and nine of his last 10.
20. Yean-Carlos Gil (23, 6-2, 195), LHP (NR). A midseason all-star on a horrid Rome team, Gil has come all the way back form his Tommy John surgery in May of 2012. Two shaky starts in June ruined an amazing start to the season, as Gil had a 1.13 ERA in April, 1.99 in May. He may need to be shut down early this year as his recovery continues.
21. Philip Gosselin (25, 6-1, 200), 2B (NR). One year after being removed from the Braves' 40-man (and making his MLB debut), Gosselin has been a consistent thorn in pitchers' side all year in the IL. His .322 average is fifth in the league. And he's been consistent (.333 in both April and May). He's also played four different positions.
22. Kyle Kubitza (23, 6-3, 190), 3B (23). My complaint about him over the winter is still valid. He does not produce runs. After driving in only 57 runs in 132 games last year, he's been even less productive in 2014: only 18 RBIs in 61 games. He hit .341 in May with only four RBIs in 28 games. But he is hitting .286 in AA.
23. (DL technically) Chad Sobotka (20, 6-7. 200), RHP (NR). The guy who's drawn the most buzz coming out of the draft besides Davidson. Ironically, he missed the entire season with a back problem after recording 19 saves as a freshman and sophomore. He was the Atlantic Sun Conference presason pitcher of the year before his injury.
24. (DL) Josh Elander (23, 6-1, 215), OF (22). From Braves minor league Player of the Year to almost useless in one season. It happens, but no one saw this coming. Elander has hit only .219 with only two home runs and two trips to the DL. His promise will buy him another season in 2015, but there is much concern.
25. Mauricio Cabrera (20, 6-3, 180), RHP (13). Shut down since April 19 with what has been called a “forearm injury,” the Braves' 100-MPH starter is in a news blackout. As far as we know, surgery has not come up and the last quote we have from Wren is that the Braves “are being careful” with their valuable arms. The inactivity and uncertainty drop his standing, much as it did Graham last year.
26. Tyler Tewell (22, 5-11, 185) C (NR). The catcher making the most strides this season, the Appy State product has been out all of June with a fractured toe due to a foul tip. He's hitting .299, a 77-point boost from 2013 despite moving up a level. A discipline hitter, he's struck out only 15 times in 33 games. He threw out 38 percent of the baserunners in 2012, but has fallen off this year.
27. Brandon Cunniff (23, 6-3, 215), RHP (NR). Taken off the indy scrap heap, he's answered every challenge thrown his way. So far this year, combined A/AA, he is 3-0, 1.03, 3 saves with 38 Ks, 15 hits in 35 innings. He's never lost a professional game! (13-0, 33 saves, 1.67 career ERA). He's a sidewheeler with control.
28. Johan Camargo (20, 6-0, 160) SS (NR). Has many boosters. Has had a typical slow start moving up to Rome (.167 in April), but followed a .309 May with a .381 June with six multi-hit games in his last nine. Remember, this is the guy who hit .343 in the DSL only two years ago. Got to cut down on his errors (16 this year after only nine in 51 games a year ago).
29. Edward Salcedo (23, 6-3, 195) 3B (15). The once heralded international signee has been consistently awful in 2014. He hit .218 in April, .190 in May and .200 in June with 50 strikeouts in 54 games. Has five homers, but only 18 RBIs.
30. Carlos Salazar (19, 6-0, 200) RHP (28). Clearly not ready for full-season Rome, he had a couple of positive outings, but was bumped back to Danville with a 1-6, 10.60 mark and 38 walks in 36 innings but only 27 strikeouts. But no one questions that he has a golden arm. Doesn't turn 20 until November.
Rethought: Have added two young guns, Alec Grosser and Felix Falcon, dropped completely JR Graham (still damaged goods, could not even last an inning in his last outing) and Gus Schlosser (25, 26 in October, getting hit hard in AAA). I doubt now that Graham, 24, is ever right again.
Others dropped off the preaseason list: Luis Vazquez (4), I said he would have to pitch himself out of bullpen job this spring, and that is exactly what he did; Ryan Buchter (8), his control issues continue to limit his worth; Carlos Perez (18), was assigned to Danville with a minor injury after walking 11 in 2.1 innings; John Cornely (25), has done nothing wrong, but the Braves have several arms flexing their muscles.
Whatever happened to Wilson Rivera (24), let go by the Braves despite going 6-0, 2.38 with a save? He has pitched four games for Southern Illinois this year. Ryan Hinson (26), my sleeper pick, had a good spring but the lefty was still one of the final cuts. He's with Southern Md., going 0-4, 5.29. Injuries has plagued Top 30 wannabes Todd Cunningham, Matt Lipka and Mycal Jones.
Very, very close: Cedric Hunter, OF (Miss.), Atlantan brought in from Indians system, has a live lefty bat; Jake Schrader, 1B (Rome), still striking out a lot, but shown power and lots of RBIs in so-so lineup and has had a 5-hit game. Was only 27th round pick in 2013, but showing promise; Pete Perez, a closer, FA signee who is a Guam native, has four saves with Rome and 2.60 ERA in 21 appearances.
DSL: too small a sample size.
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Originally Posted by Jay212033
