Atlanta Braves: The New Kid On The Block Is Something Special

News broke today that the Atlanta Braves have moved top-10 prospect Ronald Acuña from AA-Mississippi to AAA-Gwinnett. This news is striking for a number of reasons.

As the 2nd half of the MLB season begins to crank up, and the trade deadline gets closer and closer, lots of questions swirl around the Atlanta Braves roster. There’s a reason for this. The Braves stunk last year. They’re not perfect, but they don’t stink in 2017. In fact, they’re pretty fun to watch most games.

Part of the reason for this is that they have players who are performing. They have some players performing at a very high level, so far. That said, our beloved Braves really aren’t in position to compete for championships yet. Consequently, teams looking to “win now” might come calling for proven veteran production. Do the Braves bite and trade? Do they look at these vets and say, “You know what? We can use them in 3 or 4 years.” No one really knows. Well, the Front Office does, but nobody else. Probably even the players who might be involved don’t even know.

One indication of what might be coming, though, was the news today that Ronald Acuña was brought up from AA to AAA. This is significant for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is his age. The 6 foot, 180 pound 19-year-old has rocketed up the Braves farm system chain.

It is rare that a kid is moved this quickly. There is a huge difference between AA and AAA. You don’t get to Gwinnett unless you are really close to being “ready”. In fact, Acuña started THIS SEASON in A+ ball. He hit .287 there in 28 games. Acuña was then moved to AA-Mississippi and managed a ridiculous .326 BA in 57 games.

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But his production isn’t the only thing here. It also means that, all of sudden, the question about whether the Atlanta Braves would move one, or both, of the veteran OFs in Matt Kemp or Nick Markakis at the deadline, becomes heated and relevant.

Both Kemp and Markakis have been great for the Braves. Veteran stalwarts in the locker room and fantastic play in the field from both, or either, would be missed. But if you can get value, and Acuña tears up AAA like he has every other level, how do you say “no”, if teams come-a-callin’?

Watch what Acuña does in Gwinnett this month. If he struggles, like most would, this question may answer itself. If he kills, though, the Andruw Jones comparisons will start flying.

You want to know how you get rid of favorite veteran players to get future value, and not see a fan revolt and sagging ticket sales? Bring a kid up who is playing like Andruw Jones, and talk about it openly.

TV revenues are up over 50% from last year. And those are the numbers that really matter to the Front Office.

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