Top Ten Prospects: Hitters Edition.

by ejruiz on Aug 27, 2008 11:03 PM EDT Comment 28 comments

CF Jordan Schafer: Shocking 50-game suspension (HGH) to kick off the year was a huge, unexpected setback, but he's seemingly overcome that and looks to be every bit the cornerstone we thought he was after last year's breakout. He's our young star closest to the show and the path to The Show is relatively clear for him.
RF Jason Heyward: Living up to the hype is all anyone could have hoped for and, with the downfall of Jeff Francouer, is something we pretty much needed from him this year. It looks as though the franchise will take their time with him, but he'll be bringing his friends along with him.
C Tyler Flowers: He may not stick behind the plate because of his size, but his bat plays anywhere. I can't wait to see what he does with his power out of The Beach, but his patience is what's really impressed me so far.
1B Freddie Freeman: This kid is trying his best to shine in Heyward's shadow and people are starting to notice. Sometimes the apparent sidekick can become a superhero (see: McCann, Brian) and he has what it takes to do just that.
CF Gorkys Hernandez: I'm not a fan of tools without awesome production, but this kid is just electric and he's done just enough to validate the scouting reports. Eventually I'll need to see more from him, but it's obvious that it should be coming.
3B Eric Campbell: Heee's baaaaack! He was once our top prospect and he seems to be getting it back together again. I know the concerns about his attitude, but the talent is for real. 2009 might be the make or break season for him, but I'm willing to give the guy a second chance.
SS Brandon Hicks: This kid is a personal favorite of mine and, while the strikeouts are still a concern, he seems to have everything else in line. I've read that his defense at short is good enough to stick and his bat would be a huge plus at the position.
1B Kala Ka'aihue: OK, don't discredit this list just because of this ranking. I have a soft spot for guys that put up big numbers even if they K a ton. He fell flat on his face after a promotion last year and started out shaky this season, but he really stepped it up since then.
3B Jon Gilmore: Gotta say, this kid is growing on me. It's nice to know that, no matter how far behind, we have insurance for Campbell in the pipeline.
2B Travis Jones: I figured I'd fill out the list with a kid that might be flying a bit under the radar and it fills our organizational depth chart nicely. I think this kid could be special if he can take the next step.

0 recs | Comment 28 comments

Comments

A Couple of Notes.

This is just my own list as of this moment. I wrote it to kill time and then I though I’d share it with you all to see what people thought. Any and all comments will be appreciated. Oh, I’ll be posting the pitcher’s version soon. Thanks!

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

by ejruiz on Aug 27, 2008 11:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

good list

I would prolly have Travis Jones before Hicks and then everybody just moves down one. But thats just my opinion about it. I still like your list though.

braves#1

by rockybull on Aug 27, 2008 11:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ks?

I guess you’re not a big fan of strikeouts, but I guess I could see that. Everyone has favorites!

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

by ejruiz on Aug 28, 2008 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just not buying Schafer at #1...

…#2 or #3, I could buy that.

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by RainDelay on Aug 27, 2008 11:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Tough Call.

Honestly, we have four guys that I really like and three that could be #1 prospects, so I can see people nitpicking about the top. I just gave the heads up to the guy doing his thing at the higher level. His negative (the suspension) has turned into a positive because he overcame adversity and is tearing things up now.

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

by ejruiz on Aug 28, 2008 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

strikeouts or no, where the fuck is cody johnson? i’m sure gondeee will be doing the TC top 30 again this offseason, but yeah…here’s a teaser

1) heyward
2) schafer (i wanna keep him at 1…i really do. tell you what. if he finished at .280, he’s still 1)
3) freeman
4) flowers
5) cody

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

by bigjoe on Aug 27, 2008 11:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Cody.

I like Cody alot too, but his .243/.301/.438 line over 354 AB at Low-A is just not that impressive. That’s quite a fall from .305/.374/.630 in 243 AB Rookie ball. Not only have the strikeouts gotten worse (29.6% in 2007 and 41% in 2008), but all of the good numbers have gone down as well. Sorry.

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

by ejruiz on Aug 28, 2008 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Im about

as big of a Cody Johnson fan as anyone but no way should Cody be ahead of Gorkys Hernandez bigjoe. I like Ejruiz list for the most part. Schafer might get the one spot because he is haven a good season in AA and Heyward had a great season in Low A, so I can understand why he put Schafer ahead of Heyward. But really you cant go wrong with Schafer or Heyward at number one.

braves#1

by rockybull on Aug 28, 2008 12:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

gorkys has an OPS under 800…

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

by bigjoe on Aug 28, 2008 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like the list, but I might drop Kaaihue and move Ernesto Mejia in. He’s had a pretty damn good season at Myrtle Beach and he’ll be pushing 80 XBH by the end of the season. Kaaihue would be close, but 80 XBH is a LOT.

by yondaime4 on Aug 28, 2008 12:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

also its interesting to note (and you touched on it) that we have someone from every position on this list (with 2 1B and 2 3B). Thats real nice.

by yondaime4 on Aug 28, 2008 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah.

I thought that was pretty sweet myself. And I guess that if Flowers outgrows catcher, we could get creative and try Freeman in LF…

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

by ejruiz on Aug 28, 2008 1:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good List

It’s interesting when you separate the hitters from the pitchers how it almost seems like a no-brainer. I mean, Cody Johnson is really the only legit prospect that doesn’t make the cut, and he’s probably #11. After him, there’s not much else in the system one could truly believe will figure into the future of the Braves (of course, yonda, you could argue Mejia – maybe even Willie Cabrera or Owings). And the GCL or even Danville – too early to tell, IMO. I might only re-arrange the list a little:

CF Jordan Schafer
RF Jason Heyward
C Tyler Flowers
1B Freddie Freeman
3B Eric Campbell
3B Jon Gilmore – one I would move up
SS Brandon Hicks
CF Gorkys Hernandez – I only move him down because his numbers have dropped since his return from the DL (.269 now). Just seems like the next Elvis Andrus so far….
1B Kala Ka’aihue
2B Travis Jones

by secondbass on Aug 28, 2008 5:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Cody Johnson

Lists are fun to argue with and I think that this one is pretty fair. That said, If Hicks can get on the list with his 122 strikeouts, then there ought to be a place for Cody Johnson. Sure, some of his numbers are ugly, but that holds for Hicks as well. Hicks is nearly 3 years older and only one league above Johnson so it is hard for me to see why he should be seen as the superior prospect.

by Stephen in the UAE on Aug 28, 2008 6:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

My opinion....

Is that Cody’s league-leading strikeout total of 174 is alarming, his defense is atrocious (I’ve seen him in person many times….yikes), and the fact that he’s in a crowded position for prospects (OF) is why I rank him lower than Hicks.
Having said that, I still like his chances. If he can gain some consistency, he will be a monster, so I’d put him at #11. But that’s me.

by secondbass on Aug 28, 2008 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Me Too!

Brandon Hicks (2008): .240/.336/.483, 106 K and 12/14 SB in 292 AB at A+ (the notorious Myrtle Beach)
Cody Johnson (2008): .243/.301/.438, 145 K and 6/7 SB in 354 AB at A
Brandon Hicks (2007): .313/.433/.492, 26 K and 5/8 SB in 128 AB at A

Brandon is doing better at a higher level while playing a good SS (lower offensive requirements) as opposed to a shaky LF. I guess Cody makes up much of the ground by being much younger, but not enough to make it into the top ten. I like the kid’s chances and the fact that he’s off the list speaks to the strength of our system.

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

by ejruiz on Aug 28, 2008 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lillibridge and Jones

Do you see them below these guys or did you not rank them? I agree that Lilli shouldn’t be ranked in the top 10 (but I’m still a believer that he can be a ML player), but I think Brandon Jones should at least crack in above Kala.

by soup du jour on Aug 28, 2008 8:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Err, and by not rank them...

I mean not rank them due to their time served in the majors so they’re not eligible.

by soup du jour on Aug 28, 2008 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah.

I’m not sure if they’re technically eligible, but I decided to stay away from anyone that’s played in Atlanta.

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

by ejruiz on Aug 28, 2008 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No matter what

it still looks like we owned in the 2007 draft with 5 guys from 5 different positions

N. Tyler Ayers

by TMAC85 on Aug 28, 2008 9:34 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

getting freddie so late was a steal!

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

by bigjoe on Aug 28, 2008 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

so late?

He was a 2nd round pick, not exactly drafting him very late. He has turned out to be very very good but a 2nd round pick should be.

by BlueVol03 on Aug 28, 2008 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i could swear he was in the third. thats what i get for posting in class.

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

by bigjoe on Aug 28, 2008 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My list

1. Jason Heyward
2. Jordan Schafer
3. Freddie Freeman
4. Gorkys Hernandez
5. Tyler Flowers
6. Jon Gilmore
7. Cody Johnson
8. Brandon Jones
9. Brent Lillibridge
10. Willie Cabrera

I incluede Jones and Lillibridge because they’re still considered prospects, but if you take them out I’d add Kala Ka’aihue and Brandon Hicks.

by cbwilk on Aug 28, 2008 1:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Cabrera.

Interesting! He and Mejia are the two guys that I didn’t really think twice about that people have brought up. I’ll take a closer look in the future. As I said above, I didn’t consider anyone that’s been in Atlanta this year and, even if I did, Lillibridge wouldn’t make the list and Jones would slide in somewhere in the second half of it.

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

by ejruiz on Aug 28, 2008 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cabrera’s a guy I always overlooked too, mostly because I always thought he was older. When you talk to him in person he acts like a college guy, a little more mature, well spoken, but he just turned 21 this month. A guy that’s playing at High A, now AA and producing like he is, is definitely a prospect. Add in the fact that that he is a team leader type and a servicable corner outfielder, and he’s another nice little steal for our scouting department.
And you just gotta root for Ernie Mejia. The guy has so much fun and all his hard work is paying off.

by cbwilk on Aug 29, 2008 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mine

1. Heyward
2. Schafer
3. Freeman
4. Hernandez
5. Flowers
6. Campbell
7. Brandon Jones
8. Hicks
9. Lillibridge
10. Cody Johnson

by 17843 on Aug 28, 2008 4:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Braves position prospects

Interesting thread.

Couple of thoughts. Kala Ka’aihue and Cody Johnson have no shot to be major league players unless they cut down A LOT on the Ks. A LOT. Need to take a serious look at their propensity to strike out at their current minor league levels before projecting them as likely major league prospects. This will require some changes in their swing mechanics. This is also true of a number of often-mentioned baby Braves like Tyler Flowers, Brandon Hicks, Ernesto Mejia. However, when it comes to striking out too much, Ka’ailue and Johnson are truly in a class by themselves. Both obviously have talent and tremendous power, but IMHO they do not belong in the top ten until they demonstrate that they can play in the high minors without striking out once every 2-3 ABs. In reality, their chances for overcoming that problem in the major leagues are small, regardless of the fact that they both have developed a cult following among fans.

Jordan Schafer has had an interesting season. As soon as he was suspended, some fans immediately pronounced his breakout 2007 season a product of HGH without actually knowing that for a fact. When he came back from suspension, a lot of the same fans immediately pronounced Schafer’s career dead. But Schafer was attempting to overcome his rustiness at AA, a higher level than he had ever played before. People need to remember that Schafer is still only 22 years old, and has never played above A-ball before June. After making the adjustment in June and July, he is getting it done at the AA level now, and he has a clear path to Atlanta next year. Jobs are open in the Braves’ OF. Barring an offseason injury, Schafer will be a Brave in 2009, and he has a chance to excel in an outfield that needs young talent.. That’s why he is still #1 on my list.

I would also point out that Freddie Freeman is still only 18 years old, and on a pace to drive in 100 runs this season in Rome. He is also a solid defensive corner infielder. Freeman is an awesome prospect if he can do this at Myrtle next year as a 19 year old.

Finally, I am including Josh Anerson on this list because he has recently been promoted to Atlanta (a promotion Ka’ailue and Johnson are unlikely to experience in their careers) . Anderson has a shot at the Braves’ leadoff job because of his speed and baserunning ability, and because of the current realities of the Braves’ OF roster.

1. Jordan Schafer
2. Jason Heyward
3. Freddie Freeman
4. Tyler Flowers
5. Gorkys Hernandez
6. Josh Anderson
7. Brent Lillibridge
8. Ernesto Mejia
9. Brandon Hicks
10. Willie Cabrera

by Messenger on Aug 29, 2008 1:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs