MLB.com’s Jim Callis has high praise for a Braves “intriguing unranked prospect”

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Jake Gordon | Last updated 11/23/21

The Braves had to add a few players to the 40-man roster to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft earlier this week . MLB.com broke down ten underrated prospects that weren’t ranked in their Top 30, and right-handed pitcher William Woods made the cut:

Here's @jimcallisMLB's look at 10 intriguing unranked prospects who were added to 40-man rosters: https://t.co/Dcn969Lcw2 pic.twitter.com/jOOKeq7s1g

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) November 22, 2021

Here’s what Callis had to say about Woods:

William Woods, RHP, Braves
Woods has had trouble staying healthy since turning pro as a 23rd-rounder out of Dyersburg State (Tenn.) CC in 2018 but helped himself with a strong showing in the AFL, where he displayed a mid-90s fastball and a hard slider. The 21 innings he threw in Arizona nearly doubled the 10 2/3 he worked during the regular season, when he dealt with forearm tightness.

Woods could have been selected in the Rule 5 Draft if a team wanted to roll the dice on a bullpen arm, but the Braves obviously see something there. He may be limited as a prospect, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he moved into Atlanta’s Top 30 as other guys graduate, or potentially get traded. Woods is likely to start 2022 in Rome.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: