2012 Atlanta Braves Prospect Write Ups

Over the course of the season the writers here will be taking a close look at several Atlanta Braves prospects, ranging from the raw and intriguing Edward Salcedo, to the exceptionally polished and decidedly boring Todd Redmond-types. These will generally encompass everything from acquisition, scouting reports, video--if there is any available, and statistical analysis, primarily through use of rate stats, major league equivalents, and player comparisons. We'll more or less take turns nominating players for write ups, but feel free to let us know if there's anyone you're interested in. We'll include a highlight of sorts for the next week's featured player. Which leads us to:

Christian Bethancourt

Position: C

Bats/Throws: R/R

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 219

Birthplace: Panama City, Panama

Recent Awards: 2012 Futures Game Selection, 2012 Southern League Mid-Season All-star

Bethancourt entered the 2012 season ranked as MLB.com's #91, FOX Sport's #37, and ESPN's #94 prospect.  This season Bethancourt has a split of .257/.281/.275, which on the surface seems fairly mediocre. Bethancourt was signed as a 16 year old out of Panama in 2008 after a fine showing for Panama's Little League World Series team in 2004.  With Brian McCann and David Ross on the big league club and prospects such as Evan Gattis ahead of him in the organization, the Braves have the luxury of giving the 20 year old backstop all the time he needs to develop.  He posted his best offensive season last year with the Rome Braves slashing  .303/.323/.430.