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Francoeurstein · 08-16-2018, 07:11 PM

2021 Season Preview

--We absorbed a couple of significant losses this off-season: namely Zach Britton and Jeff Samardzija. Fortunately, we made some acquisitions to make up for our losses, the biggest one being superstar Christian Yelich. We think that the moves we made this off-season will allow us to be postseason favorites and the first Braves squad to win it all in 26 years.

Lineup
C: Joey Bart- A strong finish to the regular season and a red-hot playoff run was more than convincing enough for us. Bart is 24 and ready to take over as the starting catcher, and he has the chance to be a perennial All-Star with plus power and defense.

1B: Freddie Freeman- The heart and soul of this team whose on the last year of his contract. At age 31, we are at a crossroads as to whether on not to extend him.

2B: Ozzie Albies- A true 5-tool player and major league superstar. Hard to believe he's only 24.

3B: Austin Riley- He posted a solid 116 OPS+ as a 22-year old last year and we think he has room to get even better. Wouldn't surprise me if he hit .260 with 30 home runs.

SS: Dansby Swanson- Another cog in the fantastic, well-oiled young Braves machine. He's posted two straight 5.0 WAR seasons, a third would be perfectly acceptable.

LF: Christian Yelich- Hits for average, power, and plays elite defense. What else could you ask for in a player? He'll fit perfectly in the #3 hole.

CF: Ender Inciarte/Aaron Hicks- Both guys provided above-average production in a platoon role last year. Why not do it again?

RF: Ronald Acuna- We're all still waiting for him to take the next step forward. He posted a 4.5 WAR as a 22-year old last year - and we still want more. That'll tell you how talented he is.

Grade: A

Bench
C Sandy Leon
IF Xander Bogaerts
OF Kyle Lewis

Grade: B+

Rotation
1. Clayton Kershaw- Ace

2. Erasmo Ramirez- Good control pitcher with a low-to-mid 90's fastball. Proven himself to be a solid #2 guy.

3. Mike Soroka- 23-year old that already has 368 major league innings under his belt. He is a big league finesse pitcher and has proven himself as a reliable mid-rotation option.

4. Danny Duffy- Will be out until the end of April with an injury, but will be a solid option when he returns. Lefty with good stuff and an extreme flyball tendency that is beneficial with our outfield.

5. Luiz Gohara- Still only 24-years old, but possesses plus stuff. His high 90's fastball and slder are elite, but his changeup lags behind. We're hoping that he can produce from the back of the rotation.

6. Anthony DeSclafani- Signed to a minor-league contract after Duffy went down in Spring Training. We called on him to throw strikes and eat innings.

Grade: B

Bullpen:
CL- A.J. Minter
SU- Chad Green
SU- Riley Ferrell
MR- Jun-seo Jeun
MR- Jasseel De la Cruz
MR- Grant Dayton
LR- Kyle Wright
LR- Brett Adcock

Top 10 Prospects:
1. OF Jasiah Dixon A+- Maybe the best athlete in all of the minors. He plays an unreal CF and has 70-grade speed. Pretty good contact skills, with decent raw power that's in development. He's only 19, but even if he becomes an average hitter, he'll be an All-Star.
2. OF Whitney Sceviour Rk- 18-year old Canadian with a gorgeous swing and a natural feel for hitting. I could envision him being a middle of the lineup threat down the road - but he's still got a while for his ETA. He is a slow, lumbering outfielder who will likely be hidden in a corner.
3. OF Josh Shuler Rk- Lefty with a sweet, sweet swing and plus raw power. There are concerns about his high strikeout rate and contact ability. He has a good arm but a lack of range in the outfield. Will probably fit best in right.
4. OF Kyle Lewis MLB- Good defender in the corners with some plus raw power. He'll be a solid contributor for us this year, and has the upside to be a good everyday player.
5. RHP Kendall Williams A+- He's been progressing well, and we're excited about it. He's still only 20 and likely a few years away, but he's got a mid-90's fastball, good command, and an array of average to plus pitches.
6. RHP Dutch Landis Rk- 80-grade name and 60-grade stuff. His upper 90's fastball and power curve gives him some solid upside. However, he's just 19 and fairly injury prone.
7. LHP Brett Adcock MLB- 25-year old lefty acquired in the Nick Markakis trade. He looks to be a solid bullpen piece for us, with a mid-90's fastball and an absolute hammer curveball. Upside as a strong setup man.
8. LHP Cooper Benson A- Good pitchability, but mediocre stuff. Has the upside as a back of the rotation arm.
9. IF Lency Delgado AAA- The former 2018 2nd rounder has turned himself into a formidable defensive 3B. He has plus power and could probably hit 20+ jacks in the majors right now. He will probably never hit for average, but he could be effective if he makes just enough contact.
10. OF Cabera Weaver A- Like Dixon, he's an elite runner and defensive outfielder. Unlike Dixon, he doesn't project very well as a hitter. His other tools give him the floor as a major league pinch runner/defensive replacement.

08-16-2018, 07:11 PM	#43
Francoeurstein Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 292	2021 Season Preview --We absorbed a couple of significant losses this off-season: namely Zach Britton and Jeff Samardzija. Fortunately, we made some acquisitions to make up for our losses, the biggest one being superstar Christian Yelich. We think that the moves we made this off-season will allow us to be postseason favorites and the first Braves squad to win it all in 26 years. Lineup C: Joey Bart- A strong finish to the regular season and a red-hot playoff run was more than convincing enough for us. Bart is 24 and ready to take over as the starting catcher, and he has the chance to be a perennial All-Star with plus power and defense. 1B: Freddie Freeman- The heart and soul of this team whose on the last year of his contract. At age 31, we are at a crossroads as to whether on not to extend him. 2B: Ozzie Albies- A true 5-tool player and major league superstar. Hard to believe he's only 24. 3B: Austin Riley- He posted a solid 116 OPS+ as a 22-year old last year and we think he has room to get even better. Wouldn't surprise me if he hit .260 with 30 home runs. SS: Dansby Swanson- Another cog in the fantastic, well-oiled young Braves machine. He's posted two straight 5.0 WAR seasons, a third would be perfectly acceptable. LF: Christian Yelich- Hits for average, power, and plays elite defense. What else could you ask for in a player? He'll fit perfectly in the #3 hole. CF: Ender Inciarte/Aaron Hicks- Both guys provided above-average production in a platoon role last year. Why not do it again? RF: Ronald Acuna- We're all still waiting for him to take the next step forward. He posted a 4.5 WAR as a 22-year old last year - and we still want more. That'll tell you how talented he is. Grade: A Bench C Sandy Leon IF Xander Bogaerts OF Kyle Lewis Grade: B+ Rotation 1. Clayton Kershaw- Ace 2. Erasmo Ramirez- Good control pitcher with a low-to-mid 90's fastball. Proven himself to be a solid #2 guy. 3. Mike Soroka- 23-year old that already has 368 major league innings under his belt. He is a big league finesse pitcher and has proven himself as a reliable mid-rotation option. 4. Danny Duffy- Will be out until the end of April with an injury, but will be a solid option when he returns. Lefty with good stuff and an extreme flyball tendency that is beneficial with our outfield. 5. Luiz Gohara- Still only 24-years old, but possesses plus stuff. His high 90's fastball and slder are elite, but his changeup lags behind. We're hoping that he can produce from the back of the rotation. 6. Anthony DeSclafani- Signed to a minor-league contract after Duffy went down in Spring Training. We called on him to throw strikes and eat innings. Grade: B Bullpen: CL- A.J. Minter SU- Chad Green SU- Riley Ferrell MR- Jun-seo Jeun MR- Jasseel De la Cruz MR- Grant Dayton LR- Kyle Wright LR- Brett Adcock Top 10 Prospects: 1. OF Jasiah Dixon A+- Maybe the best athlete in all of the minors. He plays an unreal CF and has 70-grade speed. Pretty good contact skills, with decent raw power that's in development. He's only 19, but even if he becomes an average hitter, he'll be an All-Star. 2. OF Whitney Sceviour Rk- 18-year old Canadian with a gorgeous swing and a natural feel for hitting. I could envision him being a middle of the lineup threat down the road - but he's still got a while for his ETA. He is a slow, lumbering outfielder who will likely be hidden in a corner. 3. OF Josh Shuler Rk- Lefty with a sweet, sweet swing and plus raw power. There are concerns about his high strikeout rate and contact ability. He has a good arm but a lack of range in the outfield. Will probably fit best in right. 4. OF Kyle Lewis MLB- Good defender in the corners with some plus raw power. He'll be a solid contributor for us this year, and has the upside to be a good everyday player. 5. RHP Kendall Williams A+- He's been progressing well, and we're excited about it. He's still only 20 and likely a few years away, but he's got a mid-90's fastball, good command, and an array of average to plus pitches. 6. RHP Dutch Landis Rk- 80-grade name and 60-grade stuff. His upper 90's fastball and power curve gives him some solid upside. However, he's just 19 and fairly injury prone. 7. LHP Brett Adcock MLB- 25-year old lefty acquired in the Nick Markakis trade. He looks to be a solid bullpen piece for us, with a mid-90's fastball and an absolute hammer curveball. Upside as a strong setup man. 8. LHP Cooper Benson A- Good pitchability, but mediocre stuff. Has the upside as a back of the rotation arm. 9. IF Lency Delgado AAA- The former 2018 2nd rounder has turned himself into a formidable defensive 3B. He has plus power and could probably hit 20+ jacks in the majors right now. He will probably never hit for average, but he could be effective if he makes just enough contact. 10. OF Cabera Weaver A- Like Dixon, he's an elite runner and defensive outfielder. Unlike Dixon, he doesn't project very well as a hitter. His other tools give him the floor as a major league pinch runner/defensive replacement.