Did Bronx Bombers put final nail in coffin of Braves prospect's Opening Day hopes?

It's been a productive spring for Braves prospect AJ Smith-Shawver, who made more than a cameo for the big-league team last season. Smith-Shawver impressed in some brief spot starts and was a regular in the Atlanta bullpen by the end of the regular season and NLDS loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Yet, Smith-Shawver is also just 21 years old. He remains on the upswing, but some struggles with his secondary pitches were exposed in September and October.

Spring training stats are relatively meaningless for most players with a proven track record. Smith-Shawver is one of the distinct few, as his appearances should not be taken with a grain of salt. Smith-Shawver fell in the Braves prospect rankings this spring, and he may now start the season in the minor leagues as a result.

Braves prospect AJ Smith-Shawver struggles in final inning against the Yankees

As FanGraphs noted after Smith-Shawver's last impressive appearance to start the spring, he doesn't necessarily fit in to the Braves rotation plans right now.

"Plan A for the Braves doesn’t necessarily involve Smith-Shawver. Atlanta starts its rotation with Spencer Strider, one of the best pitchers in baseball. After that: Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Chris Sale, and Reynaldo López. Plus, they have quite a bit of prospect and Quad-A depth: Huascar Ynoa, Bryce Elder, Dylan Dodd, Ian Anderson (remember him?) is due back from Tommy John sometime later this year"

Smith-Shawver's latest spring start raised some questions, and for good reason. He lasted three innings against the Yankees, but gave up seven hits and four runs against more big-league competition. That included some nasty strikeouts of Aaron Judge, but most of the damage against him came in a vital fourth inning, when he was eventually pulled.

Smith-Shawver's head is in the right place this spring, which is good news for a Braves pitching staff that will need him eventually, but that time is not now.

The Braves pitching depth provides them with the luxury of starting Smith-Shawver in Gwinnett or elsewhere. His time will come, and his line on Sunday suggests that may be in the Braves bullpen.