The Atlanta Braves are taking a chance on a former Oakland A’s prospect who struggles with command.
The Atlanta Braves signed right-handed pitcher Jorge Juan to a minor-league contract earlier this week and assigned him to the Double-A Mississippi Braves. Juan was signed by the Oakland A’s in 2017 and remained with the team until he elected free agency at the end of the 2023 season. He is still young, only 24 years old.
According to MLB Pipeline, Juan reached the A’s top 30 prospect rankings once during his time with the club, ranking #24 in the system in 2022.
Despite making his professional debut in 2018, he has only 173 1/3 innings under his belt in the minor leagues. In that time, he has a 4.57 ERA, 121 walks, and 217 strikeouts.
Juan had a 5.66 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP in 35 innings with Double-A Midland last season. His strikeout rate was strong at 9.51, but his walk rate was nearly as high at 8.74. Juan only appeared out of the bullpen for the first time in 2023, though he had come in from the ‘pen in every year he’d been a pro while also starting games throughout the year.
According to his MiLB page, this was his first season entering a game with runners on base. He gave up 12 of the 17 runners he inherited. You’d think that with a little more experience (and maybe a little luck) heading into 2024, those numbers would be lower.
The obvious problem for Juan will be his command. The A’s usually take a chance on guys with command issues and hope for the best, but the Braves are one of the better clubs at developing arms. It’ll be interesting to see if a change of scenery can help him turn things around.
The 6-foot-8 righty can reach 99 mph with his fastball, but he usually sits in the upper 90s. He also has a wipeout slider in his arsenal. If he can consistently land those pitches, he could end up being a good depth option for Atlanta.
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