Dan's 2020 Farm System Rankings
Mar 26, 2020 16:11:51 GMT -8
Royals GM (Mac - Retired), Rays GM (Donavan), and 11 more like this
Post by Rockies GM (Dan) on Mar 26, 2020 16:11:51 GMT -8
While we all wait out the Coronavirus, figured I could give everyone something to hopefully reward their continued activity while we wait.
#30 - Tampa Bay Rays
Top 5
This is the single sparsest system out there. Donovan chose to prioritize the major league roster, signing two RFAs, forfeiting two picks, and choosing Tyler Rogers with his only pick in the draft. The Rogers pick may help him this year, but not here. Marcano has some upside, and is the closest thing here to a top-100 prospect. If Rosario ever puts it all together, he has the tools needed to be a starter.
#29 - Chicago White Sox
Top 5
I love Espino. To this day, I'm debating the merits of not picking him in the first round. Beyond that, Davidson has breakout potential, and Josh Wolf is in a system that does a great job at developing pitchers. There just isn't much else in this system.
#28 - Chicago Cubs
Top 5
Now we're seeing signs of life! Although, knowing Beau, every single one of these top prospects have a pretty decent chance of being dealt this year. With a solid debut, Puason will rise rapidly up lists. I like Callihan as a bat, but the question is where will he play defensively. Noah Song, by talent alone, would probably top this list, but will be waiting two years to play any baseball. My sleeper in the system would be JJ Goss, who I was desperately hoping would fall to me in the 3rd.
#27 - Houston Astros
Top 5
Urquidy is in position to graduate this year (if there is any baseball played this year), and should be a decent mid-rotation arm. Greg Jones and Will Wilson are nice breakout candidates up the middle. If Jones can hit, with his double-plus speed, he'll be one to watch out for, especially if he can add even a little power.
#26 - Milwaukee Brewers
Top 5
Number 26 last year, 26 again this year, at least the Brewers are consistent. Beer and Diaz are the type that may be better fantasy prospects than they are real-life ones. Even so, both of them have somewhat limited upsides, even if they have high floors. Priester provides some excitement for the pitching, along with system sleeper Andry Lara, their 3rd rounder, who I actually like better than their 2nd rounder in T.J. Sikkema. This system has some depth, but apart from Lara and Sikkema, not a lot of breakout candidates past the top 5.
#25 - Los Angeles Angels
Top 5
Mike's strategy, like many of these bottom-tier systems is to parlay his system into big-league help. And it won him a World Series last year, so if it's not broke, don't fix it. Solak is major-league ready, and will probably graduate early. Hilliard and Toglia are nice pieces, if Colorado ever figures out how to use prospects and rookies to the best of their abilities. Maybe my favorite prospect in the system (favorite, not best), is #6, Alexander Mojica, who, if the exit velocities hold up, just might be a beast.
#24 - Atlanta Braves
Top 5
The Braves graduated some high-level talent in the past year, including Eloy Jimenez and Bo Bichette, so their fall is understandable. Kyle Wright gives them a pitcher with some decent upside, and Manoah could move fast. But beyond them, this system falls off fast.
#23 - Minnesota Twins
Top 5
Rob is halfway to his dream of an all-Twins top 5 prospects. This is a pretty good top-2 here, and Shewmake offers some breakout potential. Beyond the top 2, Kloffenstein and Eric Pardinho could be popup arms, Arol Vera has a lot of upside as a recent top J2 signing, and I like Andy Young as a better-than-the-sum-of-his-parts kind of guy.
#22 - San Diego Padres
Top 5
Patino is the best prospect we've seen thus far, but the system is let down by weak depth. Amy lamented her lack of prospect-farming last year, but this system still has some major sleepers in it. Chiefly among them are McClanahan, Thomas, and Perez, who could make moves up prospect lists with strong showings.
#21 - Los Angeles Dodgers
Top 5
The Dodgers' wheeling and dealing has left them with a system with a couple top-level prospects, and a lot of depth, but not much in between. Carroll and Hayes are a great 1-2, and both are position players, which is a plus. Beyond them, though, the system falls off drastically. The depth in the system does include a number of breakout candidates, including Pedro Martinez.
#20 - Seattle Mariners
Top 5
Nick has both graduated talent (Alex Verdugo) and traded others away for big league help, precipitating a fall from #8 down to #21, but there's still a few nice pieces in this system. Whitley and Manning are consensus top-30 prospects, and Erick Pena is a major J2 signing. But this is another system which falls off after two or three prospects (and their #3 is a long time away from the majors).
#19 - Pittsburgh Pirates
Top 5
Something I struggle with every year - how to rank a system headlined by one elite prospect (Dylan Carlson) with not a ton behind him. That's not to say this system doesn't have depth (it does), but if you remove Carlson from this system, it's probably bottom-5. That said, Matos, Rutledge and Medina have upside, and I love Wilderd Patino as a potential sleeper. Carlson should graduate this year (again, caveat being there actually being a season), and we'll reevaluate next year.
#18 - Oakland Athletics
Top 5
In a year, this could be a top-5 system. Luciano has the potential to be Wander Franco's successor as the consensus #1, although that probably won't be next year. In this top 5, Garcia and Rodriguez also offer considerable upside and breakout potential. But there isn't much depth here. Shea Langeliers is a decent #6, but catching prospects are unreliable.
#17 - New York Mets
Top 5
Pearson and May are a great 1-2 pitching prospect tandem. Beyond those two, though, the depth takes a big hit. Stott is more a high-floor prospect than one with considerable ceiling, Duplantier might be a bullpen prospect at this point, and Florial is an enigmatic gamble. The two big names at the top keep this system mid-tier, though.
#16 - San Francisco Giants
Top 5
Vidal Brujan is the headliner here - a prospect short in stature, but with a potent bat. Skubal was an out of nowhere name who developed into a top pitching prospect in the scope of a year. Beyond that, the depth falls off here again. Swaggerty is a nice #3, with continued breakout potential, and Cavaco, despite poor numbers post-draft has good upside. There still just isn't much depth here beyond the first four or five.
#15 - Detroit Tigers
Top 10
A really nice top 3, followed by mediocre depth, the Tigers are hurt just a little due to most of the value in this farm system being tied up in pitchers. If you're going to bet on pitchers, though, getting high-upside arms like Puk, Lodolo, and Marquez is the way to go. The latter two have a lot of risk associated, but if Jason and John even hit on two of their top three, that is the beginning of a fantastic pitching staff. Akiyama will graduate almost immediately, but should offer some present value. My two favorite sleepers in the system are Paris and Hinds.
#14 - New York Yankees
Top 10
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you. The Yankees reprise their #14 showing from last year. Downs is a fine top prospect, but the strength of this farm system is in its strong depth. Glad to see Jeter is a Yankee again, unlike real life. I have to say, I'm not sold on Freeman's fantasy value - he has one of the strongest hit tools in the minors, but without power or a great deal of speed, I'm not sure of his value. Kirby was one of my favorite arms in the draft - I see him as a Chris Paddack type - someone whose stuff plays up due to elite command and control. Breakout possibilities here include Ronald Acuna's brother, and Blake Walston. This system could be top 10 next year.
#13 - Colorado Rockies
Top 10
My system still isn't where I'd like it to be, but it has moved up in the rankings, despite graduations for Chris Paddack and Nate Lowe. Josiah Gray and Edward Cabrera are the type of high-risk, high-reward pitchers I like to gamble on. But the strength of my system is in its depth, which is chock full of breakout candidates. With that, though, comes a lot of risk - guys like Alvarez, Peguero, Bracho, Vientos, Hudson Head, and Alexfri Planez could all be top 100 next year, catapulting this system into the upper echelon, or they could all fall on their faces, making this system fall back a great deal. Best bet is somewhere in the middle, which is why I like to gamble on a large number of these guys and keep the ones who break out.
#12 - Texas Rangers
Top 10
Miguel Hiraldo was a very close #11, so he bears an honorable mention. Texas doesn't have quite as much depth as the Rockies, but has a better top end to the system, placing them above my team. Dominguez, Chisholm and Greene are a very nice top 3. Dominguez, especially, having as much upside as anyone not currently in the majors. Lora and Hiraldo are guys who could be much higher on this list next season.
#11 - Cincinnati Reds
Top 10
This system has one of my favorite top 5s - all hitters, and all high-upside. They lack great depth beyond those, but building around hitters is a smart move. Valera has the potential to be a top-10 prospect within a year or two. Acosta has been building quite a lot of hype this offseason, and I was genuinely surprised he lasted as long as he did in the draft.
#10 - Philadelphia Phillies
Top 10
I debated long and hard about putting the Reds above the Phillies here - the Reds are simply a much deeper system, but the presence of Jo Adell made the decision in the end. Adell will probably graduate soon into the season, but has the offensive potential to be great. Alek Thomas and Daulton Varsho are a very nice 2/3 punch, but the system does taper off after that. Misner and Pages were very nice pickups in this year's draft.
#9 - Cleveland Indians
Top 10
The Indians' system isn't as Phillies-heavy as it's been in past years. But it's still a good one. Spencer Howard may have already secured a spot on the Phillies pitching staff, especially with a potential shortened season. Sixto Sanchez will also likely graduate off this list this year. There's upside all around this system, with Mauricio, both Luis Garcias, Baty, Duran, D'Shawn Knowles, Trejyn Fletcher, Johan Rojas, and others. They also have the best relief pitching prospect in the league in Munoz.
#8 - Arizona Diamondbacks
Top 10
The Diamondbacks' system tapers off towards the back end of their top 10, but their top 6 or 7 prospects are a great collection of talent. The best of the bunch is Kelenic, who has made Mets fans all across social media cringe every time they hear his name, a reminder of the gross incompetence of their front office. He and Waters could form a formidable OF tandem for years in Arizona. There's also a good pitching talent pool here. Perhaps my favorite prospect apart from the top three is Michael Busch, who reminds me of a Willy Calhoun type - may not have a home defensively, but should hit his way into a major league role.
#7 - Miami Marlins
Top 10
Kwang-hyun Kim has a strong case for this list, and may have a very strong first season, but didn't show up in many top prospects lists. Gore may be the ace of the RL Padres as soon as this year, and McKay most certainly will graduate as well (Hoerner has a good chance as well). But with JJ Bleday, this system should be able to withstand their losses and still have some value left. Urbina is a popular breakout candidate and Schunk has a lot of the qualities that have made Rockies CIs breakouts in the past.
#6 - St. Louis Cardinals
Top 10
The Cardinals had a great draft this year - taking Vaughn, who has even more fantasy value than RL as a power-hitting CI, and high-upside pitcher Matthew Allan, in a Mets system that does a great job of developing pitchers. This is one of the first systems with a very strong top-end with very strong depth. Beyond the top 10, prospects like Mason Denaburg, Yerry Rodriguez, Patrick Sandoval, Austin Beck and others contribute to a farm system that may have the Cardinals finally in place to contend before too long.
#5 - Baltimore Orioles
Top 10
The depth in this system goes at least 27 players deep, and potential breakouts are littered throughout this system, including near-misses like Alexander Vargas and Jeremiah Jackson. Julio Rodriguez had one of the biggest breakouts in the minors last year as did Brennen Davis. This is a very solid system that has the potential to take advantage of potentially shifting sands in the AL East in the next few years.
#4 - Boston Red Sox
Top 10
This is a great potential trio of bats in Rutschman, Lewis and Gorman, and is just the tip of the iceberg in one of the deepest systems in the league. Marte, Gimenez and Adams are all high-upside hitters, and all their pitchers in their top 10 have the potential to be at least mid-tier starters, with upside for much more. Beyond the top 10, there are players who should provide immediate assistance like Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, and potential breakouts in Lane Thomas and Antoine Kelly.
#3 - Kansas City Royals
Top 10
The Royals have spent years rebuilding, and are close to seeing that hard work pay off. Lux, Kieboom, Robinson and Abrams could form one of the best hitting cores in the league. Mize is a top pitching prospect, with Garcia also up there as well. Canario, Bryce Ball, Tyler Ivey, and Ronny Henriquez give the Royals some good breakout candidates as well.
#2 - Toronto Blue Jays
Top 10
The Blue Jays tore down the closest thing to a dynasty we've seen, and now have a top system to show for it. Wander Franco is preternaturally talented, and looks like he'll fly through the minors, but this system is much more than one prospect. Luzardo, Gilbert and Liberatore all have top stuff and could form a great pitching staff. Green, Marsh, and Perdomo provide great hitting upside as well. Potential breakout candidates like Gunnar Henderson, Jimmy Lewis, Matt Wallner and Kendall Williams round out a system that goes nearly 30 deep.
#1 - Washington Nationals
Top 10
Like the Blue Jays above, the Nationals saw a year spinning out of control, and decided to sell off a championship-contending team. They're already back in the thick of things, and with the best farm system in the league, shouldn't be out of the playoffs for very long. PB has prospects who should provide immediate value in Robert, Kopech and Rodgers, along with high-upside long-term plays in Groshans, Witt, Casas, Campusano and others.
#30 - Tampa Bay Rays
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Tucupita Marcano | MI | SD |
| Mickey Moniak | OF | PHI |
| Lolo Sanchez | OF | PIT |
| Jeisson Rosario | OF | SD |
| Thad Ward | P | BOS |
This is the single sparsest system out there. Donovan chose to prioritize the major league roster, signing two RFAs, forfeiting two picks, and choosing Tyler Rogers with his only pick in the draft. The Rogers pick may help him this year, but not here. Marcano has some upside, and is the closest thing here to a top-100 prospect. If Rosario ever puts it all together, he has the tools needed to be a starter.
#29 - Chicago White Sox
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Daniel Espino | P | CLE |
| Logan Davidson | MI | OAK |
| Josh Wolf | P | NYM |
| Jack Herman | OF | PIT |
| Joe Dunand | MI | MIA |
I love Espino. To this day, I'm debating the merits of not picking him in the first round. Beyond that, Davidson has breakout potential, and Josh Wolf is in a system that does a great job at developing pitchers. There just isn't much else in this system.
#28 - Chicago Cubs
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Robert Puason | MI | OAK |
| Diego Cartaya | C | CHC |
| Kyle Isbel | OF | KC |
| Tyler Callihan | MI/CI | CIN |
| Noah Song | P | BOS |
Now we're seeing signs of life! Although, knowing Beau, every single one of these top prospects have a pretty decent chance of being dealt this year. With a solid debut, Puason will rise rapidly up lists. I like Callihan as a bat, but the question is where will he play defensively. Noah Song, by talent alone, would probably top this list, but will be waiting two years to play any baseball. My sleeper in the system would be JJ Goss, who I was desperately hoping would fall to me in the 3rd.
#27 - Houston Astros
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Jose Urquidy | P | HOU |
| Greg Jones | MI | TB |
| Kris Bubic | P | KC |
| Will Wilson | MI | SF |
| Jaylin Davis | OF | SF |
Urquidy is in position to graduate this year (if there is any baseball played this year), and should be a decent mid-rotation arm. Greg Jones and Will Wilson are nice breakout candidates up the middle. If Jones can hit, with his double-plus speed, he'll be one to watch out for, especially if he can add even a little power.
#26 - Milwaukee Brewers
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Seth Beer | OF | ARI |
| Lewin Diaz | CI | MIA |
| Quinn Priester | P | PIT |
| Kevin Cron | CI | ARI |
| Sean Hjelle | P | SF |
Number 26 last year, 26 again this year, at least the Brewers are consistent. Beer and Diaz are the type that may be better fantasy prospects than they are real-life ones. Even so, both of them have somewhat limited upsides, even if they have high floors. Priester provides some excitement for the pitching, along with system sleeper Andry Lara, their 3rd rounder, who I actually like better than their 2nd rounder in T.J. Sikkema. This system has some depth, but apart from Lara and Sikkema, not a lot of breakout candidates past the top 5.
#25 - Los Angeles Angels
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Nick Solak | CI/MI | TEX |
| Sam Hilliard | OF | COL |
| Michael Toglia | CI | COL |
| Sam Huff | C | TEX |
| Luis Frias | P | ARI |
Mike's strategy, like many of these bottom-tier systems is to parlay his system into big-league help. And it won him a World Series last year, so if it's not broke, don't fix it. Solak is major-league ready, and will probably graduate early. Hilliard and Toglia are nice pieces, if Colorado ever figures out how to use prospects and rookies to the best of their abilities. Maybe my favorite prospect in the system (favorite, not best), is #6, Alexander Mojica, who, if the exit velocities hold up, just might be a beast.
#24 - Atlanta Braves
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Kyle Wright | P | ATL |
| Alek Manoah | P | TOR |
| Seth Corry | P | SF |
| James Karinchak | P | CLE |
| Mason Martin | CI | PIT |
The Braves graduated some high-level talent in the past year, including Eloy Jimenez and Bo Bichette, so their fall is understandable. Kyle Wright gives them a pitcher with some decent upside, and Manoah could move fast. But beyond them, this system falls off fast.
#23 - Minnesota Twins
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Trevor Larnach | OF | MIN |
| Isaac Paredes | MI | DET |
| Braden Shewmake | MI | ATL |
| Brent Rooker | OF | MIN |
| Adam Kloffenstein | P | TOR |
Rob is halfway to his dream of an all-Twins top 5 prospects. This is a pretty good top-2 here, and Shewmake offers some breakout potential. Beyond the top 2, Kloffenstein and Eric Pardinho could be popup arms, Arol Vera has a lot of upside as a recent top J2 signing, and I like Andy Young as a better-than-the-sum-of-his-parts kind of guy.
#22 - San Diego Padres
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Luis Patino | P | SD |
| Hunter Bishop | OF | SF |
| Shane McClanahan | P | TB |
| Tahnaj Thomas | P | PIT |
| Hedbert Perez | OF | MIL |
Patino is the best prospect we've seen thus far, but the system is let down by weak depth. Amy lamented her lack of prospect-farming last year, but this system still has some major sleepers in it. Chiefly among them are McClanahan, Thomas, and Perez, who could make moves up prospect lists with strong showings.
#21 - Los Angeles Dodgers
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Corbin Carroll | OF | ARI |
| Ke'Bryan Hayes | CI | PIT |
| Ivan Herrera | C | STL |
| Brennan Malone | P | ARI |
| Peyton Burdick | OF | MIA |
The Dodgers' wheeling and dealing has left them with a system with a couple top-level prospects, and a lot of depth, but not much in between. Carroll and Hayes are a great 1-2, and both are position players, which is a plus. Beyond them, though, the system falls off drastically. The depth in the system does include a number of breakout candidates, including Pedro Martinez.
#20 - Seattle Mariners
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Forrest Whitley | P | HOU |
| Matt Manning | P | DET |
| Erick Pena | OF | KC |
| Gabriel Rodriguez | MI | CLE |
| Esteury Ruiz | MI | SD |
Nick has both graduated talent (Alex Verdugo) and traded others away for big league help, precipitating a fall from #8 down to #21, but there's still a few nice pieces in this system. Whitley and Manning are consensus top-30 prospects, and Erick Pena is a major J2 signing. But this is another system which falls off after two or three prospects (and their #3 is a long time away from the majors).
#19 - Pittsburgh Pirates
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Dylan Carlson | OF | STL |
| Luis Matos | OF | SF |
| Jackson Rutledge | P | WAS |
| Luis Medina | P | NYY |
| Daniel Johnson | OF | CLE |
Something I struggle with every year - how to rank a system headlined by one elite prospect (Dylan Carlson) with not a ton behind him. That's not to say this system doesn't have depth (it does), but if you remove Carlson from this system, it's probably bottom-5. That said, Matos, Rutledge and Medina have upside, and I love Wilderd Patino as a potential sleeper. Carlson should graduate this year (again, caveat being there actually being a season), and we'll reevaluate next year.
#18 - Oakland Athletics
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Marco Luciano | MI | SF |
| Jose Garcia | MI | CIN |
| Adrian Morejon | P | SD |
| Randy Arozarena | OF | TB |
| Luis Rodriguez | OF | LAD |
In a year, this could be a top-5 system. Luciano has the potential to be Wander Franco's successor as the consensus #1, although that probably won't be next year. In this top 5, Garcia and Rodriguez also offer considerable upside and breakout potential. But there isn't much depth here. Shea Langeliers is a decent #6, but catching prospects are unreliable.
#17 - New York Mets
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Nate Pearson | P | TOR |
| Dustin May | P | LAD |
| Bryston Stott | MI | PHI |
| Estevan Florial | OF | NYY |
| Jon Duplantier | P | ARI |
Pearson and May are a great 1-2 pitching prospect tandem. Beyond those two, though, the depth takes a big hit. Stott is more a high-floor prospect than one with considerable ceiling, Duplantier might be a bullpen prospect at this point, and Florial is an enigmatic gamble. The two big names at the top keep this system mid-tier, though.
#16 - San Francisco Giants
Top 5
| Name | Position | Team |
| Vidal Brujan | MI | TB |
| Tarik Skubal | P | DET |
| Travis Swaggerty | OF | PIT |
| Keoni Cavaco | MI | MIN |
| Ryan Vilade | MI | COL |
Vidal Brujan is the headliner here - a prospect short in stature, but with a potent bat. Skubal was an out of nowhere name who developed into a top pitching prospect in the scope of a year. Beyond that, the depth falls off here again. Swaggerty is a nice #3, with continued breakout potential, and Cavaco, despite poor numbers post-draft has good upside. There still just isn't much depth here beyond the first four or five.
#15 - Detroit Tigers
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| A.J. Puk | P | OAK |
| Nick Lodolo | P | CIN |
| Brailyn Marquez | P | CHC |
| Shogo Akiyama | OF | CIN |
| Mike Siani | OF | CIN |
| Levi Kelly | P | ARI |
| C.J. Chatham | MI | BOS |
| Kyren Paris | MI | LAA |
| Rece Hinds | CI | CIN |
| Taylor Widener | P | ARI |
A really nice top 3, followed by mediocre depth, the Tigers are hurt just a little due to most of the value in this farm system being tied up in pitchers. If you're going to bet on pitchers, though, getting high-upside arms like Puk, Lodolo, and Marquez is the way to go. The latter two have a lot of risk associated, but if Jason and John even hit on two of their top three, that is the beginning of a fantastic pitching staff. Akiyama will graduate almost immediately, but should offer some present value. My two favorite sleepers in the system are Paris and Hinds.
#14 - New York Yankees
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Jeter Downs | MI | BOS |
| Daniel Lynch | P | KC |
| Tyler Freeman | MI | CLE |
| George Kirby | P | SEA |
| Brady Singer | P | KC |
| Gilberto Jimenez | OF | BOS |
| Khalil Lee | OF | KC |
| Abraham Toro | CI | HOU |
| Luisangel Acuna | MI | TEX |
| Blake Walston | P | ARI |
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you. The Yankees reprise their #14 showing from last year. Downs is a fine top prospect, but the strength of this farm system is in its strong depth. Glad to see Jeter is a Yankee again, unlike real life. I have to say, I'm not sold on Freeman's fantasy value - he has one of the strongest hit tools in the minors, but without power or a great deal of speed, I'm not sure of his value. Kirby was one of my favorite arms in the draft - I see him as a Chris Paddack type - someone whose stuff plays up due to elite command and control. Breakout possibilities here include Ronald Acuna's brother, and Blake Walston. This system could be top 10 next year.
#13 - Colorado Rockies
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Edward Cabrera | P | MIA |
| Josiah Gray | P | LAD |
| Francisco Alvarez | C | NYM |
| Brayan Rocchio | MI | CLE |
| Austin Hays | OF | BAL |
| Kody Hoese | CI | LAD |
| Liover Peguero | MI | ARI |
| Aaron Bracho | MI | CLE |
| Sherten Apostel | CI | PIT |
| Mark Vientos | CI | NYM |
My system still isn't where I'd like it to be, but it has moved up in the rankings, despite graduations for Chris Paddack and Nate Lowe. Josiah Gray and Edward Cabrera are the type of high-risk, high-reward pitchers I like to gamble on. But the strength of my system is in its depth, which is chock full of breakout candidates. With that, though, comes a lot of risk - guys like Alvarez, Peguero, Bracho, Vientos, Hudson Head, and Alexfri Planez could all be top 100 next year, catapulting this system into the upper echelon, or they could all fall on their faces, making this system fall back a great deal. Best bet is somewhere in the middle, which is why I like to gamble on a large number of these guys and keep the ones who break out.
#12 - Texas Rangers
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Jasson Dominguez | OF | NYY |
| Jazz Chisholm | MI | MIA |
| Hunter Greene | P | CIN |
| Leody Taveras | OF | TEX |
| Bobby Dalbec | CI | BOS |
| Bryse Wilson | P | ATL |
| Kyle Lewis | OF | SEA |
| Cole Winn | P | TEX |
| Jay Groome | P | BOS |
| Bayron Lora | OF | TEX |
Miguel Hiraldo was a very close #11, so he bears an honorable mention. Texas doesn't have quite as much depth as the Rockies, but has a better top end to the system, placing them above my team. Dominguez, Chisholm and Greene are a very nice top 3. Dominguez, especially, having as much upside as anyone not currently in the majors. Lora and Hiraldo are guys who could be much higher on this list next season.
#11 - Cincinnati Reds
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Oneil Cruz | MI | PIT |
| Taylor Trammell | OF | SD |
| Xavier Edwards | MI | SD |
| Heliot Ramos | OF | SF |
| George Valera | OF | CLE |
| Jake Fraley | OF | SEA |
| Kevin Alcantara | OF | NYY |
| Maximo Acosta | MI | TEX |
| Gabriel Arias | MI | SD |
| Tucker Davidson | P | ATL |
This system has one of my favorite top 5s - all hitters, and all high-upside. They lack great depth beyond those, but building around hitters is a smart move. Valera has the potential to be a top-10 prospect within a year or two. Acosta has been building quite a lot of hype this offseason, and I was genuinely surprised he lasted as long as he did in the draft.
#10 - Philadelphia Phillies
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Jo Adell | OF | LAA |
| Alek Thomas | OF | ARI |
| Daulton Varsho | C | ARI |
| Brusdar Graterol | P | LAD |
| Kameron Misner | OF | MIA |
| Andy Pages | OF | LAD |
| Daulton Jefferies | P | OAK |
| Jarren Duran | OF | BOS |
| Zack Collins | C | CHW |
| Bubba Thompson | OF | TEX |
I debated long and hard about putting the Reds above the Phillies here - the Reds are simply a much deeper system, but the presence of Jo Adell made the decision in the end. Adell will probably graduate soon into the season, but has the offensive potential to be great. Alek Thomas and Daulton Varsho are a very nice 2/3 punch, but the system does taper off after that. Misner and Pages were very nice pickups in this year's draft.
#9 - Cleveland Indians
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Spencer Howard | P | PHI |
| Sixto Sanchez | P | MIA |
| Ronny Mauricio | MI | NYM |
| Sean Murphy | C | OAK |
| Luis Garcia | MI | WAS |
| Brett Baty | CI | NYM |
| Jhoan Duran | P | MIN |
| Ezequiel Duran | MI | NYY |
| Grant Lavigne | CI | COL |
| Andres Munoz | P | SD |
The Indians' system isn't as Phillies-heavy as it's been in past years. But it's still a good one. Spencer Howard may have already secured a spot on the Phillies pitching staff, especially with a potential shortened season. Sixto Sanchez will also likely graduate off this list this year. There's upside all around this system, with Mauricio, both Luis Garcias, Baty, Duran, D'Shawn Knowles, Trejyn Fletcher, Johan Rojas, and others. They also have the best relief pitching prospect in the league in Munoz.
#8 - Arizona Diamondbacks
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Jarred Kelenic | OF | SEA |
| Alec Bohm | CI | PHI |
| Drew Waters | OF | ATL |
| Jordan Balazovic | P | MIN |
| Clarke Schmidt | P | NYY |
| Tony Gonsolin | P | LAD |
| Michael Busch | CI/OF | LAD |
| Francisco Morales | P | PHI |
| Alex Faedo | P | DET |
| Roansy Contreras | P | NYY |
The Diamondbacks' system tapers off towards the back end of their top 10, but their top 6 or 7 prospects are a great collection of talent. The best of the bunch is Kelenic, who has made Mets fans all across social media cringe every time they hear his name, a reminder of the gross incompetence of their front office. He and Waters could form a formidable OF tandem for years in Arizona. There's also a good pitching talent pool here. Perhaps my favorite prospect apart from the top three is Michael Busch, who reminds me of a Willy Calhoun type - may not have a home defensively, but should hit his way into a major league role.
#7 - Miami Marlins
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| MacKenzie Gore | P | SD |
| Brendan McKay | P | TB |
| JJ Bleday | OF | MIA |
| Nico Hoerner | MI | CHC |
| Josh Lowe | OF | TB |
| Ryan Mountcastle | CI | BAL |
| Misael Urbina | OF | MIN |
| Jared Oliva | OF | PIT |
| Parker Meadows | OF | DET |
| Aaron Schunk | CI | COL |
Kwang-hyun Kim has a strong case for this list, and may have a very strong first season, but didn't show up in many top prospects lists. Gore may be the ace of the RL Padres as soon as this year, and McKay most certainly will graduate as well (Hoerner has a good chance as well). But with JJ Bleday, this system should be able to withstand their losses and still have some value left. Urbina is a popular breakout candidate and Schunk has a lot of the qualities that have made Rockies CIs breakouts in the past.
#6 - St. Louis Cardinals
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Andrew Vaughn | CI | CHW |
| Alex Kirilloff | OF | MIN |
| Joey Bart | C | SF |
| Nolan Jones | CI | CLE |
| Jesus Sanchez | OF | MIA |
| Orelvis Martinez | MI | TOR |
| Jorge Mateo | MI | OAK |
| Matthew Allan | P | NYM |
| Luis Gil | P | NYY |
| Miguel Vargas | CI | LAD |
The Cardinals had a great draft this year - taking Vaughn, who has even more fantasy value than RL as a power-hitting CI, and high-upside pitcher Matthew Allan, in a Mets system that does a great job of developing pitchers. This is one of the first systems with a very strong top-end with very strong depth. Beyond the top 10, prospects like Mason Denaburg, Yerry Rodriguez, Patrick Sandoval, Austin Beck and others contribute to a farm system that may have the Cardinals finally in place to contend before too long.
#5 - Baltimore Orioles
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Julio Rodriguez | OF | SEA |
| Grayson Rodriguez | P | BAL |
| Mitch Keller | P | PIT |
| Brennen Davis | OF | CHC |
| DL Hall | P | BAL |
| Simeon Woods-Richardson | P | TOR |
| Josh Jung | CI | TEX |
| Brice Turang | MI | MIL |
| Triston McKenzie | P | CLE |
| Heriberto Hernandez | CI/OF | TEX |
The depth in this system goes at least 27 players deep, and potential breakouts are littered throughout this system, including near-misses like Alexander Vargas and Jeremiah Jackson. Julio Rodriguez had one of the biggest breakouts in the minors last year as did Brennen Davis. This is a very solid system that has the potential to take advantage of potentially shifting sands in the AL East in the next few years.
#4 - Boston Red Sox
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Adley Rutschman | C | BAL |
| Royce Lewis | MI | MIN |
| Nolan Gorman | CI | STL |
| Ian Anderson | P | ATL |
| Shane Baz | P | TB |
| Brent Honeywell | P | TB |
| Noelvi Marte | MI | SEA |
| Andres Gimenez | MI | NYM |
| Jordyn Adams | OF | LAA |
| Ethan Hankins | P | CLE |
This is a great potential trio of bats in Rutschman, Lewis and Gorman, and is just the tip of the iceberg in one of the deepest systems in the league. Marte, Gimenez and Adams are all high-upside hitters, and all their pitchers in their top 10 have the potential to be at least mid-tier starters, with upside for much more. Beyond the top 10, there are players who should provide immediate assistance like Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, and potential breakouts in Lane Thomas and Antoine Kelly.
#3 - Kansas City Royals
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Gavin Lux | MI | LAD |
| Casey Mize | P | DET |
| Carter Kieboom | MI | WAS |
| Kristian Robinson | OF | CLE |
| CJ Abrams | MI | SD |
| Evan White | CI | SEA |
| Deivi Garcia | P | NYY |
| Monte Harrison | OF | MIA |
| Alexander Canario | OF | SF |
| Edward Olivares | OF | SD |
The Royals have spent years rebuilding, and are close to seeing that hard work pay off. Lux, Kieboom, Robinson and Abrams could form one of the best hitting cores in the league. Mize is a top pitching prospect, with Garcia also up there as well. Canario, Bryce Ball, Tyler Ivey, and Ronny Henriquez give the Royals some good breakout candidates as well.
#2 - Toronto Blue Jays
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Wander Franco | MI | TB |
| Jesus Luzardo | P | OAK |
| Riley Greene | OF | DET |
| Brandon Marsh | OF | LAA |
| Logan Gilbert | P | SEA |
| Matthew Liberatore | P | STL |
| Geraldo Perdomo | MI | ARI |
| Keibert Ruiz | C | LAD |
| Jackson Kowar | P | KC |
| Joe Ryan | P | TB |
The Blue Jays tore down the closest thing to a dynasty we've seen, and now have a top system to show for it. Wander Franco is preternaturally talented, and looks like he'll fly through the minors, but this system is much more than one prospect. Luzardo, Gilbert and Liberatore all have top stuff and could form a great pitching staff. Green, Marsh, and Perdomo provide great hitting upside as well. Potential breakout candidates like Gunnar Henderson, Jimmy Lewis, Matt Wallner and Kendall Williams round out a system that goes nearly 30 deep.
#1 - Washington Nationals
Top 10
| Name | Position | Team |
| Luis Robert | OF | CWS |
| Cristian Pache | OF | ATL |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | MI | KC |
| Michael Kopech | P | CHW |
| Brendan Rodgers | P | COL |
| Jordan Groshans | CI | TOR |
| Triston Casas | CI | BOS |
| Nick Madrigal | MI | CHW |
| Luis Campusano | C | SD |
| Jonathan India | MI | CIN |
Like the Blue Jays above, the Nationals saw a year spinning out of control, and decided to sell off a championship-contending team. They're already back in the thick of things, and with the best farm system in the league, shouldn't be out of the playoffs for very long. PB has prospects who should provide immediate value in Robert, Kopech and Rodgers, along with high-upside long-term plays in Groshans, Witt, Casas, Campusano and others.
