Why the Braves sent top prospect Ronald Acuna to the minors

It's a rite of spring for many budding young stars in Major League Baseball. No matter how well you perform in spring training, you'll start the regular season in the minors. 

The Atlanta Braves made the move with their No. 1 prospect, outfielder Ronald Acuna, sending him to minor league camp Monday.

Acuna, 20, was USA TODAY's Minor League Player of the Year in 2017 after he posted a .325/.374/.522 slash line with 21 homers and 44 stolen bases at three minor league levels. 

MORE BASEBALL

More:A baseball scout and his hotel room: A love story spanning four decades

MLB SALARIES: Baseball's top 25 highest-paid players in 2024

More:For Astros, spreading the wealth begins with Jose Altuve's $151 million deal

More:Top 40 fantasy baseball prospects: A wealth of young talent

He won MVP honors in the Arizona Fall League and was the Braves' best hitter this spring -- going 19-for-44 (.432) and leading the team with four home runs and 11 RBI. 

His performance has Braves fans swooning and hoping for a return to the glory days in Atlanta. They are itching to win again - after four conseutive losing seasons and an embarrassing cheating scandal. So some were none too happy to see the Acuna news.

However, the name of the game is major league service time. By sending Acuna to Class AAA for just a couple weeks, the Braves will get an extra year of team control before he becomes eligible for free agency. 

A sampling from social media had fans venting at the Braves' ownership, the control factor and what they see as a waste of talent for the big-league club to kick off the season for a player that is ready for the majors now.

The Cincinnati Reds did the same thing on Monday with their best prospect, third baseman Nick Senzel. (They want him to become more familiar at second base, which could hasten his arrival in the majors this season.)

The practice gained notoriety in 2015, when Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant hit .425 and led all players with nine home runs in spring training, but began the regular season in the minors -- spurring outrage from baseball fans and his agent, Scott Boras, in particular.

Bryant made his MLB debut on April 17 and went on to win NL Rookie of the Year honors that season, so there's nothing stopping Acuna from having a productive season with the Braves.

It's just that fans will have to wait a little longer before they see him in a major league uniform.  

Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner