Five Atlanta Braves September call-ups you should be excited for

Roster expansion season is almost among us. Although the Braves probably won’t be calling guys up for the purpose of fighting for a playoff berth, there are still a few reasons to get excited for the Braves’ wave of September call-ups.

The 2017 season has been about what everyone expected so far for the Atlanta Braves. No one was really expecting this club to contend for even a Wild Card spot, although being at or around the .500 mark was fun while it lasted. What some have been expecting, however, is a small glimpse at the future once the rosters expand on September 1st.

Here are 5 guys I think could get the call to Atlanta this September, and why you should be excited to watch them play:

1. Ronald Acuña – OF

I’m gonna go ahead and get this one out of the way. I’ve said before that Ronald Acuña should finish the season at AAA, but I can’t continue to argue that after the numbers he’s put up in Gwinnett. A .328/.400/.560 slash line in AAA, even through just 31 games, will get you just about anywhere you need to go, including Atlanta.

The only thing potentially holding Acuña back is the fact that he’s 19 years-old. That can scare some away from the thought of him racking up MLB service time at just 19, but it’s time to get the kid in an Atlanta Braves uniform. Period. The Braves have two 40-man roster spots open for the taking, and I’m willing to bet my last dollar that Ronald Acuña fills one of them.

2. Akeel Morris – RP

We saw Akeel Morris back in July, and he honestly never should have been sent back down to Gwinnett. The righty posted a 1.23 ERA in his 8 appearances with Atlanta, and while he walked a few guys, he showed off his ability to miss bats and put guys away with his devastating change-up.

Morris – who is already on the 40-man list – was scoreless through his first 6 MLB appearances, and gave up the lone run of his brief stint in a multi-inning appearance.  Akeel Morris will get more work in with the Braves this September, and should be  part of the 2018 Opening Day roster.

3. Rio Ruiz – 3B

The Atlanta Braves need a third baseman. While Rio Ruiz wasn’t a superstar, or even fairly decent when he was called up earlier this year, it won’t hurt to see what he can do in the big leagues for another month. Rio’s got a lot of talent, and I’d hate to see it wasted simply because he didn’t get opportunities to prove himself.

Don’t let this year’s numbers fool you: Rio can play ball.  An average of .196 in AAA since being sent down isn’t going to get him a ton of playing time when he’s called up, but if he can make the most of what he does get, he could squeeze himself into a roster spot next season.

4. Kris Medlen – SP/RP

Kris Medlen isn’t exactly a young “up-and-comer” like the rest of the guys on this list. Medlen has seen the good, the bad and the ugly on all levels, but the 31-year-old hasn’t been terrible in Atlanta’s minor league system this year.

Medlen’s 5.48 ERA in Gwinnett isn’t as discouraging as it normally would be. He’s allowing just a hair under 2 walks per 9 innings, and has 62 strikeouts in 69 innings. If Kris Medlen can maintain this type of control and get into a good rhythm in the big leagues, he could be a valuable veteran piece to the bullpen in the coming years.  He would need to be added to the 40-man to join the big club.

5. Jesse Biddle – RP

Jesse Biddle is a reclamation project of sorts. Once a top-ranked prospect with the Phillies, Biddle’s journey to the MLB was put on hold to undergo Tommy John surgery in 2015, and was subsequently traded to the Pirates. The Braves claimed Biddle off of waivers after he was DFA’d by the Pirates while recovering from surgery in 2016.

In AA this year, Biddle has pitched to a 2.90 ERA in 27 appearances. He’s seen reverse splits this year, with righties batting just .194 against him while lefties are batting an even .400 off of the 25-year-old lefty. Biddle is already a member of the Atlanta Braves’ 40-man roster, so a September 1st call-up is almost certain. Braves fans should be excited for Biddle’s arrival.

Next: Do the Braves REALLY have the best farm system in baseball?

Sure, the more exciting prospects likely won’t make their MLB debuts until next year or later (with the hopeful exception of Acuña), but Atlanta Braves fans can still get excited for what young talent we will get to experience this year.

Biddle and Medlen could be key bullpen pieces over the next couple of years, and any Braves fan should be rooting for Rio to catch fire to avoid any unnecessary spending in the offseason.