Where Braves top prospects are starting '21

With the 2021 season getting started, here's a look at where the Braves' Top 30 prospects are projected to start the season:

1) Cristian Pache (MLB No. 11), OF -- Atlanta (MLB)
2) Drew Waters (MLB No. 29), OF -- Gwinnett (Triple-A)
3) Shea Langeliers (MLB No. 63), C -- Mississippi (Double-A)
4) Braden Shewmake, SS -- Mississippi (Double-A)
5) Kyle Muller, LHP -- Gwinnett (Triple-A)
6) William Contreras, C -- Atlanta (MLB)
7) Jared Shuster, LHP -- Rome (High-A)
8) Tucker Davidson, LHP -- Gwinnett (Triple-A)
9) Jasseel De La Cruz, RHP -- Gwinnett (Triple-A)
10) Michael Harris, OF -- Rome (High-A)
11) Freddy Tarnok, RHP -- Extended spring training
12) Bryce Elder, RHP -- Rome (High-A)
13) Bryce Ball, 1B -- Rome (High-A)
14) Trey Harris, OF -- Mississippi (Double-A)
15) Victor Vodnik, RHP -- Mississippi (Double-A)
16) Jesse Franklin, OF -- Rome (High-A)
17) Daysbel Hernández, RHP -- Gwinnett (Triple-A)
18) Vaughn Grissom, SS -- Augusta (Low-A)
19) Greyson Jenista, OF -- Mississippi (Double-A)
20) CJ Alexander, 3B -- Mississippi (Double-A)
21) Spencer Strider, RHP -- Extended spring training
22) Thomas Burrows, LHP -- Gwinnett (Triple-A)
23) Kasey Kalich, RHP -- Rome (High-A)
24) Tyler Owens, RHP -- Augusta (Low-A)
25) Logan Brown, C -- Rome (High-A)
26) Justin Dean, OF -- Mississippi (Double-A)
27) William Woods, RHP -- Extended spring training
28) Mahki Backstrom, 1B -- Extended spring training
29) Stephen Paolini, OF -- Augusta (Low-A)
30) Jared Johnson, RHP -- Extended spring training

Team to watch

Gwinnett’s definitely the place to go to see two of the top left-handed pitchers in the system in Kyle Muller and Tucker Davidson. They’ll have the benefit of having No. 2 prospect Drew Waters, the top Braves prospect in the Minor Leagues, patrolling the outfield behind them waiting for his first chance to impact the big league roster.

Teams on MiLB.TV

Triple-A Gwinnett
Double-A Mississippi
High-A Rome
Low-A Augusta

New faces

The Braves took Jared Shuster in the first round of last year’s Draft out of Wake Forest in the hopes he’d be the kind of advanced college lefty who can move quickly through their system. He’ll get to show just how rapid an ascent he can make when he debuts with High-A Rome.

On the shelf

A number of the Braves’ younger arms are remaining back in Florida in extended spring training to get themselves ready to go later this year. Freddy Tarnok, Spencer Strider and William Woods, all right-handers in the Top 30, weren’t quite ready to go Opening Day and are getting stretched out and built up to pitch competitive innings as the season wears on.