Atlanta Braves 2019 Midseason Top 50 Prospects

Cristian Pache prepping for BP, July 7, 2019, Futures Game, Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH. Photo credit - Scott Greene, @Scotty_Ballgame on Twitter

Man, this feels right. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I had to cover the Texas Rangers farm system and the many prospects I scouted in their organization during my near year and a half stint as the club’s correspondent for Prospects 1500. Many of those players have a special place in my prospect heart. With that being said, I am a Georgia boy and I couldn’t be more excited about the transition to covering the Braves for the site. Of course, I started my Braves coverage back in April with a couple of pieces like Trey Harris’s Hot Start and The Draft Recap, but the top 50 lists are the bread and butter of Prospects1500, hence the excitement. Rangers fans, fret not. New correspondent Casey Krish is on board to continue Rangers coverage. 

Obviously, I did not write the preseason list, so there will certainly be some variance between that one and the midseason update, more so than you’d typically see over a half season. Plus, there are some top name graduates as well. Speaking in terms of the grand scheme, the Braves‘ farm system has performed fairly well considering the lofty expectations. Even with some top name promotions, the Braves are still one of the deepest farm systems in baseball. 

Graduates:
Austin Riley
Mike Soroka
Touki Toussaint


Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact (e.g. middle reliever, low-ceiling UT guys)
Tier 5: Players who are worth keeping an eye on, but likely to never make a team’s 40-man roster.


Tier 1: 

1. Cristian Pache, OF (Preseason #1)
Age: 20
Highest Level: Double-A
Yeah I said it, Pache is a Tier 1 player. Interestingly enough, that may not have been the praise you heard from me a year and a half ago. I love to take victory laps, so it is only fair that I admit when I was low on a guy. Once Pache grew physically and added to the previously non-existent power, only then did he truly become a Tier 1 player and a true five category threat.

2. Ian Anderson, RHP (Preseason #5)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Double-A
A potential ace in the making, Anderson established himself as the Braves top pitching prospect this season not only based on graduations, but thanks also to his sheer dominance the first half of this 2019 campaign. The 21 year old has struck 129 through 99 innings and while the homers allowed are up, opponents are hitting just .202 off of him.

Tier 2:

3. Drew Waters, OF (Preseason #7)
Age: 20
Highest Level: Double-A
Waters hasn’t missed a beat in Double-A, in fact he is improving. The 20 year old has an .884 OPS while being significantly younger than his competition. Stats aside, playing with Pache everyday may be one of the best things that has happened to both players. There seems to be a healthy competition between the two in Mississippi and it is making for one of the better story lines in the Braves system this year. #AcunaWatersPache2020


4. Kyle Wright, RHP (Preseason #9)
Age: 23
Highest Level: MLB
Wright is getting rocked in 2019 as he has been on the bus between Gwinnett and Cobb County. He’s struggling to locate his pitches resulting in both walks and hard contact, including 10 homers allowed in the minors alone. However, we do know the potential with the repertoire and the frame.

5. Bryse Wilson, RHP (Preseason #8)
Age: 21
Highest Level: MLB
Wilson isn’t having the year we expected and like Wright, a lot of it has to do with the long ball. Still, the stuff is there and I didn’t think twice about ranking Wilson fifth.

6. Jasseel De La Cruz, RHP (Preseason #25)
Age: 22
Highest Level: Double-A
I am on record as being the biggest De La Cruz fan in Braves country and I have been hinting ever since I took over the Braves beat that he would be way high on this list. The Braves were patient in the early going with the now 22 year old and it seems to be paying off. His fastball slider combo give him a solid floor and if the changeup continues to come along, the upside is high.


7. Braden Shewmake, SS (Preseason NR)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Single-A
One of two Braves 2019 first round draft picks, the Texas A&M product is dominating at the plate so far in his short stint in Rome. Shewmake is slashing .333/.378/.470 as of July 21st and may be primed for a promotion to Florida before season’s end.



Tier 3:

8. Kolby Allard, LHP (Preseason #12)
Age: 21
Highest Level: MLB
I’ve always viewed Allard as a candidate for a solid career as a mid to late rotation arm in the show. While I still believe that, I also think he is a prime trade candidate for the Braves this year. If that does happen, he will stay in the bigs a lot sooner with another team than he will with Atlanta.

9. Greyson Jenista, OF (Preseason #14)
Age: 22
Highest Level: Double-A
Jenista has struggled mightily this year, but I am not one to overreact to prospect struggles like most. When the 6’4 left handed hacker connects, the ball flies. Now I just need to see him work a little bit more on the connect part.

10. Shea Langeliers, C (Preseason NR)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Single-A
This is where I have to remind you that this is a dynasty list. If it were a real life list, the Baylor product would likely be a couple of spots higher. I don’t love ranking catchers high and I simply have Langeliers in the top 10 because his defensive ability will put him on the fast track to the show. It’s just a bonus that he may have a slightly above average bat for the position.

11. Joey Wentz, LHP (Preseason #13)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Double-A
ERA is up, walks are up, homers allowed are up, but the stuff and plane from the lefty are hard to match. Of all the struggling pitchers in the Braves system, Wentz is the one that I am looking past the stat line the most on as he is still getting a lot of swing and miss, just have to hit those spots.

12. Tristan Beck, RHP (Preseason #15)
Age: 23
Highest Level: High-A
I have been higher on Beck than most since the 2018 draft and it seems the rest of the pack is catching up. The big knock is the injury history, but Beck can elevate the fastball and successfully work a couple of breaking balls off of it.


Tier 4:

13. Kyle Muller, LHP (Preseason #11)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Double-A
I flipped between Muller and Beck for 13 and honestly, I will probably change my mind before this even posts. But he is locked in now. If Muller can harness the command, the potential is undeniable. A Driveline product, most Muller duels end in either a strikeout or a walk as of late. I am going to assume I am the low ranker on Muller.

14. Trey Harris, OF (Preseason NR)
Age: 23
Highest Level: Double-A
The Georgia native has one of the best contact tools in the system and shows no signs of slowing down.

15. William Contreras, C (Preseason #6)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Double-A
No, I didn’t forget about him. I told you I don’t like ranking catchers high in terms of fantasy and with the first round pick of Langeliers, I no longer think Contreras is the Braves catcher of the future. His .626 OPS this year doesn’t help either.

16. Huascar Ynoa, RHP (Preseason #17)
Age: 21
Highest Level: MLB
Ynoa made his Major League debut this year and it feels like just last season I was watching him in Single-A Rome. Oh wait, that’s because I was. It was an ugly MLB debut and I was a little surprised Ynoa was the arm to get the call, but I think it is just an indication the Braves are focused on developing him as a reliever now, which has its value in fantasy.

17. Luiz Gohara, LHP (Preseason #10)
Age: 22
Highest Level: MLB
If you have Gohara rostered already, sure, hang on to him. But, I’m in a “Show Me” state of mind with him. I am rooting for the young man, but I am not pulling the trigger on him at this point. With all of that being said, if he can stay healthy he has the stuff to be a top young arm in the game. At this point that seems to be a big “if”.

18. Beau Philip, SS (Preseason NR)
Age: 20
Highest Level: Rookie Advanced
Philip is struggling to start his pro career, but possesses a good hit tool and more importantly, a good speed tool. The steals will be the major fantasy factor for Philip.

19. Braxton Davidson, OF (Preseason #31)
Age: 23
Highest Level: High-A
The man, the myth, the broken foot AFL Walk Off Homer Legend. Davidson is on his way back from surgery and looks to build on his impressive power tool.

20. Tucker Davidson, LHP (Preseason #18)
Age: 23
Highest Level: Double-A
There is no doubt Davidson is having a great 2019, but I see him more as a bullpen option down the road.

21. Patrick Weigel, RHP (Preseason #16)
Age: 25
Highest Level: MLB
Weigel’s road to recovery this season has been well-documented and while he did get the call to the big league roster, he has yet to make his debut.

22. Kasey Kalich, RHP  (Preseason NR)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Single-A

23. Jacob Webb, RHP  (Preseason #33)
Age: 25
Highest Level: MLB


Tier 5:

24. Jefrey Ramos, OF (Preseason #30)
Age: 20
Highest Level: High-A

25. Daysbel Hernandez, RHP  (Preseason NR)
Age: 22
Highest Level: High-A

26. Riley Delgado, SS (Preseason #23)
Age: 24
Highest Level: High-A

27. AJ Graffanino, SS (Preseason #28)
Age: 22
Highest Level: High-A

28. Bryce Ball, 1B (Preseason NR)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Rookie Advanced

29. Chad Sobotka, RHP (Preseason #26)
Age: 26
Highest Level: MLB

30. Trey Riley, RHP (Preseason #22)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Single-A

31. Justin Dean, OF (Preseason NR)
Age: 22
Highest Level: Single-A

32. Alex Jackson, C (Preseason #20)
Age: 23
Highest Level: MLB

33. Tanner Gordon, RHP (Preseason NR)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Rookie Advanced

34. Freddy Tarnok, RHP (Preseason #19)
Age: 20
Highest Level: High-A

35. Thomas Burrows, LHP (Preseason #29)
Age: 24
Highest Level: Triple-A

36. Jeremy Walker, RHP (Preseason #34)
Age: 24
Highest Level: Triple-A

37. Stephen Paolini, OF (Preseason NR)
Age: 18
Highest Level: Rookie

38. CJ Alexander, INF (Preseason #21)
Age: 23
Highest Level: High-A

39. Darius Vines, RHP (Preseason NR)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Rookie Advanced

40. Gabriel Noguera, RHP (Preseason NR)
Age: 23
Highest Level: Single-A

41. Logan Brown, C (Preseason NR)
Age: 22
Highest Level: High-A

42. Griffin Benson, 1B (Preseason NR)
Age: 21
Highest Level: Single-A

43. Michael Harris, LHP/OF (Preseason NR)
Age: 18
Highest Level: Rookie

44. Odalvi Javier, RHP (Preseason #37)
Age: 22
Highest Level: Single-A

45. Hayden Deal, LHP (Preseason #41)
Age: 24
Highest Level: High-A

46. Riley Unroe, 2B (Preseason NR)
Age: 23
Highest Level: Triple-A

47. Phil Pfeifer, LHP (Preseason NR)
Age: 27
Highest Level: Triple-A

48. Drew Lugbauer, C (Preseason #39)
Age: 22
Highest Level: High-A

49. Josh Graham, RHP (Preseason #43)
Age: 25
Highest Level: Double-A

50. Ryan Casteel, UTL (Preseason NR)
Age: 28
Highest Level: Triple-A
It is tradition that #50 is simply a @berrys_baseball favorite.

I reside in Carrollton, Georgia and love everything baseball. I graduated from the University of West Georgia with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management. I have a passion for the minor leagues and have high hopes of visiting as many minor league parks as I can. I enjoy the statistical side of the game, especially sabermetrics. I am also an avid baseball card collector and fantasy baseball player.




2 Comments

  1. Wow, no room for a guy who was a former 1st round pick and who has had an OPS above .950 all year in Travis Demeritte?

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