Starting spots for Braves' Top 30 prospects

With the 2019 Minor League Baseball season getting underway, here's a look at where the Braves' Top 30 prospects are starting the year. We also identify the prospect who just missed the Top 30 list, a player who didn't make the big league Opening Day roster but should make an impact this year, a prospect who is ready to break out in 2019 and the team's best defensive prospect.

1) Mike Soroka (MLB No. 24), RHP -- Gwinnett Stripers (AAA)
2) Kyle Wright (MLB No. 30), RHP -- Atlanta Braves (MLB)
3) Ian Anderson (MLB No. 32), RHP -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
4) Cristian Pache (MLB No. 36), OF -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
5) Austin Riley (MLB No. 37), 3B -- Gwinnett Stripers (AAA)
6) Touki Toussaint (MLB No. 49), rhp -- Gwinnett Stripers (AAA)
7) Bryse Wilson (MLB No. 80), RHP -- Atlanta Braves (MLB)
8) Drew Waters (MLB No. 84), OF -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
9) William Contreras, C -- Florida Fire Frogs (A Adv)
10) Luiz Gohara, LHP -- Gwinnett Stripers (AAA) -- IL
11) Kolby Allard, LHP -- Gwinnett Stripers (AAA)
12) Joey Wentz, lhp -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
13) Kyle Muller, lhp -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
14) Huascar Ynoa, RHP -- Florida Fire Frogs (A Adv)
15) Greyson Jenista, OF -- Florida Fire Frogs (A Adv)
16) Tristan Beck, RHP -- Florida Fire Frogs (A Adv)
17) Freddy Tarnok, RHP -- Florida Fire Frogs (A Adv)
18) Thomas Burrows, LHP -- Gwinnett Stripers (AAA)
19) Patrick Weigel, RHP -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
20) Trey Riley, RHP -- Rome Braves (A)
21) Chad Sobotka, RHP -- Atlanta Braves (MLB)
22) Tucker Davidson, LHP -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
23) C.J. Alexander, 3B -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
24) A.J. Graffanino, SS -- Florida Fire Frogs (A Adv)
25) Isranel Wilson, OF -- Florida Fire Frogs (A Adv)
26) Jacob Webb, RHP -- Gwinnett Stripers (AAA)
27) Jasseel De La Cruz, RHP -- Rome Braves (A)
28) Alex Jackson, C -- Gwinnett Stripers (AAA)
29) Jefrey Ramos, OF -- Florida Fire Frogs (A Adv)
30) Ray Patrick Didder, SS -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
Complete list »

Just missed Top 30: Daysbel Hernandez
A Cuban defector who signed for $190,000 in September 2017, Hernandez made his professional debut after a two-year layoff by seeing time across two levels of A ball. The right-handed reliever throws his fastball in the 94-97 mph range with good ride and complements it with a decent power slider that has slurvy traits at times.

On the shelf
Luiz Gohara ended the 2018 season on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury, but the hope was he’d be good to go to start the 2019 season. But the shoulder acted up this spring and he wasn’t able to pitch in Grapefruit League action. He’s starting the season on Gwinnett’s injured list as he tries to work his way back to health.

Impact prospect: Touki Toussaint
The Braves have so many young pitching options to choose from to fill the rotation. Toussaint entered Spring Training with perhaps the inside track to one of the spots, but didn’t pitch well enough to make the team on Opening Day. Kyle Wright and Bryse Wilson are there for now, but expect Toussaint’s plus stuff to get plenty of looks in Atlanta this year.

Breakout prospect: Freddy Tarnok
That's right, another Braves pitching prospect. Atlanta went way over pick value to sign Tarnok in the third round of the 2017 Draft. He pitched well out of the bullpen in the first half of 2018 (1.26 ERA in 16 games) and scuffled a bit as a starter. But as someone who didn't pitch until his junior year of high school, his ceiling as a future starter is very high.

Best defensive prospect: Cristian Pache
Pache is generally considered to be the best defender in the Minor Leagues, leading our All-Defense Prospect Team. He has the speed and instincts to be a Gold Glove center fielder to go along with a right fielder's arm.