Ball was traded to the Cubs from Atlanta in exchange for Joc Pederson on Thursday.
Ball previously spent the entire 2021 season with High-A Rome, hitting .208/.362/.405. The first base prospect has struggled with a 27.8 strikeout rate, but he has still managed a 112 wRC+ thanks in part to an 18.9 percent walk rate. Ball was invited to Atlanta's big-league camp in spring training but isn't likely to reach the big leagues for a couple more seasons.
Ball was invited to Atlanta's major-league camp Monday.
Ball will get to work out with the team's big-league coaching staff for a few weeks, though he won't be joining them on a permanent basis any time soon. He impressed in 62 games in the low minors in 2019 after getting drafted in the 24th round, hitting .329/.395/.628, but the canceled minor-league campaign last season robbed him of the chance to continue his climb up the ladder. Strictly a first baseman, Ball will need to keep slugging in the upper minors before earning serious consideration for a roster spot.
The Braves added Ball to their 60-man roster pool Thursday.
Ball is unlikely to crack the Braves' Opening Day roster and isn't expected to see big-league action at any point in 2020, but he'll at least give Atlanta another option at first base during summer camp while Freddie Freeman (illness) remains away from the team following a positive COVID-19 test. A 24th-round pick out of Dallas Baptist in the 2019 first-year player draft, Ball made quite the impression in his first half-season of professional ball. Between stops at rookie-level Danville and Low-A Rome, Ball slugged 17 home runs and slashed .329/.395/.628 in 263 plate appearances.
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Braves' Bryce Ball: Making good first impression
Rotowire
Ball has wowed the Atlanta coaching staff with his raw power to begin spring training, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
"That's a big kid," Braves manager Brian Snitker said of the 6-foot-6 first baseman. "I just saw him (Wednesday) for the first time. He's a big, strong young man. I had really good reports on him. We'll see. I'm gonna give him a chance to play while he's here. But he has the physical tools, and the guys really like him in the minor leagues." The 21-year-old was an unheralded 24th-round pick out of Dallas Baptist University in last year's draft, but Ball's imposing physique and Cody Bellinger-like swing allowed him to post a .337/.367/.547 slash line in 21 games for Low-A Rome in his pro debut. With Freddie Freeman entrenched at first base in Atlanta, there's no reason for the club to rush Ball up the ladder even if he proves to be a phenom, but another impressive campaign in the lower minors in 2020 will have him shooting up prospect rankings.
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Braves' Bryce Ball: Joining big-league camp
Rotowire
Ball was invited to the Braves' major-league camp Wednesday.
Ball will get the chance to work with the big-league coaching staff for a brief period, but he's not close to joining the big team for good. He hit an excellent .329/.395/.628 in 62 games in his first professional season last year, but none of those games came above the Low-A level.
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