Atlanta Braves continue adding prospects, rebuilding system

Nine players drafted by the Atlanta Braves remain unsigned or unconfirmed, but the Braves continue to add new names to their system.

Before addressing the Atlanta Braves latest signing, here’s a quick update on bonus numbers for players already on board.

The MLB Draft Tracker sprung to life and Friday and showed a broad and curious range of checks written.

Only one player exceeded his slot money:  Justin Yeager got a check for $137,500, taking a $12,500 bite out of the remaining early round MLB draft allowance.

Andy Samuelson LHRP from round 12, Conner Blair OF from round 15,  Alec Barger RHP from round 17, Peyton Williams RHP taken in round 21, and Alex Segal a LHP and round 22 selection, all signed at their slot maximum of $125,000.

The Atlanta Braves choice in round #28, RHP Chad Bryant, banked a cool $100,000, then they signed four guys who really wanted a shot at a Major League career.

Signing for $5000 were:

• Mitch Calandra catcher – round 30,
• Greg Leban RHP – round 31, and
• David Schwab LHP, – round 37

Only outfielder Willie Carter coaxed more from the Braves, banking a $20,000 check.

Atlanta Braves new SS prospect

On Saturday the Braves inked Garrett Saunders, a shortstop out of Central College in Pella, Iowa.

Saunders graduated from Van Buren High School in Keosauqua, IA, then moved to Central.

According to the  Central News, the 5-11, 185-pound RHH played three years for The Dutch. He’s a two-time Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-District selectee, ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region honoree,

In 2018 he garnered a first-team D3 baseball.com all-region nod.

Statistics courtesy Central College.

Saunders played two years of ball for the Thunder Bay (Ontario) Border Cats in the Northwoods (wooden bat) league and took part in an Atlanta Braves pre-draft showcase in Cedar Rapids this May.

"He performed pretty well there,” coach Matt Schirm said. “I thought he had a chance to get drafted. . .He’s very talented, but there are a lot of players (are) the way he competes and carries himself on the field is what stands out . . . A lot of guys have higher numbers . . . he figures out a way to compete. . .Saunders says he wants a career in medicine, but that can wait until his baseball career is over."

The Braves assigned Saunders to Danville. He didn’t play tonight, but Cody Milligan (2-5, RBI run), Brandon Parker (1-5), Bryce Ball (3-5, homer, 2 RBI, 2 runs), Mitch Calandra (2-4, run), Cody Birdsong (0-2), Alex Barger (one inning,one hit three walks, two strikeouts), and Tanner Gordon (one inning, three strikeouts).

That’s a wrap

The Atlanta Braves prospect signing binge continues. With one player definitely not signing and three high school players unlikely to sign, the team moved quickly fill those vacancies.

The two international signings I mentioned in my last post and Saunders fill three of those four vacancies. I can’t imagine the signing incentives provide were significant considering the amounts given to some of the late round draftees.

If replenishing the system headed their to-do list, I think they can mark that one complete. Now we wait to see how they perform.

The group at Danville are doing okay, and Shea Langeliers notched his first hit, a home run, Saturday night as well. Here’s hoping we see more of the same!