Outfielder Acuna expected back in Braves’ lineup Friday

Ronald Acuna is expected to return to the Braves’ lineup Friday for a doubleheader vs. the Nationals, manager Brian Snitker said. The outfielder hasn’t played since Sunday, when he left a game early with right hamstring tightness. The Braves gave Acuna the series off in Boston. They’re off today, and Acuna should be ready for the start of the homestand. “He had a good workout yesterday, and he’s feeling good,” Snitker said. More

MLB released its midseason ranking of farm systems Tuesday night, and you’ll have to look lower on the list than in recent years to find the Braves.

The Braves’ collection of prospects ranks No. 15, squarely in the middle among the 30 teams and down from No. 3 in the website’s 2019 preseason ranking, No. 7 in midseason 2019 and No. 8 in preseason 2020.

Still, the Braves have four prospects ranked among MLB’s top 100: outfielder Cristian Pache at No. 14, outfielder Drew Waters at No. 27, pitcher Ian Ander- son (still classified as a pros- pect despite being on the big league roster since last week) at No. 41 and catcher Shea Langeliers at No. 74.

Other than Anderson, no Braves pitcher ranks among MLB.com’s Top 100 pros- pects. The website’s report noted that pitcher Kyle Wright, ranked No. 52 in preseason, “hasn’t been able to establish himself in the big leagues and also graduated from prospect status” with several stints on the Braves’ active roster since 2018.

The Tampa Bay Rays have the No. 1 farm system, accord- ing to the rankings, followed by the Detroit Tigers at No. 2. San Diego’s farm system is ranked No. 3 even after the Padres traded seven of the organization’s top 30 prospects (but none of their five who are ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects) ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.

Several factors can play into the Braves’ fall in the rankings: Prospects grad- uating to the big leagues in recent years, some prospects declining in the opinion of evaluators, the impact of international amateur sign- ing restrictions on the orga- nization, and the assessment of draft picks.