Atlanta Braves Prospect Max Povse Opening Eyes In Carolina

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Atlanta Braves Prospect Max Povse Opening Eyes In Carolina

I wrote in depth about the Braves selection of 6-foot-8, 220-pound right Max Poves in the third round of the 2014 amateur draft and Ben wrote about him in his roundup of Braves prospects last month. They were impressed with his heavy sinker that sat at about 93mph and hoped his slider would turn into the kind of swing and miss pitch that would make him a mid-rotation starter.

He signed in time to get into 12 games for Danville in 2014 and used his fastball to strike out 37 hitters while walking 11 in 47 1/3 IP and posting a 3.42 ERA. That was enough to push him to #21 in Baseball America’s list of Braves prospects to start 2015.

He started last season at low A Rome and continued to impress pitching to a 2.56 ERA 1.11WHIP in 12 starts. He earned his ticket to Carolina by striking out 50 while walking just 16 in 59 2/3 IP but found the competition in high A . . . well higher.

In his first start Potomac welcomed him rudely scoring 6 runs – 5 earned – on 9 hits in his 4 innings. Max took the hill again on the fourth of July but all the fireworks came Myrtle Beach who chased him after only 1/3 of an inning after allowing 6 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks.

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Poves was always known as a durable starter through his stint with UNC Greensboro and his next starts showed he could take the ball and stay in the game long enough to give his team a chance to win. He did win his third start going 6 innings while allowing 1 run on 4 hits and striking out three but lost the following game and allowing 5 runs on 5 hits with 4 Ks. His last start was only one inning and he finished his introduction to A+ ball with a disappointing 9.33 ERA.

The Return of Max

Whatever Povse did over the winter apparently included finding his mojo again. In two starts this year he’s allowed just four hits and walked just two while striking out 14 in 13 IP; did I mention no one has scored a run of him yet? I didn’t? Well I should have because MLB Pipeline now has Poves at #26 on the Braves list of prospects and I think these clips will tell you why.

First he finishes off the rather larger RHH with high heat.

Then he disposes of a lefty with smoke as the knees for his seventh of the game.

Those performances earned him a spot on Jim Callis’ Prospect Team of the Week

"Povse got hammered to the tune of a 9.82 ERA in five high Class A starts toward the end of the 2015 season, but he’s enjoying his return to the Carolina League this year. He has faced two prospect-heavy lineups (Salem/Red Sox, Myrtle Beach/Cubs) in his first two starts but has yet to allow a run while permitting just six base runners in 13 innings."

That’s A Wrap

Poves name isn’t the lips of Braves fans yet but it may well be soon and he isn’t the only one having a good start. Tyrell Jenkins (Braves #8 per MLB Pipeline) has made two starts at Gwinnett, his first was a three inning stint with two runs allowed but also included four strikeouts and five walks. His second outing was six innings of five hit shutout ball that included five strikeouts and only one walk.

MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Braves prospects includes 20 pitchers though the elbow issues of Manny Banuelos and Daniel Winkler’s broken elbow would move them off the list for me but that’s another conversation. The plethora of fine arms the Braves control will soon require the addition of some equally fine bats.

Next: What Happened on the farm this weekend?

Ben’s minor league wrap highlighted the hot start Rio Ruiz and Sean Kazmar is currently slugging over 500 as is, Mississippi’s Ozzie Albies and Dustin Peterson and Carolina’s Ryan Gebhardt. Of course it’s early days yet and the bats will cool down and the season stretches out and the Braves say they are looking for advanced bats then. Time will tell how the minor league players will grow and what the Braves actually end up doing in the draft. Whatever it is we’ll be watching to keep you in the know here at the Take.

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