Minor impressing in Double-A Mississippi

Miami – Not too far down the road in Double-A Mississippi, the Braves have their eye on first round draft pick Mike Minor, who is on a strikeout tear.

The 22-year-old left-hander the Braves drafted out of Vanderbilt with the seventh overall pick last June is second in the minors with 72 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings over nine starts. Only Charles Furbush, a Detroit Tigers’ prospect out of LSU in high A ball, has more with 80 strikeouts in nine starts.

Minor reached double digits in strikeouts in three of his past five starts, including 11 in eight innings on May 16 and 11 in five innings on April 30.

Overall, Minor is 1-3 with a 3.44 ERA in nine starts for Mississippi. He makes his next start Thursday night at Mobile.

The strikeout totals might be surprising, considering he was billed as a control pitcher out of Vanderbilt and not especially overpowering, but not to Kurt Kemp, Braves director of player development.

“This kid has very good stuff,” Kemp said Wednesday. “He had good command, but we’re not talking about somebody who’s a soft thrower. This guy has quality stuff, and now you put it together with the ability to put that stuff where he wants to, and that’s how you get strikeouts.”

Kemp said it all starts with the command Minor has of his fastball, which is in the low 90s, and then he complements with a curveball and changeup.

“There are a lot of guys who have a low 90s fastball,” Kemp said. “It’s their ability to use that pitch in different parts of the strike zone, knowing when to come in on a hitter, and tie him up, knowing when to go away, coming off of a certain pitch, and knowing when to elevate the fastball.”

The Braves don’t have a timetable for when Minor might advance to Triple-A Gwinnett, or higher, but it’s safe to say they’re pleased with the progress he’s making.

“When we sense that the right time to go to the next challenge is there, we’re going to be the first ones to get him there,” Kemp said. “And he’s showing great progress and great signs.”

Braves manager Bobby Cox, for one, won’t rule out seeing Minor in the majors before the year is out.

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” said Cox, who gets glowing reports from the minor league staff. “I know they’ve like what they’ve seen.”