PHILADELPHIA – Dynamic outfielder Ronald Acuna leads a deep group of eight Braves prospects who will play in this year’s Arizona Fall League, the best array of talent that the organization has sent to the league in recent years.
Joining Acuna from the Braves will be pitchers Touki Toussaint, Max Fried, Josh Graham and Corbin Clouse; third baseman Austin Riley, catcher Alex Jackson and outfielder Anfernee Seymour. Braves prospects will play for the Peoria Javelinas along with prospects from the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Mariners and Padres.
Double-A Mississippi Braves manager Luis Salazar will manage the Javelinas.
The six-team AFL begins play Oct. 10 and has its all-star game Nov. 4 and league championship game Nov. 18.
Acuna, 19, is the top prospect in the Braves organization and the No. 10 overall prospect in Baseball America’s midseason top 100. That makes him the second-highest rated prospect penciled in for the AFL, behind Nationals outfield prospect Victor Robles, who’ll play for the Mesa Solar Sox.
Robles was No. 8 in BA’s midseason prospects list. Astros outfield prospect Kyle Tucker, who was rated 11th, will also play for Mesa.
Acuna is considered a leading candidate for various minor league player of the year awards. He hit a combined .325 with a .374 OBP, .901 OPS, 58 extra-base hits (eight triples, 20 home runs) and 42 stolen bases in 131 games across three minor league levels before Tuesday, and has improved his statistics at each level as he’s moved up the Braves’ minor league system.
The youngest player in Triple-A baseball, Acuna had a .347 average and .960 OPS with eight homers in 46 games for Gwinnett before Tuesday. He’s expected to compete at spring training for a spot on the Braves’ opening-day roster.
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