If you trust Braves’ third base coach Ron Washington, Austin Riley has a long and bright future ahead of him with the Atlanta Braves, per The Athletic’s David O’Brien. Said Washington, “He’s a very, very special kid. He’s on that special level with Ozzie (Albies) and (Ronald) Acuńa (Jr.) and all those young guys. He’s on that special level with them.”
Given Washington’s stellar reputation as an infield instructor, his word carries some weight. He goes on in O’Brien’s article to laud not only Riley’s long-term future with the bat, but with the glove as well, calling Riley “a tremendous third baseman.”
While it’s certainly encouraging for Braves’ fans to hear Washington speak so highly of Riley after an up-and-down rookie season, the path ahead is not without obstacles. For starters, he hasn’t locked down his spot in the starting lineup. All accounts suggest he’s going to have to earn his keep while being pushed at third by Johan Camargo. After his first month of big-league action, it would have seemed unfathomable that Riley wouldn’t have the 2020 third base job locked down, but Camargo remains very much in the running, despite struggling himself in 2019. Camargo’s year was worth -0.6 rWAR after hitting only .233/.279/.384 over 248 plate appearances. He’s played much better in the past (4.4 fWAR from 2017 to 2018), and the Braves appear confident he can at the very least hold the line for a year.
Should Camargo get the bulk of playing time at third, Riley could get at-bats as a designated hitter – at least in theory. But O’Brien notes that the scuttlebutt out of Atlanta pegs Marcell Ozuna as the likeliest option to see heavy minutes as a potential DH. Makes sense with Ronald Acuna Jr., Ender Inciarte, and Nick Markakis on hand to handle the outfield rotation. Riley himself could even see some minutes out on the grass depending on how things shake out.
But the real question at hand here is this: is Austin Riley the third baseman of the future for the Atlanta Braves? Ron Washington certainly seems to think so. If we trust Washington’s eye for defensive talent and assume Riley can stick at third base (or even become a plus defender), the question is whether his approach at the dish can improve enough to take advantage of his otherworldly power.
After all, Riley’s power numbers last year were excellent. He managed a .471 SLG with 18 home runs in just 274 at bats. His isolated power was .245 ISO, well above average and a number you’d hope for out of a middle-of-the-order bat. For context, Acuna Jr. walked away from 2019 with a .238 ISO. A full season at Riley’s mark would put him among the top-40 mashers in the league by isolated power. His power plays.
But even with those numbers, Riley’s total offensive contribution amounted to 14 percent below league average by wRC+. He needs to round out the rest of his game – and that starts with cutting down strikeouts. Riley’s walk-to-strikeout numbers are not anywhere near where they need to be for everyday reps (5.4 BB%, 36.4 K%). Both numbers need to see significant positive regression. The good news is, Riley looked the part in spring training, where signs pointed to Riley being able to make the necessary adjustments.
Third base is a loaded position for Atlanta – in terms of poignancy – and Riley has big shoes to fill. Putting aside the big picture pressure of manning the spot once belonging to the legendary Chipper Jones, even recent history has set a high bar for Riley. Last season, Josh Donaldson returned to All-Star form with a .259/.379/.521 line, 37 rainmaking bombs, 96 runs, 94 RBIs, 132 wRC+, good for 4.9 fWAR/6.0 rWAR. Good luck replicating those numbers out the gate.
Elsewhere in the NL East, another legend moved westward after a memorable 2019. Anthony Rendon gave the Nationals seven underrated seasons at the hot corner before joining the Los Angeles Angels this winter. We could talk all day about Rendon’s performance this postseason, but those in Washington, Rendon-as-superstar was old hat: He’s been a 6+ fWAR performer for three seasons running. Beyond his consistency, there’s simply no replacing the slow-heartbeat clutch-hitting Rendon provided the Nats on their World Series run – but someone is going to have to try.
Enter Carter Kieboom. Rendon’s nominal heir apparent – at 22-years-old – is about half a year younger than Riley, and he comes sporting a shinier prospect pedigree. He’s the 21st ranked prospect overall by MLB.com and Fangraphs, while Baseball America puts him as the 15th overall prospect (admittedly, Riley wasn’t far off, topping out as Baseball America’s 22nd ranked prospect before last season).
Much like Riley, Kieboom’s role at the outset of whatever season comes next is TBD. There’s an even greater chance the Nats roll with veterans Starlin Castro, Howie Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera sharing at-bats between third and second. At least, that was the plan had the season begun on time. Depending on how live baseball in the pipeline shakes out, the Nats might prefer Kieboom break camp with the team just to ensure he’s continuing his development via live baseball. With a potential DH in play, there may even be enough at-bats for the Nats to accommodate playing time for Kieboom and their veteran triumvirate.
Also like Riley, Kieboom wasn’t overly impressive in his first taste of big-league action. Apologists have plenty of cause to support Kieboom even after hitting just .128/.209/.282 over an 11 game stint early in the year (which included 4 errors at shortstop). Reason being: he wasn’t ready. Kieboom’s April promotion was a case of injury-depleted desperation. The Nats were in a bind with Trea Turner on the shelf. Wilmer Difo wasn’t getting the job done as Turner’s understudy, and the Nats were off to a slow start (11-12 at the time of his debut).
The small sample hasn’t done much to lessen the optimism over Kieboom’s potential, especially after he raked for a line of .303/.409/.493 for Triple-A Fresno. The shortstop-by-nature has a long-term future at third or second in Washington, though the suggestion has been that his power will play enough to handle third, and the Nats’ other top young bat has spent most of his career at second (Luis Garcia).
Riley is about a half-season ahead of Keiboom’s trajectory, giving us more familiarity with his game at the pro level. But for comparison’s sake, Riley hit .293/.366/.626 in 44 games at Triple-A in 2019. They’re both former first-rounders (Riley #41 overall in 2015, Kieboom #28 overall in 2016), but their draft status won’t help as each looks to fill the shoes of franchise legends.
And yet, they’re not the same. Riley is a hulking light-breaker who’s defensively playing up to stick at third base. His frame is redolent of a young Ryan Zimmerman before Mr. Nat made the move across the diamond to first. Kieboom’s not a small man himself (6’2″, 190 lbs), but some scouts thought he could stick at shortstop, and he brings a contact-oriented approach. He can stroke it to all fields with potential plus power and a track record of taking walks and putting the ball in play. They’re different molds as far as third baseman go, but neither has much leeway as they try to establish themselves in the majors. Not with both the Braves and Nationals looking to contend in a season that could be as short as 50-some games.
Whenever they claim regular roles, Riley and Keiboom will be two exciting young talents to track in the NL East. The Phillies’ Alec Bohm may very well throw his hat into this ring in the very near future as well (feel free to make your case for Bohm in the comments). Bohm is another former first-rounder (third overall in 2018), but he’s spent less time in the minors and is actually older than both Riley and Kieboom. Team conditions aside, let’s say you’ve got a hole at third base and the right to poach one third base prospect. Who do you want? (link to poll for Trade Rumors mobile app users).
Even if Riley can’t defend, the DH is an option now, he should be in the lineup everyday next season no matter what happens.
I’d take Kieboom at 3B though. But both players are going to be pretty good. There’s no bad choice here unless you think Riley’s glove cancels his bat. And he might improve defensively, its a wash long term I think.
Riley can field at 3rd base. Last year was the first time he was asked to play left field and it showed, but he’s much better at 3rd.
Interestingly, both players COULD also pitch. There was a debate as to whether Riley was a better position player or pitcher and Kieboom was a switch pitcher when he was drafted.
i mean is Bohm actually an available choice, because if so he’s easily my choice
Can Bohm stick ah third?
I mean, can he play it well? probably not for too long, but will he play it? Matt Klentak once had Carlos Santana, Justin Bour, and Rhys Hoskins in the same NL lineup, so he doesn’t care about defense.
It’s too early and unfortunately a lost season will hurt him more than it will Riley or Kieboom. That being said, Bohm has a bright future with the Phillies.
off topic, but if Nick Markakis can be productive through 40, is he a hall of famer with over 3k hits and a career OPS plus of 109?
Nope.
If he gets over 3000 hits, he will get in. Might be a Biggio situation where he has to wait a couple of years to get in, but he will get in.
Biggio actually has some accolades, like being a 7-time All Star and getting MVP votes in five different seasons.
Markakis has appeared in a grand total of one AS game and in his career, has received a grand total of one very very low MVP vote. Not HOF material, especially not for a corner OFer.
3000 hits is still a big accolade though. There is one eligible player with 3000 hits that is not in the Hall and that is Rafael Palmeiro. And he is excluded for another big reason. Markakis doesn’t have that stink on him.
Pete Rose
“Eligible”
Accumulating 3000 hits would be an accomplishment. Markakis has never been considered a star at the big league level. Biggio was long considered in that light. Some of his offensive #’s would be greater if he did not play catcher early on his big league career. It’s not an excuse, but it was an example of his athleticism.
Markakis needs 645 more hits for 3000. Considering this season is a wash, and he will be 37 in November, I highly doubt he reaches 3000. That’s 161 hits per year for 4 more years.
Plus Biggo has 65.5 WAR. Markakis only has about 35.
This year was pivotal for Markakis in terms of his quest for 3k — less games (if any) definitely makes getting there all the more unlikely. From his age 36 season on, Biggio stayed relatively healthy/productive, never playing in less than 141 games. Assuming any player is going to stay healthy and somewhat productive from age 36 on, is iffy. At this point, I too agree Markakis won’t get there, but if he somehow does, I look forward to the HOF conversations!
3,000 hits or 500 HRs used to be automatic entries, but that’s no longer the case. Markakis has been a decent player, but is now trending toward mediocrity, with an OPS+ below league average two of the last three seasons. A non-power bat at a power position, who produced one WAR last season. That’s going to make it increasingly difficult to get regular playing time as he ages. I suspect he’ll fall considerably short. If his skill set erodes just slightly more, he’ll be on the bench or out of the game entirely. As a recent comparison, Johnny Damon, an overall more skilled player, was 70 hits ahead of Markakis at the same age, coming off a stronger age-35 season and not facing a pandemic-shortened season the next year. Damon finished nearly 250 hits short of 3,000, out of baseball three seasons later. The end will come quickly for Markakis.
Hall of very good but not HOF
I’m not even sure of very good.
he’s in my Hall of Handsome
I don’t think that’s going to happen. He was already looking at a platoon role this year and now it looks like there won’t be a year at all. Pache, Inciarte, Waters, and possibly Riley may all take up innings and at bats along with Acuña not to mention of the Braves add an outside source of power such as re-upping Ozuna or someone else.
He lives in the Atlanta area. He’s made millions and is at best a platoon player. Any team that is going to give him the at-bats needed to even make 3,000 a possibility probably isn’t going to be playing for anything meaningful.
A lot would have to break his way, but it’s much more plausible to see him pack it up within the next two years.
LOL not a chance. He wasn’t even productive last year
I have liked “Cake” since I watched him regularly in Baltimore. I personally don’t think of him as a hall of Famer but I think much of that is that I have not dug deeper into the numbers to consider.
If he goes into the Hall I think he will need a lot of years of voting. he has been pretty consistent over the years. The drawback to that is you don’t get as noticed as other player. On the flip side is the longevity that will attract the eye of some writers and the veterans committee.
It is definitely a legitimate question though
Markakis had the real possibility recently of being the only 3000 hit guy to never make an ASG, which would have been pretty nuts. Hof is doubtful, though. He’s a really good hitter, just never been Great.
No. Even if he gets 3000 hits, baseball doesn’t look at hits the way it did 20 years ago. Markakis only had 3 good season (o7, 08, 12). And by good I mean well above average. He has a lot of average seasons, but that isn’t a hall of famer. His defense has been lacking most of his career too.
2018, Markakis was an AS, got MVP votes, Won the GG and SS with a 116 OPS. I would say that’s a “good year.”
A wRC+ over 120 is typically my cut off. But if you want to say he had 4 good seasons instead of 3, does that all of a sudden change my point?
God I’m so sick of these ridiculous sabre stats. Does it change things? No. But the guy did have a good season in 2018, and he’s still not a HOF.
Sabremetrics is just math. So is OBP and SLG and HR and so on. You have no good reason to cherry pick which math you prefer.
Does Anthony Rendon really qualify as a “legend” thus far? He was a great player for the Nats, but I don’t think his career can be thought of as legendary just yet. His top 3 Baseball Reference similar batters through his age are Ken Boyer, Fred Lynn, and Mike Sweeney. All good to great players, but none of them are even HOFers, let alone legends. He is not in the same category as Chipper Jones and probably never will be.
He’s certainly a National legend. As far as a baseball legend in the same class as Chipper Jones, not yet. A highly productive peak happens all the time. What seperates a legend and HOFer is usually having a great second half of their career. Big seasons and longevity mixed in with some hardware and signature moments are usually what makes up legends of the game. He can and may very well get their, it’s just too soon to say either way. More legends is always a good thing.
Agreed. Well put.
True, three years of elite is impressive but not legendary, although his epic playoff at bats help.
This looks like a lost year, so Rendon will be 31 his 1st full season with the Angels. Pujols was 32. How’d that work out?
Pujols was likely closer to 35 when he joined the Angels.
Chipper Jones said in past that Riley is the Braves future third baseman and the guy to protect Freeman. Chipper has even worked with Riley on improving. I think Riley will be all star caliber third baseman at least.
team legends always hype up young kids.
Can’t tell you how many times Mike Schmidt said Maikel Franco was the future of 3B for the Phillies
And just like Eduardo Nunez and Cito Culver were supposed to be Derek Jeter’s successor, yet while the former is a decent hitter has always been a butcher no matter where you put him and never got most of the playing time as the Yankees shortstop except for 2013, because Jeter only played in 17 games that season and the other shortstops they used were well below replacement level. Culver on the other hand, never made it, despite making it to Triple-A in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, the former of which was also the first time he made to Double-A.
Chipper doesn’t BS around. He doesn’t hand out compliments very much. If he didn’t believe it, he wouldn’t say it.
Tom Glavine was really impressed with Matt Wisler a few years back after working with him fwiw.
That’s what happened to Wisler. Glavine had the benefit of having Javy Lopez, the best pitch framer of all time. Unless Wisler’s catcher can set up with his entire body outside the catcher’s box and consistently get strike calls, Glavine can’t help him.
Lopez wasn’t even the best pitch framer on his own team in Atlanta, back when Charlie O’Brien or Eddie Perez was on the team. Stats favor Lopez thanks to the pitchers he had to work with. Don’t believe it? Look at 2015’s Russell Martin. Had to catch R.A. Dickey and it completely killed his framing statistics.
I’m sure Russell Martin was devastated.
“I think Riley will be all star caliber third baseman at least.”
That’s it?
Ron Washington believes in him too and one of his jobs is talent evaluation.
People being wrong in the past is not sufficient reason to believe someone is wrong now. At this point I will just go with the best educated perspective and hope it’s right.
Rendon just turned 30. Give him 6 more years at a reasonable trajectory and healthiness and he’s looking at 2000 hits batting .300 with probably 300 hrs and 1000 RBIs. That and a gold glove caliber 3B defense and he’s going to be talked about amongst the best. I’m not saying he’s Mike Schmidt or Chipper Jones. Who is? But if Ron Santo is the 10th rated hot corner guy and another top 10 guy in Edgar Martinez who spent most of his career as a DH… then I think we’ll be discussing Rendon amongst them.
That’s the trouble with projecting whole careers and HOF status from the first six or so seasons… Every statement and assertion starts with “IF”
It will be fun to watch all of these guys though
Pujols had shown signs of plateauing in St Louis. At that point he DID look like a hall of Famer but the drop off was clear when he got to LA
Rendon on the other hand is still on an upward trajectory. forget age for a second. Age after all is just a number and player age at a different rate. Consider Pujols slightly further in his career when he signed a ten year deal..
In that context Rendon”s contract is a better length, better market value given the market at the time of signing. the Pujols contract comes from the one stupid owner principle [AKA the Boris principle]. When the Cards broke the bank on both length and money to sign Albert for the rest of his career. Moreno outbid him
In the reference to the articles question…
I have to go Keiboom and n to just as a Nats fan.
Keiboom vs RIley at the plate:
>Keiboom has the obvious OBP advantage and RIley strikes out way too much. You have to make contact to hit HRs.
K1-R0
> Riley has the Clear Power Advantage. Over his career it is reasonable to expect he will hit far more HRs than Carter. But that doesn’t diminish Keiboom’s own power. Taking advantage of this edge will depend largely on Riley making enough solid contact to scare pitcher into walking him, then learning to hunt mistakes. Many power hitters have not managed to accomplish this last element in their development.
K1-R1
> Overall hitting especially using the whole field is clearly in favor of Keiboom. Despite his deer in headlights performance at the start of last year on a depleted Nats team, Carter has shown he has the approach to succeed at the MLB level. It might be this year [assuming we have one] it might take a little longer. The Jury is still out on Riley here, but indications are that his approach right now is not as conducive to spreading the D by using the whole field.
K-2 R-1
Speed-
I have to give a slight edge to Keiboom here based solely on my own eye. I will be the first to admit I have payed more attention to Carter than to Austin.. but I think I have to give the edge in speed to Keiboom because of his body type. As Austin’s physical form matures (like most hulking power hitters) his speed will tend to decline. Keiboom (I believe) already has an edge here but I see that edge increasing over time.
K3-R1
Defense
I am going with a push here even though I think Keiboom is basically the better defender. but the data is just too thin at the MLB level.
Riley hit, until the league adjusted to him and he stopped. If he can counter the adjustments the league pitchers made, he should be pretty good. I am sure the Braves’ coaching staff gave him a lot of homework with that in mind. We’ll see if it takes (if they evr start playing again!)
That’s precisely why I wish the Braves would’ve kept Donaldson. There’s a lot of uncertainty at the hot corner for a team looking to advance further in the playoffs. I don’t buy Camargo as an every day regular at 3B, because I don’t think his bat plays there. So solving 3B hinges on Riley solving the adjustments the league made to him. He very well could. I’ll be rooting for him. If he figures it out they very well may be more potent this year with Ozuna and Riley at 4 & 5. If not, it scares me because Ozuna isn’t quite the hitter Josh is, and 5-9 is going to be cross your fingers and close your eyes.
Agree with all your points, @Applachian. Except retaining Donaldson would probably have meant a 4-year $20m+ per year contract (like what the Twins gave him) for a 34-year-old. Might have been fine for a year or two, but that kind of deal makes me a little nervous over the length of the deal, doesn’t it you?.
Not sure that hoping and praying on Riley is not the least bad option available!
I always felt his bat would age well. Donaldson is a pro hitter. When you listen to him talk hitting, you can tell he really is exceptionally knowledgeable. Long-term, I don’t know if he’d have held up to the rigors of the position in a few years. Since it seems all but given that the NL will adopt the DH, might be moot though. He strikes me as someone who’ll age similarly to Beltre. I’d have been good with 4 yrs of that.
I get they believe very heavily in Riley. It might be the correct call for the long range in hindsight now; given this season may not happen, or will at the very least be extremely short. I just believe whenever you have a window, you push for a title. If the plan works, they’re closer. If it doesn’t, they’re much farther away. We’ll see if/when there is baseball.
There is no doubt the 2020 season such as it is will alter the economic landscape for future free agents. Teams that signed players to huge long term deals may be taking it on the chin. This coming offseason the resources will be far less as will the number of suitors for players at the top of the free agent market. Prospects will be even more prized for controllable years.
In that context I would say you are better off without Donaldson, especially given Riley and other options, though those will require some patience.
However I agree Donaldson bat will age well over those 4 years assuming good health
I’m a Austin Riley fan. I think he’s gonna be a really good baseball player for years. He showed he has the ability to be elite… key word is ability. Not many people even have that. So the next step is showing he can maintain it. At the very least, not drop to the bad lvl he did last season. I’ll go off script here…. I also think Bryce Wilson will figure it out and become a extremely strong pitcher for the Braves. Until the last couple years, he was exceptional. Hence why he skyrocketed at a super young age to the pros. Watch… it’s gonna click and he’s gonna be a very very good #2-3 depending on the staff
I’m high on Wilson, but not quite as bullish as you are. In the long run, I think his stuff might play better in the pen. If he starts, to me he’s more of a #3 or #4.
I like Cadbury Creme Eggs
Ew. Jelly Beans are the only way to go.
Sugar-free nut clusters all day
Nut clusters sounds like the Republican Party.
Have you seen videos of Drooling Nancy, Sleepy Joe, Up Chuck and anyone affiliated with CNN? And you want to call Republicans nuts?
ImAdude… that is truth!
For Christ’s sake, we are talking about candy here. You boring idiots.
Alright boys this is a baseball board. Now let’s get back to it!
See what you did Monty?
I feel like there’s dozens of guys that could have articles with lines like “if he cuts down on his strikeouts”
Kieboom…stroking it to all fields…
Im not even trusting Ron Washington to go to the bathroom if theres a lock on the door. Im certainly not buying another “Cant miss prospect” from this org
ATL has become the Yankees of the NL- The stories we heard about how great Minter Gohara Touki Folty Newcomb were going to be all came up miles short. Color me skeptical moving forward
Pache is the next great Brave that imo will be a bust. An 8 hole hitter his whole career and will look a lot like Ender 5 years from now with the bat, albeit with a Gold Glove every year
You lost me at Braves being NYY of the NL. A team that is a WS contender by homegrown talent? You illustrate that ginormous standards fans have on talent from not when they debut but when they are drafted. Same mindset that would have demoted Trout early and that did trade Ortiz from MIN. Color me cool, calm and collected.
Naw I color you the guy who pumps these busts up then just digs in on the next one when that one busts.
NYY do the same thing
Ws contenders? LMAO Its been 19 yrs since you have won a playoff series….the last time you won was when the AStros were in the NL !!! You have lost 10 series in a row currently
But again, another Brave fan whoes putting the cart before the horse…You my friend have made my point better than I ever could with that statement!
Nice attempt trying to compare a half year of Trout to all those pitchers above, that was truly rich-
Im sure your guys just need more time right? Yawn
At least the bullpen is flush with inns from all the failed starters on a good note
And what do you mean drafted not debuted? All of these guys have failed at the bigs while Minter and Gohara are pretty much on a milk cartoon right now
If you’re going to be fair, you have to acknowledge the personal tragedy that Gohara has endured. It’s easy to forget these guys are human, and emotions can play a part in their careers.
Newcomb turned a corner as a RP, which isn’t nothing.
Touki SHOULD be a RP.
Minter very well could be a bust. No argument there.
Folty has been inconsistent. He was never going to be an ace, though. How you see him probably depends on what you believe he is. To me, I see a #3 SP. Again, that’s not nothing.
If Pache wins a GG every year, he definitely wouldn’t be a bust. I’m probably in the minority, but I think Waters is the better prospect. That said, Pache would be exactly what you want in a CF- outstanding defense, possibly capable of hitting a bit.
You are applying the term “bust” a bit too liberally, in my estimation. Any player who can contribute something to a ML club isn’t really a bust. A bust, in my view, is a guy who washes out without ever contributing in the Show.
I think Waters will show to be a better player.as well. I liken him to a healthy Mitch Haniger so while it might be a minority I dont think its unheard of. I dont ever see Pache being more than a 8 hitter. He literally gets overpowered by good fastballs, that doesnt translate well moving up. If he doesnt add at least 10 lbs of muscle (possible) its almost a hopeless bet with him and a bat in his hand in the bigs.
Complete bust No, but Touki and Newcomb going to the bullpen already is a bust in my book. This was never the plan, those werent the dreams Braves fans have been boasting about for years
Foltys time is almost over and the most memorable moment for him to me was looking like a deer in the headlight at Chavez. Ive rarely ever seen a pro athelete look like that before, I almost felt bad as a LAD fan. Guy was sweating like a pig and it was 70 degrees out there with a breeze
Gohara, fair enough but still end product is zero
Minter was a disaster and pinned by the folks here to be a top 5 Rp in the game
Outside Of Soroka this staff has shown little for what was suppose to be a mountain of wealth- Im not ready to crown Fried yet as a positive
Your a smart Braves fan, you know this wasnt the expectation 4-5 years ago. Its been an extreme letdown just like most of the “cant miss Yankee prospects” While I dont know if its self imposed (like Cashman), bad develpment, or just plain bad luck in the end the net product is the same; (Underwhelming )
I dont think Pache will be a total bust MLB wise but relative to what the fans think? Yes I think the bat will be cringy and the road is still very long to just not being Alcides Escobar with the bat right now-
– I agree with Waters Acuna on the corners you can afford to take an awesome defensive CF whoes getting payed beans- Atl is set in the OF better than any team out there lb for lb
I just see a lot of Braves fans think he’s going to be a 20-20 top of the order hitter. I just dont see it, yet…..he looks like a 300 obp guy in the bigs right now who would make for an easy, non intimidating out from quality pitchers
Maybe its just the fan base in the end whoes off? Mlb.com has moved them down to 8th currently with there system so I think the shine is wearing off the penny in the industry a little as well
That’s not completely unfair. For what it’s worth, I don’t see Pache as ever really developing into a 20 & 20 guy. Unless he changes drastically, physically, I think he’s more of a 5-10ish HR type, who will hit a fair amount of doubles and might steal 15 bags. He’s got got speed, but instinctively he’s not the best base stealer. He’s only had one season in the minors where he really tore it up with SBs. His calling card will be the glove, and that’s okay with Acuna and Waters flanking him.
I like the Haniger comp for Waters.
Can’t really disagree that Folty’s time could be almost up- in Atlanta, anyway. He’s had some brutal outings, at times. He’s close to getting expensive, and I’m just not sure they’ll pony up for a #3 guy if they believe they can get that production from another young arm. His issues are more mental than physical, to me. I always liken him to Smoltz- though I’m not sure Folty ever turns the corner the way John did. The sands are trickling down.
You’re not wrong- 4 or 5 years ago, the hype was this was going to be the 2nd golden age of pitching in Atlanta. I wasn’t an extreme fan of the philosophy because the attrition rate is so much higher with pitching. I really like Sork, who’s now a safe bet. I’m also high on Anderson. Beyond that, it’s still very much a crapshoot.
I don’t entirely agree with you; nor disagree. You raise some fair points. I see the vantage point you’re coming from.
Seems like Brave fans are constantly looking to find someone better than Markakis. You should be happy he’s on your team. Smart hitter who offsets all the Ks in your line up. When the opposing pitcher is wending his way through a line up like a hot knife through butter, it really helps to have a hitter like Markakis. A guy who doesn’t strike out; sees loys of pitches; can work a walk; foul off pitches at will or just flat out be a pain in the butt for opposing pitchers.. Markakis is the guy who upsets that pitcher’s rhythm and often gets the pitcher out of his groove. Plus, even in his late 30s, he’s still a pretty darn good right fielder.
Braves fans, remember that old adage, “You don’t know what you got until you lose it!”,
Finally, don’t see Nick making the HOF with just one stand out counting stat (i.e. If he gets to 3,000 hits.). But, there are guys with similar pop and a few hundred fewer lifetime hits who are in the HOF. So, who knows?
You Never miss your water till the well runs dry