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ANALYSIS: With Atlanta outfielders Ronald Acuna Jr. and now Nick Markakis sidelined on the IL, the Braves were in need of someone to step up immediately, and they chose to direct that call of duty to consensus top-25 prospect Cristian Pache. While Pache has only taken four AB since his debut on Friday, he recorded his first MLB hit against the Phillies on the day that he arrived while starting in left field for Atlanta.
The 21-year-old Dominican native did not get off to a hot start in his minor league career, finishing with a .679 OPS in 2017 at the Single-A level, and while he put up nine home runs and seven steals through 473 AB at the Single-A+ and Double-A levels in 2018, he ultimately finished with a sub-par OPS of .717. However, last season at Double-A and Triple-A Mississippi and Gwinnett, Pache blossomed in a big way to the tune of 12 HR, eight steals (albeit in 19 attempts), and a .277/.340/.462 slash in 487 AB, with an impressive 36 doubles and nine triples added to his XBH total. He may not be an efficient base-thief, but Cristian Pache can clearly turn and burn when he makes contact with a pitch, and his well-rounded bat could translate into significant rewards immediately for an offensively astute Atlanta Braves squad looking to protect their first-place standing.
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