SB Nation - Matt Young

Braves Rule 5 Preview

cbwilk — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:00:35 -0000

Crafty lefty Edgar Osuna could intrigue a team as a LOOGY or a back of the rotation starter.

The Rule 5 Draft has really never helped nor hindered the Braves. They rarely select a player, unless they clear a spot on their 40 man roster before the draft they won't be able to select anyone this year, and the few players they do select tend to get traded away in Spring Training (Jamie Walker and Chris Spurling are good examples). They also rarely lose a player who isn't returned; Adam Stern, who was a part of a World Series Championship with the Red Sox in 2004 after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft from the Braves was the last player they actually lost for good and he played very little in the Majors, either during the 2004 season or after. So, in reading this preview it's worth keeping in mind that the Braves might not premantently lose any players through the Rule 5 Draft, regardless of what happens today.

Most Likely To Be Selected

Edgar Osuna, LHP: Osuna was recently named the 11th best Braves prospect by the bloggers here at Talking Chop, three spots ahead of Jose Ortegano, fellow lefty and good friend, who was protected on the 40 man roster. He's the epitome of a crafty lefty, working a fringe fastball with a plus plus changeup and pinpoint control. Of the available players, Osuna seems like the most likely to be selected, particularly with his success at AA Mississippi and the fact that he'll be just 22 in 2010. His stuff would play well if he were used as a situational lefty out of the bullpen and he could even make waves at the back of the rotation for a bottom of the standings team.

Matt Young, OF: Though he was named the top center field prospect by Talking Chop, Young didn't appear on the top 25, mostly because he will be 27 next season and has only played a handfull of games above AA. But, while he may not be an ideal prospect, he could be exactly what a team is looking for in the Rule 5 draft. He has absolutely no home run power, but he hits a fair amount of doubles and a ton of triples. He also steals bases, setting team records for Mississippi the last two years, and gets on base at an above .400 clip. Though his arm is below average, he has the range to cover centerfield and began his career as an infielder so a team looking to store him could find many uses for him off the bench. His inability to play right field, he could cover the ground but never make the throws, might scare some teams off, as might his inexperience above AA, but he could be an interesting, and cheap, option for a bad team.

Possible, But Unlikely To Be Selected

Barbaro Canizares, 1B: Canizares, who made his Major League debut with the Braves in 2009, recently passed through waivers without being claimed, making it unlikely that he will be selected, since teams oculd have had him on their roster without the limitations created by the Rule 5 draft. Things change in the course of a few weeks, so it's possible that a team could choose to take him and use him as a power bat off the bench, or even the right handed part of a platoon at first base or designated hitter, but it's more likely that they'll see him for what he is, a 30 year old defensive liability who lacks the power to justify being a DH and who wears down as the season goes on.

Brian Barton, OF: No stranger to the Rule 5 Draft, having been successfully plucked from the Indians by the Cardinals in 2008, Barton could be an interesting option for a team looking for a 4th or 5th outfielder. Despite only appearing in one game for Atlanta, he played well enough for Gwinnett to suggest that he could thrive off a Major League bench again, but, as with Canizares, it seems unlikely for a player who's already passed through waivers unclaimed to get selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

Erik Cordier, RHP: 2009 was Cordier's healthiest season and while he doesn't have the near 100 mph stuff he had when the Royals made him a 1st round selection, he still has a strong, live arm and he could intruige some teams as an option out of the bullpen. But, given that he doesn't throw as hard as he used to and that's he's had some problems with walks (5.5 per 9 innings in 2009), he probably won't be picked.

Kevin Gunderson, LHP: Named the 6th best relief prospect by TC, Gunderson's funky delivery could intrigue teams looking for a lefty out of the pen. But, he was fairly ineffective against lefties last season, allowing a .321 average to them. The fact that the Braves chose to protect Lee Hyde, a lefty who's barely been able to take the field for the majority of his career, ahead of Gunderson on their 40 man roster, is telling, and may be why he remains within the organization.

Ryne Reynoso, RHP: After getting his feet wet as a reliever, Reynoso has been a consistent starter for Myrtle Beach and Mississippi the last two years. He's an interesting player, but he doesn't have the kind of top notch stuff that teams typically look for in the Rule 5 draft.

Eligible, But Unlikely To Be Selected

2B JC Holt and 3B Van Pope both have AAA experience, but neither have hit enough to merit much interest. RHP Michael Broadway and LHP Tim Gustafson both have interesting arms, but netiher have the stuff or the petigree that teams look for. OF Jon Mark Owings is basically coming off a lost season because of a rotator cuff injury. and didn't show enough constistent contact to indicate that he could handle Major League pitching right now. OF LV Ware and OF Luis Sumoza are both too far away from the Majors to merit much interest.

Braves Add Five Players to 40-Man Roster

gondeee — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:46:46 -0000

Today is the last day to set 40-man rosters to protect players from the Rule 5 draft later this month. Per Mark Bowman, the Braves added five pitchers, left-handers Lee Hyde, Jose Ortegano and Jonny Venters and right-handers Jeff Lyman and Kyle Coffield. Bowman has a writeup of each player here.

Lee Hyde and Jeff Lyman will be reviewed today and tomorrow respectively here as Talking Chop presents our top-10 Braves minor league relievers. I'm a personal fan of Hyde, and I think he'll be a solid bullpen contributor in a year or so. Lyman seems to be following the Blaine Boyer track, and Coffield and Venters could be on that starter to reliever track as well. Ortegano was ranked last week as the Braves third-best left-handed starting pitching prospect, and you can read a review here.

A notable player who was not added is outfielder Matt Young. If we give enough credit to the Braves for thinking all the way ahead to this day, then we may be able to understand why Young was kept in double-A for all but 7 games this year, for the second consecutive year -- they didn't want to expose him to this draft after having played at a higher level. Though it is highly unlikely that he would be taken.

Talking Chop Round Table: Braves Center Fielders

gondeee — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:55:58 -0000

As part of season reviews for major league players and top prospect ranking for minor league players, we here at Talking Chop thought it would be a fun idea to get all of our bloggers together with the help of Google Docs and debate the various aspects of each position in the Braves organization.

The participants are, yours truly (gondeee, indicated by MG), yondaime4 (indicated by MF), royhobbs (indicated by DH), and cbwilk (indicated by CBW).

The round table for center fielders in the Braves organization is after the jump.

MG: Can Nate McLouth become one of the top center fielders in baseball, or will he always be sort of an average defender and average hitter?
CBW: Well, if you average out his career numbers over a 162 games, you're looking at a .260 average, .796 OPS, 33 DB, 20 HR, and 22 SB. I don't know what numbers he has to put up to be one of the top center fielders, but if that's average, I'm great with it. In pretty much any lineup, if you can get that kind of production out of center field, you're going to be more than happy. And he was pretty much in line with his career numbers for Atlanta, with a bit less slugging and a bit more OBP. And he's a guy that makes me think even more that UZR is total crap. I keep hearing about how he was negative 40 or whatever last year and negative again this year, and I wonder if they were watching a different player. To me, he made all kinds of great plays, got to a lot of balls that I didn't think a center fielder could get to, and generall played great defense. His arm is pathetic, but most center fielder's are. Frankly, I think McLouth is a great player, and as much as I love Gorkys, Charlie, and Locke, Atlanta straight up stole him from Pittsburgh.
MF: I'm not sold that McLouth is a good CF, defensively. I didn't really like what I saw of him, and I haven't seen his UZR stuff. I just wasn't as impressed with his skills, though I think he can manage. Offensively I think he definitely has the pop to be one of the better CF in the game. What we saw of him in a Braves uni this season probably wasn't indicative of his true ability and I don't think he was being used properly. He is a well rounded player but I just don't know if he fits at the top of the lineup (maybe his ability to steal bases does). I'm not really sure where he should fit though. Maybe 2 or 6. CB is right, we fleeced Pittsburgh in that deal. Gorkys will never be an MLB starter, Locke still has potential but he wasn't good this year and Morton maybe needed to change locations to really blossom, but he's probably never more than 3 anyways.

MG: If Jordan Schafer were still a prospect, where would he rank?
That's tough to sort out because he's essentially lost a whole season the last two years between an injury and a suspension. Do you go off of his stats last year as a major leaguer (when he was injured part of the time), or his track record in the minors. I'd like to say that he would slot pretty high, probably in the 2-to-4 range, I think I'd put him at 4.
CBW: Probably 4th. I'm a huge fan of Schafer's and have been for several years. I'm not putting much stock into his struggles because I think they were largely the by product of his wrist injury. I have no idea how to explain why he looked lost in center field, because I've only known him to be a superlative outfielder and a guy who I think can win a gold glove in the future. I'm willing to write that off as a fluke. I think he's going to come back in 2010 about as strong as anybody. I'm telling you, betting against this kid is just stupid. He's confident in himself and he's willing to put in more work than anyone out there.
MF: He would be 3 for me. The guy has at least average tools across the board and if you use John Sickels 7 Skills which include hitting for average, hitting for power, strike zone judgment, baserunning ability, fielding range, fielding reliability and throwing utility. A quick glance at that says that Jordan Schafer can do all of those things at a premium defensive position. He may never hit for an extremely high average but I do believe he can hit .280 in his prime and add 15-20 homers. Again for a CF this is phenomenal and I can't wait to get him back on the team.

MG: Does Matt Young ever get a chance to be a big leaguer? He should be at triple-A next year, but now he's blocked by Schafer. Young will also be old next year, for a prospect, at 27. I know we ranked him first on our center field list, but in retrospect I think that's more of a nostalgic ranking, when we should really be putting guys like Rose and Harrilchak ahead of him. CB, I think you got it right by putting those two in first and second and Young in third.
CBW: Hey, always nice to be told you're right. I like Matt Young a lot and I think he's going to get a shot to play in the Majors. He's shown a ton of speed and that's somthing that isn't easy to ignore. He could have a lot of value as a 4th or 5th outfielder, especially to playoff caliber teams with clunkers in left field, like Manny Ramirez or Raul Ibanez. I think there's a good possibility that Schafer does go back to AAA to start next year, but I dont' see anyone in AA that seems likely to come up and play LF, so Young could fit in well right there. I have to say, after doing the writeup, I'm higher on Rose and Harrilchak that I was before. When I saw Danville, Harrilchak was definitely the second most impressive player (behind Myke Jones). It may sound dumb, but he just looks like a professional. And he put up an outstanding season in his debut. Like with RSF, I can't get too excited about it, cause he was old for the league, but it's still worth valuing. And he's got a ton of athletic tools. I really think he's going to devlop well. My guess is he starts 2010 at Myrtle Beach, skipping Rome entirely. Because he's a year younger, and in a certain context the GCL and Appy league are fairly equal, I put Rose first though. When you really crunch the numbers on those stolen bases, the amount that he was able to get is astonishing. I haven't seen him play, so it's a bit odd that I chose to put him first, but those kind of steal numbers, even against Rookie ball catchers, were enough for me to put him ahead of the pack.
MF: I think if Young doesn't get a real shot next year he probably won't ever get his chance. I think the only reason I didn't rank Rose and Harrilchak ahead of Young was simply because they hadn't played in full season ball. I have a hard time ranking guys very high until they get into full season ball and show me something. Like I have said before I usually consider a guys first season in pro ball a wash, even if it is good. Its just hard to get a read on their skill sets in such a short time with such varied competition. So yeah, Harrilchak and Rose are probably better prospects in the traditional sense of the word (and I am actually really excited about both guys) but I feel like Young gets the nod in my book because of what he has done in the past couple of seasons and his proximity to the majors. Don't forget also how difficult it is to hit in Mississippi.

MG: Our centerfield depth is pretty slim. After Schafer and Young, you have to go to rookie ball to find a viable prospect. Guys like Ware, Culver, and Miles just haven't done anything in pro ball.
CBW: I think when you factor in that Concepcion Rodriguez and Willie Cabrera play a good bit of center field it looks a bit better. Both of those guys are fairly viable prospects, and if they reached their top offensive potential I'd be more than comfortable with them patrolling center. Frankly, Culver didn't even enter into my thoughts. He didn't get regular playing time and didn't play well. Miles is interesting because I think he's actually beginning a transformation that will establish him as a decent prospect. He's been somewhere between awful and less than great at different points in his career, but I'm encouraged by the fact that his overall season this year was better than last, and that his second half was better than his first. The kid is has absolutely no power, sometimes you think he might get knocked backwards when he makes contact, but he's got a ton of speed. If he can learn how to use his tools well, we might be talking about him like we're talking about Matt Young in a few years. I have to admit, I'm completely biased for LV Ware. Not only do I think he's one of the best people in the Braves' system, I think he's one of the best people I know. And his character and makeup bleed all over his performance on the field. I love that he was able to improve in Danville this season instead of pouting. It was a crappy situation that he absolutely made the best of. And I'm willing to write off his struggles in Rome. When a guy plays a little poorly, it's a sign that he's just not good enough, but when a guy absolutely bombs like he did, there's more to it. Ware is a superb athlete and I think he's a talented player. I'm not going to say he's an amazing prospect who will save the team, I had him 4th on my list just like everyone else, but I do think he can develop into a useful player for the Major League team, even if it takes a little while.
MF: People keep talking about how weak our upper minors are on position prospects (and even pitching to some degree) but the counter point here is that we have a good portion of our young nucleus locked up through 2012. Lets just look at this for a second (I'll assume for a second that Heyward and Freeman pan out)
C: McCann - Till 2012 (2013 with options)
1B: Freddie Freeman (if he makes the majors next year he is a FA when? 2016?)
2B: Martin Prado we've got him till at least 2012 probably longer
3B: Chipper Jones signed through 2012 with an option for 2013 (if he keeps up an 800 OPS for those seasons he is still above average at 3rd)
SS: Yunel Escobar we have control of til at least 2012
LF: McLouth just tossing him here for the moment Club option in 2012
CF: Jordan Schafer till 2014 or so
RF: Jason Heyward for a long time
Thats just the position players. All of which are good for another 3 seasons. And that isn't really a bad lineup though I can expect some attrition from Chipper and growing pains from Freeman and maybe Heyward. But if we can't get some solid depth back in the ranks of position players by 2012 then Frank Wren will be having issues. Sorry that was a little more off topic, but still to the point I think.

Atlanta Braves Winter League Roundup: 10/28

yondaime4 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:21:50 -0000

The Peoria Saguaros started the AFL season off by losing 6 straight games and now they are 6-8 on the season. Not a bad turnaround. Also they have done it without Jason Heyward in the lineup. Coincidence?

Peoria 9, Surprise 0

F. Freeman 3-4 2B, RBI, BB
B. Hicks 2-4 3B, RBI, BB
J. Lyman 1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K
L. Hyde 1IP 1H 0R 0BB 1K
C. Kimbrel 1IP 1H 0R 0BB 2K

Frederick Freeman's AFL season can be split into two sets of 4 games apiece so far. In the first 4 games he had 15 AB with just 1 hit and 8K. In the last 4 games he has amassed 8 hits in 16 AB (3 XBH) and only 3K. He has brought his OPS up to .841 and he has an OBP of .389. This comes on the same day that Jim Callis mentioned that some scouts weren't impressed with Freeman so far. This kid is still an elite prospect. Brandon Hicks has impressed me so far with 8 BB vs 8K (though 8K is still a lot for 31 AB) and he has continued to hit at a .323 clip. Craig Kimbrel has also been impressive so far, though his walks are still out of line.

Guasave 3, Navojoa 6 - 8th Inning

M. Young 1-3 2B, RBI, BB, CS(3)
R. Gorecki 1-2 2B, 2 RBI, BB, CS(1)

Nothing too exciting going on here. Matt Young keeps taking walks and getting on base. He will never be a star but I think he could give a couple of solid seasons as an ideal backup OF. Does anyone know if Gorecki is actually still with the Braves system or if he is just playing winter ball on his own?

Braves Top-5 Minor League Center Fielders

cbwilk — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:24 -0000

Atlanta Braves center field prospect Matt Young received a late season promotion to Gwinnett after a second strong season at Mississippi.

View full size photo »

While the Braves top Minor League center fielders don't have the star power present in right field, or the pure power present in left field, they are still an interesting collection of speedsters and defensive stalwarts. While none currently seem like locks to become future stars, and maybe not even future starters, fortunately, the Braves are well set at the Major League level with Nate McLouth and the center fielder of the future, Jordan Schafer.

1. Matt Young B/T: L/R Born: 10/3/1982 Ht: 5'8" Wt: 175
Young takes the top spot after a second excellent season at Mississippi that saw him take home the award as the Southern League's Top Huslter. After hitting .289 with a .769 OPS along with 30 stolen bases for Mississippi in 2008, Young improved to a .289 average, .827 OPS and a team record 43 stolen bases. After playing most of his games in left field in 08, he shifted and played mostly in center this season. The same speed he utilizes on the basepaths enables him to cover an excellent amount of space in the outfield, and he takes good routes while making intelligent decisions. But, his arm is well below average, so that negates some of his defensive value.

A line drive hitter, Young doesn't make the mistake of trying to hit for power, and instead contents himself with spraying the ball to the gaps, collecting 23 doubles and 10 triples this season. He also makes use of his tiny frame (his listed height of 5'8" is a good bit of an exaggeration) to work a ton of walks, racking up 97 this season on the way to a .414 on base percentage.

Young was originally signed as a second baseman, so he has a bit of versatility, but he's only played 59 games there as a professional, and half of those came in 2006. He'll enter next season as a 27 year old, so he's not a typical prospect, but there's plenty of reason to think that his speed and defense, combined with his on base skills, could make him a valuable part of a Major League bench. If he's left off the Braves' 40 man roster this offseason, there's a possibility that a team looking to keep him as the 25th man on their roster and utilize him as a late inning pinch runner and defensive replacement might take a chance on him in the Rule V draft.

2. Cory Harrilchak B/T: L/L Born: 10/27/1987 Ht: 5'10" Wt: 175
Harrilchak, who turned 22 yesterday, was drafted in the 14th round this year and excelled for Danville, hitting .324 with a .842 OPS and 19 stolen bases as the team's regular hitter in the three hole. He split his time fairly equally around the outfield, playing 25 games each in center field and right field while playing 11 in left field, but, mostly due to his bat, he profiles best as a center fielder. He has excellent speed and a great knowledge of how to play the outfiled, along with a fairly strong, accurate arm.

Harrilchak has a slight frame, so he's unlikely to develop much power, but he's already smart enough to make use of his skills as a line drive hitter, spraying out 10 doubles and 5 triples in his 60 games, and he was able to effectively add speed to his game, getting caught stealing only twice in his 21 attempts. He also showed a knack for getting on base, with a .401 on base percentage, another indicator that, while he may have hit third for Danville, he profiles better as a leadoff or number two hitter in the future.

While he was a bit old at 21 for Danville, like Riann Spanjer-Furstenburg, Harrilchack had an outstanding professional debut, showing plenty of promise that he'll develop into a fine prospect. With his age and his dominance of the Appy League, there's a possibility that he could start 2010 at Myrtle Beach, but an assignment to Rome seems more likely. While he's unlikely to be considered a top flight prospect, at least until he has a breakout season at a more age appropriate level, Harrilchak has the tools to work himself into Atlanta's Major League plans in the future.

3. Kyle Rose B/T: R/R Born: 5/24/1989 Ht: 6'0" Wt: 165
Rose was drafted in the 8th round of the season's draft and, like Harrilchak, he was slightly old for his league, playing for the Orlando Braves in the GCL as a 20 year old. But, unlike Harrilchak, he didn't exactly dominate, though he still fared well, hitting .293 with a .750 OPS along with 27 stolen bases. The speed was the biggest asset to his offensive game, as he led his league, stealing those bases in just 48 games, and, more impressively, in just 63 times of reaching first base, meaning that he stole a base 43% of the time he reached first. For comparison, this year's Major League stolen base leader, Jacoby Ellsbury, stole 35% of the times he reached first. Those are tremendously impressive numbers, especially when you factor in a .397 on base percentage.

While he excelled at the speed game, Rose showed almost no power, slugging just .354 on the season. His incredibly slight frame suggests he isn't likely to gain much power, but if he can continue to get on base at a great clip and steal bases at an oustanding rate, he'll turn into a great prospect. He made 4 errors in center field this season, which raises some concern about his defense, but without the context of those errors, it's possible to write them off as the by product of his first professional season.

While Rose may have been slightly old for the GCL, he won't turn 21 until late May of next year, so if he is able to start out at Rome he'll be in step with the ages that typify better prospects. If he's able to augment his speed with a bit more slugging, he'll likely emerge as a top flight leadoff hitting prospect. Even if he's unable to, his immense speed will make him a valuable player.

4. LV Ware B/T: R/R Born: 3/18/1987 Ht: 5'10" Wt: 185
Ware struggled mightily for Rome in April, hittting just .130 with a .423 OPS in just 51 plate appearances before he was sent to Extended Spring Training. But, a huge part of that poor showing was tied up in the five man outfield rotation that Rome was utilizing at the outset of the season, leading to irregular playing time for Ware, . He rebounded easily though once Danville's season began, hitting .293 with a .740 OPS and a league leading 24 stolen bases as the team's leadoff hitter.

Those numbers were an improvement over the .272 average, .727 OPS and 13 stolen bases that he put up for Danville in 2008, which is important, because even though he was forced to repeat the level, he showed a marked improvement. Like all the other center field prospects, Ware doesn't have much power, hitting no home runs this season, but he makes up for that lack with a strong line drive swing and an excess of speed. Above all, Ware's greatest asset is his mental game, as he has established himself as a smart, polished player who gladly takes on a role as a team leader. He combines that mental edge with his speed to make himself a plus defender, capable of covering a large amount of ground in center field, with a slightly above average arm. He also takes this edge to the plate, as he is a smart hitter, willing to hit behind runners and bunt when advantageous.

Ware is likely to return to Rome to start 2010 and since he'll turn 23 just prior to the start of the season he's too old to be considered a top tier prospect. But, he is a solid, polished player who seems likely to be able to build on his success one level at a time. At worst, he's likely to develop into a 4th outfielder capable of providing great defense off the bench and a ton of speed, but his work ethic and baseball accumen suggest better is in store.

T5. Calvin Culver B/T: R/R Born: 10/7/1988 Ht: 6'2" Wt: 220
Culver began 2009 in Extended Spring Training, before joining Rome at the beginning of April. He started out hot, hitting .295 with a .774 OPS in his first 44 at bats, but faded as the season went on, finishing with just a .225 average and a .607 OPS in a part time role.

He's big for a center fielder, but he's able to use his strong body to make himself a more than capable defender, spending the majority of his games in the middle of the outfield, while playing 16 in right field and 11 and left field. At this point, Culver has shown little aptitude for hitting in the Minor League, compiling a .236 average and .634 OPS in 579 career plate appearances. But, he'll enter next season as a 21 year old, so there's time for him to improve, but with the wealth of young outfielders coming up from Danville and Orlando, there might not be enough at bats available for him.

T5. Cole Miles B/T: S/R Born: 3/24/1987 Ht: 5'8" Wt: 165
Like most of the players on this list, Miles has little to no power, but tons of speed. And, like Matt Young, his listed height is a friendly lie. After putting up a poor showing with Rome in 2008, hitting just .239 with a pathetic .585 OPS to go with 28 stolen bases, he managed to improve dramatically with his promotion to Myrtle Beach this season, hitting .266 with a .679 OPS, though his stolen bases dropped to 16. While thos numbers still aren't overly impressive, he came on strong in the second half, following up a .259 average and .634 OPS in the first half with a .272 average and .716 OPS in the second half while collecting 13 of his 17 extra base hits for the season and 10 of his stolen bases.

This marked improvement was a welcome sight for Miles after his poor showing for the previous year and a half, and looks like a good indication that he's begun to make the adjustments necessary to develop into a Major League prospect. Another change that has aided him is the shift from the infield to the outfield. Originally drafted as a shortstop, MIles had seen most of his playing time at second base prior to 09, playing just 13 games as an outfielder. But 2009 saw him make the full time switch, as he played just 19 games in the infield, compared to 64 in center field, 21 in left field, and even 8 games in right field. While he never seemed to grasp playing the infield, compiling just a .957 fielding percentage there for his career, he's shown apptitude for the outfield, making use of his speed. While he still has great lengths to go in learning the best routes and actions to take in the outfield, and his well below average arm will always be a bit of a liability, he certainly profiles better in the future as an outfielder.

Miles will likely return to Myrtle Beach in 2010 as a 23 year old, looking to build on his strong second half. He'll need to work on hitting the ball with more authority, as he's never hit more than 9 doubles in a season, and he'll need to walk more to utilize his speed, which he needs to utilize more, but his overall situation isn't as dire as all that sounds. There are positives to his game, and if he can continue to show an ability to adjust and adapt, he might become a Matt Young like prospect in a few years.

Braves Winter League Recap: 10/15-10/16

yondaime4 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:39:55 -0000

Sorry last night's didn't get put up, I was out and about, but I'll play catch up tonight.

10/15

Peoria Javelins 17, Peoria Saguaros 9

J. Heyward 1-4 BB
B. Hicks 2-5

The Saguaros appear to be having a tough go of it so far in the AFL. Heyward has a hit in every game so far and Brandon Hicks hasn't been overmatched. Our pitchers pitched well in the game they all appeared in, but none of the other pitchers appear able to get guys out.

Culiacan 2, Navajoa 5 - Game 1 - 7 Innings

M. Young 2-3 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, K
C. Rodriguez 0-3 K
T. Gustafson 5IP 4H 1R 1BB 2K

Matt Young is just going to play his way into the Braves plans I do believe. He has enough skills to really be a help on the big club. He won't ever have much pop, but he has speed and on base ability and good defense in the OF. All of those things can help a team win. Concepcion Rodriguez has been solid so far in Mexico, just not tonight. Tim Gustafson was solid however. Tim put together a solid year between a couple of levels switching between starting and relieving and seems poised to continue that in Mexico.

Culiacan 4, Navojoa 3 - Game 2 - 7 Innings

M. Young 0-3 BB
C. Rodriguez 0-2 2BB, K

Nothing much going on here.

10/16

Peoria Saguaros 3, Peoria Javelins 13

F. Freeman 1-4 BB, 2K
B. Hicks 1-4 K

Really. this Saguaros team has yet to win a game I believe. Freddie Freeman did pick up his first hit of the fall and Brandon Hicks has hit in two straight and has 3K in 3 games.

Atlanta Braves Winter League Recap: 10/14

yondaime4 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:44:56 -0000

Scottsdale 3, Peoria 1 - 10 Innings

J. Heyward 1-4 2B, K
F. Freeman 0-3 BB, K
B. Hicks 0-4 2K
J. Lyman 2IP 3H 1R 1BB 2K
L. Hyde 1IP 1H 0R 1BB 1K
C. Kimbrel 1IP 0H 0R 2BB 0K

Jason Heyward has 3 hits so far with all three of them being doubles. Not a bad start for the top prospect. The rest of our hitters did not fair as well going a combined 0-7. Our pitching has been pretty solid so far in Arizona with only Jeff Lyman allowing an earned run (he did start this game even though he only pitched 2 innings). Craig Kimbrel is still struggling to command the strike zone but he keeps finding ways out of it. I hope this isn't a habit we have to endure in the future.

Culiacan 0, Navojoa 2 - currently in the 8th

M. Young 1-2 BB, SB(1)

This game is running behind my schedule so I probably won't get to finish the stats tonight. Matt Young appears to have picked up right where he left off in the regular season. This is his first hit so far since he started in the Mexican league, though he does have two walks. He could be a surprise contributor in the majors next season.

Atlanta Braves Players and Prospects in Fall and Winter Leagues

gondeee — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:52:18 -0000

The Major League baseball site is a bit slow updating their Winter Leagues pages, especially the roster pages, but on the ones that are updated I've been able to find quite a few Atlanta Braves players and prospects competing this off-season in fall and winter leagues.

In the Mexican Winter League, which starts today, the Braves have four prospects representing Atlanta, pitchers Brett Butts and Tim Gustafson and outfielders Concepcion Rodriguez and Matt Young. It's worth keeping an eye on all of these guys, as the pitchers could figure into our future bullpen mix and the outfielders could at least become candidates as future major league backups. We might see a few other guys participating, but not all of the rosters are available yet.

In the Venezuelan Winter League, which also starts today, the Braves have several participants; catchers Osman Marval and J.C. (automatic yearly invite to spring training because he's a catcher) Boscan, who are not really prospects, and first baseman Ernesto Mejia, who is certainly a prospect to keep an eye on. Left-handed starter Jose Ortegano will be another prospect to watch, and he is joined on the same team by outfield prospect Luis Sumoza.

Gregor Blanco also makes his annual appearance in the VWL, and Martin Prado is listed on the roster of one of the teams, so hopefully he gets to spend some time close to his family while getting some extra work in (I wonder if he'll play right field <<big gasp>>).

Of course, the Arizona Fall League starts Tuesday with the elite Braves prospects participating. The Braves top two prospects Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman highlight the position players, along with shortstop Brandon Hicks. Top draft pick Mike Minor gets his first taste of upper-level minor league competition, as he fronts the Braves pitching contingent of closer candidate Craig Kimbrel and relievers Lee Hyde and Jeff Lyman.

Matt and CB will be spinning up daily Fall/Winter League recaps starting next week so that everyone can keep up with our prospects this off-season. So check back daily for the latest on the next generation of Atlanta Braves.

Atlanta Braves 2009 Minor League Pitchers and Players of the Year

gondeee — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:24:15 -0000

The Atlanta Braves announced their 2009 Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Year award recipients today. The players will be honored at a ceremony prior to this Friday's home game.

Level	Player of the Year	Pitcher of the Year
Organizational	Jason Heyward	Craig Kimbrel
Gwinnett Braves	Barbaro Canizares	Mariano Gomez
Mississippi Braves	Matt Young	Kyle Cofield
Myrtle Beach Pelicans	Donnell Linares	Cory Gearrin
Rome Braves	Yoel Campusano	J.J. Hoover
Danville Braves	Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg	Matt Crim
Gulf Coast League Braves	Christian Bethancourt	Robinson Lopez
Dominican Summer League	Edison Sanchez	Andy Otero

Not too many surprises here -- maybe Campusano, but there's hardly anyone else at Rome to give it to. Some guys get left out because of promotions and such. Adam Milligan certainly should be listed somewhere, but he didn't stay put long enough at any one level (Still, he should have won it for Rome). Freddie Freeman should also be listed somewhere, but his equal time between hi-A and AA cost him great stats at any one level for a season.

Atlanta Braves Minor League Recap: 9/5

yondaime4 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:56:31 -0000

I am back after a week in Vegas and it looks like I missed some pretty big stuff in the minors. Lets get to it.

Gwinnett 4, Norfolk 3

B. Jones 2-4 2B, RBI, BB, K
M. Young 0-4 BB, CS(1)
B. Brownlie 6IP 8H 2R 1BB 5K

Brandon Jones appears to be picking up where he left off in August. I am sure once the playoff picture in the IL is cleared up Brandon will get a look in Atlanta. I am sad to see that I missed Matt Young's promotion to Gwinnett (5 months late mind you). Hopefully he can get his stuff in order and pick up where he left off in Mississippi. He was named Southern League's Best Hustler.

Mississippi 7, Carolina 8

B. Hicks 2-4 BB, 2K
J. Heyward 3-4 2B, BB, K
C. Johnson 1-4 3 RBI, BB, K

Wow, I can't believe I missed a Cody Johnson promotion too! This is definitely a reward for the season he has put up so far. I know we have all had things to say about him, but in the end he did post an .861 OPS in the Carolina League. Jason Heyward just keeps on hitting and taking walks. Baseball America will name their Minor League Player of the Year next Friday and I fully expect him to the man named.

Winston Salem 10, Myrtle Beach 7 - 10 Innings

D. Linares 2-5 RBI, K
J. Sucre 3-5 RBI
A. Milligan 1-5 HR(1), 3 RBI, 2K
J. Thompson 5IP 5H 1R 2BB 6K

Wow, an Adam Milligan promotion too! Milligan has struggled so far in Myrtle Beach, with 6K in 3 games. I love his bat though and I figure he will adjust before next season starts. Jake Thompson has been a man to watch in his past few starts. If not for one start where he allowed 8 runs he would have an ERA under 3.00 in his last 10 outings. He may not have a high ceiling but he definitely adds to our pitching depth.

Augusta 4, Rome 5

S. Moody 1-4 2B, RBI, K
M. Kennelly 2-4 RBI
JJ Hoover 6.1IP 6H 4R 1BB 4K

JJ Hoover has been one of the best pitchers in the organization this year. He has a nearly 6:1 K:BB rate and has struck out right at 10 K/9 so far. Very impressive stats for Hoover, even if he is a little old. Hopefully he will move quickly next season.