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MLB Top Prospects: Farm System Rankings for all 30 teams

By Benjamin Chase

MIAMI, FL - JULY 9: Members of the World Team are seen on the base path during player introductions prior to the SirusXM All-Star Futures Game at Marlins Park on Sunday, July 9, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JULY 9: Members of the World Team are seen on the base path during player introductions prior to the SirusXM All-Star Futures Game at Marlins Park on Sunday, July 9, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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MLB Top Prospects
CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 15: Chicago Cubs catcher Victor Caratini (20) looks to throw in the 7th inning during an MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs on August 15, 2017, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

29. Chicago Cubs

2017 Ranking: 15
Prospects in the top 150: 0
Projected starters 25 and under: 5

The Chicago Cubs mortgaged their farm system for the team on the field currently and their playoff runs in 2015-2017. To win, sometimes that is the price. However, after moving their final two “top prospect” players in their mid-season acquisition of Jose Quintana last season, the system is left without a top 150 player on this year’s list.

While that does sound rough, there is hope for Cubs fans. While I have the number of starters at 5 that are 25 and under, the Cubs do feature the 2nd youngest lineup in all of baseball right now. Their pitching staff does feature a number of veterans, but even then, the average age of the roster is under 30, ranking right in the middle of the league.

The players in the farm system also should offer some hope as well. While the Mariners have a ton of mid-rotation guys and low-ceiling players, the Cubs have built up a lot of high-ceiling players that are still a ways away from their ceiling, but they definitely have an opportunity to be impressive players. Alongside that, they have added in some impressive college arms with upside like their first-round picks Alex Lange and Brendon Little last season.

The Cubs have the history to believe that they can develop guys to get their system back to one of the top 10 in the game with the high-ceiling talent they do have, but right now, those players are quite a ways away from that ceiling.

MLB Top Prospects
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – JUNE 28: St. Lucie Mets Pitcher Justin Dunn (19) throws the ball from the mound during the first game of a double header MiLB minor league baseball game between the Palm Beach Cardinals and the St. Lucie Mets on June 28, 2017 at the First Data Field in Port St Lucie, Florida.. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

28. New York Mets

2017 Ranking: 21
Prospects in the top 150: 2
Projected starters 25 and under: 3

The Mets have seen plenty of pitching come up and succeed without being mentioned among MLB top prospects, so to be without top prospects isn’t a huge concern, but on the hitting side, they’re also seeing issues with developing bats that are ready once they get to the major league level as they watched their top 2 prospects last season reach the majors and struggle mightily with the stick.

On the other end of things, the Mets have seen their patience with players pay off as players like Brandon Nimmo and Kevin Plawecki taking starting jobs with the 2018 New York Mets team after they had lost rookie eligibility and spent time with the major league team. They’ve also seen Michael Conforto look tremendous this spring when he’s been able to swing the bat, giving optimism that when he is finally healthy, he could be the player the team has always hoped he would.

The big issue for the Mets is a perceived issue of rushing their prospects through their farm system. Current top prospect Andres Gimenez has an excellent glove for certain, but his bat is quite a bit behind, and the recent trends of the Mets system has been to continue challenging a player like Gimenez with aggressive promotions, hoping the bat will eventually catch up, then seeing the player get to friendly hitting environments in the upper levels, seeing good numbers, and assuming all is well. The issue has been that those players haven’t truly developed the way they need to.

Mets faithful should be pleased with the youth at the major league level, and the Mets did get one of my absolute favorite players in the 2017 draft in Mark Vientos, so there is upside here, but the recent history along with a lack of depth in the system leads to this ranking.

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