Baumann Brings the Heat as Columbus’ Young Prospects Keep Rolling

Garrett Baumann had an incredible night this past Saturday against the Biloxi Shuckers. After his past couple of starts with Triple-A Gwinnett weren’t exactly ideal, he was sent back down to Double-A Columbus, where he began the season. If there was ever a good way to respond, this was it.

The 6-foot-8 right-handed pitcher took the mound against one of the most potent offenses in the Southern League. That’s a tough task for any pitcher, especially when you’re facing a lineup that features five players ranked among the Brewers top 30 prospects. But he didn’t seem too worried about it.

He came out of the gate absolutely on fire, striking out the first five batters he faced. Among those strikeouts were power hitter Blake Burke and MLB’s No. 1 prospect, Jesús Made, both of whom Bauman was able to get to swing and miss. And those were just a few of the many whiffs he picked up throughout the night. He continued his heater by retiring the Biloxi lineup in order through the first three innings, putting together a perfect start to his outing.

Then came the fourth inning. Baumann gave up his one and only hit of the game to start the inning, but instead of letting it snowball, he immediately settled back in. He followed the hit with weak contact for a groundout and then picked up two more strikeouts to escape the inning without allowing any damage.

The fifth inning was a little different story. Baumann’s command started to slip a little as he walked the first two batters of the inning. Luckily for him, he had some help behind him. Center fielder Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. made an incredible catch that kept the runners from advancing and gave him a much-needed break. Baumann then walked another batter to load the bases, putting himself in a pretty uncomfortable situation. But once again, the defense behind him came through, turning a double play and helping Bauman escape what could have easily turned into a big inning.

That ability to battle through some trouble was just as impressive as the strikeouts. He found the strike zone consistently for most of the night, throwing 51 strikes on 83 total pitches for a 61% strike percentage. He’s obviously known for his fastball, but on this night, his splitter was the pitch that really stole the show. The splitter helped generate a huge portion of his swing-and-miss, with Bauman finishing the outing with 22 total whiffs. When a pitcher is 6-foot-8 and can combine a fastball with a splitter that is generating that kind of swing-and-miss, it’s pretty easy to see why the Braves are excited about his future.

It was a huge performance for Baumann, especially coming off a couple of difficult starts in Gwinnett. Being sent back down could have been frustrating, but instead, he responded by putting together one of his best outings of the season. And honestly, that’s exactly what you want to see from a young pitcher. The talent has always been there with. Nights like this show what he can look like when everything is clicking. I’m really interested to see what the rest of the season holds for him and what he can accomplish as he continues to develop.

Garrett Baumanns final line

• 5.0 IP

• 1 hit

• 0 earned runs

• 3 walks

• 9 K’s

The bats wanted some attention too

The pitching wasn’t the only part of the Clingstones’ game that deserved some applause. Owen Carey and Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. both left the yard, giving the Columbus offense some fireworks of its own. Carey, one of the Braves’ top prospects, was part of the group of prospects called up to Columbus at the beginning of the week. That group also included three other Top 30 prospects in Eric Hartman, Cam Caminiti and John Gil.

Carey got his evening started by drawing a walk, and then he really got things going in the third inning. After both Hartman and Gil drew walks, Carey stepped to the plate and launched a three-run home run that landed on top of the team’s clubhouse. It was one of those swings where you pretty much knew it was gone the second it left the bat. With all the hype surrounding the new prospects coming to Columbus, Bauman’s dominant pitching performance and Carey’s big home run, Kilpatrick Jr. apparently decided he wanted a little bit of the spotlight too. And he got it.

Kilpatrick launched an opposite-field two-run home run, showing that he can contribute with the bat as well as with the glove. He’s become known for being a defensive demon in the outfield, but nights like this are a good reminder that there’s more to his game than making ridiculous catches. He wasn’t done there either. Kilpatrick came through again in the bottom of the eighth inning with a single that scored Luke Waddell and Will Verdung, putting the finishing touches on an impressive night at the plate.

And the home runs just kept coming

Apparently, the Clingstones weren’t ready for the home run party to end on Saturday.Sunday afternoon, Owen Carey, Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. and Jordan Groshans all joined the fun, each hitting a home run of their own. Carey got things started for Columbus with a towering shot that looked like it might actually reach the clouds. The ball seemed to stay in the air forever before finally coming down, adding another impressive home run to what has already been a really fun start to his Double-A career. Groshans followed shortly after with a completely different kind of home run. Instead of the towering moonshot Carey just put on display, Groshans ripped a line-drive shot that went straight into the Shuckers’ bullpen. Then, later in the game, Kilpatrick Jr. got in on the action again, this time sending a solo home run the opposite way.

Three home runs from three different players was a pretty good way to keep the offense rolling. But the biggest storyline might be what Carey has been doing since arriving in Columbus. It’s been an impressive start to Owen Carey’s Double-A career so far. He’s found plenty of ways to get on base, whether it’s drawing a walk, putting the ball in play or launching another home run onto or over the team clubhouse behind the right-field wall. For a young player getting his first taste of Double-A baseball, Carey has looked pretty comfortable so far. And that’s something worth watching.

He’s showing that he can contribute in different ways instead of relying solely on the long ball. When he’s not sending baseballs into the Columbus sky, he’s finding ways to reach base and keep innings alive. Add in the power he has already shown, and it’s easy to see why there’s so much excitement surrounding him.

The future is looking bright in Columbus

Between Baumann’s dominant performance on the mound and the young prospects making an impact at the plate, it was a pretty fun stretch of baseball for the Clingstones. And it wasn’t just one player carrying the way. Baumann showed what he can do when he’s locked in. Carey has gotten off to an exciting start in Double-A. Kilpatrick Jr. has continued to show that he can make an impact with both his glove and his bat, while Groshans has added some power of his own. They have experienced players already on the roster who can help those younger guys continue to develop.That combination could make for a really interesting finish to the season. There’s still plenty of baseball left to play, but if performances like these continue, Columbus could be a team worth keeping a very close eye on.

And if you’re a Braves fan, watching these young players develop together is probably one of the more exciting parts of the rest of the season.