Atlanta Braves Top 10 Prospects
1. Jason Heyward, OF – Heyward is the top hitting prospect in baseball and #2 overall (list forthcoming). There are no flaws with his bat and he’s still improving. If an outfielder is struggling this year, Heyward could be a shot.
2. Freddie Freeman, 1B – Freeman profiles as the prototypical first baseman, even with the down power numbers. He’s young, so look for those to bounce back.
3. Julio Teheran, P – Teheran has the pitches to be a great pitcher, but he’s still young so a lot could change. There are also concerns about his health, as he’s had shoulder problems in the last year.
4. Arodys Vizcaino, P – Vizcaino was the true prize of the Vasquez deal; this young pitcher has a strong groundball rate and great strike out rate. He’s got a long way to go, but has the potential to be a number 1 starter.
5. Randall Delgado, P – Delgado is another high potential pitcher who still have a lot to prove. He’s working on control, but has strong strikeout numbers.
6. Craig Kimbrel, P – Kimbrel has received the infamous “closer of the future” tag that so many live arms receive in the minors. He’s got a great fastball, but needs to work on his secondary pitches to be successful.
7. Cody Johnson, OF – This may be a high ranking, but the potential here is high. He’s got the power, but needs to work on the rest of his game. He strikes out a lot, but also has increased his walks. If he can fix his holes, he could be just behind Heyward in potential.
8. Mike Minor, P – Minor was a solid pick for the Braves in this past draft; he’s got #2 potential, especially if he can develop a curve or slider to go with his change-up and fastball. Look for the team to be a little cautious when promoting him.
9. Adam Milligan, OF – Milligan is that guy who will be without a position but will be in the line up because he can hit. He’s not a good left fielder and could end up at first base. He’s got a ton of power potential and can get on base. I see him as an Adam Dunn type.
10. Zeke Spruill, P – Spruill could be a good pitcher, but he really needs to work on giving up hits; he gave up 120 hits in 116.0 innings. As he moves through the system, this will be the make or break deal for him. He’s got good pitches, but none that really stand out.
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