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Atlanta Braves: Ready to Compete by 2017?

ByMatthew Schoettler|

WithJohn Harteyeing a new-look Atlanta Braves team by 2017, how will they fare against the rest of the NL East?

John Hartinsists that the Atlanta Braves will be ready to compete by the time the SunTrust Park is ready in 2017. However, how will they stack up against the competition in the NL East? With the Mets and Nationals both bolstering their rosters with young, inexpensive talent, the Braves seem a distant 3rd, if that. What can they do to right the ship?

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The New York Mets have loaded up their rotation with young pitching talent that is arguably second to none. With the likes ofMatt Harvey,Jacob deGrom,Noah Syndergaard,Steven Matz, andJon Niese, the Mets have a starting rotation built to succeed, not to mentionZack Wheeleris rehabbing fromTommy John. All of their starting pitchers are under control for numerous years to come, with Niese and Harvey being potential free agents by 2019.

Although the Mets have a sleuth of young, talented arms, their bats are lacking. WithYoenis Cespedesbeing a “rental” for the remainder of the year, that leavesDavid Wright,Lucas Duda, andMichael Confortoas their top impact bats.

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The Washington Nationals, however, have a balanced mix of pitching and hitting, though their pitching is not quite up to par with the Mets (although they have the potential to eclipse New York). The Nationals have stars likeBryce Harper,Stephen Strasburg, andMax Scherzer, but they also have young talent on the rise.

Starting pitchersJoe RossandLucas Giolitoare both projected as impact arms in the rotation; although, they have little-to-no big league experience. In addition to Ross and Giolito, the Nationals will also have other impact bats under club control includingJayson Werth,Anthony Rendon, andRyan Zimmerman, not to mentionTrea Turnerin the Minors (likely Desmond’s replacement).

So where does that leave the Atlanta Braves? It’s hard to project what the Braves lineup and rotation will look like in 2017, but we can all but assume thatShelby Miller,Julio Teheran,Freddie Freeman, andAndrelton Simmonswill be a part of the squad. John Hart has accumulated young arms in the farm system while getting rid of “bad” contracts (i.e. Melvin Upton, Jr.,Chris Johnson,Craig Kimbrel, andJustin Upton).

The Atlanta Braves farm system is deep with pitching prospects, currently six out of eight top ranked prospects are pitchers. Thus, that leaves hope that a few will pan out and become impact arms for the rotation.

"“I’ve never made any false promises that we were built to win this year. We felt we had an energy and a good makeup. But you don’t trade your closer opening day, trade for draft picks, trade middle-of-the-order bats and expect to win. I won’t lie to fans.” – John Hart"

However, the downside of having a farm system deep with pitching prospects suggests that the farm system is light on hitting. The trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers left many Atlanta Braves fans scratching their heads as Atlanta got rid of their consistent leftyAlex Wood(career 3.17 ERA and 1.28 WHIP) and unloaded their top position prospectJose Peraza.

Although Peraza does not hit for power, he has great contact skills and is quite speedy (151 stolen bases between 2013-2015 in minors). With the trade of Peraza, this may imply thatJace Petersoncould be the second baseman for the foreseeable future.

Jun 27, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Matt Wisler (37) throws on the field prior to playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

With Miller and Teheran leading the rotation, that leaves three open rotation spots for the Atlanta Braves to fill.Matt Wisler, a recently acquired prospect from the San Diego Padres seems like he’s in the fold for the third spot in the rotation after being a serviceable starter so far in his rookie season (4.74 ERA and 1.51 WHIP). One can also expect for those numbers to trend in a more positive direction as he learns his craft and continues to gain big-league experience.

Following Wisler in the rotation,Tyrell JenkinsandManny Banuelosare likely in the mix for the final two rotation spots (currently ranked 4th and 5th in the Braves farm system via MLB Pipeline).Tyrell Jenkinsjoined the Braves’ organization this offseason in theJason Heywardtrade between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals. He should make his Big League debut next season for the Atlanta Braves and is probably most deserving. His ERA has hovered around 3.00 as he has split time between the Mississippi Braves and the Gwinnett Braves, suggesting that he is ready for the call to the Show.

Lastly,Manny Banueloscould be an electric end of the rotation arm. Once a highly coveted prospect for the New York Yankees (ranked as high as the 13th overall prospect in 2012 by MLB), Banuelos has been injury riddled, overcomingTommy John(UCL) surgery and more recently bone spurs in his elbow. When healthy, Banuelos has the potential to become a middle-to-top of the rotation arm and carries nice upside. At worst, he is a big league bottom-end rotation guy.

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With the rotation seeming strong enough to compete with the Mets and Nationals, the lineup looks like its lagging behind. Where will the run support come from? The Braves have struggled to score runs this year and the farm system does not seem close to righting the ship. This leaves the door open for the Braves to spend big in free agency either this offseason or next offseason. The team does not seem to need pitching, but they could use a power bat to provide protection forFreddie Freeman.

All in all, the Atlanta Braves have a great deal of work ahead of them if they intend on keeping up with the front-running Mets and Nationals. However with proper pitching development and signing an impact bat or two, the Braves could pull even or surpass the top teams in the division. It is a wait-and-see sort of mindset, because we all know that John Hart has a master plan. Hopefully, it works out; if not, the Braves could be in for a long ride to regaining dominance in the division.

Next: Atlanta Braves: Assessing the Jason Heyward, Shelby Miller Trade

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