{"id":3424,"date":"2017-01-31T16:43:42","date_gmt":"2017-01-31T21:43:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonbaseball.com\/?p=3424"},"modified":"2017-01-31T16:43:42","modified_gmt":"2017-01-31T21:43:42","slug":"farm-hands-jonathan-morales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2017\/01\/31\/farm-hands-jonathan-morales\/","title":{"rendered":"Lesser Known Braves Farm Hands: Jonathan Morales"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kicked off by the cleaning-house of all things Wren, namely the firing of Frank<\/a> and trading of Kyle<\/a>, fans of the Atlanta Braves have watched intently for each and every transaction made since the fall of 2014. One of the most\u00a0important moments of the rebuild thus far\u00a0was the 2015 draft. It set the stage for Atlanta\u2019s new identity. That draft brought in current top prospects Kolby Allard<\/a><\/strong> (#4), Mike Soroka<\/a><\/strong> (#7), Austin Riley<\/a><\/strong> (#15), Lucas Herbert<\/a><\/strong> (#23), Patrick Weigel<\/a><\/strong> (#26), and A.J. Minter<\/a><\/strong> (#27). Obscured by headliners of the 2015 draft is Jonathan Morales<\/a><\/strong>, a competitive and productive\u00a0catcher who could surprise a few who have overlooked him so far.<\/p>\n

The Lesser Known Farm Hand: Jonathan Morales<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Jonathan Morales, now 21, is from Arroyo, Puerto Rico. He\u00a0played at Miami Dade College between 2013-2015\u00a0before going\u00a0to the Braves in the 25th round of the 2015 draft. While in his second season at Miami Dade, he hit .389\u00a0while showing\u00a0flashes of power\u00a0through 47 games. He was named to the\u00a0First Team All-Southern Conference and was named Southern Conference Player of the Year that season.<\/p>\n

He\u00a0was assigned to the GCL Braves after the draft, and\u00a0he produced. Morales hit .304 with\u00a0seven doubles and\u00a0seven home runs in 46 games. His performance in the Gulf Coast League earned him a promotion\u00a0to the Single-A Rome Braves to start 2016.<\/p>\n

Offensive Production<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The numbers that Morales produced in junior college, and now the minor leagues, prove that he is a capable hitter. He holds good knowledge of the zone and doesn’t strike out often. Thanks to\u00a0an aggressive approach at the plate, there aren’t many walks, either. Mainly due to his\u00a0strong showing at the rookie level, he began getting\u00a0attention from the affluent followers. Much of that talk tailed off after his promotion to\u00a0Single-A.<\/p>\n

The disinterest is warranted. Morales put up an entirely mediocre slash line of .269\/.313\/.356.\u00a0He’s considered to have a lower ceiling than Herbert. However,\u00a0the numbers don’t give a full picture of\u00a0his 2016 performance. He hit very well through April and most of May before a long, sharp downturn. Through 43 games, he held a .299 average with a respectable .337 OBP. Morales’\u00a0low\u00a0point came after an\u00a00-4 performance on July 13, leaving him at .230.<\/p>\n

From then on, Morales improved. He eventually climbed back to a .277 average and .326 OBP\u00a0on August 20.\u00a0Morales contributed to\u00a0the Rome Braves fight for the\u00a0South Atlantic League title. He hit .308 with three doubles in the playoffs, including a 2-4 performance with a double and a run scored in the final game of the title\u00a0series against the Lakewood BlueClaws.<\/p>\n

There exists potential for Morales to be an all-around bat. He’s played in 159 games, collecting 32 doubles and 11 home runs between the GCL and Single-A. While he did only hit four home runs in Single-A, his swing allows for more power. That power is not a natural part of his game, yet he can find it when he stays patient and balanced.<\/p>\n