What’s there to say? Threat Level: Barves.
Mike Foltynewicz didn’t have it. At one point, 16 of 22 hitters were started off with a first pitch strike. He got several 0-2 counts. He just couldn’t finish them off. The Rockies have some good hitters. They continued to prove that against Luke Jackson, and while Max Fried had a couple good innings, he gave up a home run of his own to Trevor Story.
Inexplicably, however, Rex Brothers was able to strike out the side in his only inning of work, probably because the Rockies hitters had mercy on us. But good to see him get some good work in in garbage duty.
Not that it would have mattered, but the hitters turned in a bad night too. They scratched out a couple runs started by Offensive Spark Plug Max Fried‘s walk. But it’s pretty easy to see why the offense struggles, even in Coors Field, when the lineup’s OPSes flow thusly: .736, .751, 1.046, .757, .835, .611, .550, .598. We’re missing Matt Kemp, sure, and the bottom two are Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson, who are being allowed to cut their teeth at the big league level, but it’s hard to have high expectations for this offense.
It’s getting to be a long, hot summer.
Rob,
Thanks for “taking out the garbage” for all of us.
To fangraphs updated 100 on previous thread, add Maitan at 67 for 10 of the top 100.
Reposting Cliff’s JC’ed post:
Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs has his midseason top 100 prospects up.
Braves:
5. Acuna
12. Albies
21. Wright
42. Gohara
65. Allard
69. Anderson
72. Soroka
74. Wentz
100 Pache
Ozzie hits too many fly balls and Dansby’s back foot still hasn’t been addressed
Counting blessings, it was nice to turn in early. Thanks, Rob. Perfectly expressed, Cliff @1.
Albies is comically overrated. Sorry. But just, no.
@5
So, Chief, if you were to write his report card would you give him all B’s?
Pache is top 100??? 100 what? Players that will OPS .600 in AAA?
Ozzie Albies
he’s funny so don’t you all tease
apology likely accepted
logic summarily rejected.
Chief..you know that old Elton John song, ‘Sorry seems to be the Hardest Word’?
Whenever i heard it i would think of you – stern, unequivocal critic of various elements within our poor team yet, always, i thought i saw a certain guilt, you wanted to apologize at the same time as you were slamming on the rancor. Such sensitivity but still it never happened. Until today. A great day for us all.
Let’s give Ozzie a little more time before throwing in the towel shall we? Mike Trout’s first year (40 games) .220/.281/.390, Ozzie won’t turn into to Mike Trout, but you can’t say anything about a player based on their first 14 games.
On another note, it’s a shame Snit keeps starting Danny Santana over Lane Adams.
Some Klaw insight:
Jon: Has Bryse Wilson always been this good or is he more of a pop-up prospect? I know it’s hard to get pub in the Braves’ loaded system.
Keith Law: I wrote him quite positively back in March, because they had cleaned up his delivery and he was throwing a better breaking ball. That’s improved even more since then.
Bob: Enough data on Kevin Maitan for a better read at this point?
Keith Law: I don’t think so – bumping him up to the Appy League at 17 clouds the data.
Bret: Has your future outlook for Dansby Swanson changed at all based on his struggles this season?
Keith Law: No. Plenty of good players struggled in their first time through the majors. I try to always avoid that kind of recency bias, because it’s so easy to fall into that trap.
Adam: Has Christian Pache’s lack of power output affected his prospect status in any major way? Has his realistic ceiling dropped because of it?
Keith Law: He’s 18 years old in the Sally League, and he looks about 16. Not only is the question – or I guess the implication? – an overreaction, I think that Pache will end up a 20 HR guy in the majors. He still has to grow into his body.
NYTT: Joey Wentz has been getting great results in Rome. I know you spoke weeks ago about wanting to see better pure stuff, but is he a guy that already has realistic MOR upside and can be more if he adds a couple mph through natural projection?
Keith Law: No, I’d probably drop a half-grade on everything you said there. He’s fine, but doesn’t have Wilson’s upside.
Christian Pache
100, same as would have been Liberace
no glittering candelabras, multi tier
rather an ongoing attempt to hit-just one-out of here.
FREE ACUNA!
Ronald Acuna
is currently a consumer
of our fantasy thought
bearing in mind the 100K with which he was bought.
7 — I have to agree that Lane Adams is a better player than Danny Santana and should be starting over him. And Adams is still young enough to where it would be nice to know if he is a legitimate 4th OF going forward.
#10 – Agreed. The FO loves players like Santana, Bonifacio, and Constanza. Not sure why.
Lead-off walk for Inciarte. Let’s cash it in.
Aaaaand Phillips lines out on the first pitch after Ender walked on four straight.
Kemp would’ve had that.
OK. I have also seen enough of Santana. Free LAdams
I was under the impression that Sims had better stuff. After seeing him several times now I am rather underwhelmed. And his command isn’t going to be good enough to keep him in the rotation when Allard and Soroka arrive.
Not sure on Sims. It’s apparent our young starters so far can’t throw strikes at this level.
He has 4-5 mediocre pitches. His 4 seamer and 2 seamer are about 45-50, curveball a 50, changeup is about a 45-50, slider a 45. He is going to have to find a way to be completely unpredictable with his arsenal and be really good with location.
Babe Inciarte.
And Babe Freeman.
Sims would have to be an odd man out at some point. Not to say he won’t be a major league starter, and thus a good trade piece, but one would assume the Braves have to be considering exercising Dickey’s option, using their high minors trade pieces to land a TOR starter, and riding with Teheran, Newcomb, and Folty. Dickey could turn into Colon, sure, but it seems Dickey is as good of a bet as any to provide at least 5th starter quality pitching, and the Braves probably owe it to themselves to guarantee that. Teheran, Newcomb, and Folty all have the potential to provide a 4 WAR season, which would put them in that hallowed top-30 in WAR aka a #1 starter. After all, Teheran was 25th in fWAR just last season. I just don’t see Sims fitting into that equation. Then, of course, you have Fried, Gohara, Allard, and Soroka. A lot better than throwing out there John Gant, Ryan Weber, Joel De La Cruz, etc.
From what I’ve seen Sims is a BOR type. He will probably have to win a rotation spot in Spring Training against a random veteran since Soroka, Allard, and Gohara need a year in Triple A (plus Allard and Gohara’s innings counts are still being built up). I imagine that Dickey, Folty, Teheran, and Newcomb’s spots for next year are pretty safe as of today.
Speaking of Gohara and Allard, both of them are well over their previous career high in innings pitched this year. I wonder if the Braves will shut either down before the end of the minor league season.
Albies and Swanson are having good games.
Didn’t watch the game. Sims line score looks good…did he wind up looking okay?
Another blowout 10-2 Rockies .. HEY WAIT DOES THAT SAY 10-2 Bravos??? WHAT WHAT WHAT .. LOL ..
I see JJ is his typical self …
23 — He was ok, considering it’s Coors. Topped out at 92 MPH, sat at 90-91. Mixed his pitches well.
Nothing 10 runs won’t cure.
Teheran, Sims, and Newcomb all pitched well in Coors. Trade all of ’em to Colorado for Nolan Arenado?
Gwinnett is in the 4th inning. Acuna has hit another bomb and Rio Ruiz has two.
Very interesting analysis over at TC by Ivan:
“Rookies and AAA Plate Appearances: Does it Matter for Hitters?”
http://tinyurl.com/ycyjvk8k
His conclusion:
“After all that, I can conclude that most rookies are still playing in AAA, and the virtue of playing in AAA (or not) does not really portend success, failure, disaster, or any particular role for any specific player.”
@34
It doesn’t really matter
be you pitcher or a batter
ITG will surely spot you
and in a flash he’ll plot you
the triple A at bat
and what that does entail
is his currency of choice
the favored Holy Grail
connecting all the dots
and the data from his bots
you’re hoping they will flatter
but it doesn’t really matter.
Recapped