When MLB experts and pundits talk glowingly about the Atlanta Braves' deep farm system, there's really no need to embellish.
Take the case of Bryse Wilson.
On Monday, the 20-year-old made his major-league debut with Atlanta, thus becoming the franchise's youngest starting pitcher since Julio Teheran in 2011; and Wilson rewarded the Braves' faith by blanking the Pirates over five stellar innings, allowing only three hits and three incident-free walks.
And Wilson's timing couldn't have been more perfect, since the Braves conjured up just enough offense to escape PNC Park with a 1-0 victory.
For that lone run, a Nick Markakis RBI single (scoring Freddie Freeman) would eventually prove to be the game-winner.
As such, Atlanta avoided its longest losing streak for the third time this season. Twice in July, the club halted any potentially dire slides at four games; and that pattern repeated itself on Monday, thanks to six Braves pitchers (five relievers)–most notably Wilson, who became the youngest starting pitcher in franchise history to record a win.
The funny thing about Wilson: On MLB.com's official site, the Hillsborough, N.C. native ranks as only the Braves' 13th-highest prospect ... and ninth-best pitcher in the Atlanta pipeline.
However, that assessment may be well off, considering the vast majority of 20-year-old prospects aren't pitching at the Triple-A level. Covering 23 starts with the Gwinnett Stripers, Wilson boasts the following marks: 8-5 record, 3.27 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 139/35 K-BB rate and sterling K/9 rate of 10.1.
Will Wilson draw another start with the big-league Braves? That's a question for another day.
At this point, fellow rookie Touki Toussaint could make a similar case for remaining in the majors for the final stretch. Of course, 'MLB service time' plays a major factor in how personnel decisions are crafted.
With the victory, Atlanta (69-55) owns a one-game lead over idle Philadelphia (68-56) in the National League East; and if the postseason began tomorrow, the Braves would own the No. 2 seed, trailing only the Central-leading Cubs (71-52).