Potential '21 Assignments For Braves Alternate Site Prospects
I’ve written before about the advantage certain prospects may have gained by invitation to the alternate site at Gwinnett. Some received that invitation because they were on the verge of a major league call-up and needed to stay fresh. Some received the invitation because they’re highly thought of within the organization and got on-field instruction and reps to continue their development as some of the higher-ranked prospects in the system.
What does this mean for player assignments going forward, though? Will a young player like Michael Harris skip a full season at Rome because of his time at the alternate site? Will a player closer to the majors, like William Contreras, have a better chance of cracking the opening day roster because of his time at Gwinnett?
It’s impossible for anyone outside the organization to say. Player development knows what it saw from the prospects at the site and where their development currently is, while those outside the facility and org are left to wait on 2021 assignments.
It’s also worth noting that a 2021 minor league season isn’t a guarantee, and that anything beyond the present World Series is still up in the air. If there’s an abbreviated season that starts in the summer, we may see an extended spring training that’s expanded to include all minor leaguers. I don’t think that would affect assignments once they did start playing, but anything beyond an April opening day would obviously delay assignments. I’m writing the following as if a full minor league season will be played.
So, let’s go down the list of Braves prospects who were fortunate enough to get experience at the alternate site and see where it might lead them next year.
Cristian Pache – Considering the unknown financial situation this winter, and how he looked in the NLCS, Pache may be the favorite to open 2021 as Atlanta’s center fielder. He was tracking well in his development at the plate, and getting reps and instruction in Gwinnett may have helped further that along, leading to mature at-bats in the postseason.
Drew Waters – Despite some fans clamoring for Waters in Atlanta, he’s not seeing the major leagues until he gets some more success at Gwinnett. After a rough spring, he showed increased comfort at the plate in summer camp. It should be a matter of time before he gains enough comfort against advanced pitching to earn the call.
Ian Anderson – Anderson is obviously in Atlanta’s rotation in 2021.
William Contreras – A popular discussion is whether Contreras will share catching duties with Travis d’Arnaud next season. Contreras made huge strides at the plate over the past year, and his bat stood out in a big way in summer camp and in a brief major league look. However, I still think it’s best for his development to get at least half a season of success under his belt in the upper levels and aim for the starting job in 2022.
Shea Langeliers – It wouldn’t surprise me if the Braves jump Langeliers over the Class-A Advanced level and assign him to Double-A Mississippi. It would be a challenge for his bat, so it’s understandable if they move him more slowly than that, but the alternate site experience may play in his favor.
Kyle Muller – Muller will probably get more work in major league spring training, but he will likely return to Gwinnett for at least the beginning of the season. There were positive reports on Muller at the alternate site, but we already knew he throws hard and has been working on his changeup, and nothing negative will ever come out of an alternate site. He has to prove he can throw strikes and command his stuff.
Bryse Wilson – If the financial situation means turning to more young players next year, Wilson may work himself into the rotation discussion, especially after his NLCS start. If he’s not at the back of the rotation, he needs to be at Gwinnett to start every five days and work on rounding out his arsenal.
Tucker Davidson – The same can be said for Davidson. If he’s not in the mix for a back-end spot, he needs to be at Gwinnett throwing every five days.
Jared Shuster – This is a tough one. Maybe Class-A Advanced? Maybe Mississippi? I highly doubt it’s Rome. The alternate site experience may push him to Mississippi out of the gate.
Bryce Ball – It will either be Advanced-A or Mississippi. Development knows where he is with the bat, and his assignment will tell the tale.
Braden Shewmake – The Braves have been aggressive with Shewmake’s assignments and invites. He doesn’t have success above Rome yet, but he will probably start at Mississippi or Gwinnett and knock on the door in late 2021 or early 2022.
Jasseel De La Cruz – There’s no reason why De La Cruz isn’t given a chance in the Braves bullpen this coming spring. He has nothing left to prove.
Michael Harris – This is one of the more interesting ones. Harris should have ended 2019 at Danville and then opened 2020 for his first full season at Rome. He got valuable experience at the alternate site instead, so that may push him past Rome to Advanced-A. I think that would be a tough challenge, but the Braves are very confident in his ability to hold his own at the plate.
Patrick Weigel – Same comment as De La Cruz.
Huascar Ynoa – I assume he’s a bullpen piece for the Braves going forward.
Jesse Franklin – In normal times, he’s a candidate to finish his draft year at Rome and start 2021 in Florida. He may still be on that track. Either way, it won’t surprise me if he’s in Mississippi by the end of the year.
Alex Jackson – If he’s still in the org next season, he’s a candidate for the backup catcher spot. But he has yet to hit at all in the majors and that may be a tough call to make. They could always send him back to Gwinnett.
Victor Vodnik – I don’t think the alternate site invite changes Vodnik’s trajectory. He should see Advanced-A at least to begin next year.
Spencer Strider – If the Braves let him loose as a relief prospect, an aggressive assignment like Mississippi seems possible. If they want to take it more slowly and have him work on his arsenal, perhaps Advanced-A to begin the year.
Vaughn Grissom – Grissom is a prime candidate to get his first full season at Rome next year.
William Woods – Woods may start moving more quickly after his velo spike and alternate site and instructs experience. Mississippi seems possible.
Phil Pfeifer – I assume Pfeifer will go to Gwinnett.