Kevin Gunderson will need to improve his left/right splits if he hopes to earn a spot in Atlanta's bullpen.

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The fact is, most effective Major League relievers are converted starters. But, that's no reason to ignore the crop of pitchers performing primarily as relievers in the Braves' Minor League system, as the tops names are each not only talented but have succeeded as they've moved up the ladder.

6. Kevin Gunderson B/T: R/L Born: 9/16/1984 Ht: 5'10" Wt: 165
The nephew of former Major Leaguer Eric Gunderson, the diminutive lefty was drafted in the 5th round in 2006 after making a name for himself by leading Oregon State to a College World Series title by pitching effectively as both a starter and a reliever. Gunderson has only pitched out of the bullpen as a pro though, working his funky low 3/4 delivery for a 3.01 career ERA. After pitching the second half of 2008 with Mississippi, he returned to AA in 2009 and succeeded, collecting a 1-3 record, 2.55 ERA, and 1.31 WHIP in 49.1 innings.

When he was drafted it was believed that Gunderson would be able to move through the minor leagues quickly, but three and a half seasons later he's only played 2 games above AA. The good news is that he's remained effective throughout his career. While he doesn't have overpowering stuff, he still gets good movement on his fastball, good break on his slider, and, when he is able to harness it, his changeup is a weapon. Unfortunately, he didn't show much ability to negate lefthanded batters last season, allowing a .322 average against lefties compared to just a .211 average against righties.

Gunderson will likely be invited to Major League Spring Training with Atlanta to see if he can earn a bullpen spot, but he'll probably be spending the majority of 2010 with Gwinnett trying to refine his game. If he can continue to remain an effective reliever he'll certainly be looked at as a Major League option, but if he isn't able to get lefites out at a better rate he won't have much success at the highest levels.

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ESPN's new scout reporter guy, Jason Grey, posted this video and some nice analysis of the Braves second-best prospect, power-hitting first baseman Freddie Freeman:

Grey gets Freeman to talk about the injury which hurt his numbers at double-A:

"I hurt my wrist and my hand [at the beginning of August], and I'm not even sure how it happened," Freeman said. "I played through it for about 2½ to 3 weeks, and then I couldn't even pick up the bat anymore it hurt so bad. I tried to play through it, but I felt the effects of it. I couldn't pull the ball, and couldn't drive through anything, so I felt the effects on my average and my body. We finally shut it down, but I feel fine now. I still feel it here and there, but it's mostly 100 percent."

I knew it was bad, but not that bad. These kids have got to know which injuries to play through and which injuries not to play through. Wrist injuries, like the one Jordan Schafer also suffered, should be brought to the trainer's attention much earlier. We don't want a system of kids who are afraid to play, but we also don't want those kids playing through an injury that will set them back more than if they had sat out a few days when it first occurred. As much as we rag Jason Heyward about his nagging injuries, perhaps he has the right approach.

Today we finish off the Top 5 Braves southpaw prospects. Like I said yesterday, there is some good depth here, but after the top guy, Mike Minor, most of the other guys are fairly interchangeable and there are guys that are difficult to rank. Brett DeVall who missed a good portion of the season due to injury and inevitably succumbed to surgery after  the season may not even pitch next year but might have the most potential on the list. Cole Rohrbough is another guy who fought through injuries during the year has tons of upside but couldn't get it done. As a panel we actually only ranked a total of 12 different players between the three of us (as opposed to 14 on RH pitchers and 16 on relievers) but our rankings within those twelves guys were all over the place. (Also for those wondering, Andy Otero was one of the guys mentioned and two of us had him on our lists, but he was the first person off.)

1. Mike Minor B/T: R/L Born: 12/26/1987 Ht: 6'3" Wt: 200
Mike Minor was taken with the 7th overall pick in the 2009 Amateur Draft out of Vanderbilt. The Braves have caught a lot of flack for taking Minor so high (their highest pick since taking Mike Kelly second overall in 1991) and rewarding him with the largest contract ever given out to a 7th pick. While many people disagree on his total potential most recognize that he is a polished pitcher who has a great shot to reach his maximum potential.

Mike Minor led a decorated amateur career. His senior year of high school he won 13 games (12 via shutout) and struck out 188 batters in 86 innings with a 0.08 ERA. He was drafted by the Devil Rays in 2006 but chose to attend Vanderbilt for 3 years where he was a Freshman All American and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2007. He served as the staff ace for Vandy in 2008 and 2009 pitching against the toughest competition in the collegiate ranks. In 2007 and 2008 he played for the US National Team going 8-2 with a 1.17 ERA, 74K, and just 17 walks in 69 innings of work leading to being named Baseball America's Summer Player of the year in 2008. In his brief professional exposure so far Minor pitched brilliantly in a short stint in Rome and has held his own in the Arizona Fall League.

There are a lot of positive's to Minor's game and not many negatives. The first thing scouts rave about is his excellent control and command. He can throw his fastball and changeup anywhere in or out of the zone whenever he wants. He can also add and subtract velocity from pitch to pitch and make adjustments to hitters as they make adjustments to him. He throws a fastball that sits in the high 80s to low 90s with lots of movement. His changeup is considered his best pitch with lots of depth and fade coming from the same arm slot as his fastball. He also throws a slider and curve though reports are the slider has regressed since adding the curve to his arsenal last season. He has picture perfect mechanics and an excellent pickoff move that can be considered a legitimate weapon.

The biggest knock on Minor is his resemblance to former Vandy southpaw Jeremy Sowers who dominated the minors but has struggled since reaching the majors because of a lack of overpowering stuff. He is the archetype for the kind of left handed pitcher the Braves love: full of pitching savvy with sound mechanics and a great changeup. We have seen many of these guys in recent years with varying success. My guy tells me Minor is going to be better than people think, and most think he is probably a 3-4 starter in the big leagues. Look for him to skip Myrtle Beach and start in Mississippi next year.

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Since the days of Paul Snyder the Braves scouting and development system has revolved around cultivating young projectable talent. Within that sphere of thinking they put more of their focus on pitching than position players with the idea that it is better to have an abundance of pitching because you can always trade good pitchers for good hitters. And much like a Russian Nesting doll, they focus on left handed starting pitchers. The theory behind this is there are more good hitters than good pitchers and more good right handed pitchers than left handed pitchers so by nature they are more valuable than their counterparts simply for being a rarer breed in general. So with all of that said the Braves have a history of left handed starting pitching depth in the minors and this year isn't really any different though there is separation from the top player and the rest of the group. There isn't as much total potential and several of these guys are similar players (as lefties are wont to fit a certain mold) but nearly half of this list could be ready to contribute in the majors in the next year or so.

6. Scott Diamond B/T: L/L Born: 07/301986 HT: 6'3" WT:190
Scott Diamond signed with the Braves as a non drafted free agent after pitching well for Binghamton for 3 seasons. He used some personal connections from playing in the Coastal Plains league to get a tryout with Braves scouting director Roy Clark and was signed but couldn't join the team until instructional league because of visa issues. In 2008 he posted a 15-3 record between Rome and Myrtle Beach while maintaining solid control and a respectable strike out rate. Diamond was also one of the hardest players for the Talking Chop crew to agree on as we ranked him 2nd, 7th and not at all on our individual lists for lefties.

Scott throws in the high 80s to low 90s. While his fastball isn't very fast, it does have excellent sinking action and produces a lot of groundballs. He mixes in a cut-fastball, curve and changeup. None of his secondary pitches are considered outstanding but his his ability to hit his spots and change speeds is well above average. Diamond also has the classic 'bulldog' mentality that Braves scouts love so much. He is not afraid to pitch inside and challenge hitters. One oddity about his stats is that his ERA was 2.5 runs higher at home than it was on the road this season even though his BB and K%'s were nearly identical between the two. Both Diamond's walk rate and hits allowed spiked a bit this year with his jump to AA, but he was still very effective. His FIP was 3.14 vs a 3.5 ERA with a .366 BAbip so he was a bit hit unlucky on the year.

Diamond passed the AA litmus test this year and looks to move up to Gwinnett in 2010 and could be in the Brave's plans in the next year or two. His entire game is built around changing speeds and keeping the ball down in the zone. Up to this point he has been able to maintain that. Going forward he is going to need to show the spike in walks is something he can control. He looks like a 4th or 5th starter or a solid arm in the bullpen.

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Julio Teheran's funky delivery helped catapult him to the top of the Braves' pitching prospects list.

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The Braves have a long history of developing dominant Major League pitching and that trend seems to be continuing with the emergence of Tommy Hanson with Atlanta this season and with the near limitless potential of their top right handed starting pitching prospects. The top half of the list contains a pair of foreign born live arms, one of whom could become a future ace, a former second round draft pick whose stuff and body is as projectable as any pitcher to come through the system since Kevin Millwood, and a pair of more polished, durable college players who eat innings like candy.

1. Julio Teheran B/T: R/R Born: 1/27/1991 Ht: 6'2" Wt: 150
When he was signed out of Columbia as a 16 year old in 2007, Teheran was considered the top international talent available and was a major coup for Atlanta's scouting department. But, his status as a top prospect was quickly revoked by many as he battled both tendonitis and a sore shoulder as well as severely dented confidence in his professional debut, pitching just 15 innings for Danville in 2008, with a record of 1-2, an ERA of 6.60 and a WHIP of 1.46. But, those who continued to believe in him despite his struggles were rewarded for that faith in 2009, as he returned to Danville and pitched masterfully, with a 2-1 record, 2.68 ERA, and 0.98 WHIP in 43.2 innings covering 7 starts. He was rewarded for his efforts with a promotion to Rome at the beginning of August, where he pitched well, especially considering his youth, in another 7 starts, with a 1-3 record, 4.78 ERA, and 1.40 WHIP in 37.2 innings.

The jump to Rome was obviously an adjustment for him, as he saw a sizable increase in all of his numbers, including allowing more hits (10 per 9 innings compared to 7.4 for Danville), walked more (2.6 per 9 innings compared to 1.4 for Danville), and struck out less (6.7 per 9 innings compared to 8.0 with Danville). But, while his final start was poor, he was making adjustments, pitching 17.1 innings in the three starts before that while only allowing 4 runs and striking out 14 while walking 8.

While Teheran does have electric stuff, combining a fastball that tops out at 97 mph, but which is much more effective when he works it in the 94 to 95 range, with a devastating curveball that rolls in at 83 mph and a slurvey slider that could become his best pitch with more work, his mental makeup is his most impressive asset. Ironically though, his overconfidence was a part of his problem in 2008 when he had a difficult time dealing with the fact that the professional hitters in America weren't instantly intimidated by him like the amateurs in Columbia had been. Once he realized that he might not always be the best player on the field, and that he might not always have his best stuff, he was able to enter 2009 with a newfound willingness to be a pitcher instead of a thrower, and that cerebral outlook on the game, combined with his stuff, makes him likely to reach his ceiling as a Major League ace. It's also shown in his stats, as his strikeouts dropped from last season to this one but his effectiveness improved dramatically, a clear indication that he was pitching more to contact and allowing his defense to perform behind him.

Teheran will begin 2010 back at Rome as a 19 year old and the Braves are confident enough with his ability and makeup that they will have no problem moving him quickly if he succeeds. Don't be surprised to see him join Myrtle Beach's rotation sometime around the middle of the season, with AA and perhaps the Major Leagues both possibilities in 2011.

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The second half of the Braves top right handed starting pitching prospects contains several young, live arms, as well as a few more polished players, and one pitcher who could have an impact in Atlanta in 2010.

6. Caleb Brewer B/T: R/R Born: 2/2/1989 Ht: 6'3" Wt: 205
A 14th round draft pick in 2007, Brewer had a decent debut with the Orlando Braves in the GCL as an 18 year old, going 0-1 with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP in 32.2 innings, but certainly wasn't on anybody's prospect list coming in to 2009 after missing all of 2008 with an injury. But, he's rocketed himself up those prospects list after returning to the GCL this year, compiling a 3-3 record with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 44.2 innings in 12 games (10 starts).

Brewer held opponents to a pathetic .132 average against and led the team in strikeouts with 65, which was 23 more than Robinson Lopez, who pitched 4 more innings than Brewer, as well as leading the team in strikeouts per 9 innings, with an astounding 13.1. But, he also walked a ton of batters, 31, good for a whopping 6.2 per 9 innings. He had troubles with this in his first season, walking 6.6 per 9 innings that year, and while each could be explained away easily, inexperience the first season and rust this year, this is something he's going to have to dramatically improve as he moves up the ladder.

Baseball America recently rated Brewer's curveball as the best in the system, and he pairs it with a good fastball and a developing changeup. At 6'3", he has great size for a pitcher, allowing him to get good leverage on his pitches. The biggest thing for Brewer at this point is staying healthy. He should begin 2010 at Rome and since he's coming into the season as a 21 year old, he'll be a little old for a typical top prospect at that level, but given the missed time and his dominance this season, he seems capable of quickly mastering the Sally League, which could lead to quicker promotions in the ensuing years.

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We get the second list this off-season of Atlanta Braves prospects, this one from Baseball America:

1. Jason Heyward, of
2. Freddie Freeman, 1b
3. Julio Teheran, rhp
4. Mike Minor, lhp
5. Craig Kimbrel, rhp
6. Christian Bethancourt, c
7. Randall Delgado, rhp
8. Zeke Spruill, rhp
9. Cody Johnson, of
10. Adam Milligan, of

Nice list. Unlike John Sickels, who gave us our first list this off-season, Baseball America ranks Cody Johnson appropriately, and not completely off the board. I also like the top-10 love their giving Adam Milligan -- I really like him and I think he has a good chance to be an impact prospect. Overall, this was a solid list.

Atlanta Braves center field prospect Matt Young received a late season promotion to Gwinnett after a second strong season at Mississippi.

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While the Braves top Minor League center fielders don't have the star power present in right field, or the pure power present in left field, they are still an interesting collection of speedsters and defensive stalwarts. While none currently seem like locks to become future stars, and maybe not even future starters, fortunately, the Braves are well set at the Major League level with Nate McLouth and the center fielder of the future, Jordan Schafer.

1. Matt Young B/T: L/R Born: 10/3/1982 Ht: 5'8" Wt: 175
Young takes the top spot after a second excellent season at Mississippi that saw him take home the award as the Southern League's Top Huslter. After hitting .289 with a .769 OPS along with 30 stolen bases for Mississippi in 2008, Young improved to a .289 average, .827 OPS and a team record 43 stolen bases. After playing most of his games in left field in 08, he shifted and played mostly in center this season. The same speed he utilizes on the basepaths enables him to cover an excellent amount of space in the outfield, and he takes good routes while making intelligent decisions. But, his arm is well below average, so that negates some of his defensive value.

A line drive hitter, Young doesn't make the mistake of trying to hit for power, and instead contents himself with spraying the ball to the gaps, collecting 23 doubles and 10 triples this season. He also makes use of his tiny frame (his listed height of 5'8" is a good bit of an exaggeration) to work a ton of walks, racking up 97 this season on the way to a .414 on base percentage.

Young was originally signed as a second baseman, so he has a bit of versatility, but he's only played 59 games there as a professional, and half of those came in 2006. He'll enter next season as a 27 year old, so he's not a typical prospect, but there's plenty of reason to think that his speed and defense, combined with his on base skills, could make him a valuable part of a Major League bench. If he's left off the Braves' 40 man roster this offseason, there's a possibility that a team looking to keep him as the 25th man on their roster and utilize him as a late inning pinch runner and defensive replacement might take a chance on him in the Rule V draft.

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