Matt Wisler, RHP, Triple-A Gwinnett
Ranking: Braves’ No. 1 prospect by Baseball America
After wrapping up his second International League pitcher of the week award in the month of May, Wisler opened June with a quality outing in a 2-0 loss to Durham. Wisler went six innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, no walks, and three strikeouts. He gave up the two runs in a four-hit fourth inning before retiring the last eight batters he faced.
Jose Peraza, 2B/CF, Triple-A Gwinnett
Ranking: Braves’ No. 2 prospect by Baseball America
Peraza is splitting time between second base and center field, playing three games in center and two at second base to begin the month of June. Peraza was named Gwinnett’s player of the month after he finished May with a .319 batting average, two doubles, two triples, two home runs, nine stolen bases and 25 RBIs in 23 games. He’s cooled a bit to start June, going 4-for-21.
Jason Hursh, RHP, Double-A Mississippi
Ranking: Braves’ No. 7 prospect by Baseball America
Hursh is on a roll. He’s made five straight starts allowing two or fewer earned runs and that continued Sunday when he gave up just one run on five hits in six innings at Montgomery. He took the loss in a 6-1 game after the bullpen gave up five runs in the seventh, but Hursh has to be pleased with how he’s pitching after sitting at 0-3 with an 8.56 ERA this time a month ago. He has gone 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA in his past five starts.
Ozhaino Albies, SS, low Single-A Rome
Ranking: Braves’ No. 8 prospect by Baseball America
Albies is on another one of his tears. The 18-year-old from Curacao is on a 13-game hitting streak, while batting 23-for-52 (.442) with five doubles, 12 runs, eight RBIs and four stolen bases. He is now hitting .317 on the season with a .379 on-base percentage. Albies was out of Rome’s lineup for a rest day on Sunday, which gave him back-to-back days of a breather with Monday’s off day, and he’ll be back in action Tuesday in Asheville.
Braxton Davidson, LF, low Single-A Rome
Ranking: Braves’ No. 12 prospect by Baseball America
Davidson has hit safely in seven of his past eight games, while going 9-for-27 (.333) with seven RBIs. The Asheville native will be swinging a hot bat and come in better prepared mentally when he returns to his hometown this week when Rome plays three games in Asheville, starting on Tuesday. Davidson struck out three times twice in a four-game set in Asheville last month, while also mixing in a three-hit game.
Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Double-A Mississippi
Ranking: Braves’ No. 13 prospect by Baseball America
Jenkins, who was named Mississippi’s pitcher of the month for May, lowered his season ERA under 3.00 by pitching six innings, allowing only one earned run (three runs overall) in a no-decision against Jackson his last time out. After walking five batters twice in three starts, he walked only two, while throwing 59 of his 97 pitches for strikes. He’s 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 11 starts on the season.
Manny Banuelos, LHP, Triple-A Gwinnett
Ranking: Braves’ No. 14 prospect by Baseball America
Banuelos matched a career-high with seven innings and did it with shutout work on just three hits in an 8-0 win over Durham on Saturday. He walked three and struck out seven. The seven innings were his longest outing since August 29, 2011 when he was pitching in the Yankees organization with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Banuelos has allowed one or no runs in each of his last seven starts, going 4-0 with a 0.92 ERA.
Mallex Smith, CF, Double-A Mississippi
Ranking: Braves’ No. 17 prospect by Baseball America
Smith has walked 11 times in his past 12 games, after walking just seven times in his first 33 games, to help push his season on-base percentage up over .400 to .405. The speedy center fielder and leadoff hitter, who was named the Mississippi Braves player of the month for May, is leading the Southern League in hitting (.337 entering play Monday).
Dustin Peterson, OF, High-A Carolina
Ranking: Braves’ No. 18 prospect by Baseball America
Peterson hit safely in five of his first seven games back since being activated from the disabled list on June 2 following the Carolina Mudcats’ bus crash. He went on a five-game hitting streak in that time which included a double, a triple and three RBIs. Peterson was just picking up where he left off, after hitting .442 (23-for-52) with eight multi-hit games in 14 games before the accident.
Alec Grosser, RHP, Low-A Rome
Ranking: Braves’ No. 23 prospect by Baseball America
Grosser has made three straight quality starts to improve to 4-2 with a 4.06 ERA through 11 starts now for Rome. He limited the West Virginia Power to three runs (two earned) in six innings in his last start on Saturday. He walked four and hit a batter but gave up only four hits in the no-decision.
