2009 Talking Chop Top-25 Braves Prospects... The Future

by gondeee on Oct 17, 2008 9:13 AM EDT in Prospect Reviews Comment 26 comments

Here are my picks for the top-25 Braves prospects for 2009. In the comments section feel free to critique, but as we do every year feel free to list your own top-25 Braves prospects. Next week I'll tally everyone's prospect rankings and we'll have our official combined Talking Chop top-25 Braves prospects for 2009 (be sure to list 25 or I won't count it).

My first thought on the list below is that the top five, possibly six of the top seven guys on this list, could be among the top-100 prospects in baseball. Each of these guys seems like a definite future impact player at the major league level -- that's more top players than we've had in a very long time.

I've already reviewed these guys in the positional rankings, so my writeups below will be more about why that prospect is ranked where I ranked him, or a quick comment about their future.

Jason Heyward, OF - A rare, once in a decade kind of prospect.
Tommy Hanson, RHP - Straight up filthy, the best pitcher in our system and one that true Braves fans can't wait to see get a chance in the majors.
Freddie Freeman, 1B - Perhaps the biggest surprise in the system, though I'm guessing the Braves brass wasn't surprised at all.
Jordan Schafer, OF - He's got the goods and I want to see them on the major league field next year.
Cole Rohrbough, LHP - A strikeout lefty... in the Braves organization... and here I thought all of our lefties were finesse guys.
Tyler Flowers, C - Power and patience in a catcher. Alas, I think he's primo trade bait.
Gorkys Hernandez, OF - Still young and skillsey, but I want to see a monster 2009.
Kris Medlen, RHP - Starting or relieving I think he's got plus major league potential.
Jeff Locke, LHP - Slow and steady he will climb the organizational ladder.
Julio Teheran, RHP - A lot of people that follow the Braves prospects were disappointed with Teheran's poor performance.
Brandon Hicks, SS - I love the power and the big frame, but I'd like to see fewer strikeouts.
Travis Jones, 2B - More than just a scrappy second baseman... in the Braves system no doubt.
Jon Gilmore, 3B- Johnny-G will have all eyes on him next season to see if he can successfully navigate Rome.
Cody Johnson, OF - He's got power, but it seems to come with a price... strikeouts.
Brett DeVall, LHP - I can't wait to see him pitch in a full season league, let's hope they put him at Rome next year.
Craig Kimbrel, RHP - Could we see him in Atlanta next year?
Scott Diamond, LHP - He'll be out to prove that 2008 wasn't a fluke.
Brent Lillibridge, SS - I'm just not excited about him anymore.
Eric Campbell, 3B - May maturity make him a top-10 prospect again.
Luis Sumoza, OF - I bet a lot of other people rate him higher, but I want to see what he does in our system next year.
James Parr, RHP - A solid back end of the rotation guy.
Stephen Marek, RHP - Could be a fixture in our bullpen for years.
Eric Cordier, RHP - Next year we'll see if health equals success.
Richard Sullivan, LHP - I really like this kid as a prospect, even though I may be alone in that department.
Edgar Osuna, LHP - He doesn't get the hype that a lot of other guys get, but he might be just as good as some of them.

Remember to post your top-25 in the comments section by early next week (probably Monday or Tuesday).

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My list

1. OF Jason Heyward Most exciting Braves prospect in a long time.
2. P Tommy Hanson Head and shoulders above every other pitcher in the system.
3. OF Jordan Schafer Defense and desire make him the total package.
4. 1B Freddie Freeman Would be an easy number 1 in most systems.
5. OF Gorkys Hernandez Could be they kind of dynamic leadoff hitter the Braves haven’t had since Otis Nixon.
6. 3B Jon Gilmore Has all the potential to be the next great third baseman.
7. C Tyler Flowers He won’t catch in the bigs, but his bat will definitely get him there.
8. P Cole Rohrbough Tough smart lefty that was pretty effective despite his injuries.
9. OF Cody Johnson As much power as anyone in baseball. Is he Adam Dunn or Billy Ashley?
10. P Kris Medlen Some think little pitchers can’t succeed, but he’s working toward becoming a knockout reliever.
11. P Brett Duvall This year’s first rounder showed a lot in limited time.
12. P James Parr Proof that the minor leagues are all about getting better one year at a time.
13. P Jeff Locke So-so numbers don’t diminish his potential to be the next lefty ace.
14. P Zeke Spruill Hopefully he can build on his gaudy numbers from the GCL.
15. 2B Travis Jones Not many second basemen can offer his kind of offense and leadership.
16. P Edgar Osuna It’s possible he should be at the top of this list.
17. P Scott Diamond 2009 will be a test to see if he can repeat his completely unexpected success.
18. P Julio Teheran I believe the hype.
19. SS Brandon Hicks Showed some holes in his game this season and may grow out of short stop, but he’s definitely a player.
20. P Todd Redmond Turned inconsistency with Pirates into steady dominance with the Braves.
21. P Jacob Thompson Likely one of the greatest steals of the 2008 draft.
22. 1B Ernesto Mejia He can definitely hit, but will his defense ever be good enough to play in the National League?
23. 1B Kala Ka’aihue Huge learning curve is always followed by huge success.
24. P Craig Kimbrel Little righty that just dominated out of the pen.
25. P Deunte Heath The Braves are the perfect organization for him, because they’re patient.

by cbwilk on Oct 17, 2008 9:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Left out

Everybody would probably agree on the top ten or so and the rest of your list is as good as any. What is interesting is the names that had to be left out. The following names have all shown some serious potential to be MLers and yet would not be listed in most top 25’s.

Brandon Jones (has to be in any top 25)
Charlie Morton (still a prospect)
Zach Schrieber
Phil Stockman
Matt Young
Kala Ka’aihue
Willie Cabrera
Todd Redmond
Louis Valdez
Concepcion Rodriguez
Jon Owings
Ernesto Mejia
Ryne Reynoso
Kyle Cofield
Chris VInes
Ferdin Tejada
Steve Evarts
Bryan Dumsnil
Cory Gearin
Kevin Gunderson

This system is probably deeper than most realize.

by braves99 on Oct 17, 2008 10:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rookie status

Brandon Jones has 135 at-bats and Charlie Morton has 74.2 innings pitched, that is more than the number to be considered a rookie, so they are not rookies next year and therefore no longer considered in prospect lists. Here are the rules.

Of the guys you listed, I really only considered Redmond, Owings, Mejia, and Evarts. I agree with you that the system is deep, and I could probably come up with another list this long of players who could be considered. Overall, though, I’m concerned with the prospects’ ceiling and how they’ve gone about getting to that point.

by gondeee on Oct 17, 2008 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Understand

I realize they are no longer rookies, but I would still consider them prospects. Morton and Parr were only brought up to cover injuries. I try to avoid tagging prospects too early. I like to wait until they’ve spent serious time at AA before putting a label on them. Many are still growing and learning. Hanson was considered a 3/5 SP at best until he developed another pitch and got stronger. I don’t recall Escobar being considered a major prospect. Prado is showing that he is a ML hitter. Parr and Morton, despite their struggles, pitched better than (can’t miss prospects) Kennedy and Hughes of the Yankees in the majors. Medlen went from decent reliever to pretty good starter. Too many variables invovled with most prospects until that AA level.

by braves99 on Oct 17, 2008 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pretty much any place you see that puts up top prospect lists is going to leave out guys who could no longer be considered rookies. The idea is that if they’ve played that much time in the majors, they’re not really up and comers, they’ve arrived and they need to perform. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong about Morton and Jones, they are still very young and have a lot of room to grow, but by the most common definition, they’re not really prospects anymore.
I understand your stance on waiting until a player has had success at the upper levels to put much stock into them; a lot of guys show huge amounts of promise in the low minor and don’t do much when they get higher up, just like the guys you mentioned only got better as they moved up (though Escobar was pretty highly thought of, he was a second round pick out of Cuba).
This system can be a little problematic though. Take last season, Jordan Schafer was clearly the best prospect in the system, but he had only played A ball, so putting more emphasis on players at the higher levels might have left the best player in the system off the top of the list. Take this year, the lists up so far seem to have Heyward, Hanson, Schafer, Freeman, and Flowers at the top. Only one of those guys has any time at AA and it wasn’t even a full season.

by cbwilk on Oct 17, 2008 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Top 25

1. OF J. Heyward
2. OF J. Schafer
3. SP T. Hanson
4. 1B F. Freeman
5. SP C. Rohrbough
6. OF G. Hernandez
7. C T. Flowers
8. SP J. Locke
9. SP B. DeVall
10. 3B J. Gilmore
11. SP J. Teheran
12. SP K. Medlen
13. OF C. Johnson
14. SP E. Osuna
15. 1B K. Ka’aihue
16. SP S. Evarts
17. RP C. Kimbrel
18. SP E. Spruill
19. SP E. Cordier
20. 3B E. Campbell
21. SP C. Rasmus
22. 2B T. Jones
23. SS B. Hicks
24. OF L. Sumoza
25. SP C. Rodgers

by jeg on Oct 17, 2008 10:34 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Only a few comments

1. OF J. Heyward (still cant beleive i traded him in my fantasy league)
2. OF J. Schafer (seems upset about the HGH thing and has somehting to prove, that could be bad for ptichers)
3. SP T. Hanson
4. 1B F. Freeman
5. SP C. Rohrbough (wonder why he isnt getting the same noteriety as Hanson, I think that may come this year)
6. C T. Flowers (don’t know where he is gonna fit him, hopefully we can convert him into something great, via trade)
7. SP J. Locke
8. 3B J. Gilmore
9. SS B. Hicks (absolutely love everything about this kid, size, power, defense… obviosuly strikeouts could be a concern if they get much worse)
10. OF G. Hernandez
11. SP B. DeVall
12. SP J. Teheran
13. SP K. Medlen
14. OF C. Johnson
15. SP E. Osuna
16. 1B K. Ka’aihue
17. SP S. Evarts
18. RP C. Kimbrel
19. SP S. Diamond
20. SP E. Cordier
21. 3B E. Campbell
22. SP C. Rasmus
23. 2B T. Jones
24. P J. Thompson
25. OF L. Sumoza

"We win today, that's two in a row... if we win tomorrow, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before..."

by Swo12bv on Oct 17, 2008 11:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Really Rough Draft.

1) CF Jordan Schafer
2) RP Tommy Hanson
3) RF Jason Heyward
4) C Tyler Flowers
5) 1B Freddie Freeman
6) LP Cole Rohrbough
7) CF Gorkys Hernandez
8) RP Kris Medlen
9) LP Todd Redmond
10) RP Julio Teheran
11) LP Jeff Locke
12) SS Brandon Hicks
13) 3B Eric Campbell
14) LP Edgar Osuna
15) 3B Jon Gilmore
16) LP Steve Evarts
17) LP Scott Diamond
18) RP Craig Kimbrel
19) 1B Kala Ka’aihue
20) RP Ryne Reinoso
21) LP Jose Ortegano
22) OF Luis Sumoza
23) 2B Travis Jones
24) RP Eric Cordier
25) P Ezequiel Spruill

Here we go again: http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/

by ejruiz on Oct 17, 2008 11:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

1) Jason Heyward
2) Tommy Hanson
3) Jordan Schafer
4) Freddie Freeman
5) Tyler Flowers
6) Todd Redmond
7) Craig Kimbrel
8) Cole Rohrbough
9) Julio Teheran
10) Kris Medlen
11) Jeff Locke
12) Jon Gilmore
13) Gorkys Hernandez
14) Zeke Spruill
15) Cody Johnson
16) Edgar Osuna
17) Erik Cordier
18) Kala Ka’aihue
19) Brandon Hicks
20) Ernesto Meija
21) Travis Jones
22) Deunte Heath
23) Luis Sumoza
24) Eric Campell
25) Richard Sullivan

Following the Braves...one long hard drink at a time.

by bigjoe on Oct 17, 2008 1:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

1 Heyward – Elite right fielder potential in every way. Top 10 prospect in the game.
2 Hanson – Looks like a solid bet to be a #2-3 starter. Just needs to polish up his secondary pitches and pitch.
3 Schafer – I’m very high on his defense – elite stuff. Bat should be decent with chances for more.
4 Freeman – The bat alone would make him a solid prospect, but he supposedly plays excellent D.
5 Rohrbaugh – Largely on his #2 potential. He needs to polish up his command, but he only has 150 pro IP.
6 Locke – Love Locke. The command and stuff are both there. He needs innings, but he’s special no doubt.
7 G. Hernandez – I’m lower on him than most, but the defense and speed are there for him to be a good CF.
8 Flowers – I doubt him staying at catcher and if he does, he’ll be pretty bad defensively. Still love the power/patience.
9 Teheran – He has all the potential in the world. If he follows Feliz’s path from 2006 I’ll be happy.
10 Campbell – I’m a major believer in his bat and I think he has major breakout potential next year.
11 Gilmore – Nice ceiling as an above-average 3B, but let’s see production outside of rookie ball first.
12 Lillibridge – Big believer in his defense, on-base skills, and speed. He’s still a guy who can start in the ML.
13 Medlen – He’s a guy that’d be a dominant Mike Marshall type; still should be a very good set-up type and he’s basically ready now.
14 Osuna – I know little about him except that he blew away Low-A hitters as a 6’1" 165 lefty. Not bad at all.
15 Rodgers – #4 starter type, lefty, and put up very good peripherals in Low-A. I’m high on him.
16 Hicks – The defense and power make him an interesting prospect; I like him a lot as a Mark DeRosa type.
17 T. Jones – Decent second base prospect. I like him likely as bench bat with power, but there’s starter potential.
18 Ka’aihue – I believe in him as an average first base prospect. The bat probably has to deliver even more than this year.
19 Parr – There’s back of the rotation upside that I believe in and he’s basically ready now.
20 Redmond – See Parr, except he’s less ready.
21 C. Johnson – The upside here is a bad left fielder with no speed, a .260 average, & big power. I’ll take the under.
22 DeVall – He has the potential to pitch in the middle of a rotation, and he’s polished. Still behind Osuna/Rodgers.
23 Spruill – Another guy with mid-rotation potential. He’s less polished and should take longer.
24 Owings – He could easily be a ML right fielder if he keeps hitting because the arm/defense are solid. Let’s hope he’s figured it out.
25 Kimbrel – He’s got closer potential and is reasonably close, but most likely he’s a single inning set-up guy.

After that, Diamond, Thompson, Sumoza, Hoover, and Valdez. I’m a big fan of Pruneda too, though the ceiling/distance from majors don’t get him on the list.

by 17843 on Oct 17, 2008 2:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Chad Rodgers that high? I like it.

by cbwilk on Oct 17, 2008 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My Top 25 w/ Grades

1. Jason Heyward, 19, OF – A-
2. Tommy Hanson, 22, RHP – A-
3. Jordan Schafer, 22, CF – B+
4. Freddie Freeman, 19, 1B – B+
5. Tyler Flowers, 22, C/1B – B+
6. Gorkys Hernandez, 21, CF – B
7. Cole Rohrbough, 21, LHP – B
8. Jeff Locke, 20, LHP – B
9. Kris Medlen, 22, RHP – B
10. Brandon Hicks, 23, SS – B-
11. Craig Kimbrel, 20, RHP – B-
12. Eric Campbell, 23, 3B – B-
13. Todd Redmond, 23, RHP – B-
14. Brent Lillibridge, 25, SS – B-
15. Scott Diamond, 22, LHP – C+
16. Julio Teheran, 17, RHP – C+
17. Cody Johnson, 20, OF – C+
18. Randall Delgado, 18, RHP – C+
19. Jon Gilmore, 20, 3B – C+
20. James Parr, 22, RHP – C
21. Travis Jones, 23, 2B – C
22. Robert Brooks, 20, 2B – C(Love this kid, nobody had him in their Top 25!)
23. Luis Avilan, 19, LHP – C(Same here)
24. Brett DuVall, 18, LHP – C
25. Zeke Spruill, 19, RHP – C

by Jay212033 on Oct 17, 2008 4:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Gilmore and Ortegano

I think most have Gilmore ranked a little too high. He was worthless in Rome this year before he was sent back down to Rookie ball. I’m not saying he is going to be a bust, but one has to be concerned.

I am also surprised at the unanimous support for Osuna and the lack of any mention of Ortegano. They seem like similar pitchers to me, right down to their names, but aren’t Ortegano’s peripherals a little better?

I know I am just being a critic. Will post my top 25 when I have a little more time.

by parish on Oct 17, 2008 6:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think I’ve had Gilmore higher than anybody and I really feel like this time next year he could be at the top of the list. The thing to keep in mind with him is that he’s from Iowa, which isn’t exactly a hotbed for baseball. They play their high school season in the summer, and he didn’t get the kind of year round chance to play that guys his same age like Heyward and Freeman did. He only played 6 games in his senior year before the Braves drafted him and he left to play professionally.
Yes, he was pretty bad with Rome at the start of this season, but he was only there because of how well he performed in spring training. The plan all along was for him to play at Danville, but since they had an open spot at Rome, they figured why not? The worst that could happen was what did happen, he plays poorly, goes back to extended, and then plays at Danville, where he was very successful. They took a chance and Jon showed them he wasn’t quite ready for it.
I got a chance to have a nice long talk with him when I went to Danville this summer and in about 12 years of really hardcore following the minor leagues (70-100 games in person a year) I’ve never been that impressed with a kid that young. Not only is he a great person, but he’s huge and just looks like a player. We might be ranking him too high right now and he may turn out to be a bust, but I don’t see it.
As for the Osuna/Ortegano quandary, I don’t really have a logical reason. Osuna is just the guy I hear more hype for and he’s looks more impressive in person to me.

by cbwilk on Oct 17, 2008 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gilmore

Nice comments. Thanks for the insight from meeting him.

by parish on Oct 22, 2008 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ortegano may have more projection than Osuna because he’s smaller, but the peripherals aren’t there and he was hurt this year and hasn’t built up the innings Osuna has. I mean, Osuna’s shown he can handle a 125 inning workload. That’s important for a young pitcher. I had him slotted in with a bunch of young pitchers with durability issues to prove (Cordier, Rasmus, R. Delgado) after 30. It’s not like his ceiling is anything ridiculous anyway.

Gilmore was promoted aggressively and failed. He then tore apart his age appropriate league. I don’t see a problem there. Not every high school kid can handle a full-season league (Josh Vitters, even though he was a year younger – his HS competition was a lot better than Gilmore’s).

by 17843 on Oct 17, 2008 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good comments

Thanks for the response.

by parish on Oct 22, 2008 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Love the rankings with grades idea

1. Thomas Hanson, 22, RHP, A- / Projects to me as a true #2 instead of staff Ace, but that could change with a little more development. Very Strong Season. Would like to see a little more consistency f.rom year to year in the walk rate, but that’s getting nit picky.
2. Jordan Schafer, 22, CF, B+ / Strong defensive CF, but trouble against lefties is a concern. Upside to me is top 8 to 10 NL CF but if he solves lefties several all-star appearances are not out of the question. HGH issue is water under the bridge to me.
3. Jason Heyward, 19, RF, B+ / Upside is off the charts and his 2008 numbers are very good, but they just don’t speak “elite” to me yet. Remember the kid is 19 and hasn’t played above much above A+ yet, still a long way to go. And, at 6’4" playing that low I’d like to see a little more power. The next 1.5 years will be his true test as he starts to see superior pitching at the higher levels.
4. Tyler Flowers, 22, C, B / would be a B+ but questions about defense tempers my excitement. A catcher with a solid bat and power to boot, yum yum.
5. Freddie Freeman, 19, 1B, B / 18 yr old lefty, power hitting 1b. NICE! But again, he’s just 18 and hasn’t seen anything above low A yet. Another year or so will go a long way towards defining the career path. 1/2 bb to k ratio and solid iso is a very good start.
6. Kris Medlen, 22 RHP, B / I might be over ranking him here, but I was thoroughly impressed with this kid after he was moved into the rotation. His BB/9, HR/9 and K/9 this year were all in line with #2 type projection. Another year of this and a slight reduction in H/9 and Medlen could be right near the top of our 2010 rookie list. That is barring he’s moved back to the pen and called up to ATL this year.
7. Cole Rohrbough, 21, LHP – B / There’s a lot to like about this 6’3" Lefty. Improved his performance after moving up a level. My favorite stat, 0.00 HR/9 in 31.2 IP, career .30 HR/9!
8. Jeff Locke, 20, LHP – B / Should have been higher in my book. The jump in BB/9 is a little concerning but not as much has his K/9 falling from around 11 to 7 (brrrr). Still love that he attacks hitters and still walks less than 3 per 9.
9. Craig Kimbrel, 20, RHP, B / The H/9, BB/9 and K/9 are ridiculously good, in albeit a small sample size. More experience/history is the only thing keeping me from rating him a A-/B+.
10. Gorkys Hernandez, 21, CF, B- / Speed and defense guy so far, would like to see a few more extra base hits but I agree the potential is there. Age 21 season will help me break my Willy Tavares comparisons.
11. Todd Redmond, 23, RHP – B- / Numbers improved across the board. That’s what you like to see in prospects, stronger performance against stiffer competition.
12. Brandon Hicks, 23, SS, B- / Love the isolated power and walk rate. Strikouts and batting average are concerns. Still, the plate discipline is cause for optimism.
13. Julio Teheran, 17, RHP, C+ / This is an aggressive ranking for me as 17 year olds are hard to predict. Still, the reported stuff is enough to make me want more.
14. Cody Johnson, 20, LF, C+ / Strikeouts are a major concern but he is young enough to not give up on yet. Power is promising, but the glove and lack of mobility are concerns.
15. Eric Campbell, 23, 3B, C / Lot’s of should haves, but there is still some promise left in the tank.
16. Brent Lillibridge, 25, SS, C / I needed to see a lot more this year.
17. James Parr, 22, RHP, C / Made his MLB debut this year but not sure if there is anything more than back of the rotation stuff.
18. Scott Diamond, 22, LHP, C / Pitched well between low and high A. Next year at AA will be the tell tell sign for me.
19. Jon Gilmore, 20, 3B, C / Whether aggressive placement or trying to do too much is the reason for the early season flop is debateable. Performed very well after settling in.
20. Zeke Spruill, 19, RHP, C / Love the age and height, anxious for more. Let’s see what he does next year!

I’ll stop there as the next 5 to 8 are fairly interchangeable.

by scstrato on Oct 17, 2008 10:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

my $.02

1. Jason Heyward – hands down best prospect we’ve had in years, young kid with patience, showed some power and still plenty young for more to come
2. Tommy Hanson – best pitching prospect, big gap between him and Heyward in my mind but seems to have taken a huge step forward, hopefully flyball tendency and walks and occasional HR proneness don’t catch up with him
3. Jordan Schafer – thought he was a bit overrated last year, splits are worrisome, but defense never slumps
4. Freddie Freeman – biggest surprise of the year, hopefully he keeps slugging
5. Cole Rohrbough – not as dominant, be interesting to see how much the injuries played in
6. Gorkys Hernandez – also a small step back, possibly due to injuries
7. Tyler Flowers – another slugger, good bit of his value tied up in his position
8. Kris Medlen – biggest surprise of any pitcher, real sleeper pick for rotation in another 2 years
9. Jeff Locke – great peripherals, hopefully the results are a little stronger next year
10. Brandon Hicks – without the K’s he’d be #4 on this list, outstanding defense from all accounts, great power from a SS, if Escobar gets traded this winter
11. Julio Tehran
12. Brent Lillibridge – still like him, has to hit like 2006 next year to have real value though
13. Todd Redmond
14. Cody Johnson
15. Brett Devall
16. Craig Kimbrell
17. Eric Campbell
18. Jon Gilmore – not impressed yet
19. Erik Cordier
20. Zeke Spruill
21. Edgar Osuna
22. Jacob Thompson – great upside in a 5th round pick
23. Luis Sumoza
24. Ernesto Mejia
25. Steve Evarts – if he ever stays on the field, could be something

by abravesfan on Oct 18, 2008 12:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My 25

Man, this wasn’t easy! I rank mine a little different probably – the guys that I think will actually be with the Braves tend to get a higher nod than guys I see as trade bait. Trade chips are important, but I like to imagine a Braves roster in 5 years having our top prospects on it. I know, not very realistic, but neither is predicting who will even make it, much less be very successful. So here we go.

1. Jason Heyward – if you’re predicting, this guy seems to be the safest bet. Love the talent.
2. Tommy Hanson – I see a #1 starter here. Sue me.
3. Jordan Schafer – tons of talent. This is the centerfielder I hope we keep.
4. Tyler Flowers – I’m afraid he’ll be traded this off season as a catcher. I hope not. If he stays, I look for him to go ahead and make a permanent move to 1st base and take over for Kotchman when the time comes.
5. Jeff Locke – record isn’t a true reflection of how well he did in Rome. He’ll be good.
6. Brandon Hicks – his value to Atlanta, in my opinion, is at 3rd base when Chipper retires. That’ll give him time to cut down on the strikeouts. If Yunel gets traded, then Hicks stays at short and is still very, very good.
7. Kala Ka’aihue – still like the guy, and if Flowers is traded becomes Kotchman’s replacement.
8. Eric Campbell – problems have been addressed. If his improvement continues, he’s going to be a monster. He gets hurt a lot, though.
9. Cody Johnson – Like I said for Campbell, If his improvement continues, he’s going to be a monster.
10. Freddie Freeman – I know I’ll take flack for him being this low, but I want to see him continue his success at MB before I’m completely sold.
11. Cole Rohrbough – Another prospect I’m not completely sold on. I’d love a full, injury-free season with gaudy numbers. Then he’d be top 5.
12. Gorkys Hernandez – The Elvis Andrus of our group – lots of potential, but why all the hype? I think he gets traded. BUT, if Frenchy bombs or whatever, then Heyward/Schafer/Hernandez could be fun to watch.
13. Kris Medlen – future closer?
14. Scott Diamond – what a 2008!
15. Stephen Marek – not too exciting, but could be a quality arm in the pen.
16. Jose Ortegano – he could be good…..
17. Julio Teheran – success at a higher level will prove me wrong.
18. Travis Jones – could be listed higher
19. Jon Gilmore – see how he handles Rome
20. Luis Sumoza – an outfielder we probably won’t need.
21. Craig Kimbrel – Medlen if Medlen doesn’t pan out.
22. Deunte Heath
23. Edgar Osuna
24. Brett Devall
25. Zeke Spruill

by secondbass on Oct 19, 2008 7:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My Top 20

1. Jason Heyward- OF
2. Tommy Hanson- SP
3. Jordan Schafer- OF
4. Freddie Freeman- 1B
5. Julio Teheran- SP
6. Tyler Flowers- C
7. Cole Rohrbough- SP
8. Gorkys Hernandez- OF
9. Kris Medlen- RP
10. Jeff Locke- SP
11. Brent Lillibridge- SS
12. Cody Johnson- OF
13. Eric Campbell- 3B
14. Brandon Hicks- SS
15. Craig Kimbrel- RP
16. Brett DeVall- SP
17. Kala Ka’aihue- 1B
18. Stephen Marek- RP
19. Jon Gilmore- 3B
20. Travis Jones- 2B

by SayHeyWerd on Oct 19, 2008 11:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My Top 15

1- Jason Heyward- OF- Had great numbers at Rome and still has plenty of room to fill out. The power will come.
2- Tommy Hanson- RHP- Had a really great season. So far he’s had continued success in the AFL.
3- Jordan Schafer- OF- His defense is Andruwesque. He’s a really hard worker. He’s got all the tools to be successful. Now we know he can overcome adversity.
4- Freddie Freeman- 1B- A good overall player. Had a better season than Heyward at Rome, but his numbers against lefties weren’t very good. Has huge power potential.
5- Cole Rohrbaugh- LHP- My favorite pitcher in the system. If he can stay healthy next year, he’ll be one of the top prospects in baseball.
6- Tyler Flowers- C- He has Huge power potential, but is blocked. Too bad he doesn’t play LF.
7- Gorkys Hernandez- OF- Has all the tools. Would be considered the CF-er of the future in just about any other organization.
8- Jeff Locke- LHP- He’s like a left-handed Tim Hudson…at least from what I’ve seen of him. His mediocre season can partially be contributed to the terrible defense behind him in Rome. He gets a lot of ground balls. Look for a rebound next season.
9- Julio Teheran- RHP- I believe the hype. He’s really young, and the Braves are going to be careful with him.
10- Jon Gilmore- 3B- Definately had the numbers at Danville. Rome will be a big test for him next season.
11- Eric Campbell- 3B- Seems to have overcome his attitude problems…at least on the field. He really came alive in the second half last season. Mississippi will be a big test for him.
12- Kris Medlen- RHP- It will be interesting to see what he does next season. He projects as a reliever, but they have to at least give him a chance as a starter, right? Plus, he’s a really good hitter.
13- Brandon Hicks- SS- The big knock is the strikeouts…there are worse things.
14- Cody Johnson- OF- Can he cut down on the strikeouts? If he can, he’ll certainly be a beast.
15- Luis Sumoza- OF- A good trade chip? We’ll see more from him next season. (I thought this was a good pick-up for Kotsay.)

by Little Lady on Oct 19, 2008 4:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Clarification

I don’t really think Sumoza is our 15th best prospect, but I just wanted to throw his name out there because he certainly has good upside.

by Little Lady on Oct 20, 2008 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Top 25 with a couple comments

1. Heyward (hard not to get excited about him)
2. Hansen
3. Rorborough
4. Schafer (a little bit cocky, but that might not be all bad)
5. Freeman (I can’t wait to have a power hitting 1B in ATL again)
6. Flowers (could he be in the 1B mix until Freeman arrives?)
7. G. Hernandez
8. Locke
9. Lillibridge (I lean toward last year being a fluke)
10. Medlan
11. Gilmore (really hoping he or Campbell pan out so we don’t have to explore the market for a 3B after Chipper)
12. Kimbrel
13. DeVall
14. T. Jones
15. Hicks
16. Teheran (I have him lower than most, but I want to see some results first)
17. C. Johnson
18. Osuna
19. Spruill
20. Evarts
21. Diamond
22. Campbell
23. Parr
24. Marek
25. Cordier

by VegasAces on Oct 20, 2008 12:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps this is too late, but hey...

1. Jason Heyward
2. Tommy Hanson
3. Jordan Schafer
4. Frederick Freeman
5. Gorkys Hernandez
6. Tyler Flowers
7. Cole Rohrbough
8. Julio Teheran
9. Kris Medlen
10. Jeff Locke
11. Brandon Hicks
12. Craig Kimbrell
13. Eric Campbell
14. Brent Lillibridge
15. Kala Ka’aihue
16. Eric Cordier
17. Jon Gilmore
18. Todd Redmond
19. Christian Betancourt
20. Cody Johnson
21. Scott Diamond
22. Willie Cabrera
23. Deunte Heath
24. Zeke Spruill
25. James Parr

by parish on Oct 22, 2008 5:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

A day later than parish

I like to base my list on who I think will be the biggest impact guy. An untradeable guy. I wouldn’t rank KK in the top 20 because he is already a really high strikeout guy in AA so he probably won’t ever make the Majors. Cody Johnson still has though.

1. Julio Teheran (Potential Ace based on how he bounces back mentally)

2. Jason Heyward (Future AS at a premium power position)

3. Jordan Schafer (Future AS at a premium position)

4. Tommy Hanson (Definite #2 guy with great attitude)

5. Gorkys Hernandez (ML starter at a premium position)

6. Freddy Freeman (If his D is not hyped then he is a solid ML’er)

7. Jeff Locke (Definite #2 guy)

8. Cole Rohrbough (Potential #2)

9. Kris Medlen (solid #3 or #4 guy with great attitude. Problem is I can’t think of one ML starter that is a physical comp (5-9, 170) for him)

10. Eric Campbell (Potential AS, but apparent headcase so he drops from top 5)

11. Brandon Hicks (ML shortstop no doubt)

12. Brett DeVall (potential #4 or #5 guy)

13. John Gilmore (fringe ML’er who reminds me of Todd Zeile kinda)

14. Edgar Osuna (Fringe ML’er)

15. Eric Cordier (if he bounces back from injury he is a top 10 for us IMO)

16. James Parr (proved he can handle back of rotation. Will get hit hard every time out.)

17. Scott Diamond (big year for the future rotation guy)

18. Travis Jones (good leader, fringe ML’er)

19. Francisley Bueno (homegrown LOOGY…don’t laugh that’s valuable man)

20. Steve Evarts (Potential #3 but apparent headcase so he drops IMO)

21. Cody Johnson (I trust our scouts for taking him in 1st round)

Todd Redmond is awesome and he battles a lot like Parr. I don’t like Flowers or Britton or any of our other catchers. Lillibridge is a super-utility guy to me which is not as good as a fringe ML’er by my reasoning. Should I put Sumoza in there…and Marek is overrated to me. He’s ok I guess. I love some of the recent Dominican players we’ve signed like Carlos Perez.

by themurph on Oct 23, 2008 5:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs