If talent were the only issue and service-time considerations didn't matter, Ronald Acuna would be starting in the outfield for the Braves right now. He reached and excelled in Triple-A as a 19-year-old in 2017, won every Minor League Player of the Year award, then captured MVP honors in the Arizona Fall League.
But because it makes too much financial sense for Atlanta to send him back to Triple-A long enough to delay his future free agency (and perhaps his arbitration eligibility as well), Acuna has to settle for being the best prospect in the Minor Leagues, which open play today. He's also part of the most talented team in the Minors to begin the season.
Starting spots for each team's Top 30 prospects
In addition to Acuna, No. 2 behind only Shohei Ohtani, the Gwinnett Stripers feature two other members of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. Right-hander Mike Soroka (No. 31) has the best control of any hurler on the Top 100 and his stuff continues to get better each year, while left-hander Kolby Allard (No. 58) has developed faster than expected since Atlanta made him the first high school pitcher selected (14th overall) in the 2015 Draft.
The Stripers are more top-heavy than deep -- outfielder Dustin Peterson is the only other player on our Braves Top 30 -- but stand out with the most formidable trio of prospects anywhere in the Minors. Behind Gwinnett, here's how the most stacked Opening Day rosters in the Minor Leagues line up:
2. Durham Bulls (Rays, Triple-A)
Top 100 prospects: 3
Team Top 30 prospects: 9
The International League features the two most talented rosters in all of the Minors. The Bulls have a very deep lineup headlined by three Top 100 Prospects: middle infielder Willy Adames (No. 22), outfielder/first baseman Jake Bauers (No. 64) and third baseman Christian Arroyo (No. 82). Justin Williams and Joe McCarthy team with Bauers in an all-prospect outfield, while the top pitcher is left-hander Anthony Banda, acquired from the D-backs in the three-team Steven Souza trade in February.
3. Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox, Class A Advanced)
Top 100 prospects: 3
Team Top 30 prospects: 6
If outfielder Luis Robert (No. 28) hadn't sprained his left thumb on a slide in Cactus League play, the Dash would be the only club with four healthy Top 100 Prospects. He'll begin the season on Winston-Salem's disabled list and may not play until June, but the team still has right-handers Dylan Cease (No. 61) and Dane Dunning (No. 92) plus outfielder Blake Rutherford (No. 99), all added in trades during the past 16 months. Even without Robert, the Dash can field an all-prospect outfield with Micker Adolfo and Luis Alexander Basabe and have a slugging first baseman in Gavin Sheets.
4. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays, Double-A)
Top 100 prospects: 2
Team Top 30 prospects: 7
The Fisher Cats have the highest-rated tandem of Top 100 Prospects anywhere in third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (No. 3), who ranked second in the Minors with a .425 on-base percentage at age 18 last year, and shortstop Bo Bichette (No. 13), whose .362 average made him the first teenaged Minor League batting champion since 1966. This ranking is more about quality than quantity, though New Hampshire's next-best prospect, right-hander Sean Reid-Foley, is one of the best pitchers in the Blue Jays system.
5. San Antonio Missions (Padres, Double-A)
Top 100 prospects: 2
Team Top 30 prospects: 6
The Padres have the game's best farm system and this is their most talented affiliate. Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (No. 8) emerged as an elite prospect in 2017, when he slammed 22 homers, stole 32 bases and joined the Missions at the end of his age-18 season. Right-hander Cal Quantrill (No. 40, owner of the best changeup on the Top 100) and first baseman Josh Naylor also return to San Antonio after finishing there last year, when both played in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. Logan Allen is one of several talented lefties in San Diego's system.
6. Mississippi Braves (Braves, Double-A)
Top 100 prospects: 3
Team Top 30 prospects: 7
The Braves are the only organization to place two clubs on this list, as their highest-level affiliates each have three Top 100 Prospects. Right-hander Kyle Wright (No. 30), the fifth overall pick in the 2017 Draft, will begin his first full pro season in Double-A. He'll team with left-hander Max Fried (No. 83) and third baseman Austin Riley (No. 97), plus three former first-rounders of various degrees of progress in righty Touki Toussaint, catcher Alex Jackson and second baseman/third baseman Travis Demeritte.
7. Altoona Curve (Pirates, Double-A)
Top 100 prospects: 1
Team Top 30 prospects: 10
The Curve may have just one Top 100 Prospect, but they have one-third of the Pirates' Top 30 prospects on their roster, headlined by right-hander Mitch Keller (No. 15), who is the best pitching prospect in Double-A. Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, shortstop Cole Tucker and outfielder Bryan Reynolds all have Top 100 upside and give Altoona a formidable lineup. Few left-handers can rival Taylor Hearn's fastball, which creeps into triple-digit territory.
8. Nashville Sounds (Athletics, Triple-A)
Top 100 prospects: 2
Team Top 30 prospects: 7
Position players comprise the bulk of the Sounds' talent, led by four trade acquisitions. Franklin Barreto (No. 66) has a higher offensive ceiling than most middle infielders, while shortstop/outfielder Jorge Mateo (No. 73) is the fastest player on the Top 100. Dustin Fowler is a potential five-tool center fielder and third baseman Sheldon Neuse was one of the most productive hitters in the Arizona Fall League. Nashville would rank No. 2 on this list if left-hander A.J. Puk (No. 32) had headed to Triple-A rather than injuring his elbow and requiring Tommy John surgery.
9. Clearwater Threshers (Phillies, Class A Advanced)
Top 100 prospects: 3
Team Top 30 prospects: 6
If the Phillies hadn't decided to give right-hander Sixto Sanchez (No. 26) some time in extended spring training before sending him to Clearwater, the Threshers would be the only club with four active Top 100 Prospects. They're still loaded, with another live-armed righty in Adonis Medina (No. 86) plus the organization's last two first-round picks. Mickey Moniak (No. 88), the first overall choice in 2016, and Adam Haseley (No. 95), the eighth overall selection in 2017, will patrol the outfield. Shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa has all-around tools and is poised for a breakout season.
10. Chattanooga Lookouts (Twins, Double-A)
Top 100 prospects: 2
Team Top 30 prospects: 9
Left-hander Stephen Gonsalves (No. 79) and middle infielder Nick Gordon (No. 81) possess high floors and have progressed steadily through the Minors. After joining Rafael Palmeiro as the only players ever to win the Southeastern Conference triple crown last spring, outfielder/first baseman Brent Rooker signed as a supplemental first-rounder and hit 18 homers in pro ball. Lefties Lewis Thorpe and Tyler Jay and righties Zack Littell (who led the Minors in wins with a 19-1 record in 2017) and Kohl Stewart add to an intriguing pitching staff.