MLB Top Prospects: Farm System Rankings for all 30 teams

As our MLB top prospects lists are complete for each team, we’ll look at how each system ranks against each other across all of baseball.

With Opening Day Thursday, the focus has shifted to the season now from MLB top prospect list season. We finish our look at MLB top prospects by ranking each farm system from #30 to #1.

These rankings are done by Call To The Pen editor Benjamin Chase. He has taken a number of factors into play, which includes elite prospects within the system, depth of quality prospects within the system, system history of development, and some effect on how close the best prospects are to the major leagues and also how well those prospects at the upper levels performed.

For information, projected starters are taken from Roster Resource, and include the starting 8 position players for NL, 8 position players and DH for AL, starting rotation, and projected closer. For National League teams, that’s 14 possible starting positions, and in the American League, that’s 15 spots.

Without much more lead up, we will get started with our #30 organization…

30. Seattle Mariners

2017 Ranking: 19
Prospects in the top 150: 1
Projected starters 25 and under: 1

General Manager Jerry Dipoto has certainly left his mark on the Mariners organization for years to come, whether he sticks around after the 2018 season or not when his contract is up this offseason. Dipoto has built a team to win, but he’s seemingly put together a team to win 80-85 games each season rather than going for a team that could win 90+. Whether that has to do with budget restraints or a lack of desire for players to sign in Seattle is anyone’s guess.

It is certainly not for a lack of trying to change the makeup and dynamic of the club. Few GMs in all of baseball have made more moves than Dipoto’s Mariners moves over the last five seasons,, and Dipoto has only been with the Mariners since October of 2015!

Trades the last few seasons have sent away prospects that now find themselves ranked among the top prospects in the game (Luiz Gohara, Alex Jackson, Tyler O’Neill) or as productive big leaguers (Brad Miller, Logan Morrison, Mark Trumbo, Jose Ramirez, Chris Taylor, Mike Montgomery, Ketel Marte, Taijuan Walker) for little return. Add in letting guys like J.C. Ramirez walk through minor league free agency, and it’s been a rough tenure for Dipoto.

The top prospect in the organization has totaled 79 games played since being drafted in 2016 due to severe injuries that very well could drastically dim his long-term outlook. Beyond Lewis in the Mariners farm system, there are a number of quality relief arms and some mid-rotation arms with some projection that are old for their league as the top guys in the system.

The Mariners only have 7 players signed for 2019 currently (though Nelson Cruz is the only “major” free agent from the roster), but those 7 players constitute $120 million of commitment, and it is 2022 until the team is under $50 million in contract commitments that have already been made, meaning much of the future of the organization has already been mortgaged into long-term contracts.

Perhaps the bright spot for a candidate stepping in to Dipoto’s role after 2018 is that with so little in the farm system, completely overhauling it will not be a rough task as any improvement will be massive to the system overall.

Next: #28/29

27. San Francisco Giants

2017 Ranking: 26
Prospects in the top 150: 2
Projected starters 25 and under: 0

While the overall rank for the Giants stayed fairly static, there is definitely a startling loss of depth within the farm system. It just so happened that a number of teams also happened to deplete their depth along with their high-end players. The Giants were able to hold onto the top of their farm system while making their trades this offseason to make a big push for 2018.

The final line of the bolded ones above should be the one that stands out. The Giants have no starters under 25 in their positional starters or regular starting rotation. It’s not surprising at all that they are the second-oldest roster in the league right now. The major issue is that even with an aging roster, the Giants are locked into many of the players at the major leagues for a number more years, with over $90 million already committed in salary for 2021.

That puts tremendous pressure on the scouting and development, and this year, they hit a home run with their first draft pick for certain. Heliot Ramos has some of the most impressive raw tools that have been seen in the Giants farm system in recent memory. Add in the development of Garret Williams from their high-risk college arms drafted in 2016, and there are definitely some bright spots. The depth of the system, however, is shallow to say the very least.

In other words, enjoy 2018 and perhaps the next 2-3 years Giants fans, because it could be very rough after that for a while!

26. Baltimore Orioles

2017 Ranking: 28
Prospects in the top 150: 4
Projected starters 25 and under: 2

When you rarely invest anything in the Latin American market, it’s not surprising in the modern game that your team is frequently ranked in the bottom 5 of the farm system rankings. However, some strong performances from unexpected sources helped to push up the Orioles system overall this season.

The system has a horrid track record still at developing pitching, leaving recent draft picks DL Hall, a high school arm needing development, as well as Zac Lowther and Michael Baumann, who are both college arms needing some developing to reach their potentials, to a possible rough career path unless they can forge their own way. Recent graduates from the system have developed as much at the major league level as they did along the path to get there.

However, seeing impressive performances from players like Austin Hays and DJ Stewart along with further development of Ryan Mountcastle does give some hope for the Orioles to continue to produce offensive pieces that can keep the team afloat, even if they have to find their pitching from outside the organization. There is the massive Manny Machado free agency looming this offseason, however, and that could really set the team back to lose him in the lineup and defensively as well.

Next: #24/25

25. Arizona Diamondbacks

2017 Ranking: 29
Prospects in the top 150: 2
Projected starters 25 and under: 2

The Diamondbacks have been devoid of MLB top prospects for a number of years, not having presence on top 100 lists. Though there’s really not a ton of “top end” type of players in the system yet, the Diamondbacks have made significant strides in building up their system depth, such that losing a player like Victor Reyes to the Rule 5 draft (a player I had in my top 10 last season) wasn’t a major hit this offseason, and that J.D. Martinez was acquired last season by trading three prospects who would not rank in the top 10 this offseason.

One of the impressive things the Diamondbacks have done is develop pitching. While not every pitcher is making it to the majors as a starter or reaching their absolute ceiling, many of the Diamondbacks pitchers are making strides in development year over year in an impressive way, including the tremendous improvement in season from top pitching prospect Jon Duplantier.

It is entirely feasible with another quality draft that the Diamondbacks could end up moving out of the bottom 10 of the league in farm systems in next year’s rankings as they made some very sharp Latin American signings the last few years that are on the cusp of exploding very soon.

24. Kansas City Royals

2017 Ranking: 25
Prospects in the top 150: 2
Projected starters 25 and under: 3

While this ranking is a rough spot for an organization to find itself at the very beginning of a rebuild, this is not going to last long. When draft bonus pools were announced recently for the 2018 MLB draft, the Royals were noted for having the most draft pool money, in spite of not making their first pick until the 18th overall selection.

With four picks in the first 40 selections in the draft, the Royals will have an opportunity to drastically impact their farm system, especially in a year with a very deep draft of quality players, especially arms.

The Royals made a nice start this offseason, nabbing two solid choices of the players that were removed from the Atlanta Braves by MLB this past November. That has been an excellent start to what will likely be a multi-year rebuild in KC.

Next: #22/23

23. Boston Red Sox

2017 Ranking: 20
Prospects in the top 150: 2
Projected starters 25 and under: 4

When Dave Dombrowski came to Boston, many Red Sox fans were completely scared that the Red Sox would immediately trade off all top prospects for mediocre players and empty out what was, at the time, one of the more loaded farm systems in the entire game.

Dombrowski almost immediately traded a few of the top prospects in the system away, but not just for just marginal upgrades. His first major deal brought in Craig Kimbrel to secure the back end of the Red Sox bullpen. He then acquired an important part of the rotation in Drew Pomeranz, though it cost one of the team’s brightest pitching prospects.

After the 2016 season is when he made his crowning acquisition, though it cost two of the biggest prospects in the farm system to bring in ace pitcher Chris Sale.

Red Sox fans should take solace in the farm system that Dombrowski left behind in Detroit when he was in charge there with much less resources at his disposal in scouting and development. The Tigers system consistently produced pieces for the major league team as well as quality pieces that attracted big-time trades.

This offseason hurt as the Red Sox had signed one of the best young catchers the Latin American market has seen in ages. At just 17, he passed away from an aggressive cancer. While that loss hurt, the Red Sox will continue to be aggressive in their scouting and development in all facets to be able to continue to have tremendous prospects in the system, even if Dombrowski’s aggressiveness in keeping the major league team well-equipped means the depth of the system won’t be incredible.

22. Washington Nationals

2017 Ranking: 22
Prospects in the top 150: 4
Projected starters 25 and under: 2

In pursuit of their recent success, the Washington Nationals have traded away multiple players who have ranked well on MLB top prospects lists. This has worked well, as the Nationals have won 90+ games 4 times over the past six seasons.

Now, the Nationals appear to be hitting the end of their run of success at the major league level as major pieces on the big league team in Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Gio Gonzalez, and multiple bullpen pieces are all free agents after this season, and the Nationals are tied up financially with roughly $165 million in payroll to fill out a roster along with the players already under contract.

This will mean the Nationals will lean on their system, and they have a few elite pieces, but not a ton of depth in the farm system due to their trades. The Nationals have shown an aptitude in scouting and finding quality infielders in the Latin American market outside of the “big money” players. This could certainly help build depth in the system.

Right now, Nationals fans certainly have one of the top prospects in the game on the brink, ready to play at the big league level, likely by mid-season. Outside of Robles, and a couple other prospects that are quite good at the top end of the system, the Nationals primarily have a load of talent in A-ball or lower, and while that could turn out positively, there is also a very high attrition rate of prospects at that level, so while the Nationals have talent, fans will need to be patient.

Next: #20/21

21. Los Angeles Angels

2017 Ranking: 30
Prospects in the top 150: 5
Projected starters 25 and under: 1

One of the biggest jumps over the offseason certainly has come from the Los Angeles Angels coming up farm system rankings. Adding three players that make my top 10 for the Angels system certainly will help to jump up the team’s rankings. On top of that, one of those three is the #2 overall prospect in my top 150 prospects!

The Angels have done more than just bring in three prospects this offseason, though. Under Billy Eppler, the Angels have shown Eppler’s previous experience in the scouting end of the game as they have made excellent draft picks and international signings to build the depth of their system, which would have provided for an improved system ranking even without the major signings this offseason.

With this offseason, Shohei Ohtani will be off the prospect lists by midseason, but Kevin Maitan and Livan Soto could be impact players for years to come for the Angels, and with the impressive amount of outfield prospect talent in the system, the Angels really have set up an impressive line of high-ceiling talent within the system.

20. Detroit Tigers

2017 Ranking: 24
Prospects in the top 150: 5
Projected starters 25 and under: 3

The Detroit Tigers have seen their farm system filtered to the major leagues or to trades for so many years that when the organization changed directions to a rebuilding effort, it was obvious that the team would need to see some big showings out of players already in the system along with some excellent returns on deals.

While not all deals brought MLB top prospects in return, they did end up getting plenty of depth in high-ceiling talent. The production from those players already in the system certainly came in droves in 2017, especially in the pitching as a number of players who had impressive ceilings had productive seasons. Many of those players still have work to do to polish to be ready for the majors, but the strides in 2017 show there is a legit major league future for a number of the arms in the farm system.

The Justin Verlander trade brought in some significant talent to the Tigers organization. Adding in the depth of talent through trade that was brought in along with a very impressive 2017 draft class will set up the Tigers as they prepare for the 2018 draft, where they will have the #1 overall selection.

Next: #18/19

19. Texas Rangers

2017 Ranking: 12
Prospects in the top 150: 4
Projected starters 25 and under: 5

The Texas Rangers for many years were known for bringing up loads of talent from their farm system, but the depth of that system has certainly shallowed over the last few seasons, seemingly in line with A.J. Preller leaving the organization for his position with the Padres.

The Rangers have seen a number of their players struggle once they hit the majors, especially their arms, requiring a number of trades and signings to fill out the roster. Trades to compete in the early 2010s also drained out some very high-level talent along with a deal for Jonathan Lucroy in 2016 that took away some solid talent.

While the Rangers still have some depth of upside talent, much of that upside is yet to be reached, leaving the Rangers with plenty of players that still have a lot of development to have long-term major league impact.

18. Pittsburgh Pirates

2017 Ranking: 11
Prospects in the top 150: 5
Projected starters 25 and under: 5

With the impending loss of franchise icon Andrew McCutchen to free agency this upcoming offseason, the Pirates instead chose to head into a rebuild this offseason, and none to soon. The Pirates have been known for the prospects they have had in their system for some years, but the performance of those prospects, outside of top pitching prospect Mitch Keller, has been less than stellar, and that’s really what has them at this spot.

The Pirates still develop arms very well, and their current major league roster is a great example of that. A guy who was a top 20 consensus prospect last season (Tyler Glasnow) is now working his way into the big leagues as a long man in their bullpen because the rotation is stacked with young arms that are more high floor than Glasnow right now as he develops a comfort level and consistency in his stuff at the big league level.

The 2017 draft was very intriguing for the Pirates, bringing in a depth of high school talent that seemed to indicate the upcoming retooling of the organization. There likely will be some further moves this summer, likely to send away at least one outfielder in a deal to open a spot for top prospect Austin Meadows when he’s ready. The Pirates should have a good base in place for their next playoff team with Jameson Taillon looking excellent coming off of his cancer and injury issues, Josh Bell taking a big step forward, and a young arm like Keller, who is considered one of the elite prospects in the entire game. Now the depth that helped to fuel the recent run of competitiveness will need to be developed in the current farm system.

Next: #16/17

17. Toronto Blue Jays

2017 Ranking: 9
Prospects in the top 150: 5
Projected starters 25 and under: 2

Many were curious this offseason what direction the Blue Jays may take the team. The team had their long-time franchise icon headed to free agency in Jose Bautista, and there didn’t seem to be any desire for a reunion. The team’s current top player, Josh Donaldson, is headed to a big free agency pay day after the 2018 season, likely with another organization, and he would be joined in free agency by two of the team’s top starting pitchers.

The Blue Jays chose to push in for one more season of competitiveness, at least until July, signing players like Curtis Granderson, Jaime Garcia, and Tyler Clippard as one-year fills rather than either making trades for a rebuild or signing long-term commitments. That does give the organization the flexibility to sell in July and head into a rebuild while also giving fans some hope of a competitive 2018.

At the top of the system, few teams have a better 1-2 prospect punch than the Blue Jays with Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette. Nate Pearson is one guy who has climbed heavily all spring and if he isn’t in Toronto already by mid-season, he could be a top 20-30 prospect in the entire game by that time. The issue is the regression and lack of depth behind those top studs as a number of the talented players that led me to rank the Blue Jays so highly in 2017 struggled mightily, and many of them in such a way that it leaves their long-term future in question.

If the Blue Jays do indeed end up selling off some pieces like Donaldson, Marco Estrada, JA Happ, or even Marcus Stroman at the deadline or in the offseason, Jays fans should be excited that the next chapter of the organization wlll be headlined by some of the top prospects in the entire game. Now the team needs to work on surrounding those guys with talent that is reaching its ceiling as well (or at least near-ceiling).

16. Colorado Rockies

2017 Ranking: 13
Prospects in the top 150: 5
Projected starters 25 and under: 4

Colorado Rockies fans were treated to a playoff run in 2017, and it was done on the back of one of the most-underrated pitching development systems in the league. While many see some of the big-name guys that have come to Colorado and struggled on the pitching side, the amount of arms that have blossomed within the Rockies organization is impressive and a sign of the positive direction the organization is heading.

Seeing multiple young arms fill into the 2017 rotation showed how the Rockies have worked to develop pitchers with premium velocity, location, and an ability to handle a rough outing and bounce back, something vital in the thin air of Colorado.

The organization is heading into a 2018 season where some big decisions will need to be made in the offseason regarding starting second baseman DJ LeMahieu and star outfielder Charlie Blackmon, both of whom will be free agents, along with franchise face Nolan Arenado, who is likely to make $20 million-plus in his final season of arbitration. There are some outfield reinforcements in place that could help ease the loss of Blackmon, and the emergence of a few middle infield options could help ease the loss of LeMahieu, but losing all three, including Arenado, in a pair of offseasons could set back the franchise significantly, so the team will need to make decisions that could end up impacting how certain current prospects are also handled within the system.

While the depth in Colorado is very impressive, there is a significant question or two, seemingly, with every top Rockies prospect, which puts them at this place for now, but they have seen a number of those same “significant question” players turn into leaders of their organization, so it’s entirely possible that this ranking looks low as soon as next year!

Next: #14/15

15. Houston Astros

2017 Ranking: 8
Prospects in the top 150: 5
Projected starters 25 and under: 4

If you were to ask any fan whether he/she would prefer a top 10 farm system or a World Series title, the answer would be easily for the latter every single time. With the non-baseball things that happened in Houston last season, a World Series win was incredibly positive for the city and its players and seems to have created an impressive bond between many of the young players on the Astros and their fan base.

Of course, it’s not all that long ago that the Astros were one of the top 5 systems in all of baseball on an annual basis, and that’s how they got themselves to the point of being World Series champions. Using pieces of that system allowed the Astros to get the final touches to put them over the top, specifically the trade for Justin Verlander that cost multiple top pieces from the farm system late in August.

While the current farm system may not have a ton of depth behind top prospects Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitley, two of the top 20-30 prospects in the game, there is a lot of high-ceiling behind those guys that will have the time to develop with a young Astros team at the major league level that is mostly in place for a few years.

14. Cleveland Indians

2017 Ranking: 16
Prospects in the top 150: 4
Projected starters 25 and under: 3

Much like the Astros, the Indians have a young team in place at the major league level that is mostly going to be in place for a while. Also like the Astros, the Indians system has two elite prospects at the top that are heads and shoulders above the rest of the system.

However, the Indians do have a long history of developing excellent role players from out of nowhere, and their AA/AAA rosters are loaded right now with guys who have that sort of look to them along with some players who have the upside of a productive big league regular. If even a handful of those with upside hit, this ranking will look quite low five years from now, but due to getting to the upper minors with much of that upside still unrealized, there’s certainly the question whether it will be realized at all.

The Indians also lost some of their major league development, which happens when you’ve established an excellent development program that continues once players get to the big leagues. It will be interesting to see how the team handles their shift from small market darling to “favorite” this season, as most figure the Indians as the AL Central division winner, lending plenty of pressure on the team to perform.

The minor league side of development remains mostly in tact and tends to be some of the most impressive in the game, giving plenty of hope for young players like Nolan Jones and Will Benson as they come through the system with big tools and a need for polish on those tools. There will certainly be the pieces to make a midseason move as needed for the Indians, though making those moves and graduating a number of players to the majors recently are part of why the system is ranked here.

Next: #12/13

13. Miami Marlins

2017 Ranking: 27
Prospects in the top 150: 5
Projected starters 25 and under: 4

Even rival fans seem to pity the plight of Marlins fans. After developing an enviable young outfield, one of the most dynamic young starting pitchers in the game, and an exciting speedster at the top of the lineup, tragedy struck in September of 2016 when Jose Fernandez was tragically killed in a boating accident.

The 2017 season seemed to be in a bit of a fog, as the Marlins had a club that should have been able to compete, the NL MVP, and even hosted the All-Star game, but the team just could not get their feet underneath them, finishing 77-85 on the season.

With new ownership coming in and multiple players about to get quite expensive, the Marlins undertook a tear-down style rebuild. Gone were Dee Gordon, Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich, and Giancarlo Stanton, and in were a slate of prospects. That has drastically improved the ranking of one of the worst farm systems in the game just last offseason, but further positive developments will be needed before we can simply trust the Marlins to bring these players to the majors.

Recent issues with high school arms drafted in the first round certainly have to concern fans and new owners alike. The lack of polish shown by many hitters in the system as they hit the upper minors is another thing that seems to indicate a system-wide concern. So, while there is plenty of talent now throughout the farm system, new owners will leave how the organization will develop that talent as an “incomplete” grade for now.

12. Milwaukee Brewers

2017 Ranking: 4
Prospects in the top 150: 6
Projected starters 25 and under: 2

A legit top-5 farm system before the 2017 season, the Brewers saw some significant regression among players within the system, graduations, and a major trade strip away some of the top guys within the system, but there is still plenty of depth here.

When looking at MLB top prospects lists, the Brewers are still represented well, even if not in the top 25 prospects on the list. Of course, if trading four prospects (three top 150 guys) for Yelich is part of what brings a playoff berth to Milwaukee, no Brewer fan will blink an eye at where the team’s players are on MLB top prospects lists.

However, if the current iteration of the Brewers is unable to get past the Cubs and Cardinals within their own division and other teams within the NL for the Wild Card for a playoff spot, there are many who will be frustrated at seeing the accumulation of talent that the Brewers did over the last few seasons turn into just a few seasons of “almost”.

Next: #10/11

11. St. Louis Cardinals

2017 Ranking: 10
Prospects in the top 150: 5
Projected starters 25 and under: 3

Stable in holding their rank from one season to the next, the Cardinals simply continue to do what they do well – producing players that succeed with crazy peripheral stats and little to no pedigree. In 2017, they saw Paul DeJong, Tommy Pham, and Jose Martinez put together seasons beyond anything even the biggest Cardinals minor league homer could have hoped for those players.

Impressive scouting at small colleges and development of college players has certainly served the Cardinals organization well. Within the current organization, there is a bit of weight on the arms side, with many of the top prospects in the organization being pitchers, especially the top ceiling prospects in the organization.

Interestingly, while the Cardinals have seen success developing hitters from all kinds of backgrounds, pitching has been a very mixed bag in the organization, which leaves many unsure how top prospects like Alex Reyes and Jack Flaherty will turn out. Will they be able to put it together as a starter like Lance Lynn or end up needing to move to the bullpen like Trevor Rosenthal? Of course, that assumes they succeed at the big league level at all!

The Cardinals have built up a solid depth of arms and bats, especially outfielders, within the system that should continue to feed the major league team and certainly help as the Cardinals attempt to compete in 2018.

10. Minnesota Twins

2017 Ranking: 17
Prospects in the top 150: 8
Projected starters 25 and under: 4

Getting the #1 overall pick will often push up an organization’s ranking, but how the Twins used that pick really showed exactly the sort of improvement the farm system has made under the new front office regime.

Rather than pushing hard for top high schooler Hunter Greene or likely fast-moving college arm Kyle Wright or two-way college star Brendan McKay, the Twins chose to utilize their funds throughout the draft and went with one of the elite talents of the draft in Royce Lewis, who showed impressive coachability and skills beyond many of his scouting reports in his pro debut.

That allowed them to spread out their funds among a number of other picks, bringing in multiple top players, including outfielder Brent Rooker, who could work to the Twins lineup as soon as the end of this season as well as he hit in his pro debut. Add in some impressive development of the players in the lower levels of the system with new developmental protocols being put in place throughout the system, and the Twins are putting together one of the top farm systems in the entire game.

Now the Twins have made the playoffs and have a few players making MLB top prospects lists, so there are expectations on the organization, and we’ll see how they handle those expectations in 2018.

Next: #8/9

9. Cincinnati Reds

2017 Ranking: 18
Prospects in the top 150: 5
Projected starters 25 and under: 6

The Cincinnati Reds have been in the process of a hard rebuild for multiple seasons now, and the fruit has begun to work its way up to the big league team. The 2017 rotation at the end of the season included essentially an entire starting 5 of pitchers who opened the season in the minors or were still eligible for the Rookie of the Year award.

The starting rotation is the main location of many of the half dozen 25-and-under starters mentioned, but the field does not exactly have a ton of age, with only Reds franchise face Joey Votto being over 30 among position players who will likely receive significant time in 2018.

On the farm, the Reds have shown excellent ability to dip into the Cuban market with previous signings like Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias, and they have multiple players working through the system who were signed recently off of the island. High-ceiling drafting as of late has also put some very impressive talent in the lower levels of the farm system, though the upper levels are still not feeling the future franchise starters coming through outside of top prospect Nick Senzel.

With three teams in the division making a big fight for the top of the division, the Reds are currently content letting their process work through without making crazy push-trades as players work their way to the big leagues and find their comfort level. It may be frustrating for Reds fans, but the future will be very, very bright in Cincinnati, and it should come fairly soon.

8. Los Angeles Dodgers

2017 Ranking: 7
Prospects in the top 150: 8
Projected starters 25 and under: 3

While many teams make a push for the playoffs or World Series and see their farm system depleted from the trades to get their, the Dodgers make those trades and still have one of the best farm systems in the entire game.

The Dodgers have invested heavily into their development program, and they’ve seen positive results as later-round picks have turned into top performers in their system, allowing them to become excellent trade pieces or even work up to the majors as pieces of the Dodgers future.

Of course, having the Dodgers budget in the international market allows for prime scouting that others don’t have, and that has brought in some gems from the international side of things, but as long as the Dodgers continue to invest the way they do into the development of players to continue success, they’ll have not only a quality team at the major league level, but also one of the elite farm systems in the game year-in and year-out.

Next: #6/7

7. Tampa Bay Rays

2017 Ranking: 14
Prospects in the top 150: 4
Projected starters 25 and under: 2

If anyone watched the Durham Bulls play in 2017, there’s little doubt as to why the Rays are ranked here, but it’s not just the players at the upper levels who make this system one of the game’s best.

Over the last 15-20 months or so, the Rays have really made some sharp moves in trades to add in prospects into the system, some who were at the upper minors level, some who are still a ways away. The incredible thing was that it seemed in 2017 that players at all levels were having breakthrough performances.

With one of the more well-developed pitching programs in the game, the Rays have a wealth of young pitching such that losing Alex Cobb to free agency and trading away Jake Odorizzi simply opens the door for a few of their young arms to get a shot. Then again, multiple Tommy John surgeries ended up taking away two of the best young arms in the upper levels for all of the 2018 season, which is a sad thing for Rays fans, but also for baseball as both Brett Honeywell and Jose De Leon are fun pitchers to watch when they are healthy and on their game!

With the trades made this offseason, the Rays have started a process that will likely mean a few seasons of rough results at the major league level, but the farm system is already brimming with talent, and if the development of that talent goes well, the 2008 Rays could be a footnote to what is coming for the Rays organization.

6. Oakland Athletics

2017 Ranking: 23
Prospects in the top 150: 8
Projected starters 25 and under: 5

While the recent news on AJ Puk’s Tommy John surgery puts a damper on the farm system for certain, it’s hard to ignore the huge strides the A’s have made in talent acquisition in the last year.

The trade with the Yankees this summer that sent out Sonny Gray brought back some high-risk prospects, but they have all shown well in their first impressions as they’ve been able to display what they can do. Add in the return from their trade with the Nationals that sent relievers Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle to Washington, and the farm system really had a big influx in two July deals.

On top of those deals, the Athletics really have brought in some intriguing players through their last two draft classes and struck on some international prospects that are making some noise at the lower levels of the system and wlll be interesting to track.

Whether the A’s are competing in 2018 or simply getting some of the young guys into the everyday lineup, they aren’t that far away from being a team to fear at the major league level!

Next: #4/5

5. New York Yankees

2017 Ranking: 3
Prospects in the top 150: 8
Projected starters 25 and under: 6

When your organization is constantly being picked from in the Rule 5 draft, it’s a testament to just how loaded your farm system is. The Yankees have led the Rule 5 draft with players selected from their system over the last three seasons, and that’s likely to continue for at least a few more years.

The Yankees put together one of the more impressive pitching development programs that has seen a number of raw, loose arms go from throwers to pitchers with refined stuff, even if it’s just two-pitch stuff that turns into an elite reliever. That pitching pipeline will allow the Yankees to keep prices low on their total pitching costs as players work their way up to the majors. It also gives a constant supply of trade pieces for other organizations looking for big arms with secondary stuff that the Yankees seem to be able to develop at ease.

This ranking could take a dip next season with some of the elite prospects likely to graduate in 2018 as Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar will likely figure into the Yankee lineup by season’s end, but with the money the Yankees have invested into their development system, they shouldn’t fall too far.

4. Philadelphia Phillies

2017 Ranking: 1
Prospects in the top 150: 7
Projected starters 25 and under: 8

The future has come now for the Philadelphia Phillies, as evidenced by a league-high 8 starters 25 years old and younger. The Phillies are bringing their top players up to the major leagues, and many of the players on their prospect list in 2018 won’t be eligible any longer in 2017.

One of the reasons for the drop of the system was the attrition of a number of upper level prospects in the Philadelphia system this season. Few upper-level pitchers had a successful season in 2017, and while the amount of highly-impressive arms, especially from Latin America, in the lower levels of the Phillies system is still almost overwhelming, the fact that those arms still need to get to the upper levels and succeed makes it tough to get too excited about that depth.

The Phillies have nearly an entire roster of prospects that will be at the major league level this season, so the team will have a wide variant in its outcomes this year, especially with a first-time manager, but they should certainly be exciting to watch!

Next: #2/3

3. Chicago White Sox

2017 Ranking: 6
Prospects in the top 150: 9
Projected starters 25 and under: 7

The Chicago White Sox made a hard turn toward rebuild after the 2016 season, and their trades of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton last offseason really set the farm system in a positive place after being one of the lower-ranked systems for years.

Since, the White Sox have made multiple impressive draft picks under Rick Hahn, grabbing high-upside college players and some advanced high school players that have given depth to their overall farm system.

The White Sox acquired two impressive prospects in the trade with crosstown Cubs this summer after seeing multiple top prospects from their 2017 list graduate to the big league club over the 2017 season. With 7 players 25 and under in the regular lineup, the White Sox will employ plenty of youth in 2018 as well, and there are a few players working their way to the upper minors to be ready soon.

Hahn’s moves with the minor league system has the White Sox set up to have a system that churns out players frequently. Now they just need to graduate to the major leagues and perform together.

2. San Diego Padres

2017 Ranking: 5
Prospects in the top 150: 8
Projected starters 25 and under: 4

There is a definite distinction this year in system rankings when getting toward the top. While other organizations like the Yankees, White Sox, and Phillies have impressive farm systems and deserve their accolades and high rankings, when it comes down to who should be at the very top, it is a two-horse race.

For me, the Padres finished second in that race by a nose. AJ Preller gets negative responses from casual fans who know of him only from the Drew Pomeranz medical reports suspension, but in all seriousness, from many around the league, he did nothing different than most GMs do, especially around the deadline. He just did it in a more blatent way and got caught. He’s truly an impressive negotiater and works well with agents throughout the game as well with players.

The real thing that separates the Padres and Braves from the field is their depth. The Padres may have more players than Atlanta that I’d give a future MLB regular projection, but those players are also primarily in A-ball or lower in their system, which is the “nose” that separates the two. The Padres truly could pull their 30th or even 40th prospect in their system and see that player figure into the top 10 for at least half of the organizations in the game.

While there aren’t really players that should impact 2018 for the Padres in their system, the first wave of their deep system should begin arriving in 2019, and they very well could be atop this list next offseason!

Next: #1

1. Atlanta Braves

2017 Ranking: 2
Prospects in the top 150: 11
Projected starters 25 and under: 5

Last season, Braves fans gave me plenty of heat for not having the organization #1 overall, and for many Braves fans, once the news of the first day of the offseason broke, with the GM resigning amid significant MLB investigation, the hope was that there would still be a farm system at all!

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Even with 13 quality players removed from the Atlanta farm system, this Braves system’s depth is so overwhelming that there very well will be pitchers in the bullpen for multiple levels this season who would be in starting rotations with nearly any other farm system in baseball. In late April of 2017, a scout mentioned that the AA Mississippi rotation had five starters that he graded as future major league starting pitchers, the first time he could ever remember doing that with a minor league rotation. In 2018, as many as two of those rotation members could be pushed to the bullpen simply due to the depth of elite arms in the system.

The Braves started bringing up young pieces at the end of 2016 when they brought up Dansby Swanson, and they continued that youth movement in 2017, bringing up Sean Newcomb and Ozzie Albies as well as a number of others who got their feet wet down the stretch of the season. This season should see a heavy influx of young players as the season wears on, even though the early roster has a certain amount of veterans that the Braves are hoping to move by the trade deadline, barring a competitive year in Atlanta.

This year’s Braves team should begin to show fans the hope of what is to come as they begin to start featuring players like Albies, Ronald Acuna, and more that will be the future faces of the organization. While finishing .500 might be an excellent 2018 for the Braves, the near future is very, very bright for Atlanta.

Next: Call To The Pen Top 150 Prospects

That’s the ranking of every farm system in baseball. Who was too high? Who was too low? Is there a review you don’t understand or want clarification on? Comment below!!