Atlanta Braves for saintswhoadi
 

Here\'s from the experts...

3. Andy Marte, 3B, Braves, Age: 21
Here we have the next great Brave. Signed out of the Dominican in 2000 as a non-drafted free agent, Marte has shown excellent power and plate discipline at every level above rookie ball. He\'s also a strong defender at third. He could stand to make contact at a higher rate, which suggests he\'s occasionally prone to breaking balls, but otherwise he\'s without a weakness. He\'ll contend for the MVP award in about five or six years.

18. Jeff Francoeur, OF, Braves, Age: 21
A tremendous natural athlete whose skills leave scouts apoplectic with joy, Francoeur turned heads last season by slugging .506 at Myrtle Beach, which is probably the toughest park for hitters in pro baseball. He has excellent swing mechanics, great bat speed and advanced pitch-recognition skills. Additionally, he boasts one of the best throwing arms in the minors and adapted exceptionally well to center field last season. His main problem, however, is his glaring lack of patience at the plate; in 1,174 career plate appearances, he\'s drawn only 67 walks. If that improves, look out.

25. Brian McCann, C, Braves, Age: 21
McCann is the best catching prospect in the minors (at least among catchers who figure to stick at the position long-term), mostly because of his tremendous power potential. Last season, McCann slugged .494 and posted an Isolated Slugging Percentage (which is slugging percentage minus batting average and is a good indicator of raw, projectable power) of .216 (more than .200 is good benchmark), all while playing at High-A Myrtle Beach, arguably the toughest hitter\'s park in pro ball. He hit 16 homers last season, but his 35 doubles in 385 at-bats point to further power down the road. Some scouts worry that his swing, which is long at times, will be exploited at the higher levels, but that\'s speculation at this point. McCann needs to increase his walk rates and refine his defense behind the plate, but his future is indeed bright.

62. Kyle Davies, RHP, Braves, Age: 21

The Braves love to draft suburban-Atlanta prep talents, and, as oddly circumscribed as such an approach might sound, it works for them. Davies, fourth-round choice in 2001, is another example of the organization\'s success in that regard. Davies makes hay with a low-90s fastball with good life, overhand curve and tremendous changeup. That his change is already so advanced bodes well for his future. With the departure of Dan Meyer in the Tim Hudson trade, Davies is now the best pitcher in a system that knows a thing or two about cultivating arms.

Sorry I just can\'t help it... I\'m a crazed baseball fanatic. :dancingmonkey:

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after watching the braves this year do you think we should have kept marte?? i dont like seeing "future mvp" now that hes gone

He will never live up to his ceiling. He's a tease just like Wilson Betemit... massive potential in the minors and average major leaguers. Well if you think about it... any Braves top prospect that they've traded away has/have flopped with the exception of Jermaine Dye. Chen, Nied, Wainwright, Spooney, Marquis and his plus 5 ERA, etc... it's a long list. JS knows what he's doing.