Top Braves prospect Cristian Pache was to have made his major-league debut Wednesday, beginning what should be a long tenure in the Truist Park outfield, but the game was rained out.
Pache was to start in left field and bat ninth against the Nationals. The 21-year-old was promoted Tuesday afternoon, when the long-anticipated call interrupted his workout at the team’s alternate training site in Gwinnett.
“I was in the middle of BP, shagging balls, and they called me over,” Pache said via team interpreter Franco Garcia. “They played a practical joke on me at first, and I didn’t know what was going on, but then they broke the news to me that I’d gotten the call. At the time, I was just overwhelmed with emotion.”
In his first time speaking with reporters since spring training, Pache repeatedly referenced his own gratitude and his family’s joyfulness. He called his mother after learning he’d be a major leaguer.
“She immediately gave a loud scream when she heard the news,” he said. “The rest of my family was there, too, screaming and jumping up and down. Everyone was very excited and happy for me.”
After packing his personal items, an “overwhelmed” Pache said it took about 35 to 45 minutes to get to Truist Park from Lawrenceville. He obviously wasn’t going to be rushed into Tuesday’s lineup, but manager Brian Snitker indicated following the game that Pache would get the nod Wednesday.
Pache, who’s a natural center fielder, made his debut in left. Adam Duvall handled right field while Ender Inciarte was in center. While he’s struggled throughout the season, Inciarte went 3-for-3 with a walk Tuesday, and Snitker said he’s been encouraged by his at-bats lately. Marcell Ozuna, usually in left, was the designated hitter. The versatile Ronald Acuna is on the injured list.
“We’re giving (Pache) the biggest field other than center to run around in,” Snitker said. “Adam has played this wall here more in right field. We’re taking advantage of (Pache’s) defensive skills more in left than in right.”
Eventually, be it this season or next, center field will belong to Pache. His defensive excellence has drawn comparisons with mentor and Braves icon Andruw Jones, who called Pache on Tuesday to congratulate him.
“We stay in constant communication,” Pache said of Jones, who won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves with the Braves. “He congratulated me yesterday. I feel very grateful to be compared to a legendary player like Andruw Jones.”
The elite defense is why Pache has been highly regarded for several years. Generally considered minor league’s best defensive outfielder, Pache was considered likely to crack the majors this year despite the Braves’ glut of outfielders entering the season.
“His defensive talents are what really stand out,” Snitker said. “Just the progression he’s made. The maturity we’ve seen from this kid from three years ago when he started coming to spring training. He’s bigger, stronger. The ball is starting to jump off his bat better. … Everybody who sees him is impressed with this kid and his talents. I’m excited to watch him.”
Pache has filled out his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame. His power development has jumped out: He’s gone from zero to eight to 12 homers across the past three seasons. At his peak, scouts believe Pache could be a 20, maybe even 30-homer bat.
“During the offseasons, I’ve put in a tremendous amount of work on my swings,” Pache said. “That was really the big difference. Just trying to work on my swing and put a lot of working into it to be able to drive it into the gaps and hit it with force.”
That’s where the greatest intrigue lies with the Braves’ No. 1 prospect. His floor is apparent. Pache is going to be a high-level defender with plus speed. Where his offense settles will determine how great he could be.
Baseball America listed Pache as the sport’s second-best center-field prospect behind Luis Robert of the White Sox. The publication graded Pache’s athletic ability, base running, outfield defense and arm the best in the Braves’ system.
One area to watch is base stealing. Snitker described it as a “priority” in his development. Despite Pache’s athletic ability, he went only 8-for-19 on steals last season. That will be an important element to watch as he develops in the majors, especially considering there’s only so much one can learn at the alternate sites (“They don’t even have cardboard cutouts there,” Snitker said).
Braves followers have dreamed of an outfield featuring Acuna and Pache for years. It won’t happen just yet, with Acuna sidelined until perhaps the weekend, but it’s in clear sight. The Braves hope they’ve found an outfield duo to take them through the 2020s.
Not that fans will need the extra push, but when they’re allowed back in stadiums, Pache promises they’ll get their money’s worth.
“I just like to think of myself as a fun ballplayer who works really hard and puts maximum effort out there,” he said. “I’d like to think that I put on that kind of performance where I leave it all on the field, and hopefully make the fans come back and watch again.”
