re: The ATL Spring Training Thread: 2016 Edition

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After Friday, the Braves don’t really need to worry about whether Fried’s spin has survived the surgery. In his second sim game of the season against fellow Braves minor leaguers, and his first two-inning outing, Fried showed the devastating yakker that made him one of the best young lefthanders in the minors before his elbow injury.

Fried showed a little rust, as a couple of curves and a fastball or two badly missed the strike zone, but his feel for all three pitches (fastball, curveball and changeup) got better and better as he got comfortable.

“Obviously it’s early in the spring. I made it a point of emphasis today to throw all three pitches in the zone and built off that,” Fried said. “It was my first time since surgery to sit down and go back out for a second inning so it was a big step for me.”

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Also, Olivera gon tear it up this year; just watch.

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Camp Standouts
Rio Ruiz's first season in the Braves organization did not exactly go as planned. Acquired from the Astros in the Evan Gattis deal in January 2015, The Braves' No. 16 prospect hit just .233 with a .657 OPS in Double-A. He did perform much better in the second half and it's clear that the third baseman wanted to come into camp showing he's ready to put that behind him. He reported in tremendous shape and the work is paying off.
"He's primed for a big year," Schuerholz said. "He looks really good physically and his swing has looked really good."
Schuerholz has also been impressed with No. 23 prospect Ronald Acuna. The outfielder is just 18 for all of 2016, coming off a solid United States debut last year that saw him earn a bump from the Gulf Coast League to the Appalachian League. Like with many young players, Acuna needed to pay more attention to work habits in order to maximize his considerable raw tools. It's looking like he's buying in this spring.
"We have to make sure he's on board, but he's been outstanding in camp," Schuerholz said. "He's been one of the first to the ballpark each day, one of the first ones out doing drills. We really like what we're seeing from him."
Breakout candidates
With so much high-end talent, it might be hard to find under-the-radar type prospects who fit the "breakout candidate" profile. But there are some guys just getting started who are definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Catcher Jonathan Morales was a 25th-round Draft choice out of Miami Dade College. The Puerto Rican native went to the Gulf Coast League for his pro debut at age 20, as a late-round pick needing to prove himself. He did just that, finishing with an .889 OPS thanks to seven home runs in 135 at-bats. He also threw out 44 percent of would-be basestealers. The Braves think maybe they have a Draft steal on their hands.
"He's energetic behind the plate," Schuerholz said. "Value-wise, that's a tremendous pick where we got him."
Also from that GCL team, keep an eye on shortstop-turned-outfielder Isranel Wilson. There was a lot of swing and miss to his game in 2015, but he also homered 10 times in 144 ABs.
The Braves also got a pair of left-handers in the 2015 Draft who Schuerholz feels could be primed for big first full seasons. A.J. Minter has yet to pitch competitively as he had Tommy John surgery during his junior year at Texas A&M. The Braves don't shy away from rehab cases and nabbed him with the 75th overall pick. He was back on the mound on the back fields and he could move quickly once he shakes the rust off. So could Chase Johnson-Mullins, a junior college product taken in the 13th round last June.

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