Atlanta Braves Minor League Ag Report, August 13
Apr 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves grounds crew member Carlos Restrepo parks a tractor on the infield tarp during a rain delay prior to the game against the Miami Marlins at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Braves Minor League Ag Report
We’re certainly in the midst of the dog days of August, as evidenced by the heat across the country. On the farm, we’re seeing that heat finish the corn and soybeans, drying out the plants so the ears and pods can be harvested.
As we head into the final stretch, we’ll start seeing playoffs soon. I’ll cover the playoff scenarios for each team in Monday’s recap.
Player spotlight
Not many guys are found in the 15th round of the draft. In fact, arguably the Braves most notable 15th round pick was in the news in the last week as Mike Hessman set the minor league career home run record this last week. Congratulations to Mike from all of us at Tomahawk Take!
In the 15th round of this June’s draft, the Braves drafted a lightly heralded high schooler from North Carolina named Bradley Keller. While he played catcher in high school, the Braves immediately moved him to the outfield, and he’s shown good proficiency in the outfield for a guy fairly raw at the position. He’s played all three outfield positions, and his speed and arm make any of the three outfield spots a possibility long-term.
However, I’m not highlighting Keller because of his defense. In 30 games for the GCL Braves, Keller has shown power and speed offensively. He’s currently sitting with a .319/.377/.468 slash line with 3 home runs and 7 stolen bases on the season. Keller does have a concerning 8/32 bb/k rate, but from what I can gather from those who’ve seen him, a lot of his offensive game is raw, but very, very talent-laden. He’ll likely not be pushed hard up the ladder until he develops more plate discipline so he can turn those tools into skills both on offense and defense.
Enjoy this week’s report!
Next: Gwinnett Braves Report