Atlanta Braves sign Dutch talent

The Atlanta Braves have signed Dutch (Aruban born) catcher Denzel Bryson to a minor league contract. The 17-year Aruban born comes from a modest season with HCAW in the Dutch hoofdklasse.

Denzel broke into hoofdklasse baseball through the (now defunct) Bixie baseball academy. He debuted in the hoofdklasse with De Glaskoning Twins in Oosterhout in 2016 as he played six games and batted a modest .185. In 2017, Denzel played 25 games behind the dish as he batted .210.

Last season, Denzel moved to HCAW. He decided to attend the CTO school in Amsterdam. This is a school that combines regular high school education with top sports training for teenagers. Because he moved to Amsterdam, it was impossible to combine this education with playing with De Glaskoning Twins. That is why he moved to HCAW.

With the club from Bussum, he also played 25 games but his batting average dropped a tad to .197.

Before he moved to Amsterdam, his baseball life was tough as well. Living in Eindhoven, he attended the central training facility of the KNBSB in Haarlem during the winter. Those training sessions were on Mondays and Wednesdays. He left Eindhoven around 16:00 (4.00 PM). The training sessions started at 19:30 (7.30 PM) and lasted until 22:30 (10.30 PM). Then he had to take the train back home. This meant that he could hit the hay way after midnight.

Last year, Denzel was one of the many talents that were on the roster of the Dutch team that won the Pony League World Series.

Currently, Denzel is in Arizona to participate in the Arizona Fall Classic as part of the MLB World Select Team. This team will start playing from October 10 through October 14. Right now the team is playing some exhibition matches against teams from the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals organizations. Many scouts will attend this event but Denzel even left a good impression before the Arizona Fall Classic even takes off.