Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

December 25, 2009

What a year it had been, thought Brayden. It's easy to look past all the blessings that I received this year... I still can't believe that I was drafted straight out of high school by the Atlanta Braves. Look at all the dominant pitchers they've had in that organization. I hope I end up being in the same company as them.

"I would just like to thank the Seattle Mariners for my Christmas present," began Brayden's dad. "They didn't draft my son. That was my greatest gift."

Laughter filled the room.

"What do you mean by that honey?" asked Brayden's mom.

"Well honey, if you're a fan like I am, and you know about the Mariners... Well, they don't exactly develop young arms very well. Felix Hernandez is the exception to the rule, but if you look throughout their history..."

"Dad," Brayden interrupted. "Let's not go there. It's Christmas. Let's open some gifts and leave baseball alone for a little bit."

"Okay son, but not until I go get a gift for you. It's in the garage. It came in the mail a couple of days ago."

His dad went to the garage and returned moments later with a box.

"Here, this is for you. It's from the Braves organization."

Brayden took the gift, and began to unwrap it.

Inside, he saw a Mississippi Braves home jersey.



On the back was #22, which had been his jersey number since he was in Little League. The name "Wiley" was etched on the back.

"Man," said Brayden. "Here it is. It all becomes real, now."

"That's a good looking number," said his dad. "Didn't that Heyward kid wear that jersey for them, too? He's probably going to make the big leagues this year. Big shoes to fill, son."

Inside the box was an envelope with a card. It read:

"Brayden,

Here is a brochure of the apartment complex that you'll be living in. It has all of the amenities and is only five minutes away from the ballpark. As you can see, we enclosed the key for you. You can move in any time after the first of February.

We're looking forward to you showing the baseball world why we drafted you.

Merry Christmas from the Atlanta Braves organization!

Sincerely,
Kurt Kemp, Director of Player Development
Atlanta Braves"

It was a really nice gesture.

"Looks like you'll be living rent-free," said his dad, clearly proud.

"I can't wait," said Brayden. "I'll miss you all, but this is my dream. Mississippi... I wonder what it will be like? I heard it gets pretty hot and humid in the summers. I heard that's great pitching weather."

"Son, you're going to be great."

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

February 2, 2010

It was time.

Nearly eight months ago, Brayden Wiley's life changed. The Atlanta Braves had drafted him in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He can distinctly remember that day, how he took the day off from school and had multiple family and friends at his house during the draft. His parents bought the MLB Network package just so they could watch some of the draft coverage.

He was projected as an early round pick. He had originally hoped that he would have gotten drafted by his "hometown" team, the Seattle Mariners. The first round passed and his name had yet to be called. The Mariners elected to draft Dustin Ackley, a talented second baseman from the University of North Carolina instead with the second overall pick. Wiley couldn't blame them, as he was never projected to go that high.

The Mariners then selected a shortstop by the name of Nick Franklin at the end of the first round. No big deal he thought, because they had another pick coming up shortly. Surely his Mariners would select him considering they'd just drafted two position players. When the Mariners drafted a catcher from Florida by the name of Steve Baron in the early second, he had to retreat to his bedroom.

He didn't know it until now, but that's why he needed solitude. He was sad that his hometown team chose to not pick him. It seems silly to him now, but he always dreamed of pitching in Safeco Field. His parents would be a short drive away and could watch him pitch all the time when he made it to the Big Leagues.

He knew when the Mariners drafted Baron that it wouldn't happen. The Mariners didn't pick again until the third round, and he knew he wouldn't last that long. When he went to his room, he just hoped a good team would draft him - an organization that had a track record in developing young talent. He just didn't want to get drafted by the Yankees. For as good of as organization as they were, he just didn't want to get there. He always hated those damn Yankees. He never really told anyone this, but he was deeply concerned about where he would end up.

When the Braves called, he was elated. He took their offer on the spot, basically. At that point, even the Yankees could have called and he would have felt the same way. Bottom line, his dream was becoming a reality and a Major League team was going to draft him. It was a plus that it was a National League team, because he thought it would be cool to still get the chance to hit. Most people forget that when he didn't pitch, he was one of the better hitting players in his high school conference, with four home runs his senior year.

Then there was the meeting, and Tom Watts, and the summer that tested his every last nerve. His patience wore thin at times. Being told that he would not pitch after being drafted was a devastating blow - another thing that he chose to keep to himself. Watts stepped in and saved him though, or at least that's how he looked at it.

"Get in the truck Peyton," said Brayden. "Let's go to Mississippi."

Rather than fly, Brayden decided to drive. His new truck only had 550 miles on it. Why not? There would be a lot of cool sites to see along the way. His GPS told him that the trip stretched out over 2,300 miles. Total drive time would be over 34 hours, but Wiley had plans to stop and see some sights along the way. He'd start out going south into Oregon, and then on into Idaho and Utah. He'd pass right through Salt Lake City, and thought it might be cool to go to a Jazz game, but then he remembered that he didn't like the Jazz. Peyton was Mormon though, so maybe it would be cool for him.

After Salt Lake, they'd head East into Wyoming, through Cheyenne. One of his dad's favorite musical artists, Garth Brooks, wrote a song about Cheyenne. Maybe he'd stop there, too.

From Cheyenne they'd head over to Nebraska, through Lincoln. He had to stop there. The University of Nebraska was there, and his family were huge Cornhuskers fans. His grandpa was born in Nebraska.

From Nebraska they would head directly South, down into Kansas, then in to Missouri, and then in to Arkansas. From there, Brayden was sure he would be able to smell the grass at Trustman Park in Pearl, Mississippi. That's where he would be spending a good portion of his summer. All in all, the trip would probably take anywhere from four to six days, depending on how much they stopped along the way.

He just had to report to the team by February 22. He was giving himself a buffer and wanted two weeks to move into his new place and get settled. Peyton would help with all that, and in turn Brayden would buy his meals and whatever else came up. At the end of the two weeks, Brayden would pay for Peyton to fly back to Washington.

With nothing but road in front of them, the two kids headed south, with nothing but baseball on their minds.

"Your dream is mine as well," said Peyton. "You're going to make the BIG LEAGUES!"

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

"It wasn't that big of a deal," said Brayden.

"Getting in a fight in a bar is not a big deal?" asked Tom Watts. "You're not even 21!"

"First of all, it wasn't a bar," replied Brayden. "It was Applebees, which happens to have a bar in it. It's not like we were running around with fake IDs and getting drunk. Come on, Tom. Get a grip," replied Brayden.

"It looks bad, Wiley!" Tom never called me 'Wiley,' thought Brayden. He's pissed.

"You don't get it. The local media isn't going to type the headline up to say, 'Local Braves' player gets in a scuffle at Applebees.' The damn headline will say something like, 'Local underage Braves' player brawls in a bar.'"

"Then let it say that Tom." Wiley was visibly upset. "That's NOT what happened. If that is what gets reported, so be it. I don't care. It's not the truth."

"The truth doesn't matter in journalism, kid. You don't get it. Something like this is bad. It doesn't seem bad, but it is. Anywhere else, this is just kids being kids. Here, with you being a part of the Braves' organization, it looks bad. As soon as they hear about this, I'll hear about it."

"So what do I do?" asks Wiley.

"Nothing. What happened?"

"I already told you. We pulled in to town at 9 PM last night. We saw an Applebees. We were hungry, it was a long drive. We went in to get some wings, you know, half-price appetizers and all that, and it wasn't 10 minutes until some punk comes over and accuses Peyton of looking at his girl. Peyton isn't the type of guy that you accuse. It got out of hand. The bar was nearby, but we never went into the bar."

Tom laughed.

"That's all it was, Tom. It's not funny."

"I know, kid. I just find it odd that you're not in town for more than 20 minutes before your name hits the damn papers."

"I can't help that. What was I supposed to do?"

"Ah, nothing. Forget it. I'll explain it. You should contact that beat writer and give him the real story, though. And then punch him in the face for horrible and sensationalistic journalism."

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Brayden and Peyton had finally gotten everything moved in to the new apartment. It was a nice place. The whole complex was just recently built. The apartment Brayden would live was 1,250 square feet. It wasn't big, but it felt big. All he had in the whole place was a couch, a computer desk, a laptop, a bed, and a couple of dressers. He definitely needed to go shopping for new stuff.

"Let's go to Wal-Mart," said Brayden.

He came away two hours later with a $2,254 dent in his checking account. If you want to call that a dent. He was smart with his money and put most of his signing bonus money away. He'd live off the 30 grand he would be making during the season, but he had to upgrade his living conditions.The first order of business was to buy a new television. He didn't want to go cheap, either.

"I want a good quality television and I want to mount it to the wall," Brayden told an electronics employee.

He ultimately decided on a 55' Samsung. Getting it mounted to the wall would be a chore. He got a steal on it too, or at least he thought. $1,450 didn't seem like a bad price to pay for a world of entertainment.

The rest of the money was spent on some more furniture, three video games, 12 DVD movies, some new floor mats (Mississippi Braves custom mats) for his truck and a boatload of groceries. Most of it was healthy food.

Tomorrow, he'd call a cable company and get that installed. He had to report to camp in eight days.

He didn't think he could wait that long.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

A little explanation...

I hope whoever is taking the time to read this has enjoyed it so far. I know there's A LOT of reading and a lot of non-baseball stuff going on.

The reason that I chose the shoulder injury angle is that the MLB draft is in June, but the game has the player beginning the season in April. I just thought for story flow purposes, putting him on the "shelf" for the summer made sense.

Once the actual game starts, I'll be posting more pictures and things of that nature. Hopefully I can figure out how to eventually post some videos, as well.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

The butterflies were roaming Brayden's stomach and showed no signs of letting up.

Camp started tomorrow, and he was nervous. He had a good summer. Tom Watts worked with him tirelessly to prepare him for this season. He spent the winter working out as well, and had kept his weight at a healthy 210 pounds. His arm felt great, with no soreness at all. The Braves had kept in constant contact through e-mail and had always made him aware of the expectations that they had for him.

Peyton left out on a flight earlier in the day. He said he'd come back when the season started, and Brayden knew he would. If he was a betting man, he would bet that Peyton would be at his first game. So would his parents.

How he missed his parents. They were his best friends. Not many people can say that about their parents. They were always supportive but always kept him on a bit of a short leash. Not in an overbearing way, but in a way that Brayden could appreciate. He was their son.

He kept thinking about his fastball. He knew if he was bringing it in the low 90s, he was often tough to hit. He wasn't stupid, though. His fastball had lost velocity since the shoulder strain. Maybe subconsciously, he was holding back from firing gas. Maybe he was afraid of feeling that discomfort again. Camp would iron all of that out, though. Tom Watts had often told him that he believed by the time Brayden made it to the Big Club, his fastball would probably be sitting in the 93 to 95 miles per hour range. His arm had a lot of room to develop and get stronger, he said.

The tossing and turning would continue. Brayden tried to disconnect his brain, but the excitement was too much. He would be lucky to get a couple hours of sleep before he had to report tomorrow. Really, that was fine by him.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

February 22, 2010

The first day of camp went really well, thought Brayden.

Minor wasn't there. That's the guy that Watts always talked about as his competition. He was the Braves' first round pick in last year's draft, but apparently he got a Spring Training invite from the Braves.

All in all, Wiley threw about 50 pitches on the day, mostly fastballs. High velocity for the day was 86, while the low was 82. That still bothered him a great deal. He just couldn't understand where that five miles per hour had gone.

I just need to train harder.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

April 5, 2010

"Well, I made it through training camp dad," Brayden said, rather mildly.

"You don't sound too enthused?" responded his dad.

"I am. It's just, well... I don't feel like I'm where I should be. My fastball still won't crack 90 miles per hour. Dad, last year at this time I was hitting 91, 92 on the gun. I thought I'd be throwing 93 or 94 by now. This is just Double-A, but there's some real hitters down here."

"Your fastball will come. Would the Braves have drafted you if they thought otherwise? You're smart, Brayden. Tom said pitching is more cerebral than anything else. Here's the time where you really need to heed that. If you fastball never comes, you'll still be fine. Look at Jamie Moyer. You loved watching him pitch when you were younger."

"Jamie Moyer is a rare breed. Come on."

"What else is new?"

"Our first game is on Thursday, April 8. Are you guys flying down for that?"

"I don't know, son. I know it's a big moment for you, but they need me at work. I know that sounds bad. We got the channel that broadcasts your games and we'll have to watch from there. I'll tell you what though, we WILL be at your first start. I just don't like the idea of flying down there and watching you pitch an inning and then hopping back on a plane. Work is busy right now."

He's right, thought Brayden. I'm not in the rotation. I might not be for a while, if ever. Man, why so much negativity? Get a grip.

"I understand and agree, dad. I'll call you tomorrow. Give mom a kiss for me."

[HARLEE23]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Man your welcome but seriously I would write a book instead of postin it on here man!

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Heyward makes big club, Mississippi roster set

By Luke Johnson

Perhaps the biggest story in Spring Training in baseball this year has been the emergence of Jason Heyward, one of the top prospects in baseball. It was confirmed today that Heyward will not play in the minor leagues to start the season. Rather, the 6'4", 240 pound right fielder will start the season with the big club in Atlanta.

Is that really a surprise, though?

Mississippi's roster was set earlier today and as expected, the team will carry 10 pitchers. The most polished on the staff belongs to Julio Teheran, a 6'2", 150 pound right handed starting pitcher who is among one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.

The team will also carry two catchers, four infielders and four outfielders. Mycal Jones looks to anchor the infield and set the tone for the offense with his blazing speed.

Perhaps to some people's surprise, the Braves have elected to start Brayden Wiley, a 6'4", 210 pound left handed pitcher, in Double-A. This comes as a bit of a shock to most as Wiley was pretty underwhelming in camp. It doesn't seem like the kid has an out pitch, and his fastball looks like a beach ball hovering toward the plate at times. Wiley has struggled with his velocity ever since a major shoulder injury plagued him all of last summer. He did not pitch a single inning for the Braves' organization last season, and the team was pretty mum about his injury when asked about it.

He'll start the season in the bullpen.

Mississippi starts the season at home against the Tennessee Smokies on Thursday, April 8. Julio Teheran is scheduled to get the start and will be opposed by Tennessee's Trey McNutt.

[HARLEE23]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Heyward makes big club, Mississippi roster set

By Luke Johnson

Perhaps the biggest story in Spring Training in baseball this year has been the emergence of Jason Heyward, one of the top prospects in baseball. It was confirmed today that Heyward will not play in the minor leagues to start the season. Rather, the 6'4", 240 pound right fielder will start the season with the big club in Atlanta.

Is that really a surprise, though?

Mississippi's roster was set earlier today and as expected, the team will carry 10 pitchers. The most polished on the staff belongs to Julio Teheran, a 6'2", 150 pound right handed starting pitcher who is among one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.

The team will also carry two catchers, four infielders and four outfielders. Mycal Jones looks to anchor the infield and set the tone for the offense with his blazing speed.

Perhaps to some people's surprise, the Braves have elected to start Brayden Wiley, a 6'4", 210 pound left handed pitcher, in Double-A. This comes as a bit of a shock to most as Wiley was pretty underwhelming in camp. It doesn't seem like the kid has an out pitch, and his fastball looks like a beach ball hovering toward the plate at times. Wiley has struggled with his velocity ever since a major shoulder injury plagued him all of last summer. He did not pitch a single inning for the Braves' organization last season, and the team was pretty mum about his injury when asked about it.

He'll start the season in the bullpen.

Mississippi starts the season at home against the Tennessee Smokies on Thursday, April 8. Julio Teheran is scheduled to get the start and will be opposed by Tennessee's Trey McNutt.

I am sure that B-Wi will start soon! I see it happening!

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Mississippi wins on Opening Day
Braves hold on to beat the Smokies, 5-4

The season is off on the right foot in Pearl, Mississippi.

Last night, the Braves started the 2010 season in style by beating the Tennessee Smokies 5-4 in front of 4,349 fans at Trustman Park.

Julio Teheran struck out the side in the first inning, and the Braves' offense got out to a quick start when Mycal Jones led the off game with a triple. He came around to score on an RBI ground out by Jordan Schafer. At the end of the first, the Braves led 2-0.

Teheran ran into a couple jams throughout the game, but got out of most of them. He went 6 innings, scattered 6 hits and surrendered three runs while striking out 7. He left the game when it was tied at 3-3 in the seventh inning.

Brett DeVall came in and got the first out, but then gave a home run to Starlin Castro.

Manager Rocket Wheeler wasted little time in giving DeVall the hook and brought in Brayden Wiley.

Wiley, making his professional debut, came in to face second baseman Ryan Flaherty. After working the count to 3-2, Flaherty continued to foul off pitch after pitch in what turned in to a battle. On the 11th pitch of the at-bat, Wiley threw a sweeping curve that Flaherty swung right through. Wiley retired the next batter on the first pitch.

Wiley continued to pitch into the eighth inning and sat the Smokies down in order. He was pinch hit for in the bottom of the 8th.

With the score tied at 3 in the ninth, Mycal Jones led the inning off with a walk. On the next pitch, Jordan Schafer hit a two-run home run for the win.

The Braves will continue the five-game set against the Smokies tomorrow at 7:30. Plenty of seats are still available.

Brayden Wiley faces his first professional hitter. He struck him out.
The Braves went on to win 5-4.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Brayden couldn't wait to call his dad.

As he got in his truck, he couldn't help but smile. He just pitched in his first professional game. His team won, and he pitched well. An inning and two-thirds of mistake-free ball. He even struck a guy out. 22 pitches, 14 strikes.

His line was beautiful.

1.2 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and 1 strike out.

His fastball was pedestrian. After studying the game tracker in the locker room, he saw that he threw 13 fastballs, with an average velocity of 86.6 miles per hour. He had to do something about that. These hitters would start eating him alive if he didn't get some velocity back. He felt like Rick Vaughn in Major League, when the flame thrower forgot how to "throw gas." It seemed the same thing had happened to him.

Enough with the negativity, he thought. Enjoy your performance.

"Dad!" yelled Brayden in to the phone. "I pitched tonight! We won! An inning and two-thirds. The only number I registered was a one, and that was for the first batter I faced - a strikeout."

"Excellent job, son! Let me go get your mother! How did you feel out there?"

"Good. Loose. Nervous. Alright dad, I almost crapped my pants when Wheeler told me to warm up. Then, I think I DID crap my pants when I saw him call me in. It was a great feeling."

"We're so proud of you, son. This is just the start. When will you be in the rotation? With performances like that, it can't be long."

"I have to improve a lot right now dad," replied Brayden.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Braves claw back and beat Smokies
Pitching is strong again in win

By Luke Johnson

Two games, two wins for the Mississippi Braves.

Once again, solid pitching was the Braves' calling card in a 3-2 win last night at Trustman Field.

It was a collective effort by the Braves' young pitching staff.

Jose Ortegano got the start for the Braves, but lasted only two innings before being removed from the game after complaining about a stiff hamstring. He went two innings, gave up two hits, and walked one. He did not give up any returns.

For the second consecutive night, Braves' reliever Cole Rohrbough was lights out in long relief, tossing four solid innings. He gave up two hits, one run, walked one and struck out one.

Brayden Wiley made his appearance in the top of the seventh and looked solid again, pitching a scoreless inning. He gave up one hit and walked a batter.

When asked about the adjustment from not pitching last year to being an early season contributor out of the bullpen, the 18-year-old Wiley said, "It's going to take a while for me to get in the groove again, but I'll get there. I have a lot of work to do."

Offensively, the Braves were led by center fielder Alex Romero, who finished 3-3 with two doubles and two RBI.

For the Smokies, Chris Carpenter took the loss.

Starlin Castro went 2-4 with a double and RBI.

The Braves will take on the Smokies tomorrow at Trustman Field. First pitch is slated for 4:35.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Braves win again, 6-4
3-0 on the season

By Luke Johnson

They sure use a lot of pitchers to get the job done, but once again the Mississippi Braves kept the bats of the Tennessee Smokies in check last night at Trustman Field and won their third game in a row, 6-4.

"It's a nice way to start the season," said Manager Rocket Wheeler. "Our pitching has been fantastic. We really have some good young arms."

The Smokies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a home run off of Braves' starter Todd Redmond.

"I left the pitch up and it was crushed," said Redmond after the game.

The Braves battled back in the bottom of the second, with an RBI single by Jordan Schafer, which cut the lead to 2-1.

In the top of the third, the long ball struck again, as Redmond hung a curve ball to Smokies' center fielder Tony Campana, who stroked it out to right field.

"I don't think that guy has ever hit a home run in his life," said Redmond. "I'm glad I could help his career out. That [expletive] curve ball still hasn't broke."

Redmond would give way to Arodys Vizcaino, who pitched the Braves out of a jam in the fifth by striking out Starlin Castro.

The trio of DeVall (hold, 1), Wiley (hold, 2) and Sullivan (save, 1) shut the door on the Smokies.

Offensively, the Braves were led by Mycal Jones, who went 4-5 with three doubles and three RBIs.

The Braves will look to make it four in a row against the Smokies tomorrow at 7:30 PM.

Tyler Stovall will get the start, while Hung-Wen Chen will get the start for the Smokies.