Braves Given Poor Outlook For Future At Shortstop Position

The Atlanta Braves still have some question marks at the shortstop position, and it's expected to continue on. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter did a ranking of the top shortstops in five years (2030). He ranked the Braves as having the 29th-ranked shortstop, Nacho Alvarez Jr.

Reuter's analysis of Alvarez deemed him a shortstop by necessity as a bonafide option in the team's system.

"A breakout 2023 season sent Alvarez flying up Atlanta's organizational prospect list, and with Drake Baldwin moving on to the majors, he again stands as the best position-player prospect in the Braves system. He hit .284/.391/.401 with 15 doubles, 10 home runs, 57 RBI and 26 steals as one of the younger prospects in the upper levels of the minors last year. And while he might fit best at second base, the lack of a long-term answer at shortstop in Atlanta could keep him at the position."

The 22-year-old shortstop made his MLB debut last season in an effort to fill in for an injured Ozzie Albies at second base. His bat wasn't ready and was shortly sent back down. His age certainly helps his odds. He'll still be on the right side of 30 at that point.

With that being said, it seems like a slim outlook to judge the Braves' shortstop options at that point. Alvarez is currently the high-ranking prospect option, but those fluctuate every year. There is an 18-year-old shortstop prospect in the complex league for the Braves who could rise up in that time. Jose Perdomo is already the team's ninth-ranked prospect. He's expected to reach the Majors by 2029, according to his MLB.com prospect profile. That lines up with him potentially becoming a top option for the position.

If we're already looking that far out, he can be part of the discussion.

There was no mention of any other potential option, such as the 26-year-old recent addition, Nick Allen. He has shown already this season that he has a strong glove to man the shortstop position. While the advanced metrics don't praise him, he gets on base and has a solid contact bat. If he can cut down on his strikeouts, the stats with further fall into place for him.

In 2030, he would be around 31 years old. That's a normal age to still be a mainstay at a position. The possibility is there, and that could improve the Braves fortunes.

It's unlikely Eli White could be the solution for two reasons. One is age. He'll be 35 by then, and that could take him out of the running. He also hasn't played the position at the MLB level yet. He could very well still be kicking it with the Braves in 2030; just not as a shortstop.

At the moment, it's reasonable for the Braves outlook to look poor at the position. It's simply not looking too great at the moment. But they have some options that can boost them about second to last in the next five years.

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