Dan's 2019 Farm System Rankings
Mar 13, 2019 3:09:34 GMT -8
Nationals GM (Preston - Old), Rangers GM (Victor), and 10 more like this
Post by Rockies GM (Dan) on Mar 13, 2019 3:09:34 GMT -8
I was going to wait to post this, but looking at what prospects are left available, I don't think there are too many prospects that will shift the balance significantly. There may be some shuffling around with the lowest teams, but if there is, I'll update it.
#30 - Houston Astros
Top 5
There's not a single top-100 prospect to be found here. McClanahan and Hiraldo have some breakout potential. Any system that has two catchers in their top 5 is flawed, to say the least.
#29 - Chicago Cubs
Top 5
Groshans was a really nice draft pick. Roederer has some potential, Duggar made the majors last year, but didn't accrue an eligible year. Davis is a guy. Honestly, apart from Groshans, nothing here does much for me. They're the favorite in their division, and this is Beau's MO - the farm system is used to restock the big league team.
#28 - Tampa Bay Rays
Top 5
If not for a successful draft this year, this would be the #30 team. Jordyn Adams and Daniel Lynch were both steals in the rounds in which they were selected. Strotman may have more potential than the two outfielders above him. Again, a perennial playoff contender, as is a theme with most of these bottom lists.
#27 - Pittsburgh Pirates
Top 5
Our first system with any semblance of depth. Unfortunately, it's all low-end depth. They did have a nice draft, but taking a reliever in the 1st doesn't help the rankings, even if there's a non-zero chance Buttrey is the closer as soon as this season. Bo Naylor and Dylan Carlson are nice picks, with chances to break out. If Kevin Maitan can show even a shred of the potential that made him the most exciting international prospect in years, this is a team who could make a move up this list.
#26 - Milwaukee Brewers
Top 5
Another team with low-end depth. There are some SP #4/5s who are likely to get a shot in the next year or two in Jojo Romero and Rogelio Armenteros. System is very pitching heavy apart from Allen, Baddoo and 2019 draft pick Nick Schnell (and Kevin Cron, who should graduate), which hurts it.
#25 - Texas Rangers
Top 5
Hey look! We've got a genuine top-50 prospect at the helm here. Greene is a nice pitcher, who needs to learn better command and control to harness his stuff. The rest of these top 5 show up on sporadic top-100 lists, but there really isn't any consensus.
#24 - San Francisco Giants
Top 5
Another contender has a bottom 10 system. Griffin got an absolute steal when Swaggerty fell to him in the draft. He and Brujan make our best heading pair yet. Brujan is another in a long line of small-ish MI prospects with plus hit tools. Probably the most hitter-heavy system we'll see.
#23 - Chicago White Sox
Top 5
Kikuchi may not be your typical prospect on these lists, but he hasn't yet pitched a regular season game, so I'll count him. Gohara is a nice prospect in the Atlanta system, and Weathers was a good pick. Marte was a steal in the draft, but is many years off.
#22 - Philadelphia Phillies
Top 5
How much does one elite prospect make a system? That's a question I had to grapple with when ranking the Phillies. Robles is without a question a top-5 prospect, but without him, the Phillies would probably slot in after the Pirates. There isn't much depth in this system, which falls off quickly after Jackson. If Varsho stays at catcher, he'll be a fine asset, as well.
#21 - Toronto Blue Jays
Top 5
Mejia suffers from being a C prospect - he's a highly ranked prospect, but unless he's the second coming of Buster Posey, even the best catchers aren't as useful as the best players at other positions. And Mejia might not stick as a catcher, either, which would hurt his stock. It was tough to choose between Gilbert and Albert Abreu for the 5th and final spot. Toronto also got a huge break when the autopick was changed from Kyler Murray to Ryan Rolison, who has some upside, apart from the whole pitcher at Coors thing.
#20 - Los Angeles Angels
Top 5
The Angels have a better top three prospects than several systems ahead of them; a lack of depth, however, hurts them in the rankings. Alonso led the minors in HRs this past season. Mize is one of the top arms in all the minor leagues. But the system drops off a cliff after Nick Solak.
#19 - Baltimore Orioles
Top 5
More depth than the Angels, but the high-end isn't as good. The system kind of hinges on Victor Victor Mesa at the moment. There's conflicting views on his ceiling - if he lives up to the loftier expectations, and Julio Rodriguez continues to develop, this has the makings of a system on the rise.
#18 - San Diego Padres
Top 5
Patino is a quickly-ascending pitching prospect, with good command of good stuff. Julio Pablo Martinez and Elehuris Montero make this a potential sleeper system. Beyond these top 5, former first rounders Shane Baz and Adam Haseley head up a system full of depth and promise. Any number of prospects in this system could have years which send them up the rankings. High-upside, high-variance system.
#17 - Colorado Rockies
Top 5
Speaking of high-upside, high-variance systems... There's a decent chance at least three of these five top prospects graduate this season. How the Rockies show in future lists will be dictated by a collection of low-minors prospects such as Brayan Rocchio, Sherten Apostel, Tirso Ornelas, and Freudis Nova. When gambling on upside, it's never a bad idea to stockpile a number of options.
#16 - Oakland Athletics
Top 5
Yordan Alvarez, Seuly Matias, and Marco Luciano all have extremely high offensive ceilings. Matias, however, needs to get his strikeouts under control, and we need to see Luciano take a bat in organized play before we make any full judgments. Morejon and Baez are both high-upside, high-risk pitching prospects, although Morejon has more of a floor than Baez.
#15 - Cleveland Indians
Top 5
Matt, if you're looking to unload Sixto Sanchez since he's no longer a Phillies prospect, I'll gladly take him off your hands. The Indians are also the proud owners of Luis Garcia2, a pair of high-risk/high-reward MI prospects from NL East teams. The Washington version is the one with the most present value, but the Philadelphia one could make up the difference quickly. Others with considerable upside in this system include Grant Lavigne, D'Shawn Knowles and Connor Scott.
#14 - New York Yankees
Top 5
The Yankees have five prospects safely in most top-100 lists. Apart from Tucker, however, most are bottom-half list types. You'll notice a trend of high floors among these prospects. Beyond the top-5, there are high-risk upside bets in Tyler Freeman, Jeter Downs, Jhailyn Ortiz and Abraham Toro.
#13 - Arizona Diamondbacks
Top 5
Weird system. In terms of depth, they could be as low as #19 behind the Padres. Those top four prospects, though. Hiura and Hampson could form a formidable MI tandem in a few years. Alec Bohm faces questions about his power after a shaky start to his pro career, but the pedigree gives him the benefit of the doubt. There's probably about a hundred-fifty prospects you could rank between Bohm and Peters, however.
#12 - Detroit Tigers
Top 10
With the Tigers, we start to get into the range where we have both high-end talent and a good amount of depth, thus the change to a top 10. This is a hitting-forward system. There is an entire infield within their collection of top-100 prospects, one with quite a lot of offensive upside. Kristian Robinson and Leody Taveras are both promising international OFs.
#11 - Boston Red Sox
Top 10
An excellent top five in this system quickly drops off. Royce Lewis and Andres Gimenez may be the best MI prospect tandem in the league. Gorman has enormous power, and Ian Anderson and Yusniel Diaz are fantastic prospects in their own right. But depth is sorely lacking, and holds them back, ultimately, from the top ten.
#10 - Miami Marlins
Top 10
What a difference a change in ownership makes. Mike J has probably amassed the deepest system here. The only thing that holds the system back is a lack of elite talent. Beyond these ten, you have future closer Sandy Alcantara, bat-first C Andrew Knizner, promising CI Nick Partto, among others. I'll admit, I'm still not sure how valuable Brendan McKay will be in fantasy. He seems sure to be more of a real-life versatile weapon than a fantasy stud in the mold of Ohtani.
#9 - Minnesota Twins
Top 10
You'll notice this system has a lot less depth than Miami's. I debated switching the order. But Vladimir Guerrero, the unanimous #1 prospect, gave Minnesota the edge. The Twins went homer in the first round, but still netted a worthy prospect. The novelty factor of their seond rounder, Seigler, doesn't quite put him in the top ten here.
#8 - Seattle Mariners
Top 10
Whitley has one of the highest upsides for any pitching prospect. Urias has an excellent hit-tool, which gives him a high-floor with a high ceiling, if power develops. This system reminds me quite a lot of my own system after Mike Trout's first season - the first wave came through, netting Seattle an absolute gem in Juan Soto, and now another high-upside wave of prospects is close to joining and ensuring the AL West goes through Seattle for years.
#7 - St. Louis Cardinals
Top 10
There is a nice distribution of talent throughout this farm system. Kiriloff, Sanchez, and Smith are the closest to the majors, but Bart should move quickly. Nolan Jones and company will be making their way through the middle of their development phase, and then you have long-term high-end prospects like Orelvis Martinez.
#6 - Kansas City Royals
Top 10
The presence of Adell, Lux, and Harrison gave the Royals enough firepower to take a chance on Malcom Nunez in the first round of the draft, forgoing safer options. While time will tell if that was the correct decision, Nunez has a ton of upside himself. Reyes, Puk and Graterol all have considerable ceilings as pitchers. When will the Royals finally put all the rebuilding together and return to former glory? They seem to be on the right path.
#5 - Washington Nationals
Top 10
The rich get richer. For where they picked in the draft, the Nationals had one of my favorite draft classes, with Casas, Jhon Torres, and Mike Siani. With an influx of high-upside hitting and pitching, the reign of the Nationals in the NL East seems unlikely to end any time soon.
#4 - New York Mets
Top 10
Tatis is an incredible talent, and Florial has a lot of potential as well. Pearson, May and Duplantier give the Mets a nice trio of arms. I wish I could figure out how every time I trade a prospect, they break out the next year - see: Dustin May, Juan Soto, etc.
#3 - Cincinnati Reds
Top 10
Trammel and Riley boost up this system in the present day, while Oviedo and Valera have the potential to rise up the ranks and prop up the system a year or two from now. This system has a little bit of everything - even a 6'6" SS.
#2 - Los Angeles Dodgers
Top 10
The first 9 prospects in this system are all top-50 prospects. Franco took the minors by storm last year. Robert, Madrigal and Pache all have considerable ceilings, and Luzardo and Honeywell could be a pair of aces. They also have who I consider to possibly be the top C prospect in Keibert Ruiz. At some point, there will be a changing of the guard in the NL West, and I suspect the Dodgers will be at the helm of that charge.
#1 - Atlanta Braves
Top 10
I've covered deeper prospect systems, but absolutely no one can challenge the Braves on high-impact elite talent. They have three of the top ten prospects in the league in Jimenez, Senzel, and Bichette. India was a great draft get, and Kyle Wright gives them an arm to dream on. I'm also high on Shervyen Newton and Osiel Rodriguez further down their list. Might not be the deepest system, but it is the best
#30 - Houston Astros
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Shane McClanahan | P | TB |
| Austin Allen | C | SD |
| Miguel Hiraldo | CI | TOR |
| Kris Bubic | P | KC |
| Ryan Jeffers | C | MIN |
There's not a single top-100 prospect to be found here. McClanahan and Hiraldo have some breakout potential. Any system that has two catchers in their top 5 is flawed, to say the least.
#29 - Chicago Cubs
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Jordan Groshans | CI | TOR |
| Cole Roederer | OF | CHC |
| Steve Duggar | OF | SF |
| Brennen Davis | OF | CHC |
| Zack Short | MI | CHC |
Groshans was a really nice draft pick. Roederer has some potential, Duggar made the majors last year, but didn't accrue an eligible year. Davis is a guy. Honestly, apart from Groshans, nothing here does much for me. They're the favorite in their division, and this is Beau's MO - the farm system is used to restock the big league team.
#28 - Tampa Bay Rays
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Jordyn Adams | OF | LAA |
| Daniel Lynch | P | KC |
| Bryan Reynolds | OF | PIT |
| Billy McKinney | OF | TOR |
| Drew Strotman | P | TB |
If not for a successful draft this year, this would be the #30 team. Jordyn Adams and Daniel Lynch were both steals in the rounds in which they were selected. Strotman may have more potential than the two outfielders above him. Again, a perennial playoff contender, as is a theme with most of these bottom lists.
#27 - Pittsburgh Pirates
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Hans Crouse | P | TEX |
| Anderson Espinoza | P | SD |
| Shed Long | MI | SEA |
| Yu-Cheng Chang | MI | CLE |
| Willians Astudillo | C | MIN |
Our first system with any semblance of depth. Unfortunately, it's all low-end depth. They did have a nice draft, but taking a reliever in the 1st doesn't help the rankings, even if there's a non-zero chance Buttrey is the closer as soon as this season. Bo Naylor and Dylan Carlson are nice picks, with chances to break out. If Kevin Maitan can show even a shred of the potential that made him the most exciting international prospect in years, this is a team who could make a move up this list.
#26 - Milwaukee Brewers
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Logan Allen | P | SD |
| Seth Beer | OF/CI | HOU |
| Akil Baddoo | OF | MIN |
| Alec Hansen | P | CWS |
| James Kaprielian | P | OAK |
Another team with low-end depth. There are some SP #4/5s who are likely to get a shot in the next year or two in Jojo Romero and Rogelio Armenteros. System is very pitching heavy apart from Allen, Baddoo and 2019 draft pick Nick Schnell (and Kevin Cron, who should graduate), which hurts it.
#25 - Texas Rangers
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Hunter Greene | P | CIN |
| J.B. Bukauskas | P | HOU |
| Cole Winn | P | TEX |
| Bobby Dalbec | CI | BOS |
| Cavan Biggio | MI | TOR |
Hey look! We've got a genuine top-50 prospect at the helm here. Greene is a nice pitcher, who needs to learn better command and control to harness his stuff. The rest of these top 5 show up on sporadic top-100 lists, but there really isn't any consensus.
#24 - San Francisco Giants
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Vidal Brujan | MI | TB |
| Travis Swaggerty | OF | PIT |
| Edwin Rios | CI | LAD |
| Ryan Vilade | MI | COL |
| Luken Baker | CI | STL |
Another contender has a bottom 10 system. Griffin got an absolute steal when Swaggerty fell to him in the draft. He and Brujan make our best heading pair yet. Brujan is another in a long line of small-ish MI prospects with plus hit tools. Probably the most hitter-heavy system we'll see.
#23 - Chicago White Sox
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Yusei Kikuchi | P | SEA |
| Luiz Gohara | P | ATL |
| Ryan Weathers | P | SD |
| Noelvi Marte | MI | SEA |
| Lamonte Wade | OF | MIN |
Kikuchi may not be your typical prospect on these lists, but he hasn't yet pitched a regular season game, so I'll count him. Gohara is a nice prospect in the Atlanta system, and Weathers was a good pick. Marte was a steal in the draft, but is many years off.
#22 - Philadelphia Phillies
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Victor Robles | OF | WAS |
| Daulton Varsho | C | ARI |
| Antonio Santillan | P | CIN |
| Alek Thomas | OF | ARI |
| Jeremiah Jackson | MI | LAA |
How much does one elite prospect make a system? That's a question I had to grapple with when ranking the Phillies. Robles is without a question a top-5 prospect, but without him, the Phillies would probably slot in after the Pirates. There isn't much depth in this system, which falls off quickly after Jackson. If Varsho stays at catcher, he'll be a fine asset, as well.
#21 - Toronto Blue Jays
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Francisco Mejia | C | SD |
| Brandon Marsh | OF | LAA |
| Corbin Martin | P | HOU |
| Blake Rutherford | OF | CWS |
| Logan Gilbert | P | SEA |
Mejia suffers from being a C prospect - he's a highly ranked prospect, but unless he's the second coming of Buster Posey, even the best catchers aren't as useful as the best players at other positions. And Mejia might not stick as a catcher, either, which would hurt his stock. It was tough to choose between Gilbert and Albert Abreu for the 5th and final spot. Toronto also got a huge break when the autopick was changed from Kyler Murray to Ryan Rolison, who has some upside, apart from the whole pitcher at Coors thing.
#20 - Los Angeles Angels
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Peter Alonso | CI | NYM |
| Casey Mize | P | DET |
| Kevin Smith | MI | TOR |
| Nick Solak | MI | TB |
| Joe Palumbo | P | TEX |
The Angels have a better top three prospects than several systems ahead of them; a lack of depth, however, hurts them in the rankings. Alonso led the minors in HRs this past season. Mize is one of the top arms in all the minor leagues. But the system drops off a cliff after Nick Solak.
#19 - Baltimore Orioles
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Mitch Keller | P | PIT |
| Victor Victor Mesa | OF | MIA |
| DL Hall | P | BAL |
| Dane Dunning | P | CWS |
| Julio Rodriguez | OF | SEA |
More depth than the Angels, but the high-end isn't as good. The system kind of hinges on Victor Victor Mesa at the moment. There's conflicting views on his ceiling - if he lives up to the loftier expectations, and Julio Rodriguez continues to develop, this has the makings of a system on the rise.
#18 - San Diego Padres
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Luis Patino | P | SD |
| Jonathan Loaisiga | P | NYY |
| Julio Pablo Martinez | OF | TEX |
| Miguel Amaya | C | CHC |
| Elehuris Montero | CI | STL |
Patino is a quickly-ascending pitching prospect, with good command of good stuff. Julio Pablo Martinez and Elehuris Montero make this a potential sleeper system. Beyond these top 5, former first rounders Shane Baz and Adam Haseley head up a system full of depth and promise. Any number of prospects in this system could have years which send them up the rankings. High-upside, high-variance system.
#17 - Colorado Rockies
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Chris Paddack | P | SD |
| Nathaniel Lowe | CI | TB |
| Franklin Perez | P | DET |
| Mark Vientos | CI | NYM |
| Austin Hays | OF | BAL |
Speaking of high-upside, high-variance systems... There's a decent chance at least three of these five top prospects graduate this season. How the Rockies show in future lists will be dictated by a collection of low-minors prospects such as Brayan Rocchio, Sherten Apostel, Tirso Ornelas, and Freudis Nova. When gambling on upside, it's never a bad idea to stockpile a number of options.
#16 - Oakland Athletics
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Yordan Alvarez | CI/OF | HOU |
| Adrian Morejon | P | SD |
| Seuly Matias | OF | KC |
| Michel Baez | P | SD |
| Marco Luciano | MI | SF |
Yordan Alvarez, Seuly Matias, and Marco Luciano all have extremely high offensive ceilings. Matias, however, needs to get his strikeouts under control, and we need to see Luciano take a bat in organized play before we make any full judgments. Morejon and Baez are both high-upside, high-risk pitching prospects, although Morejon has more of a floor than Baez.
#15 - Cleveland Indians
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Sixto Sanchez | P | MIA |
| Luis Garcia | MI | WAS |
| Sean Murphy | C | OAK |
| Spencer Howard | P | PHI |
| Ronny Mauricio | MI | NYM |
Matt, if you're looking to unload Sixto Sanchez since he's no longer a Phillies prospect, I'll gladly take him off your hands. The Indians are also the proud owners of Luis Garcia2, a pair of high-risk/high-reward MI prospects from NL East teams. The Washington version is the one with the most present value, but the Philadelphia one could make up the difference quickly. Others with considerable upside in this system include Grant Lavigne, D'Shawn Knowles and Connor Scott.
#14 - New York Yankees
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Kyle Tucker | OF | HOU |
| Khalil Lee | OF | KC |
| Christin Stewart | OF | DET |
| Michael Chavis | P | BOS |
| Brady Singer | P | KC |
The Yankees have five prospects safely in most top-100 lists. Apart from Tucker, however, most are bottom-half list types. You'll notice a trend of high floors among these prospects. Beyond the top-5, there are high-risk upside bets in Tyler Freeman, Jeter Downs, Jhailyn Ortiz and Abraham Toro.
#13 - Arizona Diamondbacks
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Keston Hiura | MI | MIL |
| Mike Soroka | P | ATL |
| Garrett Hampson | MI | COL |
| Alec Bohm | CI | PHI |
| DJ Peters | OF | LAD |
Weird system. In terms of depth, they could be as low as #19 behind the Padres. Those top four prospects, though. Hiura and Hampson could form a formidable MI tandem in a few years. Alec Bohm faces questions about his power after a shaky start to his pro career, but the pedigree gives him the benefit of the doubt. There's probably about a hundred-fifty prospects you could rank between Bohm and Peters, however.
#12 - Detroit Tigers
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Carter Kieboom | MI | WAS |
| Triston McKenzie | P | CLE |
| Kristian Robinson | OF | ARI |
| Leody Taveras | OF | TEX |
| Colton Welker | CI | COL |
| Nico Hoerner | MI | CHC |
| Tyler Nevin | CI | COL |
| Taylor Widener | P | ARI |
| Alex Faedo | P | DET |
| Clarke Schmidt | P | NYY |
With the Tigers, we start to get into the range where we have both high-end talent and a good amount of depth, thus the change to a top 10. This is a hitting-forward system. There is an entire infield within their collection of top-100 prospects, one with quite a lot of offensive upside. Kristian Robinson and Leody Taveras are both promising international OFs.
#11 - Boston Red Sox
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Royce Lewis | MI | MIN |
| Andres Gimenez | MI | NYM |
| Ian Anderson | P | ATL |
| Nolan Gorman | CI | STL |
| Yusniel Diaz | OF | BAL |
| Hudson Potts | MI | SD |
| Ethan Hankins | P | CLE |
| Garrett Whitley | OF | TB |
| Framber Valdez | P | HOU |
| Josh Ockimey | CI | BOS |
An excellent top five in this system quickly drops off. Royce Lewis and Andres Gimenez may be the best MI prospect tandem in the league. Gorman has enormous power, and Ian Anderson and Yusniel Diaz are fantastic prospects in their own right. But depth is sorely lacking, and holds them back, ultimately, from the top ten.
#10 - Miami Marlins
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| MacKenzie Gore | P | SD |
| Dylan Cease | P | CWS |
| Brendan McKay | CI/P | TB |
| Drew Waters | OF | ATL |
| Jarred Kelenic | OF | SEA |
| Matt Manning | P | DET |
| Ryan Mountcastle | MI | BAL |
| Isan Diaz | MI | MIA |
| Corey Ray | OF | MIL |
| Josh Naylor | CI | SD |
What a difference a change in ownership makes. Mike J has probably amassed the deepest system here. The only thing that holds the system back is a lack of elite talent. Beyond these ten, you have future closer Sandy Alcantara, bat-first C Andrew Knizner, promising CI Nick Partto, among others. I'll admit, I'm still not sure how valuable Brendan McKay will be in fantasy. He seems sure to be more of a real-life versatile weapon than a fantasy stud in the mold of Ohtani.
#9 - Minnesota Twins
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | CI | TOR |
| Trevor Larnach | OF | MIN |
| Adonis Medina | P | PHI |
| Isaac Paredes | MI | DET |
| Brent Rooker | OF | MIN |
| Cole Tucker | MI | PIT |
| Eric Pardinho | P | TOR |
| Adbert Alzolay | P | CHC |
| Ryan McKenna | OF | BAL |
| Adam Kloffenstein | P | TOR |
You'll notice this system has a lot less depth than Miami's. I debated switching the order. But Vladimir Guerrero, the unanimous #1 prospect, gave Minnesota the edge. The Twins went homer in the first round, but still netted a worthy prospect. The novelty factor of their seond rounder, Seigler, doesn't quite put him in the top ten here.
#8 - Seattle Mariners
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Forrest Whitley | P | HOU |
| Luis Urias | MI | SD |
| Alex Verdugo | OF | LAD |
| Danny Jansen | C | TOR |
| Matthew Liberatore | P | TB |
| Esteury Ruiz | MI | SD |
| Jackson Kowar | P | KC |
| Luis Rengifo | MI | LAA |
| Rowdy Tellez | CI | TOR |
| Rylan Bannon | CI | BAL |
Whitley has one of the highest upsides for any pitching prospect. Urias has an excellent hit-tool, which gives him a high-floor with a high ceiling, if power develops. This system reminds me quite a lot of my own system after Mike Trout's first season - the first wave came through, netting Seattle an absolute gem in Juan Soto, and now another high-upside wave of prospects is close to joining and ensuring the AL West goes through Seattle for years.
#7 - St. Louis Cardinals
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Alex Kiriloff | OF | MIN |
| Jesus Sanchez | OF | TB |
| Joey Bart | C | SF |
| Nolan Jones | CI | CLE |
| Griffin Canning | P | LAA |
| Will Smith | C | LAD |
| Antonio Cabello | OF | NYY |
| Austin Beck | OF | OAK |
| Orelvis Martinez | MI | TOR |
| Miguel Vargas | CI | LAD |
There is a nice distribution of talent throughout this farm system. Kiriloff, Sanchez, and Smith are the closest to the majors, but Bart should move quickly. Nolan Jones and company will be making their way through the middle of their development phase, and then you have long-term high-end prospects like Orelvis Martinez.
#6 - Kansas City Royals
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Jo Adell | OF | LAA |
| Alex Reyes | P | STL |
| A.J. Puk | P | OAK |
| Gavin Lux | MI | LAD |
| Brusdar Graterol | P | MIN |
| Monte Harrison | OF | MIA |
| Evan White | CI | SEA |
| Deivi Garcia | P | NYY |
| M.J. Melendez | C | KC |
| Malcom Nunez | CI | STL |
The presence of Adell, Lux, and Harrison gave the Royals enough firepower to take a chance on Malcom Nunez in the first round of the draft, forgoing safer options. While time will tell if that was the correct decision, Nunez has a ton of upside himself. Reyes, Puk and Graterol all have considerable ceilings as pitchers. When will the Royals finally put all the rebuilding together and return to former glory? They seem to be on the right path.
#5 - Washington Nationals
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Brendan Rodgers | MI | COL |
| Michael Kopech | P | CWS |
| Touki Toussaint | P | ATL |
| Ke'Bryan Hayes | CI | PIT |
| Jazz Chisholm | MI | ARI |
| Jahmai Jones | MI | LAA |
| Justin Dunn | P | SEA |
| Koby Allard | P | ATL |
| Cionel Perez | P | HOU |
| Triston Casas | CI | BOS |
The rich get richer. For where they picked in the draft, the Nationals had one of my favorite draft classes, with Casas, Jhon Torres, and Mike Siani. With an influx of high-upside hitting and pitching, the reign of the Nationals in the NL East seems unlikely to end any time soon.
#4 - New York Mets
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Fernando Tatis Jr. | MI | SD |
| Estevan Florial | OF | NYY |
| Nate Pearson | P | TOR |
| Dustin May | P | LAD |
| Jon Duplantier | P | ARI |
| Bubba Thompson | OF | TEX |
| Lazaro Armenteros | OF | OAK |
| Bobby Bradley | CI | CLE |
| Cal Quantrill | P | SD |
| Chance Adams | P | NYY |
Tatis is an incredible talent, and Florial has a lot of potential as well. Pearson, May and Duplantier give the Mets a nice trio of arms. I wish I could figure out how every time I trade a prospect, they break out the next year - see: Dustin May, Juan Soto, etc.
#3 - Cincinnati Reds
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Taylor Trammel | OF | CIN |
| Austin Riley | CI | ATL |
| Joshua James | P | HOU |
| Xavier Edwards | MI | SD |
| Oneil Cruz | MI | PIT |
| Bryse Wilson | P | ATL |
| Heliot Ramos | OF | SF |
| George Valera | OF | CLE |
| Ronaldo Hernandez | C | TB |
| Luis Oviedo | P | CLE |
Trammel and Riley boost up this system in the present day, while Oviedo and Valera have the potential to rise up the ranks and prop up the system a year or two from now. This system has a little bit of everything - even a 6'6" SS.
#2 - Los Angeles Dodgers
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Wander Franco | MI | TB |
| Jesus Luzardo | P | OAK |
| Brent Honeywell | P | TB |
| Luis Robert | OF | CWS |
| Nick Madrigal | MI | CWS |
| Cristian Pache | OF | ATL |
| Tyler O'Neill | OF | STL |
| Keibert Ruiz | C | LAD |
| Justus Sheffield | P | NYY |
| Nick Gordon | MI | MIN |
The first 9 prospects in this system are all top-50 prospects. Franco took the minors by storm last year. Robert, Madrigal and Pache all have considerable ceilings, and Luzardo and Honeywell could be a pair of aces. They also have who I consider to possibly be the top C prospect in Keibert Ruiz. At some point, there will be a changing of the guard in the NL West, and I suspect the Dodgers will be at the helm of that charge.
#1 - Atlanta Braves
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Eloy Jimenez | OF | CWS |
| Nick Senzel | 3B | CIN |
| Bo Bichette | MI | TOR |
| Jonathan India | MI | CIN |
| Kyle Wright | P | ATL |
| Brandon Lowe | MI | TB |
| Jorge Mateo | MI | OAK |
| Corbin Burnes | P | MIL |
| William Contreras | C | ATL |
| Shervyen Newton | MI | NYM |
I've covered deeper prospect systems, but absolutely no one can challenge the Braves on high-impact elite talent. They have three of the top ten prospects in the league in Jimenez, Senzel, and Bichette. India was a great draft get, and Kyle Wright gives them an arm to dream on. I'm also high on Shervyen Newton and Osiel Rodriguez further down their list. Might not be the deepest system, but it is the best
