Atlanta Braves send seven prospects to Arizona Fall League
ATLANTA, Ga. (BVM) — As the Atlanta Braves gear up for their first World Series appearance since 1999, seven of their top prospects have been tasked to showcase their skills in the Arizona Fall League. These up-and-coming pitchers and position players will suit up for the Peoria Javelinas and compete amongst the best minor leaguers from each MLB organization through mid-November. Let’s take a look at these seven Atlanta hopefuls.
Shea Langeliers, C
The ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Langeliers has only progressed since. With an already mature approach to game-calling, the former Baylor catcher took advantage of the cancelled 2020 season to focus on his bat. Langeliers’ dedication paid off as he had a breakout year in 2021 at the plate. He slashed .256/.399/.494 with 22 home runs and 52 RBIs through 92 games. This feat earned Langeliers the Atlanta Minor League Player of the Year award and a trip to Arizona to showcase his backstop abilities.
Luke Waddell, INF
A shortstop out of Georgia Tech, Waddell was drafted by the Braves in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He impressed in High-A Rome with a slash line of .304/.372/.580 but slowed down in Double-A with a .161 batting average through six games. Waddell is not historically known for his power at the plate but connected for six homers this season before he was selected for the AFL. Fall ball is Waddell’s chance to prove he can be a solid middle-infield talent in the Braves organization.
Jesse Franklin V, OF
Franklin V was drafted in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft after an injury paused his senior season at the University of Michigan. Ready to start fresh, Franklin performed at High-A Rome with 24 home runs, 24 doubles, 61 RBIs and 19 stolen bases for the 2021 season. His hot streak peaked in June when Franklin slashed .338/.412/.757 with five doubles, eight homers, 19 RBI and six stolen bases through 22 games. Franklin’s impressive gap-to-gap power and stealthy base-running should garner him solid playing time this fall with the Javelinas.
Indigo Diaz, RHP
One of Atlanta’s top pitching prospects, Diaz will likely see big-league time next season. A monster on the mound, the righty dominated in High-A Rome and posted a 1.00 ERA through 27 innings with 54 strikeouts earlier this year. Diaz continued this trend when promoted to Double-A and owned a 1.50 ERA through 18 innings with 29 strikeouts. The talented reliever has a fastball in the upper-90s with impressive spin rates throughout his arsenal, something that should be refined further this fall.
Victor Vodnik, SP
A 2018 draft pick for the Braves, Vodnik owns a mid-90s fastball that rarely fails. In 2019 with High-A Rome, Vodnik posted a 2.94 ERA through 23 games with 69 strikeouts. Vodnik’s 2021 season was cut short due to a forearm strain that allowed the ace to toss just 33.1 innings. In those innings, Vodnik owned a 5.35 ERA and 41 strikeouts. Vodnik will see more innings in Arizona with hopes to build on his shortened regular season game time.
William Woods, RHP
Woods was picked up by Atlanta late in the 2018 draft out of Dyersburg Community College in Tennessee. With a solid start in the minors, Woods gained notoriety in September 2020 when he posted a video of himself tossing a fastball that was clocked at 99 mph. Four days later, Woods was added to the Braves’ player pool and hasn’t looked back since. Most of the righty’s season was spent in Orlando at Instructs due to health issues, but Woods seems ready to take some good reps in Arizona and keep his high-90s fastball fresh.
Jake Higginbotham, RHP
The former Clemson Tiger was drafted by Atlanta in 2018 and has seen some solid minor league time since. Higginbotham impressed in his rookie season and posted a 2.65 ERA with 36 strikeouts through 34 innings. In 2021, he tossed just 11.1 innings in High-A and Double-A combined due to injury, but still struck out 16 in those outings. Higginbotham should be able to see a good amount of playing time in Peoria to get back in top-tier shape.
