The Braves farm system took a substantial hit following the trade for Matt Olson. They lost arguably their two best prospects in the system as well as a couple of other quality pitchers; however, you wouldn’t know it just by keeping up with the first few Spring Training games. The Braves’ young players have been tearing up the Grapefruit League early on, providing yet another sign that the farm system may not be in abysmal shape after all.
Despite low rankings from prospects evaluators across the board — even before the trade — Alex Anthopoulos has made the most out of his recent draft selections. Plenty of young guys have experienced a ton of success at the lower level of the minors, and this will be a critical year in deciding just how legit some of these prospects are.
Michael Harris is a name you’ll be hearing for a long time. He’s the Braves’ top prospect and is showing why so far in Spring Training. In eight at-bats, he has three hits to go along with three steals. Five-tool prospect is typically a term thrown around far too often, but Harris is deserving of the title. With another big 2022, he will be setting himself up to make his highly anticipated MLB debut in 2023.
The best depth in Atlanta’s farm system is in the outfield, which is probably why they were so willing to part ways with Cristian Pache. On top of Michael Harris, Drew Waters and Jesse Franklin are two names to keep an eye on. Waters could make his debut as early as this season. He’s 2-4 so far in Spring Training with a home run. Franklin is likely a couple of years away, but he’s also off to an impressive start this spring, singling three times in six at-bats.
If you’re looking for a breakout prospect in the Braves organization, look no further than Vaughn Grissom. He terrorized opposing pitchers last season, and at just 21-years-old, he could get a taste of AA-ball this season. So far in Spring Training, Grissom has three hits, including a double in six at-bats.
It’s not just the bats, either. Pitchers like Bryce Elder, Darius Vines, William Woods, Spencer Strider and Kyle Muller have all been nearly perfect, tossing a combined 13 shutout innings. Unfortunately, outside of the arms that will be competing for roster spots, we probably won’t see very many prospect pitchers throughout the rest of Spring Training. Because of the lockout, there is less time to get ready, which means less reps for the young guys that aren’t quite major-league ready.
You must log in to post a comment.