The Braves revealed this morning that theyve chosen the agreement of leading pitching prospect Ian Anderson and renewed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list. Anderson will make his Major League debut and start tonights game. In a pair of matching moves, right-hander Touki Toussaint and catcher Alex Jackson were optioned to Atlantas alternate training site.
Anderson, 22, was the No. 3 general draft choice in 2016 and has actually steadily ranked among the video games 50 or so best prospects over the past three years. He invested the 2019 season with the Braves Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, pitching to a combined 3.38 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 44 percent grounder rate. Thus numerous pitchers, Anderson was blown up in the explosive offensive setting in Triple-A last year, surrendering five homers in 24 2/3 frames. However, he just yielded eight big flies in 111 innings of Double-A work.
The Braves waited on Anderson enough time that hell lose out on Super Two status and the opportunity to accumulate a complete year of Major League service in 2020. As such, even if hes in the major leagues for excellent, Anderson wont be qualified for arbitration up until after the 2023 season and will not be eligible for free company up until after the 2026 season. Future optional projects could even more affect those timelines, naturally, though the organization undoubtedly hopes that he pitches his method into a long-term rotation area.
The return of Acuna is undoubtedly a significant advantage for the Braves also. Hes missed the past 10 days due to a left wrist injury but had rebounded from a slow start to enhance his line to.258/.372/.515 at the time of his IL positioning. In 10 August video games, Acuna was hitting.364/.488/.818 with four homers and three doubles.
The Braves revealed this morning that theyve chosen the contract of leading pitching prospect Ian Anderson and renewed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the hurt list. Anderson will make his Major League debut and begin tonights game. The Braves waited on Anderson long enough that hell miss out on out on Super Two status and the opportunity to accrue a complete year of Major League service in 2020.
Offered the substantial rotation problems theyve experienced in 2020, theres some pressure on Anderson to put forth a strong debut effort. The Braves have actually recently leaned on swingman Josh Tomlin and waiver claim Robbie Erlin to begin video games for them.
Hunting reports on Anderson peg him as more of a mid-rotation starter than a frontline ace. His fastball reaches 96 miles per hour, and Anderson garners praise for a plus curveball and a changeup thats a bit behind that offering, though all 3 are thought about above-average pitches.