What a season it has been. The Braves farm system is slowly but surely thinning as the young talent has graduated to the majors. However, there is still a fountain of youth throughout the system. It is a new wave of Braves prospects, so without further ado, let’s take a look at the SportsTalkATL Mid-Season Top 30 Prospects:
1. Cristian Pache
2. Ian Anderson
3. Drew Waters
4. Kyle Wright
5. Joey Wentz
The creme of the crop. For what it’s worth, these prospects were ranked from a consensus of three of the site’s writers. All three of us had the first four prospects in the same order. Pache is the unquestionable number 1 as he checks all the boxes. He is an elite defender, high contact hitter, has plus speed, and has added power to his repertoire as he has bulked up. Ian Anderson has emerged as the system’s top pitching prospect, and his early 2019 efforts were enough for him to be named the starting pitcher for the N.L Futures Game team. Drew Waters is the hottest prospect in the system, and he has nothing left to prove at the AA level. Waters is hitting .339 for the season there. Kyle Wright got off to a horrid start but has turned things around in his last handful of outings. He still has elite upside potential and could be the next stud starter from Vanderbilt. Joey Wentz has not had his strongest season as a pro, but he is a southpaw who has dominated his way up the pipeline. Keep an eye out for him to have a strong second half.
6. Kyle Muller
7. Bryse Wilson
8. William Contreras
9. Shea Langaliers
10. Kolby Allard
You could lump Wentz, Kyle Muller, and Bryse Wilson into the same boat, at least as far as we were concerned. Essentially, the numbers showed we were equally as bullish on this trio, so consider them the “second-tier” of the arms. Muller has some of the best stuff in the system, and some dominant numbers to show for it. However, he must work on his control if he plans on sticking in the majors. Wilson has had his ups and downs this season but has gotten a taste of the big leagues. He showed a lot of promise in his final start before the All-Star break but struggled last night in Milwaukee. William Contreras has the nod over Shea Langaliers, for now at least. However, Contreras has not responded well to his promotion to AA ball and has been disappointing overall in 2019. Langaliers is off to a slow start himself in his pro ball debut, but he is merely weeks removed from being a top draft pick. His immediate presence in the top 10 shows that we are pretty high on the backstop’s potential. Kolby Allard has been productive as always down in AAA, but it is difficult to put him any higher until we see how he responds to another stint in the majors.
11. Luiz Gohara
12. Braden Shewmake
13. Huascar Ynoa
14. Patrick Weigel
15. Trey Harris
Though there were reports of Luiz Gohara slimming down for Spring Training, we are still yet to see him in 2019 due to injury. Braden Shewmake has made a ton of noise in Rome since being the Braves second first-round pick in this year’s draft. He immediately becomes the top middle infield prospect in the system. Huascar Ynoa may not be eye-popping on the stat sheet, but his stuff is electric. Patrick Weigel has been impressive yet again in the minors since his return from Tommy John Surgery. Expect him to get a crack at the big league roster sooner rather than later. Local prospect Trey Harris has been the biggest riser in the system in 2019. He dominated in Rome and has looked promising for Florida. Keep an eye on this former 32nd round pick.
16. Tristan Beck
17. Greyson Jenista
18. Tucker Davidson
19. Travis Demeritte
20. Freddy Tarnok
We have only seen a small sample size of Tristan Beck, but he has flashed his ridiculous strikeout stuff when on the mound. He is a guy who could shine in the system going forward. Greyson Jenista has been a huge disappointment in 2019. Braves fans will hope he can go on another tear like he did to start his pro career. Tucker Davidson is the biggest dark horse arm in the system. The lefty has been terrific in AA and continues to move his way through the minors. After a down 2018, Travis Demeritte has shown in 2019 why he was once a highly regarded prospect. He and Adam Duvall are two of the most feared hitters in the International League, but the depth of the Braves roster leaves them with nowhere to go. Tarnok is a third-round pick from 2017 who has flashed in the past but has struggled in an injury-ridden season.
21. CJ Alexander
22. Jeremy Walker
23. Thomas Burrows
24. Austin Dean
25. Jasseel De La Cruz
CJ Alexander was one of the biggest risers last season after being a late draft pick in 2018. Unfortunately, he has not seen the field much this season due to injury. He is back on the diamond, which is great news. Jeremy Walker has the best control tool in the Braves’ system. In 63.2 innings, Walker has issued walks to only eight men. He recently earned a promotion to AAA Gwinnett. Though Thomas Burrows has had a rough start in AAA, he has shown throughout the minor leagues that he is capable of being an effective major league reliever. Expect him to be a part of the Braves bullpen sometime in 2020. Justin Dean hits for contact and has 30+ steal upside. They will find a spot for you in the big leagues somewhere with that kind of skillset. He is a guy worth keeping an eye on. Jasseel De La Cruz has put himself on a lot of radars in 2019.
26. Alex Jackson
27. Trey Riley
28. Jefrey Ramos
29. AJ Graffanino
30. Victor Vodnik
Alex Jackson has a ton of pop and has become a solid defensive catcher. But it does not look like he will be able to hit for contact at the next level. I hope I am wrong. A lot of people were high on Trey Riley when the Braves drafted him last season, but he has struggled mightily down on the farm. Jefrey Ramos has shown some pop in the minor leagues but will have to improve his contact bat to be much more than a bench player in the major leagues. AJ Graffanino makes an appearance on the list due to his great contact tool. Victor Vodnik has become a popular name down on the farm, particularly due to his dominant fastball. It is yet to be seen if he will go forward as a starter or reliever, but his stuff should play somehow. Look for him to move up this list in the future.