Minor League and Prospect Discussion

[General]

Add James to that list:

Braves purchased the contract of LHP Chuck James from Triple-A Richmond. Since Mike Hampton apparently won't pitch, James gets a callup after all. After posting a 1.08 ERA in seven starts for Single-A Myrtle Beach and a 2.09 ERA in 16 starts for Double-A Mississippi, he went 1-3 with a 3.48 ERA in six starts for Richmond. He's unlikely to make any starts, but he could be useful in middle relief.

[ATLien]

Rookie #18.. come on down!

[General]

Bravely going where they've been before
09/28/2005 9:51 AM ET

By Kevin Czerwinski / MLB.com

Before the 2005 season began, MLB.com took an in-depth look at every big league team's Minor League system. Now, it's time to recap all 30 organizations, from top prospects to the recent draft class.



While the Atlanta Braves officially wrapped up their 14th straight division title this week, thanks in large part to an astounding 17 rookies who jumped to the Majors from their farm system in 2005, the club's affiliates as a whole didn't fare as well this season. Only two of the Braves' six affiliates finished with winning records, with Danville doing some real damage in the Appalachian League by finishing 27 games over .500.

Though the team performances weren't always sharp, the organization ranked 24th out of 30, many of the individual ones were. Roy Clark and his fine scouting staff continue to be an arm of the Atlanta organization that is consistently among the best in baseball. With Brian McCann and Andy Marte on the cusp of being big-time contributors in Atlanta and prospects like Eric Campbell and James Parr on the horizon, it doesn't look like the Braves' ability to get help from within will diminish any time soon.


Five Faves


At the start of the season, MLB.com identified five prospects to keep an eye on. Here's how they fared in 2005:

Andy Marte, 3B
Marte spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A Richmond, where he hit .275 with 20 homers and 74 RBIs in 109 games. He's appeared in nearly 20 games for Atlanta at various points in the season, but hasn't had much success in an extremely limited role. His time at Richmond was well spent, though, and he has nothing left to prove in the Minor Leagues, putting the Braves in a position of having to make a decision on whether to make room for him with the parent club next year or try to deal him this winter.
Watch Marte single for Richmond

Jeff Francoeur, OF
The jump from Double-A to Atlanta never looked so easy. There were some who didn't believe that Francoeur was ready for that kind of leap, yet all he's done is put himself smack in the middle of the NL Rookie of the Year competition while providing the Braves with an unexpected lift for much of the summer. While his 13 homers and 43 RBIs in 66 games through Sunday are certainly eye-catching, the more impressive number just might be the 12 outfield assists he had. Had he played a full season, he might have challenged Del Unser's expansion-era rookie record for outfield assists (22 for Washington in 1928).
Watch Francoeur hit a single for Mississippi

Brian McCann, C
He also made the jump from Double-A, splitting time this season between Atlanta and Mississippi. He had six homers and 26 RBIs in 48 games before the Braves brought him up in June. McCann had five homers and 18 RBIs through 160 Major League at-bats and has proven to be a valuable asset as a backup backstop, putting himself in position to play a much larger role in 2006.

Kyle Davies, RHP
The talented youngster made the initial jump from Triple-A early in the season and despite some occasional growing pains, has performed admirably, going 7-4, with a 4.82 ERA through 19 games (13 starts). His strikeout-to-walk ratio (57-to-45) is higher than he or the Braves would like it to be. He was moved to the bullpen in mid-August and hasn't fared as well, going 1-1 with a 7.84 ERA in 10 1/3 innings. With Mike Hampton out of the rotation next year, it's likely Davies will be one of the Braves' starters.

Jose Ascanio, RHP
He was 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA in four April appearances at Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach before getting hit hard in his fifth appearance May 1. A day later he was put on the disabled list with a back injury, then was sent to extended Spring Training and never returned.

Cinderella Story

Pete Orr, 2B
Orr was drafted by Texas in the 39th round in 1997 out of Galveston College and had a serviceable but not spectacular Minor League career, reaching Triple-A Richmond last season. Though he was not overwhelming in Spring Training this season, he won a job as jack-of-all trades for the Braves this season and has proven to be a dependable option. He's played four positions through 106 games and was hitting .288.

Breakout year

Chuck James, LHP
James certainly opened some eyes in his first full season in 2004, but he had many rubbing them with his follow-up in 2005. The 6-foot lefty began the year with Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League and ended all the way in Atlanta with a September callup. With stops in Mississippi and Richmond along the way, the 23-year-old James finished his Minor League season with a combined 2.12 ERA, third-lowest in the Minors. He was fourth with his 193 strikeouts (in 161 1/3 innings pitched) while walking just 36 and he topped all Minor League hurlers with a .179 batting average against.
Watch James as he sets down 11 in a row

Maximiliano Ramirez, C
He signed as an undrafted teenager prior to the 2004 season and had an adequate season in the Gulf Coast League. Yet Ramirez, who won't turn 21 until next month, showed he could handle the bat this season, finishing second in the Appalachian League with a .347 average and third with 47 RBIs. He made only one error behind the plate, posting a .996 fielding percentage. A converted third baseman, he threw out nearly 40 percent of runners attempting to steal.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
The Braves' first-round pick in 2003, Saltalamacchia was among the best prospects in the Carolina League in 2005. The switch-hitting catcher hit .314 (third in the league) with 19 homers and a franchise record-tying 81 RBIs to go along with a .519 slugging percentage and a .394 on-base percentage. He was equally impressive from both sides of the plate, hitting .305 right-handed and .319 left-handed for the year. He'll be honing his craft as a member of the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League.
Watch Saltalamacchia hit a HR for Myrtle Beach

2005 draft recap

1. Joe Devine, RHP
Devine raced through the Braves system after being selected with the 27th pick out of NC State, beating fellow first-rounder Craig Hansen to the Major Leagues by a few weeks.
Listen as Devine talks about making his Major League debut

2. Beau Jones, LHP
Jones went 3-2 in eight appearances (seven starts) for the Gulf Coast League Braves, posting a 3.86 ERA over 35 innings.

3. Yunel Escobar, SS
The Cuban import spent the majority of the season in Rome after hitting .400 in eight games in the Appy League. He hit .313 with four homers and 19 RBIs in 190 Sally League at-bats.
Watch Escobar crank a two-run homer for Rome

4. Jeff Lyman, LHP
He was an inauspicious 0-3 in eight games (seven starts) in the Gulf Coast League, allowing 41 hits in 34 innings while posting a 4.24 ERA.

5. Jordan Schafer, OF
Schafer had a rough beginning to his pro career, hitting .203 with 19 RBIs for the Gulf Coast Braves.

2004 draft recap

How the top three from 2004 fared in their first full season of pro ball.

1. Eric Campbell, 3B
This season proved to be a solid launching point for the youngster whom the Braves chose in the second round out of Gibson Southern High School in Indiana. He hit .313 and led the Appalachian League with 18 homers and 64 RBIs. He was second in the league in hits and first in doubles. He also led all Appalachian League third basemen with a .938 fielding percentage. He was also named the League's Co-Player of the Year.
Listen as Campbell reflects on his season

2. John Holt, 2B
The Louisiana State product made a nice transition from the Appy League to the South Atlantic League, hitting .268 over his first full season with five homers and 50 RBIs in 441 at-bats. He fared a little better against righties than lefties (.272 to .252) but showed the kind of grit one expects from a scrappy middle infielder.
Watch Holt lace a double for Rome

3. James Parr, RHP
Chosen with the 131st pick out of La Cueva High School in New Mexico, Parr was outstanding in his first full season of pro ball, tying for the organizational lead in victories. He had a 3.41 ERA over 26 games (18 starts) and, in one stretch, won six consecutive starts for Rome from late July through August.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.