Portraits, Batting Stance & Pitching Photos, etc.

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Please post pictures of players that might help roster makers to create faces, batting stances and pitch deliveries. Make sure that you label each picture with the players name, organization and level of baseball.

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Jason Heyward - Atlanta Braves - RF - ML/AAA






Full Name: Jason A. Heyward
Position: RF
Born: 08/09/1989
Birthplace: Ridgewood, NJ
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 220
Bats: L
Throws: L
Drafted: 2007, 1st (14)

Scouting report: Heyward has a big, strong and athletic frame and an excellent left-handed swing with plus power potential. An advanced approach at the plate is highlighted by excellent patience. He runs well, especially for his size, and is an excellent baserunner. A strong outfielder with an above-average arm, he can play well in right. His work ethic and attitude are huge advantages.

Grade: A

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Freddie Freeman - Atlanta Braves - 1B - AAA





Full Name: Frederick Charles Freeman
Position: 1B
Born: 09/12/1989
Birthplace: Fountain Valley, CA
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 220
Bats: L
Throws: R
Drafted: 2007, 2nd (78)

Scouting report: Has an advanced idea of what to do at the plate, especially considering his age. Good pitch recognition leads to an ability to drive the ball, and he seems to be even better with runners on base. Should hit for average and more power in the future. Good defensive first baseman with an above-average arm (he was a pitcher in high school).

Grade: B+

[Grant]

Julio Teheran - SP - AAA/AA




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H/W: 6-2 150 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 1/27/91

Julio Teheran (5 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K) Julio Teheran has built quite a prospect resume for himself by the age of eighteen as a highly touted player featured in every major prospect publication. At present, Teheran takes the statement "raw and undeveloped" to the extreme. Should he shake the injury bug which has plagued his young career, Teheran has the potential to take off into the stratosphere. With the expected graduation of Jason Heyward from prospect to big leaguer sometime in 2010, the young Columbian is a current favorite to take the reigns as Braves top prospect.

Physique and Athleticism: At 150 lbs., Teheran is lean, but explosive. his mechanics are similar to that of a gun as they resemble a hammer slowly cocking back prior to firing. His arm action is loose as he creates great arm whip. With that whip, he's able to create great downward plane. On the back end of his delivery, he struggles to incorporate his legs and has a tendency to keep his front side open.

At 18, he does not have the frame to add significant size due to his being thin through the shoulders and legs, but should be able to gain at least 30 lbs. from natural growth. The added size should help him become more durable. Mechanical adjustments will also play a key role as his delivery definitely has effort and he does not consistently close off his front side.

Fastball: On velocity alone, Teheran's fastball was on par with the best I've seen this season. Consistently 92-93 MPH, he took the pitch up to 94 MPH on a handful of occasions. The pitch had minimal rise and occasional run in on right-handed batters. He struggled to locate consistently. Teheran was a "thrower" in every sense of the word and the majority of his fastballs were of the "Hit this if you can" variety. However, one can not be too hard on Teheran at this point in his career. With his being at least 40 lbs. lighter than any pitcher I saw who could touch 94, triple digits aren't out of the question once he fills out and matures.

Curveball: On consecutive pitches in the bullpen, Teheran threw one curve in the dirt, another well over the catcher's head, and a third across the outer black. The potential of the pitch is apparent, but he struggled with his feel the entire evening. At 76-78 MPH, the pitch had a bigger break than I was expecting. However, the lack of bite through the strike zone left it a hittable pitch.

Changeup: Consistently in the mid-80's, the pitch had 6-8 MPH of separation from his fastball. Teheran's arm action is visibly slower compared to when he brings the heat. For the pitch to become an average offering, he will have to speed up his arm action while increasing velocity separation from the fastball. He also had a tendency to leave the ball up in the zone. As he tired, the pitch gained movement which led to a few wild swings and misses by Savannah batters.

Teheran will likely begin the 2010 season back in Rome where I may catch him again in mid-May. By then, I hope to see his beginning to move from pure thrower to pitcher as he begins to refine his game. The fastball is elite, but the rest of his repertoire lags significantly behind. With a healthy season, Teheran should cement himself firmly in the top 100 prospects and will undoubtedly start to draw Neftali Feliz comparisons since Feliz started as a part of the Atlanta Braves organization as well.

Grade: B

[Grant]

Randall Delgado - SP - AA





Randall Delgado, RHP (B/T: R/R Born: 2/9/90 Ht: 6'3 Wt: 165)
2009 (A): 124 IP, 4.35 ERA, 9 HR, 49 BB, 141 K, 1.39 WHIP

Another solid international prospect sits at #6, except Randall Delgado is a step above the soft-tossing lefties of the system. Delgado was signed out of Panama and made his pro debut as an 18-year-old. In only two seasons he has established himself as a headlining prospect for the Braves.

Delgado made 14 starts for Danville in 2008 at the age of 18, posting a 3.13 ERA with a 10.6 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9. He kept the hits allowed at a pretty good rate. Keep in mind the age and this was a very solid debut for Delgado. He continued it at Rome for a full season (25 starts), recording a 4.35 ERA. Despite the spike in ERA, his rates remained almost identical, posting BB/9 and K/9 of 3.6 and 10.2. His H/9 stayed close as well at 8.9. While these rates aren't the picture of a top five (or six, close enough) prospect, he was only 19 at Rome, which is well below league average.

Also worth mentioning is how Delgado finished the season on a strong note. He didn't struggle down the stretch like many prospects his age. He works with a low-90's fastball that could eventually top in the mid-90's as he matures. His secondary pitches are a solid change and curve. He's very slim, but at 6'3 he will grow well into his body and add leverage and velocity.

Delgado is a step above the rest of the international signings by the Braves, except for one we will get to in a few days. As his body grows he can easily emerge as a top of the rotation pitcher. The potential is amazing here. There has been a debate as to where he will begin 2010 with his young age, but all signs indicate he can handle Myrtle Beach. Either way he will end the season there.

Grade: B

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Arodis Vizcaino - SP - A/AA




Arodys Vizcaino
Position: P
DOB: November 13, 1990 (Yaguate, Dominican Republic)
Height: 6’0
Weight: 189
Bats: R
Throws: R
Non-drafted free agent: July 2nd, 2007
Current Team: Staten Island Yankees
Scouting Report
Arodys Vizcaino pitching for the SI Yankees on Opening Day 2009


Vizcaino currently posses a three pitch arsenal. He dominates with his fastball which sits in the low 90s and has topped out at 96MPH. As he gets older and fills into his body he could add some velocity. He has a plus curveball which kept the NY-Penn League batters off balanced as well as a changeup that is still developing. He posses great control for someone at his level of development and has been favorably compared to Pedro Martinez.

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Todd Redmond - SP - AAA

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Ryne Reynoso - SP - AAA

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Craig Kimbrel - RP - AA

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Mike Minor - SP/RP - A/AA

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Brett Devall - SP - A/AA

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Zeke Spruill - RHP - A/AA

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Cody Johnson - LF - A/AA

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Mike Broadway, RP A/AA

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Edward Salcedo - Low A





SS R/R 6-3 190
HS:
Hometown: La Vega, Dominican Republic
Summer Team:
Fall Team:
College Commitment:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Braves have made a splash in the international market with the signing of highly-regarded Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo.

After Salcedo completed his physical, the Braves officially announced the signing on Tuesday afternoon. Financial terms weren't revealed, but there has been indication that the 18-year-old shortstop would receive a signing bonus of approximately $1.6 million.

"This is a significant signing for us," Braves director of international scouting operations Johnny Almaraz said. "We feel that Edward is one of this year's most talented prospects. He has outstanding makeup, and the combination of his fielding and hitting ability make him one of the top international players that we've seen in a while."

Some Braves talent evaluators have likened Salcedo to Marlins All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez.

After watching video of Salcedo, Braves general manager Frank Wren described him as being "very impressive." Wren said that he believed the young shortstop would have been a top 10 Draft selection most years.

The Braves began their aggressive pursuit of Salcedo after paying Major League Baseball to perform an investigation to verify his age. The determination that he was born in 1991 backed up earlier suspicions regarding his age. When Salcedo agreed to a $2.3 million signing bonus with the Indians in 2007, his path to professional baseball was delayed by the United States government, which raised suspicion about the fact that he claimed to have been born in 1989.

Because Salcedo wasn't 16 years old at the time, he wasn't permitted to sign with any Major League organization.

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.