BRAVES NEWS

Ronald Acuna poised to make MLB debut in mid-April, per report

As expected, beat writer Mark Bowman reports that the Braves plan to keep to prospect Ronald Acuna in Triple-A Gwinnett until mid-April, allowing him to remain under team control for an extra season. The Braves have been bitten by an overly aggressive stance on this issue in the past, when Jason Heyward was placed on the Opening Day roster in 2010, which made his exit prior to the 2015 season a frustrating time for Braves fans. The club is taking a more measured approach in this case, and while it could have an effect on the performance of the club for two weeks, securing Acuna for his age-27 season is a fine consolation.

2018 Atlanta Braves player projections: position players

2018 Atlanta Braves player projections: starting pitchers

Ivan formulates the projected outcomes for the Braves, breaking down both the position players and the starting pitchers. As always, Ivan is extremely thorough, and these projections are certainly backed up by plenty of data. Look through each post and gain a better understanding of how projections are compiled, what they mean, and what factors can slide fWAR in either direction.

Braves’ top prospects knocking on door

Along with the aforementioned Acuna, the Braves have other notable prospects who could make their debuts this season. Mike Soroka has certainly been impressive this spring, and while his minor league workload would seem to suggest that he needs more seasoning, the 20-year-old has shown all the ability necessary to exceed at the major league level in the near future. Austin Riley has also been impressive this spring and could debut later in the season, bringing some much-needed pop to the Atlanta lineup. Mark Bowman speculates that 2017 first-round pick Kyle Wright could very well occupy a spot in the 2019 rotation.

MLB Pipeline ranks Soroka as the Braves’ second-best pitching prospect and the game’s 31st-best prospect. He rests directly behind last year’s fifth overall pick Kyle Wright, a Braves farmhand who has spent the past couple weeks justifying his ranking as the game’s 30th-best prospect. Armed with the ability to throw 95 mph-plus heaters and create a rising fastball effect like Craig Kimbrel, Wright will be given a chance to get used to the five-day rotation schedule that he didn’t encounter until ending his Vanderbilt career last year. The 22-year-old right-hander stands as a strong candidate to open the 2019 season in Atlanta’s rotation.

MLB NEWS

The latest on Arrieta, Moose and Holland

Would you have ever believed in October that on March 8th, Jake Arrieta, Mike Moustakas, and Greg Holland would all be free agents? They are still unemployed, but they are reportedly receiving interest and could come to terms soon according to agent Scott Boras.

Kershaw freezes Ohtani, talks some smack

The Babe Ruth of Japan is apparently not of interest to the Clayton Kershaw of the United States, as the left-hander shared his apathy with regards to the circus around Angels RHP/OF Shohei Ohtani.