Amidst all of the madness surrounding the deadline, we found out that Bryse Wilson was promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett. Considering that he started the year in high-A...his ascendance has been really something to watch.
However, in the wake of the trades that sent a big chunk of Gwinnett’s rotation as well as prospects from multiple levels to new teams, there was bound to be a lot of roster movement. Rather than move org filler types around to fill the voids, the Braves decided to challenge some of their better prospects.
ROSTER UPDATE:
— Mississippi Braves (@mbraves) August 1, 2018
- RHP @BryseWilson promoted to @GoStripers
- LHP Phil Pfeifer promoted to @GoStripers
- OF @cristianpache25 promoted to Mississippi from @FireFrogsBB
- RHP Josh Graham promoted to Mississippi from @FireFrogsBB
DETAILS: https://t.co/QZNb3FR9nG pic.twitter.com/ucYJm4r6CW
ROSTER MOVE: The @Braves has announced the following roster moves:
— Florida Fire Frogs (@FireFrogsBB) August 1, 2018
To the @mbraves: @cristianpache25 and Josh Graham
To @TheRomeBraves: Alan Crowley
To FLO: @dwaters121, William Contreras and Walter Borkovich from Rome.https://t.co/nD7bPxVJ1z
That is a lot to take in. Drew Waters, Bryse Wilson, Cristian Pache, and William Contreras all got bumped up a level. Depending on who you ask (and you won’t find much argument from us), all of them are top 10 prospects in the Braves’ farm system in terms of talent and are all one step closer to the majors.
Drew Waters, who some scouts and observers were calling the best prospect in the South Atlantic League, has been putting on a show for the Rome Braves with a .303/.353/.513 line with 47 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases.
Cristian Pache has been on the radar of those that follow prospects for a while and the only question he had to answer coming into the year was whether he would ever hit for power. After not hitting a single home run in his first two years as professional, he has broken out with eight homers and 33 extra-base hits total in the notoriously pitching-friendly Florida State League while slashing .285/.311/.431 in 2018. He is also considered by many to be one of the better defenders in the entire minor leagues.
We have already covered Bryse Wilson, but is worth mentioning again just how remarkable his rise has been this year. After dominating his few starts in high-A, the Braves moved him up to Double-A where he initially struggled. However, he found his form again quickly and has given up two earned runs or less in eight of his past nine starts. On the season, he has posted a 3.04 ERA across two levels while striking out 115 batters in 103.2 innings.
Finally, we have William Contreras. Easily the best catching prospect in the Braves’ farm system even before Brett Cumberland was dealt to Baltimore, Contreras has been outstanding for Rome in while posting a .293/.360/.463 line in 82 games with 11 homers. He has also impressed with his progress behind the plate as he possesses a strong arm and works hard to hone and perfect his game calling.
While the Braves’ front office and, in particular, Alex Anthopoulos had previously stated that they weren’t as inclined to promote prospects aggressively like we saw last year. However, it is clear that that doesn’t mean that they won’t do it if the situation calls for it.