Welcome to our annual look at the overall system depth at each position. Dansby Swanson is coming off his best season as a pro, but this is a big season for him as he tries to convince the team to invest in him for the long term. Down on the farm the Braves will take a long look at another first-round pick and the team welcomes their first major international signee since 2016 as overall system depth rebounds after a fallow couple of years.
First Base | Second Base | Third Base | Catcher | Left Field | Centerfield | Right Field | Starting Pitcher | Relief Pitcher
ATLANTA BRAVES
STARTER: Dansby Swanson
The previous two seasons of Dansby Swanson’s major league career showed that when he was healthy he could be a major offensive contributor to a first-division baseball club. Unfortunately wrist and hamstring issues have plagued the Marietta native, and his game declines drastically when he tries to play through injuries. The shortened 60-game 2020 season highlighted the force Swanson could be when at full strength. While playing all 60 games and leading the National League in at-bats, Swanson had career-highs in slugging, OPS, and even WAR despite the shortened season. When much of the expected offensive contributors misfired early, Swanson roared out of the gate to a .319/.352/.504 batting line through the first 30 games, then hit a respectable .267/.333/.556 with 3 homers in the postseason. Now the Braves would like to see a healthy and productive Swanson for a full season as the team will soon have decisions to make at the shortstop position with Swanson scheduled to be a free agent after the 2022 season.
Back-up: The team no doubt recalls the debacle of 2019 when Swanson missed six weeks and planned back-ups Johan Camargo and Charlie Culberson were not up to the challenge defensively, forcing the team to bring in Adeiny Hechavarría. Hechavarría and Culberson are gone this year, and the team will probably take a long look at former Minnesota Twin Ehire Adrianza as the primary back-up shortstop. Former Astro Jack Mayfield could also hold that position, and has the advantage of already being on the 40-man roster.
Upper-Level Minor Leaguers
SS Jack Mayfield
Projected Level: AAA Gwinnett
An over-achieving non-drafted infielder from the Houston Astros, Mayfield was claimed off waivers in November. Mayfield has yet to hit well in parts of two major league seasons, but has hit a solid .268/.325/.475 in 300 plate appearances at the AAA level. Mayfield’s calling card is defensive versatility, and he has shown a good glove at all three infield skill positions. If Mayfield ends up making the Atlanta active roster for Opening Day, Gwinnett could have Adrianza in this spot.
IF Riley Unroe
Projected Level: AAA Gwinnett
If the Braves wanted to, they could start Unroe at shortstop and Mayfield at second or third base, but I’m guessing Unroe will play second base. Having a AAA roster with several ways to array the infield is always helpful when call-ups can happen at a moment’s notice. Wendell Rijo and Sean Kazmar Jr. could also play shortstop in a pinch.
SS Braden Shewmake
Projected Level: AA Mississippi
Even with the shutdown of the minor leagues in 2020, the Braves got a lot of looks at former first-rounder Shewmake between spring training and his work at summer camp and the alternate training site as a member of the team’s 60-man player pool. All indications are that the time was put to good use. Shewmake has a strong hit tool and has impressed in the field as well. He’s athletic enough to possibly play multiple positions and could be the long-desired super-utility player that Atlanta has tried in vain to develop or acquire over the prior six seasons. But for now he’ll stick at shortstop and the Braves will evaluate if he could possibly be an eventual Swanson successor. I would even stay there’s at least a 50% chance they simply start him in Gwinnett.
SS Riley Delgado
Projected Level: AA Mississippi
Speaking of over-achievers, Delgado has been a consistent and solid performer since being drafted out of Middle Tennessee in 2017. Delgado showed in 2019 that he can move around the infield some and his ceiling is likely utility infielder, but he can still hold down short. If Shewmake starts the season in Mississippi, Delgado would likely see time all over the infield, and could step in as the starter if Shewmake makes an early push for AAA.
Lower-Level Minor Leaguers
SS Cam Shepherd
Projected Level: A+ Rome
Shepherd was Baseball America’s top college senior for the 2020 draft. It wasn’t enough for anyone to take him in the abbreviated 5-round draft, but the Braves pounced on him as an undrafted amateur free agent. Shepherd is a polished defensive shortstop and should easily be able to hold his own even if debuting at high-A. The bat is more of a question, but the 23-year-old should put together enough quality at-bats to keep him in the line-up daily.
SS/3B Vaughn Grissom
Projected Level: A Augusta
Grissom will start everyday, and he’ll see time at shortstop, but I suspect most of his action will be at third base. Grissom, along with outfielder Michael Harris, were the two teenage position players to get a full summer at the Alternate Training Site. The experience of going up against the best pitchers in the Braves farm system everyday likely has him well-prepared for an instant jump to high-A. If the Braves elect to start him in low-A Augusta however, I would still expect him to see much of his time at third.
SS Beau Philip
Projected Level: A+ Rome
The Braves 2nd-round pick in the 2019 draft had a tough debut with Danville in 2019 but showed out defensively with good range and and a strong arm. He hit well in college and was still working around a strained hamstring in 2019, so the hope is that the long layoff brings him back to full strength at the plate. The Braves will also likely ask him to move around the diamond to prepare him for a potential utility infielder role.
SS Carlos Paraguate
Projected Level: A Augusta
The Braves pushed up a 17-year-old Paraguate to low-A Rome on Opening Day 2019 after debuting the previous season in the Dominican Summer League, a sign of just how thin the position had gotten. He looked about as lost at the plate as you would imagine a 17-year-old would look in such a spot. He started to hit better after Braden Shewmake arrived to take over the position and he could step back a bit. He never looked lost in the field however, showing a better feel for the position than you would expect from someone that young. Look for him back at low-A with a few more trips around the sun to help him out.
Utility infielder Garrett Saunders could also be at this level and could back up all infield spots including short.
Short-Season Minor Leaguers
SS Ambioris Tavarez
The first big-ticket international amateur free agent signing for Atlanta since 2016 will likely make his debut with the GCL Braves as a 17-year-old. Tavarez’s bat is reportedly ahead of his glove, so expect the Braves to give him plenty of time at shortstop to see if he can stick there.
SS Francisco Floyd
Tavarez’s partner at shortstop in the GCL could be 18-year-old Floyd, who played a full season with the DSL Braves in 2019 after being the highest bonus signee of the 2018-19 period. Floyd didn’t hit much in his pro debut, which would probably be expected considering his age and the league, but reports on his defense have been very strong.
Shorstop Depth Chart
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- Dansby Swanson
- Ehire Adrianza
- Johan Camargo
- Jack Mayfield
- Riley Unroe
- Wendell Rijo
- Braden Shewmake
- Riley Delgado
- Cam Shepherd
- Vaughn Grissom
- Beau Philip
- Carlos Paraguate
- Garrett Saunders
- Ambioris Tavarez
- Francisco Floyd
- Dansby Swanson
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