System overview
Things are changing in Atlanta. Tom Glavine and Kevin Millwood are gone, and a division title, while still possible, is far from guaranteed. The Braves will have to rely on their farm system over the next few years as age takes hold on the roster.

The good news is that the Braves have one of the best collections of pitching prospects in the game, though the best ones are still at least a year away. Atlanta does an excellent job of scouting and coaching pitchers. They usually focus on high school arms, a risky proposition, but they've been able to make it work.

The bad news is that, for all the success they've had with pitching, the system is thin in hitters. This has been a problem for several years. Atlanta's hitting prospects have a disturbing tendency to underperform, mainly due to weak strike zone judgment. The system has a lot of athletes, fast and strong tools guys. But most of them are weak in the skill department, and even the ones who perform well in the lower minors tend to struggle when promoted.

This dichotomy between pitching and hitting is something the organization must address.

2002 amateur draft
The loss of Steve Karsay to free agency gave the Braves two extra picks at the top of the draft.

With their first selection, they chose Georgia high school outfielder Jeff Francoeur. He is a terrific athlete, and proved to be more polished than expected, playing very well in the Appalachian League, though he'll need to sharpen the strike zone as he advances. Supplemental first-round choice Dan Meyer, a hard-throwing lefty from James Madison University, also played well in his pro debut, and adds some college flavor to the already strong bevy of pitching prospects the Braves possess.

Second-round choice Brian McCann, a high school catcher from Georgia, is very good defensively but will have to prove he can hit. Second-round pick Tyler Greene, a high school shortstop from Florida, didn't sign. Third-round pick Charlie Morton, a Connecticut high school pitcher, has a great curveball, but will need time to physically mature. Fourth-round selection Steve Russell, a right-hander from high school in Las Vegas, is projectable but was unimpressive in his pro debut. Sixth-round pick James Jurries, a first baseman from Tulane, and 10th-round pick Yaron Peters, a first baseman from South Carolina, are college guys with potentially strong bats.

This is a typical Atlanta draft, heavy with high school guys in the early rounds. They did add a few more college guys this year, possibly due to AOL-Time Warner budget cuts, but also to add some more polished hitters to the system.

Top prospects
Players in the "Will Help Soon" section could see significant major league action in 2003. Players in the "Will Help Someday" section shouldn't reach the majors until '04 or later, though of course that can change. Players are listed alphabetically. No 2002 draftees are listed.

WILL HELP SOON
Wilson Betemit, SS: Struggled with injuries and inconsistency at Triple-A Richmond, though he played better in the second half. Needs more time, but should still see Atlanta sometime in '03.

Jung Bong, LHP: Went 7-6 with 3.25 ERA in 17 starts at Double-A Greenville, with 107/45 KBB ratio in 122 innings. Decent stuff, good command, not an ace type but should be a reliable contributor.

Brett Evert, RHP: Throws 90-92 mph, with a strong curveball. Inconsistent in Double-A, but a very high ceiling.

Trey Hodges, RHP: Control artist went 15-9 with 3.19 ERA at Richmond. Doesn't strike out lots of people, just 116 in 172 innings, a warning that he won't dominate. But could develop into a Rick Reed type.

WILL HELP SOMEDAY
Gonzalo Lopez, RHP: Posted 3.10 ERA and 130/51 K/BB ratio at Class A Macon. Throws 90-93 mph with a curveball and changeup. Throws strikes and should be durable.

Andy Marte, 3B: Hit .281 with 21 homers, 105 RBI at Macon. Also very good with the glove. Main question is his plate discipline. He walked just 41 times while fanning 114 times.

Macay McBride, LHP: 12-8 with stellar 2.12 ERA at Macon, allowing just 119 hits in 157 innings. Throws 90 mph sinker, and has one of the better sliders in the minor leagues. Also has a good curveball and an adequate changeup.

Bubba Nelson, RHP: Posted 1.72 ERA at Class A Myrtle Beach. Hits 94 mph, and both his slider and curveball are above average.

Adam Wainwright, RHP: A future ace if he stays healthy, owning a 90-95 mph fastball delivered from an intimidating 6-6 frame. Curveball and changeup are still developing, but both should be very good in time.

KEY SLEEPER
Scott Thorman, 1B: Hit .294 with 38 doubles, 16 homers, 51 walks at Macon, fully recovered from missing all of '01 with a shoulder injury. One of the few Braves prospects with decent strike zone judgment.

Other names to know
Carlos Duran, OF; Kelly Johnson, SS; Horacio Ramirez, LHP; John Ennis, RHP; Adam LaRoche, 1B; Richard Lewis, 2B; Dan Curtis, RHP; Bryan Digby, RHP; Joey Dawley, RHP; Andy Pratt, LHP; Billy Sylvester, RHP; Matt Belisle, RHP; Bill McCarthy, OF; Ray Aguilar, LHP; Gregor Blanco, OF; Matt Wright, RHP; Zach Miner, RHP.

John Sickels is the author of the 2002 Minor League Scouting Notebook, and is now working on the 2003 Baseball Prospect Book. His biography of Bob Feller will be published next spring. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at JohnSickels.com.