Atlanta Braves top 50 midseason prospects – AAA and MLB
The Atlanta Braves have an impressive farm system still, even after a few graduations. Who are the top 50 prospects in the system as we hit midseason?
Welcoming Benjamin Chase back to Tomahawk Take means that you will get plenty of minor league coverage of your Atlanta Braves on site. We are going to open with a midseason top 50 list, but this will be a different method than you’re likely used to on other places that put together a mid-season list.
Rather than present a list number by number with quick profiles of each number, we will be presenting the profiles of all those players who are seriously considered for the top 50, right now over 80 players in total, and then on Friday, we will cover the list itself. Here’s what the preliminary schedule will look like:
Monday – AAA and MLB prospects
Tuesday – AA prospects
Wednesday – low-A and high-A prospects
Thursday – Rookie ball prospects
Friday – Top 50 list
We will start with a couple of guys who I will not be considering simply because I foresee them both losing their rookie eligibility very soon.
Max Fried, LHP
Fried has the type of stuff that would work well in both a starter and relief role, but the Atlanta Braves still haven’t figured out which they would prefer him in. Frankly, with his height, curveball, and mid-90s fastball, Fried could be a similar pitcher to Andrew Miller in the bullpen, working multiple innings with excellence.
So far this year, Fried has pitched 9 games with the major league club, 4 of them starts, with a 3.38 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, posting a 16/34 BB/K ratio over 26 2/3 innings. The strikeout rate has been impressive, but his walk rate is still needing polishing.
Luiz Gohara, LHP
Way too many Braves fans (and media, sadly) are ripping on the struggles that Gohara has seen at the big league level, blaming them on his size or, worse, on a lack of commitment.
Gohara lost his father in the offseason and spent time early this season traveling home to be with his mother, who he thought was also going to pass. For any (at the time) 21 year old, that’d be plenty to take your mind off your job, whether it’s throwing a baseball or accounting.
Gohara’s quick ascension in 2017 put in the mind of many that he would have immediate major league success, but as we saw with Sean Newcomb, sometimes it takes time for a player to get his feel at the major league level. Gohara’s fastball and slider are both still elite, so there’s plenty to still dream on.
So, Gohara and Fried won’t be on the list…let’s look at some guys who will be!