Atlanta Braves’ Winter League performance wrapup
With baseball’s winter leagues coming to an end we take a look at the Atlanta Braves players who played in winter leagues this offseason.
The Atlanta Braves had several players participate in winter leagues this season.
You don’t typically see big-name players participating in these leagues, but this is usually for either up-and-coming prospects or players hanging on to showcase and improve their skills during the offseason.
For those in the Caribbean League, it’s often more about pride for your respective country, and it’s why they play some of the most entertaining games in the offseason.
Most fans here in the state are familiar with the Arizona Fall League where the Braves sent four hitters and four pitchers this offseason. Let’s start there…
Arizona Fall League
Christian Pache was the headliner in Arizona where he hit .279 with 14 runs scored in 86 at-bats and was widely acknowledged as a defensive standout.
Braxton Davidson made headlines by hitting a walk-off homer in the championship game … and then nearly break his foot in the process.
Izzy Wilson did not help himself in the AFL hitting just .209 in 43 at-bats. Ray-Patrick Didder hit .228 in 57 at-bats with 7 runs scored and 5 stolen bases.
Braves pitchers were very good in the AFL.
Thomas Burrows had a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings pitched with 13 strikeouts coming out of the bullpen. He is currently ranked as the team’s 19th best prospect by MLB.com, and after a solid 2018 season in Double-A, he could push for major league time in 2019.
Kyle Muller, the Braves 12th ranked prospect, posted a 2.53 ERA in the AFL with 15 strikeouts in 10.2 innings pitched out of the bullpen. He finished the 2018 season in Double-A and is quickly moving up the ranks of starting pitching prospects for the Braves.
Jeremy Walker did not have a good showing in the AFL with a 8.14 ERA in six starts with just 9 strikeouts in 21 innings.
Adam McCreery had solid AFL, but was traded to the Dodgers for cash this offseason.