Minor League Thread Part Deux
- Thread starter 50PoundHead
- Start date
Deester11
Well-known member
Perhaps. My top 5 are Caminiti, Ritchie, Fuentes, Murphy, Braun. Others are higher on Hackenburg...as a whole I think the pitching is OK. It should be considering the Braves use a lot of resources on pitching. But I'm just not there to the point of excitement yet. Long season...some will emerge. The notes I took on over 2 dozen of em...meh. We will see.
John Gil continues to impress me. While he doesn't have much power at this point, he has a good approach at the plate and seems to be very solid defensively. But his calling card is his 70 grade speed, where he has racked up 20 steals already this year in only 23 games. He's only 19 and he has the frame to develop power as he gets older. If he stays healthy, I think he'll be among our top 10 prospects by season's end.
Here's a link to his 4 hit game on Saturday.
www.milb.com
Here's a link to his 4 hit game on Saturday.
John Gil's four-hit game | 05/04/2025
Braves No. 13 prospect John Gil records four hits, including his first homer of the season, and a stolen base for Single-A Augusta
www.milb.com
OcalaBrave
Spring Training Invitee
Gregg Jeffries
Kelenic reminds you of the guy linked above? Jeffries spent parts of 14 years in MLB, was a 2 time All-Star, struck out in only 5.7% of his plate appearances during his career, and had a career average of .289. If we had that right now, we would all be happy.
Deester11
Well-known member
Good lord not literally. The HYPE surrounding him in scouting circles. As I follow prospects rather extensively, you hear things at the minor league parks. Kelenic had next superstar adjectives next to him since coming out of Waukesha. Labeled the best prospect in 50 years. So yes...it's comparable to Jeffries.
Deester11
Well-known member
He's defintely one to watch. Swing plane as it is doesn't look like it's geared to power. But as Carp said..he's so young. Love his speed. Coming on for sure.John Gil continues to impress me. While he doesn't have much power at this point, he has a good approach at the plate and seems to be very solid defensively. But his calling card is his 70 grade speed, where he has racked up 20 steals already this year in only 23 games. He's only 19 and he has the frame to develop power as he gets older. If he stays healthy, I think he'll be among our top 10 prospects by season's end.
Here's a link to his 4 hit game on Saturday.
John Gil's four-hit game | 05/04/2025
Braves No. 13 prospect John Gil records four hits, including his first homer of the season, and a stolen base for Single-A Augusta
As a side note, the international guys are still showing glimpses. However small, I see why a scout would dream on them. Recently saw Douglas Glod who started off the season 0 for like 23. Since then he's 9-26 and has only struck out 9 times after striking out 15 times prior. (Not spectacular but improved).
Notes about Glod: squat and compact build. Trying to think of a good comp...think Bryan DeLa Cruz 2" shorter. If he can continue squaring up the ball, he's got power and loud contact. Solid swing and he looks stronger to me. Contact has and will be his issue. If be improves there, his bat will be his calling card.
Fielding - he's surprised me with how well he moves. Plays all outfield positions, but I've seen him in LF and CF. He's got a good arm, not a howitzer but good from my angles. He's got an assist this year. I ultimately think he's headed for a corner but it won't be a slight to him, it'll be because another player is simply better. Early on he won't be a liability. He's thick though.
Overall, as with most of the international players, (and most of the position prospects) I wish they made more consistent use of their tools. Glod is not amongst my favorites but I do like him in that next tier of the prospect wishing well.
zbhargrove
Well-known member
Yeah but the hype around Jeffries was to be the next generational uber superstar… I think he just means someone who had astronomical hype that didn’t come close to living up to it
Deester11
Well-known member
This ZB.
50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
Deester, who is pictured?
50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
Jeffries had a lot of hype (I don't follow as closely as I did when Jeffries was coming through the Mets' system) and some of his more enthusiastic supporters saw him as the next Pete Rose (sans gambling). His 1993 season with the Cardinals was what was hoped for (5.1 bWAR, .342/.406/.485), but he didn't maintain it. But you're absolutely right. Jeffries 1.3 bWAR in his abbreviated 118 PA 1988 season with the Mets is 1.2 bWAR higher than Kelenic's career bWAR. Jeffries was a top-ten vote getter in the ROY award category in both 1988 and 1989. For his career, more BBs and Ks. Started to get banged up in the mid-1990s. Like Rose, not a good defensive player.
Deester11
Well-known member
Sorry. That's our international guy, Raudy Reyes. He's pitching in the complex. Only pitch I saw is on video and it wasn't his 101 mph heater. It was a slider...way out of the zone but wicked kinda.
50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
Deester, I take it you were down at the FCL fields. Any comments about Juan Mateo? He's playing 3B as Perdomo is the SS. I did a little research and it looks like Mateo was a low-bonus international signee who was probably the best position player on a terrible DSL team in 2024.
Deester11
Well-known member
Hey 50. I got to the first game and saw Mateo, Perdomo, Benitez and Roiber Niazoa (he went hitless, but I loved his approach).
Perdomo is fun to watch and I didn't really think he did much to prove or disprove anything. It's so early for all of them.
Mateo - He played 3B in the game and looked good. He is about 10 pounds lighter than Niazoa and I made note that he was very smooth fielding and his bat looks like it whips through the zone pretty good. In fact, even Benitez looked good at times, but his track record is abysmal. Mateo looks squat and compact. Much like his swing. He didn't bite on a few tough pitches out of the zone that most of our prospects swing at. Too early to tell, but I like what I saw.
Typically when I go down, I'll get a few pictures or so and maybe talk to a couple if allowed, but I didn't do a great job because we'd just gotten back from Punta Cana and I was over it by then...lol. I have a few more notes written on a few guys though:
Kade Kern - Basic setup in the box, good to decent plane to the ball. Didn't get a hit, but was otherwise ok I guess. Defense was pretty good.
Alexander Martinez - I think this is his second year repeating FCL...he was not bad defensively and framed pretty good. At bat, his set up is almost straight up with a little bend and he drives into pitches pretty good. He's been assigned as high as Augusta and got in 8 at bats. Too soon to realize anything about his game, but some good at bats.
Mario Baez - Been a name we've heard for more years than he's been in the system, but I am not that high on him. He reminded me of current Albies and that's not good. In the minor's Albies played "tall." Meaning his game was bigger than his size. I feel like Mario could do some of that, but I saw him playing 2B and he showed a little range....decent arm, but....I don't know, something wasn't there for me. It was only one game though.
The pitchers got lit up so I didn't write much, but there were some good arms in the mix. I liked Justin Militello...good arm..cocky disposition, but I think it's more athletic arrogance. I loved his delivery. Some effort to it, but his FB looked to me as a mid-90's FB. I think he was hurt before but he looked good. He's a lot like Ethan Workinger in that he wasn't drafted, but signed a non-drafted contract.
I'll be going down in a couple of weeks and hope to see more of the rehabbing players too...Caminiti being one.
