zbhargrove
Well-known member
Nothing other than he started an FCL rehab assignment a couple days ago. No hits yet but did walk twice yesterday and scored a run. No word that I've heard on when he will move up a few levels.
Minor League Thread Part Deux
- Thread starter 50PoundHead
- Start date
zbhargrove
Well-known member
Looks like E.J. Exposito was promoted to AA... was having a really solid season in Rome and Deester has talked abouot him a few times. Had a nice first game going 2 for 3 with a walk and a run. Looks like he's settled in at 2B... between him or Nacho, maybe a future answer for Ozzie if he leaves? Of course Exposito is 24 but he's only been in professional ball since he was drafted in 2022 (16th rounder).
zbhargrove
Well-known member
Hey Deester... is Eric Hartman hurt? Feel like I haven't seen him in the lineup in a while.
zbhargrove
Well-known member
Looks like Nacho starts his rehab with Gwinnett tomorrow.
zbhargrove
Well-known member
His K-rate is a little concerning, generally in the 25 to 30 percent range which would not translate well to the majors... but the one nice thing is he seems to walk at a decent clip. If he can knock that K-rate down a bit he becomes a lot more interesting.
Deester11
Well-known member
Eric is indeed hurt. He's been on the 7 day DL for a minute but I don't remember his specific injury. I'll find out and let you know. Also...I did talk about Exposito thanks. Got surprising pop...good setup, strikes out more than you like as ZB said. I'd still mix him in with Espinosa and Tavarez if I were juggling prospects. Meaning...faint wishes for each.
Deester11
Well-known member
Wow. Great question. As you know I don't usually follow a consensus and I like who I like. I've been pretty much eye testing without the analytics but I'll throw in some thoughts.
Top 5 IMHO
Cam Caminiti - Confidence, swagger and the pitches to back it up. Legit upside 2-3.
JR Ritchie - dude is a dog. Great assortment of pitches, throws strikes...he's coming on fast. Not there yet. Needs some more slow cook.
Didier Fuentes - i’m honestly more impressed by him than I am just about any of our pitchers. I’ve been bragging about him since before the season started, and I’m not letting up. To be so young and to make adjustments and be as mature and talented as he is, I'll keep dreaming in him.
Owen Murphy - was really coming on and maturing and added a few ticks to his FB while learning how to pitch. I hope he comes back better.
Jose Perdomo - stats be damned, I love that kids makeup. He's a worker I liken to Pache and he makes considerable contact. Now I know it may be because most of the hitters on the farm are strikeout machines so this pushes him up. If it's in the vicinity he's swinging and there's the issue. If he gets to his power...damn! IF.
OK. I left some prospects who have a chance that a few sites rate higher. But I haven't been convinced that a few in the top 10 are difference makers. For instance:
Hackenburg - everyone touted him as the breakout stud. I feel he's just solid. Has room for more, and is the type that'll play 10 years in the majors. But he gets hit harder than he should.
Nacho - not for me.
Baumann - big guy. Some days he's it and others, he's a 1-2 inning guy in the pen. Has a real chance with adjustments though.
Braun - One day I like him..the other not so much. Shrug
Lara...I've talked about him (and the others) but jeez if he could find the plate with regularity, he's your lights out closer. RIGHT NOW.
Gil - has to have more than speed to lift his game up. Can be really impressive with an all around game but watch him enough and you're begging him to reach his tools. I do like him though.
As you can tell, there's not one hitter I'm over the moon about. The ones I like are way down and haven't displayed anything yet. Guanipa (walking M.A.S.H unit), Tornes (not nearly enough of anything to sample), McCabe (Some good..lots of meh),
OK. Went too long. Those are my top 5. Lol
Hudson2
Well-known member
Good stuff man. Caminiti has that Fried look to me. He was touted as mid rotation and had a lot more in the tank. I've watched Perdomo a few times and he's pretty smooth at SS and like Baldwin he seems to hit everything hard. If he keeps hitting the ball hard like he does the power will come as he gets older. He's only 18 so we could have something big there.
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Deester11
Well-known member
Accurate take on Caminiti. I've only knocked him down a notch because I want him to get results and refine a few issues, but he's a guy that could start a new era of Braves pitching. I think he's that good. As for Perdomo, if you've watched him, you see something in him. He's struggled lately, but last I saw his SO rate was around 20%. He thinks he can hit anything you throw to him and while I love that mentality, he's got to rein it in. I know that he will! He's so fun to watch offensively and defensively.
BTW, I've checked on Hartman and the information is scarce. They simply will not share any injury information with a random bleacher guy. LOL. Even Gaurav had no answer and I respect him a lot.
Hudson2
Well-known member
Yeah Perdomo seems to have that it about him. I have to remember he's still just 18 and that he will get the patience down as he gets older hopefully. I saw Hackenberg was on the IL but they won't say what it is either and that could be why he was struggling.
50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
Saw him play one game at SS when Gwinnett was in St. Paul last summer. Hard to tell anything from one game. I will say he is extremely short and he has kind of a compact body. That doesn't scream "Shortstop!" in terms of physical characteristics. He made the routine plays. I was more impressed with his approach at the plate. It doesn't show up in his overall stat line from 2024, but he's patient and decent contact (again, one game). He's the definition of a gamer.
zbhargrove
Well-known member
I was under the impression that Waddell lacked too much range to play a regular SS
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Deester11
Well-known member
Like 50 said..he's a gamer and I'll give him that. At SS, I agree with you ZB....his range is meh. He can make basic plays though. But at any point if you're relying on him at SS, your team is in some type of "go get em next year" mode.
50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
He's fundamentally sound at SS but all I saw was routine plays. It's always hard to tell with the Braves under the Anthopoulos/Snitker regime what they expect out of their bench. Waddell's not an everyday SS and I've never seen Alvarez at the position so I have no basis of comparison there. It's obvious from Grissom's time at the big league level that he was not an everyday SS either. Waddell's value would be if he could play around the IF as the last guy on the bench, but I don't know if he hits well enough to clear the bar. Luke Williams can at least play the OF as well and White can play some IF and our bench isn't used in any strategic sense, so unless Waddell shows a considerable uptick in his hitting, he likely tops out at AAA in the Braves' system. He is a LHH, so that would be a plus for him.