When it came to choosing a prospect to highlight for Atlanta, I had two great choices in the Top 100. JR Ritchie and Cam Caminiti. Both pitchers, similar grades. One closer to the Majors than the other. The deciding factor was simply because one is related to a 3-time MLB All-Star.

Cam Caminiti is the cousin of former Major League infielder Ken Caminiti. Caminiti is a hard-throwing lefty with a 3-pitch mix, who can touch the mid-to-high-90s. Caminiti throws a curveball and a slider off of that mid-90s fastball, but can sometimes struggle to find the strike zone with either.

He pulled double duty as a center fielder before committing to pitching full-time, so his athleticism could prove an advantage for him as the 19-year-old continues to fill out. My take is that, with his current three-pitch mix, I see Caminiti more as a closer, a la Billy Wagner. He actually physically comps to Wagner pretty well. Both are tall and thin, both stay tall during their windup, and both rely and on a limited arsenal (Wagner sported a 2-pitch mix) BUT as a starter, Caminiti reminds me of a mix between Jason Schmidt, and prime Patrick Corbin with quicker arm action. I can’t explain the Schmidt comp, but if Caminiti’s path is as a starter, it’s as a Schmidt-type, as Schmidt (also a Braves draft pick) primarily relied on three pitches, although occasionally mixing in a slider.

Regardless of role, I think Caminiti could be a valuable piece of Atlanta teams in the future. As he continues to grow and build muscle, I fully expect that Caminiti will hit 100 mph regularly. If he can find the strike zone regularly, he could be DANGEROUS, regardless of role. If Caminiti plays multiple roles in his career and stays healthy, it is fully realistic that he could join fellow Atlanta Braves John Smoltz as the only other pitcher to tally 200+ wins and 150+ saves. Since I view Billy Wagner as Caminiti’s closest comp, I think the Braves would be more than thrilled if his career shaped up to be anything like that of the Hall-of-Famer Wagner