As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
While the Braves had a quicker playoff exit than they had hoped for, their farm system had some exciting developments. Most notably, their recent crop of arms, especially the college pitchers, have taken a huge step forward—Drue Hackenberg stands out in particular. He was so impressive during his brief stint in Triple-A that Braves fans were clamoring for him to be added to the postseason roster. The team is still feeling the impact of the sanctions, as their position player group has regressed a bit. When you’ve been mainly drafting pitchers in recent years, it’s natural for the position player depth in your farm system to fall behind. The Braves farm is headlined by Drake Baldwin, who projects as their backup catcher early in his career, but his bat will be a welcome addition to a lineup that could use more depth. Nacho Alvarez is in a similar situation, though he already made his debut this past season, even if his defensive position is still up in the air. Overall, the Braves are loaded with pitching and have a few hitting prospects that might give them enough flexibility to make trades and keep their competitive window open.
About Our Top 20 Lists
Prospects Live, led by its evaluating team & Director of Scouting Rhys White, is proud to begin rolling out its annual offseason system reports. The team combines industry feedback, our live looks, film, and available data to compile each org. We believe this effort has enabled us to present you, the reader, with our best possible view of the prospects in the organization.
We have constructed this list using the Overall Future Potential (OFP) scale. There is no perfect equation for ranking prospects or assigning value to them, but we believe this method is the best possible approach. Every prospect on this list has been graded based on the tried and true 20-80 scouting scale. An 80 is the highest tool and OFP grade on the scale, reserved for MVP-caliber players or tools. Conversely, a 20 is reserved for non-prospects (NPs). A 50 OFP falls in the middle, indicating our evaluators deem this player a future average major league player. Below the 50 OFP tier are the 45s and 40s, comprising a large majority of players on each list. These are specific-role players, such as platoon hitters, utility players, or low-leverage relievers. Above the 50 OFP tier are the 55s and 60s. A 55 represents a future above-average player, and a 60 OFP designation is reserved for future All-Star caliber players.
In addition to the tool grades and OFP, we will also include a 'Risk' associated with each prospect. We use this to better communicate to you, the reader, whether a grade is more aggressive or conservative in nature. The evaluation team has worked hard to apply both the grades and risk components to better illustrate how each individual prospect stacks up in their respective system and in the baseball ecosystem.
Evaluators: Rhys White, Matt Thompson, Tyler Jennings, Alex Kempton, Tyler Paddor
Drake Baldwin has had a slow and steady climb through the Braves' minor league system and is now on the verge of breaking through. His standout trait is what he can do offensively as a catcher. Baldwin is a solidly built player with muscle all over. He has a quick bat through the zone and shows an excellent feel for manipulating the barrel to attack pitches all over the zone. He lofts balls to the pull side and pokes them the other way when pitched outside. His power is average, generated through good bat speed and strength. As a catcher, Baldwin is solid as a blocker, and there's no issue with his receiving or game-calling. He could benefit from being on one knee more often, though. His arm is a concern—while his throws are accurate, they lack the zip you'd want. Even at the lower levels, opponents have picked up on this and run on him frequently. Baldwin is an average catcher overall and could remain there as a solid offense-first backup for a team. But with his athleticism, he could also transition to left field or first base, where his bat would still play well. - Rhys White
FANTASY SPIN
Baldwin is an underrated catching prospect you should be paying attention to. He has everything dynasty managers look for: power, contact ability, and proximity. If you weren’t aware, Baldwin has well above average exit velocities (106 mph 90th/112 mph max, 50% hard hit), contact rates (85% zone/79 overall), and swing decisions (21% chase). He walks more than he strikes out and uses the entire field. The only nit to pick with his offensive game is that he is a little bit passive (44% swing rate), which takes away from his ability to do damage. This is a small thing and can be easily corrected. He has the offensive skills to be a starting big-league backstop; he needs the opportunity. He’s probably not ranked where he needs to be on most fantasy lists, so you should be able to get him in leagues with 300 prospects rostered, even though he should be ranked much higher. - Greg Hoogkamp
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
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