The Atlanta Braves may still be rebuilding, but the future is beginning to look brighter and brighter. The farm system has been replenished, and multiple prospects are likely to debut in Atlanta this season. Two of those prospects are OF Ronald Acuna and 3B Austin Riley. Rated as the No. 1 and No. 8 prospects in Atlanta’s system by MinorLeagueBall.com, the two players also make up the highest ranked position players among all Braves prospects. They are expected to be solid contributors well into the future, and they also share striking similarities with two former prospects.
Ronald Acuna & Austin Riley Bring Hope to Atlanta Braves
Link to the past
The last time Atlanta had its top two position prospects as an OF and a corner IF was in 2010. That year, it was another 20-year old OF named Jason Heyward that was tearing the cover off the ball in Spring Training and turning heads. Like Acuna, Heyward was Atlanta’s No. 1 prospect at the time and projected to be a perennial all-star. Unlike this season, the Braves decided to put Heyward on the Opening Day roster. It didn’t take long for Heyward to reward the decision, homering in his first at-bat to start the season.
While all the focus was on Heyward heading into 2010, not far behind him was a 20-year old first baseman from California by the name of Frederick Charles Freeman. Rated as Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, “Freddie” would not debut until September when he appeared in 20 games and homered off of Roy Halladay. Though Heyward was tabbed as the undoubted MVP candidate for the future – even more so after hitting 18 home runs and posting 6.4 WAR as a rookie – Freeman was expected to be his running mate and fellow home run hitter for years to come.
The Present
Fast forward to the present, and there are enough similarities between the two duos to comment on. Like Heyward, Acuna is an elite OF prospect with all the tools. He can hit, hit for power, run, field, and possesses a strong throwing arm. Barring a catastrophic event, Acuna will debut this season at 20-years old, just like Heyward.
Even more impressive, the two players share similar stats across their respective breakout seasons. In 2009, Heyward appeared in 99 games over three MiLB levels while slashing .323/.408/.555. He added 17 home runs, 25 doubles, 63 RBI, and 69 runs scored. In 2017, Acuna appeared in 139 games over three levels while hitting .325/.374/.522 with 21 HRs, 31 doubles, 82 RBI, and 88 runs scored.
Comparing Riley to Freeman is likely tougher for fans to picture on the surface. After all, Riley is still a bit of a work in progress offensively while Freeman has been a complete hitter for much of his career in Atlanta. However, fans must remember that Freeman (like any player) had his own marks against him during his time as a prospect. When it comes to the numbers, the comparison makes a bit more sense.
With a full season in Single-A Rome during 2008, Freeman hit 18 home runs, 33 doubles, and 70 runs scored. For Riley’s season with Rome in 2016, he hit 20 home runs, 39 doubles, and 68 runs scored. Freeman did manage a bit higher batting average and OBP, but the rest of the numbers are remarkably close. Additionally, both players fit the profile of a power bat, corner infielder.
Outlook
Now, the big question is what does this all mean? Is Acuna destined to burst onto the scene like Heyward before battling injuries and offensive struggles? Certainly not. Will Riley debut after Acuna, only to turn into a top offensive weapon and consistent power threat? Fans can only hope! The real theme between Heyward and Freeman debuting in 2010 and the likely debuts of Acuna and Riley in 2018 is simple: hope.
2010 was a vastly different season as the Braves had hopes for the postseason and would capture a Wild Card to punch a trip to October. Though 2018 may be different in terms of expectations, a sense of hope is beginning to return to the franchise. 2019 and beyond should see the return of big things to Atlanta, hopefully with the likes of Acuna, Riley, and a host of others having an impact with the club. Only time will tell how this duo will perform, but the sky truly is the limit as they await their call to Atlanta.
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