Here’s a look at the recent play of five key prospects among the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves:
Ozzie Albies, SS
Albies is still working to catch up to Triple-A pitching.
Since he was promoted from Double-A Mississippi on April 30, Albies is hitting .191 in 12 games (9-for-47). This after hitting .369 in 22 games for the M-Braves.
At Gwinnett, Albies has one homer and four RBIs. He has struck out 10 times with no walks, leaving him with an OBP of .191 and an OPS of .511.
For the season, Albies has 23 strikeouts and 10 walks.
Rio Ruiz, 3B
At the end of the day May 3, Ruiz was hitting .333 with two home runs and 11 RBIs. In the eight games since, he is 2-for-29 (.069) with three walks and 10 strikeouts and no home runs or RBIs. Within that time he had a stretch of five consecutive games without a hit (0-for-19) that included eight strikeouts.
For the season Ruiz is hitting .274 (34-for-124) in 34 games. He has two home runs and 11 RBIs, with five doubles and two triples. He has 38 strikeouts and 15 walks. His on-base percentage is .353, and his OPS is .748.
Lucas Sims, RHP
Sims has started four games since he was promoted from Mississippi on April 23, to mixed results.
His impressive strikeouts totals have followed him to Triple-A (25 in 22 innings), but he is 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA, allowing 12 earned runs in 22 innings, in which he gave up 20 hits. He has issued eight walks.
His worst outing occurred May 3, in his third start. He gave up six earned run on eight hits in four innings, though he struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.
At Mississippi, Sims was 0-2 with a 1.84 ERA. He struck out 26 in 14 2/3 innings and walked only 10.
He allowed no homers for the M-Braves and has allowed four for the G-Braves.
Tyrell Jenkins, RHP
His ERA looks solid (3.03) and his record is 3-2 in seven starts, but opponents are hitting .279 against Jenkins (that’s 14 points above his career average), and he has a 1.47 WHIP.
In 38 2/3 innings, he has recorded 26 strikeouts and issued 16 walks, none of them intentional.
Casey Kelly, RHP
In his first season in the Braves organization, Kelly is 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA. He’s been a little wild (19 walks in 30 2/3 innings), but he has struck out 22 and opponents are hitting only .179 against him.
Kelly, acquired from the Padres in the Christian Bethancourt trade in December, has made five starts and one relief appearance. The Red Sox drafted him in the first round in June 2008.
