The Braves’ stockpile of top pitching prospects received plenty of attention in the first three years of the ongoing rebuilding project, but the team also has assembled a growing inventory of position-player prospects, including a trio of hitters with big-time power potential.
Outfield phenom Ronald Acuna, third-base prospect Austin Riley and catching prospect Alex Jackson give the Braves a trio of young power-hitting prospects unlike any the team has had since Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward were coming up through the minors.
Neither Freeman, who has hit more than 20 homers in five of his seven major league seasons, nor Heyward, who had 27 homers in his age-22 major league season, ever hit as many homers in a minor league season as any of the current trio of power prospects hit in 2017 in the minors.
Evan Gattis did, but he was 24 years old when he hit 22 homers at low Single-A Rome in 2011.
Former Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, one of the best power-hitting switch-hitters of all time, said Acuna, Riley and Jackson all could hit at least 20 homers annually for the Braves when they get to the majors.
"And that's what this team sorely needs," said Jones, a special assistant who has been at spring training working with players this week. "They need guys that are going to hit the ball out of the ballpark. But these (three) guys also have an idea -- or are going to have an idea -- what they're doing at the plate before it's all said and done. Good, quality major league hitters."
In other words, not just swing-for-the-fences hitters. Good hitters with plenty of power -- and ones who are affordable for the Braves for multiple years.
“That’s a key point,” Jones said, and smiled. “Kind of important.”
Developing a trio of good power hitters to eventually – and again, potentially – fill out nearly half the lineup would allow the Braves to spend their money on free agents to fill other needs, adding more power or speed or pitching or whatever might put them over the top once they’re back in contender mode.
It’s the way the Braves operated during the best years in the 1990s, sprinkling in homegrown sluggers such as Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, David Justice, Javy Lopez and Ryan Klesko and filling the gaps with free agents and trade acquisitions.
The Braves undoubtedly need to add some power after finishing with the third-fewest homers in the majors last season. They hit 165, while 17 teams hit 200 or more homers and 12 teams hit at least 220.
The only one of the three power prospects who might add pop to the big-league lineup in the immediate future is Acuna, who’s expected to join the Braves early in the 2018 season and quite possibly before the end of April. Riley and Austin could be ready at some point during the 2019 season, though that’s more speculation based on significant strides each made last season and assuming each continues that progress.
Riley hit a combined total of 20 home runs in 129 games last season at high Single-A Florida and Double-A Mississippi, then six more in 17 games in the prospect-filled Arizona Fall League, giving him 26 homers in 619 plate appearances for the year. He won’t turn 21 until April 2.
Jackson hit a combined 19 homers in 96 games last season in high-A and Double-A, then five more in 20 games in the Arizona Fall League, giving him 24 homers in 488 plate appearances for the year. He turned 22 on Christmas.
Acuna hit a combined 21 home runs in 139 games at three levels from high-A to Triple-A, then led the Arizona Fall League with seven homers in 23 games, giving him 28 homers in 711 plate appearances in 2017. He only turned 20 on Dec. 18, the youngest-ever MVP of the Arizona Fall League, and Acuna was named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year, then ranked No. 1 in several top-100 prospects lists including Baseball America’s.
In Acuna, Riley and Jackson, the Braves had three of the top four home-run totals in the Arizona Fall League.
Acuna is the youngest of the trio, but also easily the closest to the majors. Many scouts and some coaches believe he’s ready and would be a lock for the opening-day left field job if there were no business aspects involved in the decision. But by keeping Acuna in the minors for a few weeks to start the season, the Braves could assure they have another full (seventh) season of contractual control before he would be eligible for free agency.
The Braves haven’t said what they’ll do, but there’s a wide belief that he’ll start the season at Triple-A and join the Braves by late April.
Braves slugger Freeman hopes that Acuna can have an impact comparable with what Aaron Judge (52 homers) had with the Yankees last season. Perhaps no one stands to gain more from having another power bat in the lineup than Freeman, currently the only truly feared slugger the Braves have.
Manager Brian Snitker doesn’t know that Acuna will have such a drastic impact with home runs as Judge did, but is confident the kid will immediately make his presence felt and make the Braves better.
“You never know, but you look at (Acuna’s) skill set and what he’s done, you watch him run around -- he’s a guy who’s going to affect the game as soon as he gets on the field regardless of where it’s at,” Snitker said. “I think he’s got the skill set. I don’t know if he’ll affect it that way, but with his defense, his arm, his speed, power, the whole thing. He’s a complete package.
“The kid’s not big either, he hasn’t even grown yet. I mean, he’s going to get bigger, stronger, the whole thing. But it’s just a really impressive player.”
