Atlanta Braves scouting report on Cristian Pache
The Atlanta Braves have multiple impressive young center fielders in their farm system, but one could contend for a Gold Glove right now!
The Atlanta Braves have built a tremendous farm system based on pitching, defense, and finding overlooked skills. However, Cristian Pache is a case of a top-money signee turning into exactly what he was hoped to be when he was signed.
Player Profile
Considered one of the top prospects in the 2015 international free agent class, the Atlanta Braves signed Cristian Pache for a $1.4 million bonus, the highest they gave out in that year’s class, signing him out of the Dominican Republic.
Pache began his Atlanta Braves career with the Gulf Coast League in 2016, and he performed well enough to earn his way to advanced rookie Danville, where he actually put up better numbers than with the GCL. He hit .309/.349/.391 with 4 doubles, 7 triples, 11 steals, a 5.5% walk rate, and a 10.2% strikeout rate.
He was promoted to the Atlanta Braves low-A affiliate in Rome for his first full-season league in 2017. He spent the entire year with Rome, hitting .281/.335/.343 with 13 doubles, 8 triples, and 32 stolen bases. He posted a 7.6% walk rate and a 20.2% strikeout rate.
The Atlanta Braves had a 19-year-old Pache open the 2018 season in high-A Florida. He played well enough to earn a promotion to AA Mississippi. Overall, he hit .279/.307/.410 with 23 doubles, 6 triples, 9 home runs, and 7 stolen bases. He posted a 4% walk rate and a 19.6% strikeout rate.
He was an Atlanta Braves representative in the Arizona Fall League this past fall. With Peoria, he hit .279/.323/.360 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, and 3 stolen bases. He posted a 6.4% walk rate and a 19.1% strikeout rate.
He was ranked the #85 prospect by Baseball America this offseason, the #37 prospect with MLB Pipeline, and the #62 prospect with Baseball Prospectus.