When the Braves took Shea Langeliers with the ninth overall pick, many thought it was a bit of a reach. Despite being arguably the best defensive catching prospect in the draft, there were a lot of questions about his potential with the stick. Well, he’s answered those in a resounding way with his performance so far in the minor leagues.
After not playing in 2020 because of COVID-19, Langeliers made the jump to AA Mississippi without missing a beat. He smoked 22 homers in just 92 games, leading to an .836 OPS and a late-season promotion to AAA Gwinnett. That should make everybody inside the organization feel comfortable because his defense remains the most spectacular part of his game. Over his two seasons in the minors, Langeliers has thrown out a remarkable 42% of would-be base stealers.
In 2022, the former Baylor Bear will begin the season in Gwinnett, and there’s no reason the Braves will rush him to the majors after extending Travis d’Arnaud and signing Manny Piña. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t see Langeliers in Atlanta this upcoming season.
It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Shea Langeliers made his MLB debut in 2022 with the @Braves.
He’s expected to be a foundational piece for future contending Braves teams.https://t.co/mX2IpXePoR pic.twitter.com/OvhtfRWtQ7
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) February 9, 2022
Unless there’s an injury, Langeliers will likely spend the entire season with the Stripers, but he will have the opportunity to force the Braves’ hand. He’s that talented, and in my mind, he’s the top prospect in the Braves organization. This time next year, I’m sure we will be having conversations about him being the starting catcher going into the 2023 season.
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