Atlanta Braves Spring Chop: Acuna… and Hank Aaron??

We are now into the ‘dog days’ of Spring Training… the time when nagging injuries start to crop up and the ‘regular’ players in general are ready to go north. But there’s still work to do.

The Atlanta Braves are starting to add to an injury list that had featured one prominent name – Luiz Gohara. Based on Mark Bowman’s work, here is the state of things this morning:

• Gohara (ankle; no return before May)
• Johan Camargo (stiff back – oblique could be involved; about a week)
• Chase Whitley (staph infection/right heel; about a week)
• Ender Inciarte (day-to-day; likely back on the weekend; more here)

The good news comes in two parts: (a) that none of these are serious, but moreover, (b) neither of the pitcher injuries involve their arms.

In fact, the starting pitching has looked very strong thus far down through the 1-4 positions. That’s been particularly true with Mike Foltynewicz who breezed through 5 innings without allowing a hit, walking just 1, and striking out 5 Tigers. He still hasn’t given up a run this Spring.

Then there’s the hitting side

I was wondering the other day which prospect was hyped more upon reaching the majors in recent years:  Jason Heyward or Ronald Acuna, Jr.

I don’t have to wonder about that any more.

Former Braves leadoff man, speedster, and now scout Ralph Garr has done it… he has used the “A” label. Bowman recorded the event:

"If I put [the 20-year-old] Aaron and Acuna side by side, I think they would do the same thing,” Garr said. “Unless he gets injured or something, I think he has a chance to be in the Hall of Fame. I really do. … “"

Hooo boy…could we pump the brakes just a little here? But the scary part here is twofold: first, that Garr played with Aaron from 1968 until roughly the end of the Hammer’s career in 1975.

Now by the time 1968 rolled around, Aaron had already been in the majors for 14 seasons, so Garr – 12 years younger – would have missed the 20-year-old version of Aaron… though Garr likely would have known about Aaron’s most productive stretch from 1959 through 1965, and still saw (as a teammate) 3 Aaron seasons of 7+ fWAR in 1968-69 and again in 1971.

So as a scout, Garr has seen a lot of players; and as a player, he knows greatness on a firsthand basis. It’s not a comment to be dismissed out of hand. Yet I’d really hate to hang a comp like that onto anyone before they’ve played even their first major league game.

Of course Ralph Garr knows that, too. Yet he did it anyway.

Meanwhile, here’s yesterday’s shot, coutesy of FOX Sports and Jim Powell:

How far did that one go?  It’s a good question, for that’s getting to the downslope of that left field berm, on the centerfield side.

There’s a 385 marker on the fence that you can see in the video.  Based on that distance marker, the position of the guy trying to catch it (and he shorted the effort), and this satellite shot of the field, I laid out some lines that (conservatively) put that ball close to 15-20% further than the 385 mark:  I’m going with 450-455 feet.

Oh my.

Santana’s statement

I keep telling myself “but it’s still just Spring… the stats aren’t that good”.  Part of that is because I keep looking at Acuna’s ridiculous batting average and OPS (.417/1.217).

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Part of that is also from Danny Santana‘s work.  His numbers are now .371/.989 after a 2 for 4 day that included a homer.

You can view all of the Braves’ Spring numbers here, but this is developing into a bit of a contest here between Santana and Preston Tucker:

• Santana:  .371, 4RBI, 2 HR, 2 2B, 4 steals, 0 BB, 3 K, .989 OPS (35AB)
• Tucker:  .364, 5RBI, 1HR, 4 2B, 0 steals, 4 BB, 1K, 1.008 OPS (33 AB)

Then there’s Lane Adams, who basically just needed to show up and play decently to make the roster since he’s out of options, but instead, he seems to be playing himself out of a job, hitting just .216 with 15 strikeouts and no walks in 37 AB.  Not exactly what you want to see from a bench-role player.

Next: A little Holland-days Sauce?

TODAY:  the Braves are on the road already, heading to Bradenton (SW of Tampa) to face the Pirates.  1:05pm start per usual.