The Rome Braves, the club’s High-A affiliate, has followed suit of both the AAA and AA team as they also had a really rough start to the year, but have managed to rattle off quite a few wins of late and are now sitting at 14-16. And while there is not a lot to celebrate in terms of individual numbers, there are several that are really catching eyes and likely due a promotion.
Rome Braves Players of the Month: Hitters
- Adam Zebrowski: 99 PAs, 6HR, 9 2B, 16 BB, 24K, 1.041 OPS.
- Drake Baldwin: 108 PAs, 5 HR, 5 2B, 20 BB, 23K, .874 OPS
- Ignacio Alvarez: 131 PAs, 5 2B, 30 BB, 17K, .795 OPS (carried by an astounding .458 OBP)
Zebrowski and Baldwin, both catchers, are splitting time between C and DH and it’s paying dividends for both. The Braves seem dead set on keeping their catchers as catchers and have not even explored 1B for either Zebrowski or Baldwin. Both players are 22 and who gets the push to Double-A first will likely tell who the org values most. As of now, it’s hard to not be impressed by both.
Ignacio Alvarez split time between SS and 3B last year in rookie ball. However, this year he’s been all shortstop which shows what the org thinks about his glove. While there’s still very little power in his bat, he makes up for it with a keen eye and an insatiable ability to get on base. He runs pretty well, but I don’t think he’ll be a guy that is green-lit every time he gets on. While I’m not as high on him as most due to the lack of thump in the bat, I do think he ends up in the Majors and his power or lack thereof will likely be deciding factor for his role.
Rome Braves Players of the Month: Pitchers
- Hunter Riggins: 23.1 IP, 15H, 10BB, 27K, 3.09 ERA
- Patrick Halligan: 14.1 IP, 10H, 5BB, 19K, 1.26 ERA
- Tyler Owens: 15.1 IP, 15H, 4BB, 19K, 3.52 ERA
Riggins, Halligan, and Tyler “Looks Homeless” Owens are all having strong starts to the season. However…they SHOULD be having strong starts at High-A considering their ages of 24, 23, and 22. Both Riggins and Halligan were drafted by other clubs and made way to the Braves this year while Owens is in his 4th year with the team. I need to see more from all 3, especially at an advanced level, before I can start believing.
Thanks for reading our Rome Braves Players of the Month. If you missed them, you can find Gwinnett’s Players of the Month and Mississippi Braves Players of the Month by clicking on the links.
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