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It's rare that an organization has four starting pitching prospects that are the quality of the Atlanta Braves top four pitching prospects -- Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino, Mike Minor, and Randall Delgado. It's an even rarer event that all four of them reside at once at the top level of the minor leagues. But after Randall Delgado was promoted today from double-A Mississippi to triple-A Gwinnett, that's exactly what the Braves have.
All four of those great young pitchers -- referred to as "The Big Four" or "The Four Horsemen Of The Pitchpocalypse" -- are now within a white-knuckled ride through Atlanta traffic down I-85 from Turner Field. It's amazing that the Braves were able to keep all of them while still acquiring an impact player at the trade deadline. Now it's truly amazing that they are all together one level short of the Major Leagues.
The future for Arodys Vizcaino seems clear. The Braves moved him to a relief role several weeks ago, and they hope that he can help them out of the Atlanta bullpen down the stretch. I expect he'll get called up at some point prior to the date that postseason rosters have to be set on August 31st. His upper-90's heat could be huge for Atlanta as they drive towards the postseason.
Julio Teheran and Mike Minor are great insurance in case of injury to one of the starters in the Atlanta rotation. With the way Teheran has dominated triple-A at just 20-years-old (12-1, 1.90ERA, 1.073WHIP) I have to believe that the Braves will open up a spot in the Atlanta rotation this winter for the talented young Colombian. That still leaves Minor as an emergency starter and Delgado continuing to develop in 2012.
The future is bright for Atlanta's young pitchers ... all together at last at triple-A.
