Prospect Power Rankings

[Preacher]

Thought it would be fun to rank the top pitchers and hitters so far -- not in terms of overall prospect rankings -- just going by performance and age/level, maybe something to update weekly. Only actual prospects count...... and I know the term 'prospect' is somewhat vague, but not going to be listing any 30 year old manchild.

My list
Pitchers
1. Mike Soroka (.9 ERA, 10 IP, 12 K, 2 BB, 0 HR, .7 WHIP, .147 AVG)
2. Max Povse (0 ER, 6 IP, 7 K, 1 BB, 0 HR, .33 WHIP, .053 AVG)
3. Mike Folty (.9 ERA, 10 IP, 8 SO, 6 BB, 1.00 WHIP, 0 HR, .129 AVG)
4. Patrick Wiegel (1.8 ERA, 10 IP, 12 SO, 4 BB, 1.10 WHIP, 1 HR, .200 AVG)
5. Chris Ellis (1.59 ERA, 11.1 IP, 11 SO, 4 BB, 0 HR, 1.24 WHIP, .244)

Hitters
1. Ozzie (.333/.375/.367, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 SB, 2 CS, 4 SO, 1 BB)
2. Dansby Swanson (.379/.455/.552, 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 SB, 0 CS, 5 SO, 4 BB)
3. Rio Ruiz (.318/.423/.409, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 SO, 4 BB)
4. Dustin Peterson (.296/.387/.393, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 SO, 4 BB)
5. RP Didder (.368/.478/.632, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 SB, 1 CS, 3 SO, 3 BB)

Feel free to disagree or agree..... I did try to factor in to some uneven degree age and level played at.

[bravesfanforlife88]

When does Kolby Allard get assigned to a team. I know they are taking it slow with the offseason surgery.

Also worth noting, I think that listing perfectly sums up our teams direction. Gap power, very little home run power. (of course Riley has that kind of pop)

[Julio3000]

We have hope that Riley is for real or that someone like Rio or D-Pete develops some power.

Some of the guys in rookie ball last year are wildcards here. Wilson is a big kid who looks like he could add some strength to his frame.

[smootness]

You would have to put Riley on this list and probably at least 3rd among hitters. He's struck out a lot, but he's OPS'ing at .910 in A-ball as a guy who just turned 19, and he has 5 XBH in 26 AB.

[Preacher]

You would have to put Riley on this list and probably at least 3rd among hitters. He's struck out a lot, but he's OPS'ing at .910 in A-ball as a guy who just turned 19, and he has 5 XBH in 26 AB.

Sure, you can certainly make that argument, but its not just striking out a lot; its also not walking. He's young for the age and he's hitting for power, but the OBP of .333 needs to go up and the SO rate of 46% is ghastly. SO/BB ratio of 12/1.

very SSS still.

[Hudson2]

This list shows me why I'm leaning towards Lewis as the pick at 3. We need a prospect with power and he has it. He'd be nice to pair with Riley as 2 big power guys.

[Preacher]

Power Rankings update

Just as a reminder, this isn't a list of the best prospects, just a list of the prospects performing the best with some consideration given to their age and level they are playing at.

Positional Players
1. Ozzy Albies .358/.414/.472, 2 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 4 BB, 9 SO, 1 SB, 3 CS
Who else could it be? Its frankly ridiculous what Albies is doing at such a young age, he's 2nd in the Southern League in total bases behind a guy 6 years older than him. If we are going to nitpick, I'd love to see the walks come up a little bit and he's been caught stealing 3 times. But overall, he's been fantastic.

2. Rio Ruiz .348/.400/.522, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 12 SO
Another guy really young for his league, it goes without saying that Ruiz who has earned pretty good marks for his improved defense is a game-changer for the Braves if he can take over at third base.

3. Dansby Swanson .358/.433/.509, 8 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 7 BB, 10 SO, 4 SB, 0 CS
Dansby leads the Carolina League in doubles.

4. Jonathan Morales .370/.370/.435, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 BB, 8 SO
Obviously the first thing you notice is the BA=OBP with Morales, but he's been stinging the ball and doesn't strike out at a crazy clip. With the system in need of catching depth Morales is obviously one of the lighthouses to look to. Goes without saying that he needs to start walking at some point.

5. Ray-Patrick Didder .342/.444/.553, 4 2B, 2 3B, 6 BB, 6 SO, 3 SB, 1 CS
Remaining on the list is Didder who is a little old for the league, but sometimes the developmental path for international players can vary a little bit. There's tools here to like, lots of speed and reports indicate a solid bat tool.

HM: Dustin Peterson, Omar Obregon

Pitchers

1. Max Povse 13 IP, 0 ERA, 2 BB, 14 SO, .46 WHIP, .098 BAA
Max is a guy likely to move up quickly given he's a little older, his first starts have been awesome.

2. Aaron Blair 19 IP, 1.42 ERA, 5 BB, 22 SO, .79 WHIP, .156 BAA
Coming off a dominant 7 inning start, Blair's in a groove right now; the .79 WHIP is otherworldly and he's looking very much like a guy who can step into the Atlanta rotation at some point this year.

3. Chris Ellis 17.1 IP, 1.56 ERA, 4 BB, 13 SO, .98 WHIP, .217 BAA


4. Lucas Sims 14.2, 1.84 ERA, 10 BB, 26 SO, 1.16 WHIP, .140 BAA
Yes the walks are way too high, and yes because of the SO's and BB's he's not going deep into games...... but he's slaughtering people with his stuff right now. Sims leads the Southern League in SOs and hasn't given up a home run.

5. Max Fried 11 IP, 1.64 ERA, 5 BB, 11 SO, .91 WHIP, .143 BAA
Probably a few guys that are more deserving statistically than Fried; but given how long his layoff is; I've been very impressed with his start. The walks are a little high, but he's striking people out and limiting the hits while not giving up any gopher balls.

HM: Patrick Weigel (17IP/2.12 ERA/18 SO), Soroka (15IP/2.40 ERA/6/1 SO/BB)Blad Matos (6IP/1.50 ERA/8SOs)Ryan Lawlor (12.2IP/2.84 ERA, 14 SOs) Zach Quitana (11 IP, 0 BB, 6 SO), Sean Newcombe (15 IP/2.40 ERA/16SO/10BB)

Not Hot List

Positional Players

1. Braxton Davidson .180/.246/.240, 3 2B, 0 HR, 4 BB, 18 SO
Just a mess here, even the OBP that has kept him afloat the past couple years has tanked. Not hitting for power, not walking and he's striking out too much.

2. Austin Riley .229/.255/.417 6 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 19 SO
He's young for the level, but the SOs are out of control right now, he's obviously still has the power.

3. Lucas Herbert .146/.200/.220, 3 2B, 0 HR, 1 BB, 12 SO
Defense was the calling card when Herbert was selected; but even still the bat has been disappointing.

Pitching
1. Touki Tossaint 5.2 IP, 12.71 ERA, 7 BB, 3 SO, 2.82
He's got all the time in the world to develop, but he's off to a rough start and its not just the walks that are killing him; he's given up 9 hits in 5+ innings of work.

2. Jason Hursh 4.2 IP, 9.64 ERA, 3 BB, 2 SO, 2.14 ERA
I probably shouldn't be surprised; afterall Hursh's star has fallen considerably; but I was still hopeful that with his frame/fastball a full time move to the pen could yield a useful bullpen arm for Atlanta. So far, that doesn't look like the case.

3. Andrew Thurman 6 IP, 7.50 ERA, 4 BB, 4 SO, 1.50
Thurman was pitching pretty well as a starter last year, but the move to the bullpen hasn't taken his trajectory in the right direction...... the depth in the system is so strong that he probably doesn't have a chance as a starter, but I wonder if they consider moving him back?

4. Ryan Clark 8 IP, 12.38 ERA, 3 BB, 4 SO
Clark was a 5th round pick last year, but came into the system as a raw pitcher with upside. As with all of these guys, still very early in his career.

[yeezus]

Definitely super encouraging to see Fried look this good. I'd think his control is a little out-of-whack after such a layoff, but it's still not terrible and should only improve.

[Preacher]

Overall the pitching has been great. You could pretty easily to a top-10 on pitchers who have done well so far, very tough to pick just five.

And even when you look at the ones that haven't fared well, its either guys who are really raw or players who are more fringe prospects. Guys like Sanchez, Touki, Ryan Clark, Janas, Thurman, Hursch. Some struggles from Touki and Sanchez are somewhat expected.

Overall the big guns (Soroka, Blair, Folty, Jenkins, Newcombe, Sims, Fried, Ellis) have all been at least solid. Add in some improvement from guys like Wiegel/Povse and consider that Allard hasn't joined the party yet and you have A LOT to like about the pitching depth.

[50PoundHead]

I like the reports and your angle on the analysis.

[zbhargrove]

I like seeing Povse dominating. I was always a big fan of his potential

[Oklahomabrave]

JJ cooper says he is sitting 87-89. I would have thought he threw harder.

[Preacher]

Power Rankings update

Just as a reminder, this isn't a list of the best prospects, just a list of the prospects performing the best with some consideration given to their age and level they are playing at.

Positional Players
1. Dansby Swanson (combined stats from Car/Miss) .327/.442/.523 15 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 20 BB, 16 SO, 9 SB, 1 CS
Can you imagine being a DBacks fan and watching this unfold from the deserts of Phoenix? Egads, Swanson hasn't missed a beat jumping up to AA, and even though he hasn't had a hit in a couple days, his OBP remains strong with his ability to work counts and draw walks. Its also clear he has an idea on the basepaths, 9 SBs while being caught only once is very impressive.

2. Rio Ruiz .300/.379/.436 5 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 14 BB, 34 SO, 0 SB
He's cooled off a little bit lately and he hasn't had an extra base hit in a about a week, but these are still strong numbers and he's a 21 year old in AAA. The average age of AAA players is about 26.

3. Dustin Peterson .274/.344/.416 7 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 12 BB, 23 SO, 0 SB
One of the more undervalued prospects in the system right now; if the Braves were the stock market, investing in Dustin Peterson is something I'd advise people to do, because he just doesn't have they hype a lot of other guys have. But what he does have is solid across the board production and is doing it as a 21 year-old in AA. He walks enough, the SOs are under control and he leads Mississippi in total bases.

4. Ronald Acuna .306/.390/.398 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 19 SO, 14 BB, 12 SB, 4 CS
Its starting to come together for Ronald Acuna as he's hitting .348/.464/.435 in May. One of the brightest toys under the tree for the Braves, Acuna is only 18 years old playing at a level that routinely has 20-22 years olds in it. Love seeing the speed translate to stolen bases.

5. Ray-Patrick Didder .310/.405/.440 7 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 23 SO, 10 BB, 7 SB, 2 CS
Didder has been very steady at the plate this year keeping his numbers strong and avoiding any real slumps. He's got an idea with the bat and enough speed to be dangerous. He's a tick old for the league, but not so much so that its a huge deal right now. Would love to see him walk a little more so he can use that speed on the bases.

HM
Jonathan Morales - .310/.343/.430 6 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 15 SO, 5 BB
Ozzy Albies (with AAA) - .219/.219/.281, 2 2B, 6 SO, 0 BB, 1 SB (you get on this list if you're 19 and playing in AAA, but so far he's scuffled there)
Joey Meneses - .330/.383/.505 8 2B, 3 HR, 16 SO, 9 BB (he's hitting great, but at 24 he's too old for Carolina)

Pitchers
1. Mike Soroka 2.32 ERA, 31 IP, 0 HR, 6 BB, 32 SO, .243 BAA, 1.10 WHIP
Even with a tough last outing, its been a spectacular start for Soroka. a 5/1 SO/BB ratio with ZERO homers allowed. Still just 18 years old......

2. Brandon Barker - 1.59 ERA, 34 IP, 8 BB, 29 SO, .217 BAA, 1.00 WHIP
Like Peterson, Barker is also probably a little undervalued in the Braves system, he's 23 but that's OK at AA. Strong BB/SO ratios.

3. Lucas Sims (across both levels) 3.52 ERA, 30.2 IP, 16 BB, 46 SO, .204 BAA, 1.27 WHIP
Got roughed up in his last start, but he's also 21 pitching against guys generally much older than he is. The SO rates are absurd.

4. John Gant 2.96 ERA, 24.1 IP, 10 BB, 27 SO, .207 BAA, 1.15 WHIP
I think this guy is a starting pitcher in the majors and I hope they stop jerking him around between roles. The stuff is pretty good and he has an idea where its going. He's struck out 413 in 427 minor league innings.

5. Max Povse 2.97 ERA, 30.1 IP, 8 BB, 26 SO, .187 BAA, .092 WHIP
Povse struggled some in Carolina in 2015, but is doing great work there this season. He's coming off his worst start of the year, so it'll be interesting to see how he responds.

HM
Tyrell Jenkins - 2.76 ERA, 32.2 IP, 15 BB, 23 SO, 1.47 WHIP
Like his arm, like that he's 23 and in AAA, but that WHIP..... uugh.

Casey Kelly - 1.65 ERA, 27.1 IP, 14 BB, 18 SO, 1.06 WHIP
Not giving up many hits, but he's walking too many and not striking a ton out.

Chris Ellis - 2.06 ERA, 35 IP, 14 BB, 27 SO, 1.06
Pitching really well at AA, hasn't given up more than 3 ERs in any start, walks are a little high right now.

Sean Newcombe - 3.16 ERA, 31.1 IP, 0 HR, 18 BB, 32 SO
Basically living up to his scouting reports, lots of Ks and lots of BBs. Overall he's done fine, love that he's kept the ball in the park. Coming off an 8 SO 1 BB outing.

Evan Phillips - .75 ERA, 12 IP, 6 BB, 9 SO, .073 BAA, .075 WHIP
A 17th rounder from last years draft, Phillips has built on a strong 2015 campaign coming out of the bullpen. Obviously the BB/SO needs to improve but batter seem to have a hard time squaring him up. Struck out 37 in 29 innings last year with 12 BBs. Someone to keep an eye on.

Patrick Wiegel - 3.18 ERA, 34 IP, 15 BB, 34 SO, 1.21 WHIP
Consistent all year allowing 2 ERs or less in 5 of his 6 starts.

[Preacher]

Positional Players
1. Dustin Peterson - 21 years old @ AA
.281/.346/.442 17 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 25 BB, 46 SO
The prospect nobody really talks about has been heating up; batting .386/.438/.561 in June. He might be one of our answers to 'where's the offense going to come from'.

2. Joey Meneses - 24 years old @ Carolina
.332/.395/.483 18 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 24 BB, 36 SO
The age is hard to overlook, but he's been as consistent a hitter as the Braves have had this season, have to promote him and see how he does.

3. Ray Patrick-Didder - 21 years old @ Rome
.268/.384/.387 9 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 27 BB, 56 SO, 18 SB, 3 CS
Didder is a guy that constantly intrigues me; first off he's fast - like really fast - and there's apparently a little power in his bat as well. He's old for the league, but sometimes with international kids their developmental curve is a little off. I'm intrigued.

4. Luke Dykstra - 20 years old @ Rome
.320/.354/.377 13 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 BB, 19 SO, 7 SB, 3 CS
There's not much power or walks here, but he does keep hitting and has been extremely consistent throughout the year.

That's it, I'm cutting the list there --- uuugh. A couple thoughts, we all know the hitting in the system is a weakness right now, and when a group of your better prospects (Ruiz/Swanson/Albies/Braxton/Riley are struggling somewhat) and guys like Acuna/Yepez are hurt --- this is the list you get. Its not pretty. That being said, I'm confident both Albies/Swanson will be fine, Riley is turning it around and a couple of the other guys just need to get healthy.

Pitchers
1. Patrick Wiegel - 21 years old @ Rome
74.1 IP, 4-3, 2.66 ERA, 30 BB, 77 SO, 1.16 WHIP, .211 BAA
How impressive has Wiegel been? He's a little old for the league, but nothing crazy -- remember this is a guy with a ++ fastball; somebody who can sit in the mid-upper 90s and can touch 100. His last 3 starts? 19 IP, 1 ER, 19 SO, 3 BB.

2. AJ Minter - 22 years old @ Carolina
12 IP, 0 ER, 4 BB, 13 SO, .098 BAA, .67 WHIP
I already touched on Minter in a different post, could be a future closer.

3a. Rob Whalen - 22 years old @ Mississippi
72.1 IP, 2.36 ERA, 30 BB, 62 SO, .224 BAA, .1.23 WHIP
Whalen and Ellis have very similar lines, both walk a few too many, but don't give up many homers or hits. Both have been very effective this year.

3b. Chris Ellis - 23 years old @ Mississippi
78.2 IP, 2.75 ERA, 35 BB, 61 SO, .201 BAA, 1.13 WHIP
Whalen and Ellis have very similar lines, both walk a few too many, but don't give up many homers or hits. Both have been very effective this year. Ellis is headed to AAA.

5. Mike Soroka - 18 years old @ Rome
71 IP, 2.92 ERA, 15 BB, 65 SO, .255 BAA, 1.15
This guy is so good, I should probably have a him a bit higher, but his BAA is starting to creep up a little bit. Still the SO/BB ratio for an 18 year old kid is really impressive and ZERO home runs allowed this season - love this kid.