Braves: Evaluating The Athletic’s rankings of Atlanta’s top 10 prospects

David O’Brien of The Athletic recently released his updated list of the top 10 prospects in the Braves farm system, and there was a lot of re-shuffling. Some of it I agree with, and some of it I don’t, so let’s get into it.

David O’Brien’s list:

1. Michael Harris
2. Shea Langeliers
3. Kyle Muller
4. Cristian Pache
5. Spencer Strider
6. Bryce Elder
7. Drew Waters
8. Ryan Cusick
9. Jesse Franklin
10. Tucker Davidson

 

Let’s start at the top. Michael Harris is the shiny new toy in the organization. There’s already been a multitude of articles written by national pundits regarding the former third round pick, and it’s deserving. He’s a legitimate five-tool prospect. Still, I’m not ready to put him atop the list of Braves prospects just yet. Harris had a solid season in High-A Rome, posting a .798 OPS with seven homers and 27 stolen bases. There’s clearly tremendous upside with him, but in my opinion, hype alone doesn’t earn you the top spot. I have to see a little bit more before I give him those honors. With that being said, Harris is within my top-five prospects without a doubt.

If not Harris, then who? I’m looking right at O’Brien’s #2 prospect in Shea Langeliers. He was dominant in Mississippi, smashing 22 homers in just 92 games, and offense is supposed to be the weak part of his game. Langeliers is a defensive stalwart behind the plate, and the stick looks to have caught up. I can’t wait to see him in Atlanta.

O’Brien’s also way higher on Kyle Muller than I am. I would have him around the 6-7 mark. He possesses a plus fastball from the left side, but his secondary offerings still need a lot of work, along with his control. There’s a chance he puts it all together and becomes a rotation piece, but right now, I project him as more of a reliever.

Pache at four is fair after he performed so dreadfully at the major-league level to begin the season, but I’m not one to overreact to an initial bad stint in the majors. I still believe Pache will be the starting centerfielder in Atlanta for the foreseeable future.

Strider would also be in my top-five. His upside is undeniable, which is pretty obvious, considering he made his MLB debut in his first full professional season. At the very least, Strider will be a tremendous bullpen piece, but if he can add a reliable third offering, he could end up atop a starting rotation.

Elder is another player that rocketed through the system in his first full professional season. I would certainly include him in my top-ten, but #6 is a bit too high for my taste. He doesn’t have quite the upside as some of the other players on this list.

Waters at #7 is criminally low. He’s become one of the most polarizing prospects in the organization because of his high K-rate, and last year undoubtedly did not live up to his high expectations, but he’s still a five-tool prospect that is ahead of schedule. As far as upside goes, he has as much as anyone on this list, and I’m still a firm believer in his potential.

8-10 are fair. Cusick has a lot of potential as a first-round pick, but we haven’t seen much from him. Franklin has burst onto the scene early in his professional career. I would probably have Davidson a little higher, but ten isn’t too far off.