One of the bigger disappointments to start 2021 was Cristian Pache not becoming the every day center fielder that he looked to be at the end of 2020. Pache is still only 22-years-old, but even when he returned to Gwinnett after an injury, he struggled at the plate. Thankfully, August has been kind to him so far:
Braves: Cristian Pache, OF (MLB No. 8), Triple-A Gwinnett
After slashing .233/.311/.390 through his first 45 games with the Stripers, Pache has had improved numbers at the plate of late and continued that success by going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and a walk on Sunday. His home run and double came in Game 2 of the Stripers’ doubleheader against the Knights. In the last 22 at-bats, the Braves’ top prospect is slashing .318/.400/.545
Pache’s biggest issue has been consistency, which is understandable for a young player. The most important thing right now is for him to string together good at-bats and continue to make hard contact. We saw Austin Riley go through similar struggles, and now that his plate vision has improved, he’s one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. With Pache’s elite defensive tools, he doesn’t have to be a guy that slugs 20 home runs, but he has to be better than his last 30 games in Atlanta, where he hit a dismal .358 OPS.
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