Originally Posted by
Enscheff
The Braves may be onto something here. Consider this blurb about Acuna from FG today:
Ronald Acuna, CF, Atlanta (Profile)
Level: Double-A Age: 19 Org Rank: 3 Top 100: 35
Line: 3-for-4, HR, SB, CS, IBB, 2 R
Notes
After a whifftastic start to the season, Acuna caught fire and hit .352/.410/.611 during his final two weeks at High-A before a promotion to Double-A, where he debuted last night. His peripherals had gone backward at Florida. For example: he recorded a 32% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate there — double and nearly half, respectively, of last year’s rates. Nevertheless, Acuna is entering a strange statistical realm where, even though he’s at a minor-league level at which on-paper performance becomes a more reliable measure of ability, failure will seem relatively meaningless because he’s a 19-year-old at Double-A who has played only 68 career games above Rookie-level ball. He has plus speed, plus raw power, and surprising bat control for such a high-effort swing.
So the Braves are in a no lose position with these fast promotions. If the guys succeeds like Allard and Soroka have, great! Profit! If they sputter like Albies did in AAA last year, no big deal, he was too young anyways and can easily be demoted.
Minor league promotions are a low cost way to improve player value, and it seems the Braves are using it effectively.
It's the early MLB promotions that do/will cost them.