Teams calling about Braves' bevy of pitching prospects

The Braves have solid pitching prospects at every level of their system.

"You just keep stockpiling," said general manager Frank Wren, who got Vizcaino from the Yankees in the Javier Vazquez trade in December. "There's attrition. That's the nature of any farm system, you're trying to collect as many as you can because they're not all going to make it."

Vizcaino, 19, is on the disabled list at Single-A Myrtle Beach with a partially torn elbow ligament, an injury that didn't require surgery. He was 9-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 15 starts at Single-A Rome and Myrtle Beach, with 77 strikeouts against only 12 walks in 83 innings.

Teheran and Delgado have climbed prospect rankings with overpowering first-half performances. Both were promoted last week from Myrtle Beach to Double-A Mississippi.

Teheran, 19, posted a combined 2.28 ERA in 17 starts at Rome and Myrtle Beach, with 121 strikeouts and 23 walks and 79 hits allowed in 102 2/3 innings. He was No. 6 on the Baseball America midseason top 50, and more than one scout has called him the best pitching prospect in baseball.

"He has dominant stuff," Wren said. "We've got to remember he's still young and he's still learning, but on a given night, he can go out there and show you three plus-plus pitches. That's why he's gaining the reputation that he is.

"I know in the Carolina League All-Star game he was absolutely dominant, then he went out to the Futures Game and used his change-up to get them out. He's got a lot of ways to get you out. He has great instincts, and he's always had that, even as a kid. That's one of the things that separated him."

At age 19, Hanson was beginning his career in rookie ball after pitching in junior college.

"I think he might be a little ahead of Tommy at that age, and he throws a little harder," Wren said.

Delgado, 20, had a 2.76 ERA in 20 starts at Myrtle Beach, with 120 strikeouts, 39 walks and 89 hits allowed in 117 1/3 innings.

"Those kids have really handled A-ball very well at their age," Wren said. "You just look at Delgado's numbers -- he may not have the flashy stuff that Teheran has, but he's still a power pitcher in the mid-90s [mph].

"He probably pitches a little more than Teheran because he's probably got a better feel for pitching, where Teheran's stuff is so dominant that he doesn't have to pitch as much."

Minor, 22, could be the closest to major-league ready. He has 129 strikeouts with 40 walks in 105 2/3 innings and was 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his first three starts after a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett.

A few of the Braves' other pitching prospects: Triple-A reliever Craig Kimbrel; emerging right-hander Brandon Beachy, who had a 1.47 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings in Double-A before a Friday promotion to Triple-A;  Tim Collins, who has a 2.30 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 47 relief innings in Double-A; and 17-year-old lefty Carlos Perez, also promoted Friday to Rome after posting a 1.13 ERA and .185 opponents' average at rookie-league Danville.

With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaching, teams have called asking about the availability of the Braves' bevy of young pitchers and prospects. Wren has said no -- many times.

"Yeah, and that actually makes it a little tougher," he said. "The dynamics of making a deal when you say no, no, no, make it tougher to make a deal. But there's some kids that we're just not going to trade. We're just not going to. And I don't think teams can blame us. ...

"But I do think we have enough depth that we can say no a bit and still get deals done."