1999 NL EAST CHAMPS!

At the end of the 1998 season, the Braves were stacked with great young pitching talent that, in many cases, was only about 1-2 years away from making the major leagues. Bruce Chen and Odalis Perez were considered to be the elite of this talent crop. But with the:

 

  • the general ineffectiveness of Bruce Chen at the major league level,
  • career-threatening injury to Odalis Perez, along with
  • the nagging injuries to Jason Marquis,
  • the trade of Robbie Bell to the Reds,
  • the trade of Micah Bowie to the Cubs,
  • and the emergence of Kevin McGlinchy from the Braves' bullpen,

    •  

      Luis Rivera.
      Rivera /MBP.com

    it appears as if Luis Rivera is now the organization's always-coveted top pitching prospect in-waiting. Some nagging injuries limited him to relief-work for a chunk of the season, but he has what many to believe to be the organization's best fastball, which has been clocked at 99 mph on a couple of occasions this season.