Swanson highlights Braves camp invitees

Less than two months ago, three of Atlanta's top four prospects weren't even in the Braves system. Less than two months from now, they'll get a chance to make a lasting first impression on their new club.

Atlanta's No. 1 prospect Dansby Swanson, No. 2 Sean Newcomb and No. 4 Aaron Blair, all trade acquisitions since mid-November, join No. 3 Braves prospect Ozhaino Albies at big league Spring Training camp with non-roster invitations. In total, 10 of the club's top 13 prospects are ticketed for Orlando next month.

Taken by Arizona with the top overall selection in last year's First-Year Player Draft, shortstop Swanson is heading into his first Spring Training and will do so as MLB.com's No. 10 overall prospect. The Vanderbilt product batted .289/.394/.482 in 22 games with Class A Short Season Hillsboro last year, helping lead the Hops to the Northwest League championship. On Dec. 9, he and Blair were included in the trade that sent big league starting pitcher Shelby Miller to Arizona.

Prior to that swap, the Braves acquired starting pitcher Newcomb from the Angels in the deal that shipped Major League shortstop Andrelton Simmons to Anaheim on Nov. 12. The southpaw saw time at three levels last season, making 27 starts between Class A Burlington, Class A Advanced Inland Empire and Double-A Arkansas. In total, MLB.com's No. 19 overall prospect went 9-3 with a 2.38 ERA, striking out 168 in 136 innings and limiting opponents to a .199 average against.

Signed out of Curacao in 2013, Albies more than held his own in 2015 at Class A Rome, batting .310/.368/.404 with 29 stolen bases at just 18 years of age. The middle infielder fractured his thumb Aug. 3 and missed the remainder of the season, but enters 2016 as the No. 30 prospect in baseball.

Blair reached Triple-A for the first time in Arizona's system last summer, and like Newcomb, could find himself in Atlanta's rotation at some point during the 2016 season. Between Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno last year, MLB.com's No. 61 prospect went 13-5 with a 2.92 ERA before being included in the Miller trade. With a prototypical workhorse build at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Blair tossed 160 1/3 innings a season ago and ranks as the Braves' top right-handed prospect heading into 2016.

Atlanta's other top ranked prospects headed for Spring Training are right-handers Tyrell Jenkins (No. 7), Lucas Sims (No. 10) and Chris Ellis (No. 11), who was acquired from the Angels with Newcomb, lefty Manny Banuelos (No. 8), third baseman Rio Ruiz (No. 12) and outfielder Braxton Davidson (No. 13), Atlanta's first-round pick in 2014. Only Jenkins and Banuelos are on Atlanta's 40-man roster.