Brandon Cunniff

Cunniff's path to the Braves' 40-man roster was certainly unique. A 27th-round pick in 2010, he left affiliated baseball following his first professional season and spent the next two-plus years in the independent leagues. The Braves saw something in the right-hander and inked him in 2013, starting him off at Low-A Lynchburg, where he recorded a 1.99 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 31.2 innings. Walks were an issue, but Cunniff made strides in that department last season, posting a walk rate of 3.4 BB/9 in 33 appearances after his promotion to Double-A Mississippi. Overall, he went 4-0 with a 1.58 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 71:27 K:BB between Lynchburg and Mississippi in 2014, impressive numbers even at an advanced age for those levels (25). It seems likely the Braves will start Cunniff off in the minors again this season, either at Double-A or Triple-A, but another fast start could put him in contention for a bullpen role with the big club.