Is Catcher Prospect Carson Kelly The Answer For The Atlanta Braves?
By Alex Burke
When the St. Louis Cardinals extended catcher Yadier Molina’s contract another three years at $20 million per, Cardinals’ top catching prospect Carson Kelly’s path to the majors became murky. Should the Braves do what it takes to make Kelly the Atlanta Braves’ catcher of the future?
The Atlanta Braves are unquestionably thin at catcher, both in the majors and even in what is the highest ranked farm system in baseball.
Looking through MLB.com’s top-30 Braves’ prospect rankings, the first catcher doesn’t appear until #23, and it’s Alex Jackson, whom the Braves just moved back to the position after being converted to the outfield in Seattle’s system.
While the low-risk, high-reward Alex Jackson project could come to fruition in Atlanta at some point, it can’t be expected, and the Braves should be looking over some of the options that are on the table currently.
One of those options is Carson Kelly.
Let’s break this down, for there’s a lot to consider.