Atlanta Braves

[mzylinski]

Team Prospect Grades:
Hitting:82
Pitching: 76
Overall: 85

1. Ray Viycaya CF 78/90 22yr AAA .332/.404/.376 2 HR 52 RBI 19 SB 1.000 Pct
Whats not to like about Ray. At 22 years of age he looks like a superstar who is just around the corner. Could have a plus plus Contact and Eye and already has plus plus speed, while he will not have any power to speak of it shouldn’t matter. He will be a top of the line classic lead off bat with seemily very good defense. Look for him to have a long and successful MLB career.
2. Hideyoshi Kitajima OF 77/92 21yr AAA .226/.289/.377 4 HR 30 RBI .980 Pct
In a deep system there will be some dissention on what order they fall into past Viycaya, however Hideyoshi stands out. He will have very good contact and will hit for power, his eye should be good enough for him to keep pitcher honest. Furthermore his defense will play nicely in the MLB, while he may not have the career that Ray will have he will still be a productive OF for many years. Also don’t let his triple slash fool you at 21 years old the fact he is in AAA only talks to how good he is.
3. Paul Damron 3B 72/94 21yr A .278/.409/.389 1 HR 6 RBI 1.000 Pct (Just drafted 10gm played)
Taken number 2 overall this past draft he has a lot of potential. Boasting a plus plus eye and will hit for good power should have decent to solid contact as well as speed. His defense ability should keep him at 3B moving forward, he won’t be Elliot Stansfield at 3B but he should play it well enough to start. If his contact and speed get unexpected boosts he could be a five tool MLB stud.
4. Dave Thoday 1B 68/90 20yr A .333/.385/.444 1 HR 9 RBI 1.00 Pct
Another draft pick from this year (Taken in the second round) already looking like could be a big pay off. Much like Damron has the potential to be a 5 tool player. Being a 1B his plus plus fielding will win him a lot of gold gloves. When it comes to his offense he looks like all 4 tools could be plus, but our guess is that he will hit for good contact have a good eye and hit for some power and wont be a dump truck on the base paths. Dave at worse case scenario becomes a stellar gold glover with a bat that hits but doesn’t dominate.
5. Matt Spoon C 75/90 22yr AA/AAA (Stats AA) .300/.414/.394 2 HR 31 RBI 1.00 Pct 41% CS
Matt could have sat anywhere from 5-8 on this list, he should have a very good Eye and hit for some power, we worry about his contact. Defensively the eye test says back up catcher, but if his minor league stats show anything he might get to the Show based on his defense alone. He will provide unbelievable marshaling behind the plate but the CS rate may not continue
6. Joey Matthews 3B/DH 79/93 21yr AAA .332/.395/.589 15 HR 59 RBI .949 Pct
Joey will not play 3B in the majors he is headed for a DH role, but if all goes well he should rake. His hitting has been on fire the last two seasons, if all continues to progress he should hit for power have plus contact and a plus eye. At 21yr he has room to grow, but if he can manage he will do great things.
7. Jeff Theis 2B 69/93 18yr A .305/.383/.458 3 HR 26 RBI .984 Pct
Jeff is another interesting player, at his age he has a lot of growing to do, his defense will make him a prime trade candidate in the future as he will be a pure bat with no defense to speak of. But he should have good contact a very good eye with some pop and a touch of speed. He is the most likely out of this group to be dealt.
8. Scott Harrison OF 82/89 23yr AAA .338/.463/.631 4 HR 12 RBI .960 Pct
Harrison is currently on the block, which might be a smart move. He is at the shit or get off the pot place in a young players career. He has the potential to put it together and become a triple threat with contact power and eye. The eye is already plus plus the power and contact are a tick off but if they get to the plus level Harrison could be a great bat for whoever picks him up. The concern with Scott is that A he wont get there with the contact or power and B His def could spell trouble.
9. Jorge Alvarez 3B 71/86 22yr AA .357/.413/.536 4 HR 23 RBI .978 PCT
Jorge is an intriguing guy, his defense will allow him to stay at 3B and definitively stay there when he is called to the MLB. His bat should play as well, with the chance to have plus contact, power and eye, if all that works its self out he should be a very solid player for years to come.
10. Paul Pedneault SP 77/85 22yr A 42 3.43 ERA 1/5:1 K/BB .219 OBA
There are not many SP in Atlanta’s system, while it may not look like it Paul is the best. While still in High A at 22yr might be a concern for some his OBA looks very good he has the making of a plus curve when he already has a plus change up. His movement will be at least a plus effort if not plus plus, if control and power stay trending upward he could become one of the most successful 6th round picks in a long time with a shot at a mid rotation slot.