VTTW Board Index

Even after MLB took away two years worth of international signing classes, they still place 10 in Keith Law's top 100 prospects list, including #1 Ronald Acuna.  Interesting that Law includes a couple guys that haven't shown up on most other lists (Wilson, Fried) and omits a couple who have (Austin Riley, Kolby Allard). 

The future is bright.  I say one more rebuilding season, at the most.  If the young pitchers come around, they could even contend this year.

https://www.talkingchop.com/2018/1/23/16922634/ronald-acuna-keith-law-top-50-mlb-prospects-atlanta-braves

If they don't win the WS this year, you owe me 20 bucks!!!   :dielaughing:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rWjczu6b7BZ2QrajoUbkzbbOkZMk0Uv7gIjvbSdODMckTCDbTtwNFDPZdNR2usAoD7jOYXaJAL-AIlKi8maOPyHjwvpITiEzMjvzkEckZ27HZbK0WQsQLf0he9PNaIpejvdaODfKvSH4KpsrGvULON9xa1iERpRJyYS0ENYIYqaEgXsV8ulVmnGp-aZUoqUscEkcVmxOHBpw2t4W9z1NnSwhd7dQiN735lUJcyuZrqNXNDXFR-kuk74f62Y5S6Z-A6lvTMV0vZ3DbuWh-VgMGgKbRkjAd89dgugojfb-Cqxe8dll_SKPzCUseSzqdmbnCuZVyWnlnRlVyY7ahryrKK2iXOZhqgZze0bKvQ8EGCrkM3y3A28ouAVIPELdQ6kbseVB6x8JISKSYWAhosnuGJv59qnTxT2lNoIGmP8BbdG7n3rEDV7k1tF_spRNK1-XLxSsCiS59iB8O0scaNJONGxcN48FrwRQYzNn0KJe3xzKXoYgWjaglVnNP_2_5cuE4InjtdhkW4p7I_nHIc2sRzYIrWDH78gTmDAGhIzQq8Ohtefnyl7MbR_qzVkjMVv4jOHpkmoZ9qQ911V5_bD4HkaR93Q05Kv5baFN3CCB=w973-h603-no)

If they win, I guess I will buy you a Playstation 5. :laugh:

I saw a lot of the Braves App Rookie League Danville team last summer.  The son of a close friend - kid was an All State QB at Powell High and a 2 time All America catcher at ETSU - Hagen Owenby was on that team.  Watch about a dozen of their games in 2017.

A player to watch from that group is a kid named Drew Waters, who is from the Atlanta area and was the Braves' second round pick out of high school last June.  Not saying he is another Chipper, but I saw Chipper as a minor leaguer and Waters physically is very much where Chipper was at the same point.  Waters is a switch hitter and was rated as a 5 tool guy prior to the draft.  Be interesting to see where he lands this spring - if they start him at low A Rome or send him on to high A Florida.  

Same with Hagen.  He was the best defensive catcher on that Danville team.  He struggled with the bat late in the year, but he was physically worn out by that point.  He caught way too many games at ETSU last spring before he ever got to Danville.  

Sux that there no longer is a Richmond Braves team.  That was not too far from me.  It also sux that you can't really watch the Braves on TBS like you used to be able to.  I guess if I keep on ranting, I will eventually shout, "GET OFF MY LAWN!"  Why do things always have to change for the worse???  Yes, I'm old.  :biggrin:  Maybe I'll fork over a little money so I can watch more Braves games this year.  I think I'm getting rid of the NFL pkg next time around.  Is there a cheap way to stream Braves games online now?  I haven't even looked into it.

Glad to see Hagen making progress

Everyone in the organization is very high on Waters.  The only reason he's not showing up on these prospect lists at this point is that he wasn't a first round pick, and his small sample size as a pro.  But if he can duplicate last year's production over a full season, he should start to see some more notoriety.

The guy to watch this year is Christian Pache.  He has Acuna-like potential if he can develop his power tool.  Everything else is already there, and most scouts expect him to eventually develop into a 20-25 HR guy in MLB.  He's already being called the best defensive OF at any level of pro ball.

LOL- not this year.  But soon. :naughty:

I sat with Waters' Dad at a couple of D-Braves games.  He talked about their draft experience.  

Basically, the Braves told Waters they were going to take him with the 5th pick and the deal had pretty much been done until Kyle Wright unexpectedly fell to the 5th pick and they opted to take him.  Through the rest of the first round, several teams called, but the Waters were sticking to their number telling teams that it would take that number or Drew would go play at UGA.  

Then the Braves called again before the second round started and Drew decided that he was ready to go play baseball and not go to UGA, so they agreed on a number and the Braves took him with the 5th pick in the second round.  Ended up being about $4 million less than what they expected to get in the first round, but Dad said that they felt like the potential was there for Drew to get through the system quickly and not risk injury in college baseball.  

Really quite interesting to hear the take of one who has been through the pressure cooker of the pre-draft workouts and draft day for a potential high pick.

And by the way, Waters' Dad was part of the Bill Curry Black Watch Defense with Ted Roof and Pat Swilling at Georgia Tech.  He was a defensive lineman on that team.
  

The big question now is how many of these guys are going to get dealt in the next couple years.  They were trying to swing a deal for Christian Yelich, but the Marlins insisted that any deal would have to include Acuna, and the Braves rightly told them to go pound sand (interesting that NOW they want top-flight prospects for these guys after basically giving Giancarlo Stanton away to Jeter's old team for nothing other than salary relief).  But I still expect them to make a big deal or two before the season starts.  Specifically for an OF and/or a veteran SP.  And they could also dip into the free agent market for a 3B like Todd Frazier.

Farragut grad Phillip Pfeifer invited to the Braves big league spring training  camp.  

https://twitter.com/Braves/status/956965156264841229

I do miss them being on WTBS all the time. Grew up watching them.

So, nevermind.

The Braves unveiled their new mascot today.  Their big, furry, phallic-symbol-in-a-jersey of a mascot.  And it's sapped all the optimism out of me.  No team with this...thing is ever reaching the postseason again. :frown:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DUkURmlUQAEPGUB.jpg:small)

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/look-braves-new-mascot-blooper-bears-a-striking-resemblance-to-phillie-phanatic/

UGH!”

I say they give a big middle finger to the PC crowd and bring back Chief Knockahoma, complete with his tepee in left field. :naughty:

(http://savannahnow.com/sites/default/files/images/article/photos/BCN0526HISTORY.jpg)

Why?  Just why?   :banghead:

Hayull YES!  Bring back Big Star markets while they're at it......

The Chief is not PC.  Won't ever happen again.