Tag Archives: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves future is not far away

Between my work as editor at Grading on the Curve and now with John Sickels over at SB Nation’s minorleagueball.com, I have done a lot of work on the Atlanta Braves farm system. I’d like to think I have become pretty familiarized with their farm system, which was no easy task as it completely revamped itself under John Hart last season.

Hart and the Braves went pitcher happy in the offseason, trading away big time contracts for Manny Banuelos, Max Fried, Tyrell Jenkins, Matt Wisler, and Mike Foltynewicz and now seemed primed with an exciting arsenal of young arms heading up the pipeline. When you add 2012 Braves first round draft pick Lucas Sims and Touki Toussaint into the mix — whom they acquired for Phil Gosselin — they have an endless supply of cannons.

The scary thing is that they added even more to that arsenal in this year’s MLB draft. In the first round alone, the Braves were able to nab two highly regarded pitchers. One was Mike Soroka. The other was Kolby Allard.

Over at minorleagueball.com, I have been compiling a series of prospects that I am excited to watch in this coming 2016 season. Allard was my most recent installment. Only 18-years old, Allard is far away from the Majors, but hopefully I get to see him and meet with him in Rome this coming season.

Allard could easily be the steal of the draft. He was widely considered the best prep school pitcher in America, but because of a senior season spent on the shelf due to stress issues in his back, Allard’s draft stock fell. Some even felt the Braves gambled too much taking him at 14th overall, but by season’s end, Allard looked like everything advertised in is MiLB debut.

I know you want to know why I am excited about Allard, and you know you are as well. It’s all provided in the link below, so take a read.

KEEP AN EYE ON KOLBY ALLARD 

 

 

The Atlanta Braves No. 1 prospect Ozzie Albies talks to The Wayniac

A lot of people have asked my opinion of the most recent Atlanta Braves trade. Quite frankly, I still don’t get it. I know John Hart coveted Hector Olivera this offseason, and I understand the goal of the 2015 Atlanta Braves was to have a cost controlled team in place to go and grab a high end ace or superstar bat for the grand opening of The Cobb County Braves Stadium (sounds like a place where the Bo, Luke and Uncle Jesse would watch a game, doesn’t it?).

I don’t mind that they traded away Alex Wood and Jose Peraza. It’s just that Hart’s deals up until this one were huge wins for the Braves. This one is full of huge question marks. If Olivera doesn’t stay healthy, which he hasn’t in nearly three years with two separate trips to the DL added to the list in 2015, the Braves just gave away one of the league’s promising young lefties and their top prospect. I simply feel that the Braves could have gotten more, even with the Dodgers taking Arroyo’s salary and sending over a draft pick (which let’s face it, a draft pick in MLB is more of a crapshoot than any other sport).

But, up to this point, you simply have to have faith in Hart. His moves have reshaped the Braves thus far and they seem to have a much more promising future now than they did during the Frank Wren Era. And like I said, I am ok with the fact that they moved Peraza.

Photo Cred: The Wayniac
Photo Cred: The Wayniac

The reason is that they have an exciting prospect in Ozhaino Albies, more affectionately known as Ozzie around Rome and the South Atlantic League. He made Peraza expendable, and at 18 years of age, he is now considered the Braves No. 1 prospect in the system, and widely considered a top 30 prospect in baseball. And this past Friday night, he sat down with The Wayniac and spoke about 2015 and beyond. So sit back and meet Ozzie Albies.

CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW

Photo Cred: The Wayniac
Photo Cred: The Wayniac
Photo Credit: The Wayniac
Photo Credit: The Wayniac
Photo Cred; The Wayniac
Photo Cred; The Wayniac

 

 

 

 

 

Frank Wren and The Braves Way

It’s a new era in Braves Country. Last week, the Atlanta Braves fired General Manager Frank Wren. Wren, who was handed the reigns from legendary Braves GM John Shuerholz in 2007, was a man known for building the minor league system. Wren was a man who stuck to his young guns and homegrown talent in hopes of winning championships, more lovingly known down here as The Braves Way, but that ultimately may have been his demise.

Keep reading to see where the Braves Way went wrong