Top Braves Candidates To Stay At One Level
Last week, I touched on Braves prospects who are the best candidates to earn quick promotions to the next highest level in the system, perhaps within the first few weeks of the season. Names included Shea Langeliers, Bryce Ball and Braden Shewmake, those who could perform well in the first half and handle a new assignment.
Today, the goal is to identify prospects likely to stick at one level all year. It’s not as exciting to pore over players who are probably staying put for months at the time, but they’re at a different point in their careers and it’s equally important that these players develop properly at their current assignment.
William Contreras - C
Double-A Mississippi
Contreras perhaps should have stayed at Class-A Advanced Florida for all of 2019. The idea for sending him to Mississippi likely was to challenge him and have him focus on his defense behind the plate. His bat and confidence at the plate suffered, while his defense remains raw but with the natural ability to mold into an above-average defender. With Langeliers now on his heels, Contreras has to rebound at the tough Double-A level to avoid getting passed on the depth chart. For some, that’s already happened. I remain high on Contreras as a potential above-average catcher because of those physical tools, but a full year at Mississippi will tell a lot.
Kyle Muller - SP
Double-A Mississippi
Muller did enough in his full 2019 season at Mississippi to earn an assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett for whenever the next season is played. Because of a rough spring training at the major league level and continued inconsistent control and command, he should stay at Gwinnett for a full year. The Braves should not feel compelled to call him up if he finds the zone and performs well out of the gate at Gwinnett. It would serve him well to continue his development in the upper levels – work on secondaries and overall feel – before that first call to Atlanta.
Michael Harris - OF
Low-A Rome
Harris is an easy call to spend a full season at Rome. The Braves were high on his bat out of the draft and challenged him with a late-season assignment to Rome, where he looked fatigued and a bit overmatched. He’s now 19 and a natural fit for Rome’s right field, where he should spend an entire season working on adjusting to pro pitching and tightening up his swing. Harris has everyday potential as a center or right fielder with a feel to hit, developing power, average run, solid glove and a cannon arm. It might be a slow developmental process, but there’s plenty to like here.
Freddy Tarnok, SP
Class-A Advanced Florida
Tarnok could actually start at Mississippi and stay there all season if the Braves feel he’s ready and want to challenge him. If he returns to Florida, he could earn a second-half promotion to Mississippi. Either way, Tarnok needs a 2020 season to happen more than most. He needs to get back on the mound and get more reps. Everyone knew it’d be a long road for him and it’s proving true, taking it level by level as he works to mold his raw talent while trying to stay healthy over a full year.
Vaughn Grissom, SS/3B
Low-A Rome
Like Harris, Grissom is a natural fit for a full season at Rome for his first full pro year. He has the chance to be a breakout prospect if he performs at that level. All of the tools are there to be a solid corner slugger with a quick bat, strong power potential and a feel for the glove. One of the big evaluation questions is how he’ll look at shortstop at Rome, because he seems best suited for third base as he grows into his lengthy, projectable frame.
Other Possibilities
Stephen Paolini, CF – Paolini may get more work in extended spring training before appearing at Rome, or the Braves may like how he’s grown and progressed since the draft and send him straight to the South Atlantic League. Either way, he likely sees Rome before the end of the year.
Trey Riley, SP/RP – Riley needs to re-establish himself as a prospect after a lost year in 2019, and that likely happens at Rome.
Jared Johnson, SP – Johnson is in a similar boat as Paolini.
Mahki Backstrom, 1B – If the Braves want to be super aggressive, they could start Backstrom at Rome and see how he responds. I’d prefer he stay at extended and appear at Danville or Rome later in the year. There’s no reason to rush him.