Atlanta Braves Minor League Review: Carolina Mudcats
Atlanta Braves Minor League Review: Carolina Mudcats
The Mudcats finished the season over .500 at 71-68. The definitive moment of their season came May 12th when the team bus was in an accident, resulting in several players missing extended time. The Mudcats were one of the best teams in the minor leagues at the time of the crash, and that the team ended the season over .500 took some great play to finish out the season. Today, we’ll look at the standout Carolina offensive players this season:
Catchers/Infielders
Johan Camargo‘s offense wouldn’t land him on any list, and many would look at his 24 errors and assume there’s not much there defensively. However, the latter argument is certainly incorrect. Camargo’s got exceptional range at shortstop with a great arm, and he knows this, so he frequently attempts throws that he should just put in his pocket once he gets to a ball that nearly no one else could even get to. Camargo’s offensive skills are certainly not strong, as he put up a .258/.315/.335 line offensively with only one home run and four stolen bases. Camargo may max out as a defensive-minded org-filler type of shortstop, but guys like this often pop up once the bat catches hold, like Daniel Castro did this season, so keep an eye on Camargo.
Carlos Franco has flown under the radar within the Braves system for most of his 7 seasons since signing in 2008 out of the Dominican Republic. He’s a lefty-hitting third baseman whose flashed bat skills but never put it together until 2015. At Carolina in 2015, he put up a .254/.347/.403 line with 30 doubles, 3 triples, and 11 home runs. For a guy with solid power, he keeps his strikeouts in check to a pretty solid degree, whiffing at a respectable 20.38% rate. His defense won’t have anyone predicting Gold Glove at third, but he’s turned himself into a very solid defender after some early struggles. Franco’s moved slowly through the rookie levels and repeated Rome in 2013-2014, but he showed in 2015 that he’s ready to move up in the system, so he should start in Mississippi in 2016 as a 24 year-old.
The Braves plucked Joseph Odom from Huntingdon College in the 13th round of the 2013 draft. From day one, his bat was known to have holes, but he had a good reputation behind the plate. He showed to camp this year in tremendous shape, and the season showed that his added conditioning really did great things for his power. Now, his overall line isn’t stunning at .222/.285/.403, but his .181 ISO is one of the highest in the Braves system this year. If he put up a line like that in the majors with his solid defensive chops, he’d have a long career as a backup (see: Henry Blanco). Odom is no spring chicken, but typically catchers age at a different rate compared to other positions. We’ll see how he handles AA in 2016 most likely, but he’s one of the Braves’ representatives in the Arizona Fall League, so take the time to get a look at him there.
Jake Schrader got a promotion to AAA Gwinnett for an end-season playoff push, but I’m going to include him with Carolina as he only had 8 plate appearances in AAA. Schrader was the Braves’ 27th round selection in 2013 out of the University of Tampa. At 24, he’s been old for his level at each step, but he’s done nothing but hit fairly well with the Braves system. His overall line this year was .264/.312/.470 with 15 home runs and 59 RBI. Schrader offers next to nothing defensively, and his 21/104 BB/K ratio could use improvement, but as long as he continues to swing a powerful right-handed stick, he’ll keep getting pushed up the system. He should start next season with AA Mississippi.
Next: Carolina Outfielders