Over the past two and a half years, the Atlanta Braves have made a concerted effort to increase the quality and depth of their farm system by any means necessary. This has included a slew of trades, investing heavily in the draft, and far exceeding their bonus pool on the international market. While that has resulted in a diminished on-field product at the major league level, those efforts have not gone unnoticed. On Wednesday, Baseball America named the Rome Braves, Atlanta’s High-A affiliate, their Minor League Team of the Year. It is the first time the 24-year history of the award that any Braves affiliate has won it.
As noted in J.J. Cooper’s article announcing the award (a highly recommended read), Rome was not a powerhouse out of the gate. In fact, at the All-Star break, the team sat at just 27-42. However, they were also a historically young team. Their average age was a full year younger than that of other South Atlantic League teams and the youngest that the SAL had seen in over a decade. They were talented but inexperienced.
In the second half, all of that talent finally translated into in-game success. The club implemented a six-man pitching staff, all of whom ended the season on Atlanta’s top 30 prospect list (per MLB.com). Three of those six (Kolby Allard, Mike Soroka, and Patrick Weigel) were homegrown talents. The other three (Touki Toussaint, Max Fried, and Ricardo Sanchez) were acquired via trade. In addition to those six primary starters, Rome also briefly rostered two other top 30 arms, reliever A.J. Minter and since-traded starter John Gant.
In the lineup, Rome was led by toolsy outfielder Ronald Acuna, slugging third baseman Austin Riley, and breakout outfielder Ray-Patrick Didder. Acuna, in particular, has seen his stock skyrocket after an impressive 2016 season (and his subsequent dominance in the Australian Winter League). Both Acuna and Riley are also on that top 30 list. Didder hasn’t received much in the way of prospect hype but that could change as he’s still fairly young (22) and just posted the best season of his professional career.
In addition to that trio, other organizational top 30 names to see time with the club include speedy shortstop Anfernee Seymour, catcher Lucas Herbert, and since-traded infielder Luke Dykstra.
By the end of the season, that loaded roster propelled Rome to the SAL title, it’s first since 2003.
The title should speak volumes for Braves fans to remain patient. The situation in Atlanta has been bleak for a couple years now but help is on the way. If Rome’s performance is any indication, the organization has a bright future on the horizon. Pennants will fly soon enough.
Scott Ferris covers the Braves as a Staff Writer for Outside Pitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter @ScottHFerris
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