3 prospects that should make Braves’ Opening Day roster
By John Buhler
Despite having a loaded roster, the Atlanta Braves have a rich farm system that is ready for its top talent to contribute in a big way at the major league level.
The Atlanta Braves have several top prospects who could be in line to make the 2021 Opening Day roster.
Atlanta has won the NL East the last three seasons. This past year, the Braves were one win away from getting back to the World Series for the first time since 1999. Though the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres loom large out on the West Coast, Atlanta should remain in the mix to potentially win the 2021 NL pennant. Will any of these top prospects help them get there?
3 Atlanta Braves prospects who should make the Opening Day roster
17. C. Atlanta Braves. William Contreras. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 3
He is slated to be Travis d’Arnaud’s backup behind the Braves dish
You will find on this list that the prospects slated to make the Braves’ Opening Day roster fit right in. With the Braves not bringing back Atlanta area native Tyler Flowers, it leaves the door wide open for William Contreras to serve as Travis d’Arnaud’s backup behind the plate. D’Arnaud won a Silver Slugger in his breakout season for the Braves last year, but he cannot catch every game.
Contreras made his big-league debut last July in Atlanta. He played sparingly in 2020, filling in for d’Arnaud and Flowers when they were held out to start the season due to potential COVID-19 concerns. Contreras hit .400 in 10 plate appearances for the Braves with a double and a run batted in. He is the younger brother of two-time All-Star catcher Willson Contreras of the Chicago Cubs.
The other player vying for the roster spot on the Braves’ 40-man roster is Alex Jackson. He too played some last season for the Braves when d’Arnaud and Flowers were unable to go at the start of the year. He in all likelihood will play a bit more this season in Atlanta as their third-string catcher. However, we do need to keep an eye on another top prospect in Shea Langeliers.
While Langeliers is the Braves’ catcher of the future, he has yet to make it past Single-A. This will allow d’Arnaud and either Contreras or Jackson to settle in comfortably behind the Braves dish. Even if the Braves only carry two catchers on their Opening Day roster, Contreras edges out Jackson for the No. 2 spot in the Atlanta backstop hierarchy behind only the veteran d’Arnaud.