This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
ATLANTA -- As we near the second half, here are the Braves’ Minor League first-half MVPs.
Overall: RHP JR Ritchie (Braves’ No. 6 prospect)
Ritchie has thrived in what has been his first full unrestricted season at the professional level. After spending last season building back up from Tommy John surgery, the 2022 first-round pick has produced a 2.33 ERA over 69 2/3 innings for High-A Rome and Double-A Columbus.
The 21-year-old hurler has a 3.86 ERA in the six starts he has made since reaching the Double-A level. His strikeout rate has remained similar (24.2 percent for Rome and 23.7 percent for Columbus), but his walk rate has increased from 6.4 percent to 11.1 percent since the promotion. But it should be noted that he walked five over just four innings in his first stat for Columbus. He has had an 8.1 percent walk rate in the four starts that have followed.
TrIple-A Gwinnett: RHP Nathan Wiles
Back in late March, Chris Sale made his final tuneup for Opening Day and there was reason to ask manager Brian Snitker why the Braves had opted to sign Alex Verdugo to a one-year deal the day before. This was of course before we knew Jurickson Profar would draw an 80-game suspension a week later.
But even if March 21 would have been a slow news day, there wouldn’t have been much reason to trumpet the acquisition of Wiles from the Rays in exchange for cash. You see these kinds of moves all the time at the end of Spring Training, when organizations are tidying their rosters.
But Wiles has at least provided quality innings, while posting a 2.92 ERA over 13 starts for Gwinnett. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean he’d be a great option as the Braves attempt to get by without Sale, who is out indefinitely with a fractured left rib cage.
Wiles surrendered four hits and three runs over one inning while making his MLB debut for the Braves against the Cardinals on April 22. Still even if the 26-year-old hurler isn’t a rotation option, there is a chance the Braves could use a long relief option at some point.
Double-A Columbus: Ian Mejia (Braves’ No. 23 prospect)
Repeating the Double-A level has been a good thing for Mejia, who has a 2.29 ERA through his first 12 appearances (eight starts) for the Clingstones. The 25-year-old hurler has a 0.932 WHIP over 49 1/3 innings as a starting pitcher. His 25.5 strikeout percentage as a reliever is much more impressive than his 19.6 percent strikeout rate as a starter. But he has shown stamina, working into the seventh inning of five of his past seven starts.
High-A Rome: Ritchie
Single-A Augusta: Mason Guerra
Guerra is doing what you’d want a 22-year-old college selection to do while repeating at the Single-A level. He has hit nine home runs and produced an .844 OPS through his first 46 games for Augusta. He put up just a .426 OPS in 24 games at this level last year.