The Atlanta Braves will hold their first workout with pitchers and catchers on Wednesday, February 14, in North Port, Florida. Position players are scheduled to follow on February 19, but many are already in camp and have joined their teammates in beginning their preparations for the 2024 season.
Atlanta is bringing six catchers and 32 pitchers to camp in an official capacity. Of course, we will see many more come over from minor league camp throughout the Grapefruit League schedule. Below are some quick thoughts on each of the pitchers and catchers that reported to North Port this week.
Asterisks denote non-roster invitees not on the 40-man roster
Catchers
Drake Baldwin*
Baldwin was the Braves’ third round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. He ranked ninth on Battery Power’s Top 30 preseason Braves prospects list. He spent most of the 2023 season at High-A Rome, where he slugged 14 homers and posted a 135 wRC+ while also posting a 15.1 percent walk rate. He made cameo appearances at Mississippi and Gwinnett at the end of the season. He has shown improvement behind the plate and could eventually work his way into the picture behind Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud.
Travis d’Arnaud
d’Arnaud was slowed early on by a concussion, but effectively split time behind the plate with Sean Murphy down the stretch. His offensive production at the plate dipped to an 83 wRC+ in 74 games, but that was largely due to xwOBA underperformance. In any case, the Braves love the way he handles the pitching staff and he has emerged a respected leader in the clubhouse. d’Arnaud is under contract through the end of the 2024 season and has a club option for 2025.
Sean Murphy
Murphy put up career-best numbers at the plate in his first season in Atlanta while underperforming his xwOBA by almost 30 points. Most of his damage came in the first half where he put up a 166 wRC+. While his stats slid down the stretch, he had a more than respectable .348 xwOBA in the second half, and just suffered from some terrible outcomes on balls in play. Still, Atlanta was most concerned about his work behind the plate where he ranked sixth in Framing Runs and first in catcher blocking per Baseball Savant.
Sebastian Rivero*
Rivero signed with the Kansas City Royals out of Venezuela in 2015 and made his major league debut with the Royals in 2021. He was released at the end of 2022 and spent the 2023 campaign in the minors for the White Sox, where he hit .219/.273/.326 in 267 plate appearances. He’s about as warm body as they come in terms of non-roster invitees.
Tyler Tolve*
The Braves drafted Tolve in the 17th round of the 2021 draft out of Kennesaw State. He produced a 118 wRC+ in High-A Rome in 2022, but struck out 32 percent of the time. He spent the 2023 season at Mississippi, where he hit seven homers and posted an 84 wRC+ in 217 plate appearances.
Chadwick Tromp*
Originally acquired by the Braves at the end of the 2021 season, Tromp has spent much of the past two years on the Braves’ 40-man roster. He was outrighted this offseason, but re-signed on a minor league deal and should again provide some catching depth at Gwinnett. Tromp appeared in six games and was 2 for 16 at the plate with Atlanta in 2023. He hit .210/.336/.384 with an 84 wRC+ in 268 plate appearances at Gwinnett.
Pitchers
Ian Anderson – RHP
Anderson was a key part of the Braves’ rotation in 2020 and 2021, but struggled after a 2021 shoulder injury and for much of 2022, eventually finding himself back at Triple-A. He made just one appearance for Gwinnett in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Alex Anthopoulos said this offseason that the team is expecting Anderson back at some point in the second half.
Ben Bowden* – LHP
Bowden was drafted in the second round of the 2016 Draft by the Colorado Rockies and made his major league debut in 2021. He spent last season pitching in Triple-A for the Phillies, where he had a 4.64 ERA and a 4.49 FIP in 52 1/3 innings.
This article was originally published by a www.batterypower.com . Read the Original article here. .