Rain may have shortened the day, but Alvarez reached base twice
It was a day of moral victories for the Atlanta Braves farm system. Yes four out of five games ended in losses and the other was suspended with Gwinnett facing a big deficit, but the system is getting healthier and one pitcher in particular put up an amazing performance. Beyond our headline of Nacho Alvarez returning to action, down in the FCL Luis Guanipa appeared for a couple of plate appearances in the FCL Braves win. In Rome Jacob Kroeger made his debut with a fantastic outing, racking up 25 whiffs and 11 strikeouts. Plus a loss.
(25-30) Gwinnett Stripers 2, (35-28) Memphis Redbirds 6 SUSPENDED
- Nacho Alvarez Jr., 3B: 2 BB, 2 R
- James McCann, C: 1-1, BB
- Zach Thompson, SP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, 4.79 ERA
Nacho Alvarez is finally back in action, but the continued wet weather cut his first game short as the Redbirds and Stripers saw their game suspended in the fourth inning. That was probably a blessing for the Stripers, because Zach Thompson had a fit of poor command that put them in a hole and had Gwinnett in a position to potentially blow a hole in the bullpen headed into the weekend. In the third inning alone Thompson issued four walks and a home run, giving up six total runs before he departed with the trainer in the middle of an at bat. This has to also create some concern for Thompson moving forward, especially given the small drop in velocity he showed in the final few batters of the inning.
For Nacho Alvarez he barely had to lift the bat from his shoulders. In two plate appearances Alvarez saw ten total pitches and only two of them in the zone. He was hacking away at the two fastballs he did see in the strike zone, but fouled one off and was late on the other. It’s not a surprise to see his timing a bit off given how long he’s been away from game action, but his eye at the plate was still peak and he managed to work walks in both plate appearances and score both of Gwinnett’s runs.
(25-31) Columbus Clingstones 0, (27-32) Knoxville Smokies 3
- David McCabe, 3B: 0-2, 2 BB, .263/.386/.411
- Kobe Kato, 2B: 1-1, 2 BB, .196/.298/.271
- Blake Burkhalter, SP: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 3.27 ERA
- Austin Smith, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2.25 ERA
Blake Burkhalter and the Columbus Clingstones only allowed one earned run, but that and the errors on the defensive end accounted for the difference as the offense struggled to score runs once again. Columbus has been dreadful over the past month with the worst OPS and fewest runs and home runs in the Southern League, and this was another show of why they struggle to really get anything together. Columbus is solid at working deep counts, and drew six walks in this game, but impact contact has been nowhere to be found throughout the season. David McCabe was one of those who drew a couple of walks in the game, but every time he was on base the offense behind him faltered. Kobe Kato had a terrific game in the nine hole and reached all four times at the plate, but the top three in the batting order went a combined 0-12 with a walk and made sure Kato never had the opportunity to score.
While Blake Burkhalter did only allow one earned run, he can’t be entirely off the hook as his command was terrible on Thursday. With him struggling to locate anything he just never settled into the game with any of his pitches, and it’s a bit of a surprise (and a testament to a Smokies offense that has been nearly as cold as Columbus) that he only allowed one earned run. It doesn’t help when the first batter of the game reaches via error, but Burkhalter also hit a batter and then walked a run in to force home the game’s first run. He did bounce back with two strikeouts to strand the bases loaded, but sadly this wouldn’t be a sign of things to come. Burkhalter allowed a hit in the second inning, and though a throwing error from Adam Zebrowski put the runner at third base to set up an RBI ground out, Burkhalter also allowed two walks this inning. A wild pitch advancing a runner into scoring position set the stage for the third Burkhalter run allowed as well, and in the fourth Burkhalter narrowly escaped a walk and a hit to strand two in scoring position. Burkhalter has been as impressive as any starter in the system when he is on his best game, but his command has come and gone throughout the season and this lack of consistency has proven to be a major problem for him.
The positive standout from this game was Austin Smith, who threw two dominant innings and struck out three batters to extend his run of success. Smith losing his 2023 season to Tommy John surgery really set him back quite a way, but his velocity seems to be fully back in order and his slider has improved significantly each season in the Braves system. Though he is soon to turn 26 he has put himself in the conversation with other hard-throwing Braves relief prospects, especially as he is now missing bats at a rate north of 35%. His command still has too many off days, but he’s a guy the Braves have liked for a long time and he seems to be potentially turning the corner.
Swing and Misses
Blake Burkhalter – 7
Austin Smith – 4
Amos WIllingham – 4
(27-33) Rome Emperors 0, (40-19) Greensboro Grasshoppers 4
- Harry Owen, C: 1-3, .179/.258/.226
- Jace Grady, LF: 1-3, .176/.278/.252
- Jacob Kroeger, SP: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, 4.76 ERA
It’s yet another game of offensive woes, much to the chagrin of this recapper who has found it increasingly difficult to pinpoint positive takeaways at High-A and Double-A. This was just an awful game for the top prospects in this lineup, though in fairness this Greensboro team is extremely good for a High-A team. Greensboro’s one flaw as a team is a tendency to walk a lot of batters, but an aggressive Emperors lineup frequently found themselves making soft outs in this game. Like Columbus, Rome has by far the worst OPS in the league over the past month and it comes down to the struggles at the top of the order. Of the top five hitters Will Verdung (0-3, BB) has been productive this past month with an OPS over .800, but no one else from the regular top five has done anything. Lizandro Espinoza has fallen off of a cliff with a .476 OPS in the past 30 days, while Titus Dumitru, Ambioris Tavarez, and Patrick Clohisy have all fallen off of good starts to have an OPS in the mid-.500’s over the past 30 days.
Jacob Kroeger made his High-A debut, and while the three runs allowed isn’t going to bring anyone pleasure, Kroeger had 25 swing-and-misses and 11 strikeouts this game. That’s crazy production and Kroeger is really just picking up where he left off in Single-A. He had some bad batted ball luck and a wall-scraper home run really hurt his line in the third inning, but he’s been terrific and the Braves have no reason to not keep pushing him given his age. Kroeger has a terrific ability to dot the edges of the zone with his sinker and changeup, while being able to also move a four seam fastball vertically and get hitters to swing under it. That sinker-changeup is really where the money is though. He sells those pitches so well, and they look absolutely identical out of the hand but with just enough fade and velocity dip on the changeup for hitters to swing straight through it. He was torturing the right handed batters in this lineup all day with those three pitches, and the Grasshoppers could not lay off those changeups running off of the outside edge or those four seam fastballs right above the zone. It was a masterclass in pitchability and Kroeger is already ready for a Double-A spot, just now having to fight through the log jam forming at that level.
Swing and Misses
Jacob Kroeger – 25
Samuel Strickland – 7
(30-28) Augusta GreenJackets 4, (30-30) Charleston RiverDogs 5
- Colby Jones, 2B: 1-3, .223/.345/.283
- John Gil, SS: 2-5, 2B, .244/.341/.308
- Owen Hackman, SP: 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 4.74 ERA
The GreenJackets fought hard and played a great game for 17 of the 18 half-innings. Augusta ran up an early lead, and John Gil was a huge factor in them getting off to a good start. He got down 0-2 to lead off the game before crushing a hanging slider for a double, and while he wouldn’t score he did set the tone for Jackets hitting well. In the second inning a walk and a hit batter gave Augusta the push they needed, and Leiker Figueroa gave them the lead by doubling home Nick Montgomery. Then it was Gil’s turn at bat, and though he rolled over a sinker this time up his insane speed ensured there was no play at first and Augusta would take that early 2-0 lead. In the seventh inning Gil had another well hit ball, rocketing a line drive into center field, but it was right in the direction of the center fielder and he only needed to take a few steps back to track it down for a loud second out.
Augusta continued to put pressure on offensive even though Gil didn’t contribute the rest of the game, with Mason Guerra once again being a key figure in their scoring. He led off in the fourth inning with a double, eventually scoring on a base hit to add on some key insurance. All the while Owen Hackman was sitting pretty on the mound. Hackman didn’t have one of those games where his fastball-splitter combination was in its best form, but he still consistently kept the ball around the edges of the zone and was able to limit hard contact from the RiverDogs. Charleston only had one extra base hit, and it was a cheap jam pop up into left field that fell behind a shifted infield for a double to put some pressure on Hackman. Still he retired the final batter of the second inning and cruised through the next three innings to give the ball over to the bullpen.
The bullpen is where the game got out of hand fast. Samuel Mejia didn’t have it, and it didn’t help that every batted ball seemed to find a hole as well. Mejia issued three walks and three hits, ultimately giving control of the game over to Charleston by conceding four runs. He was finally pulled after recording the second out of the inning, but Jackson Dannelley couldn’t stop the bleeding. He allowed a wild pitch that scored the fifth run of the game, an insurance run that proved crucial down the stretch. Augusta’s offense still had some fight left, and when Colby Jones got plunked to lead off the eighth inning they got back into a rhythm. Nick Montgomery busted a slider right back up the middle for a single, and Jones was able to advance with the tying run now on first base. Douglas Glod then snuck a high chopper through the middle, scoring Jones and putting Montgomery on third base with still one out. The game was at a pivotal point, and a baserunning blunder from Glod cost the GreenJackets that important run. Roiber Niazoa hit a slow roller over to second base, and while the infielders were able to get Glod at second they had absolutely no chance at getting Niazoa which would have allowed Montgomery to tie the game. However, Glod popped up from his slider into second and wasn’t even on the base, bumping into the shortstop and triggering an inning-ending interference call. The slide was far from egregious, but the unnatural look of the slide made it at least look like Glod intentionally made contact with the defender, though I’m not entirely convinced it was the correct call. On to the ninth inning, Leiker Figueroa led off with a single to bring up the top of the order with an opportunity to tie it. That means John Gil, and he was locked in. He ripped a ball into the gap in left field, but a fantastic diving play robbed Gil of a potential double. Owen Carey and Isaiah Drake both flew out for the final two outs, leaving Augusta just short of a win.
Swing and Misses
Owen Hackman – 10
Jackson Dannelley – 4
Samuel Mejia – 3
(11-17) FCL Braves 5, (13-16) FCL Red Sox 0
- Juan Mateo, 2B: 2-4, 3 RBI, .295/.362/.343
- Jose Perdomo, SS: 1-4, RBI, .225/.277/.304
- Luis Guanipa, CF: 2 BB, 2 R,.000/1.000/.000
- Cayman Goode, SP: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 3.27 ERA
It was a sad day for the full season teams, but thankfully the FCL Braves came away with a win to save us from a sweep. The big news was Luis Guanipa, who returned to action with a couple of walks and played center field. It’s really important for Guanipa to finally stay healthy and get a chance to develop his approach and swing at High-A and I’m very curious to see how the Braves treat him when he does return to that lineup. The top three in that order have absolutely earned the right to stay up there, and it will be interesting to see if he gets thrown back into a leadoff spot or needs to do a bit more earning it once he is healthy. As for the rest of the lineup, Juan Mateo is scorching hot at the plate. After a brief period where he had a little strikeout binge he is back to hitting like crazy, and now that contact in falling in. Over his past six games he has 11 hits and while the power is still not showing up he has quickly turned his numbers around. Jose Perdomo had a hit to break up a spell of two straight without a hit, but after a really great start to the year he has not been at his best lately. He has been keeping his strikeouts down, but since May 23rd he has no multi-hit games, only two walks, and only three extra base hits.
(4-4) DSL Braves 3, (4-4) DSL Red Sox Blue 9
- Juan Espinal , CF: 1-1, 2 BB, .273/.467/.500
- Malvin Fernandez, SS: 0-2, 2 BB, .222/.440/.333
Right back to the losses. The DSL Braves gave up a bunch of runs, but this time they didn’t really do the damage to themselves. They didn’t walk a single hitter, but three home runs in six innings is not a recipe for success. Offensively it was the opposite as they had ten walks and only five strikeouts, but they just could not score all of their baserunners. A two-run home run by Gabriel Cesa, his first career home run, made an impact in the game but otherwise they had no extra base hits and struggled to string together hits.