We rank farm systems twice a year, and while we spend a lot of time breaking them down, evaluating the talents of 5,000 players across 30 different organizations is a fairly impossible task. We often joke that one team congratulates us on placing them perfectly, while the other 29 lament that we underestimated them.
Nevertheless, clubs that fare well in the system rankings tend to fare well on the diamond. Organizations with an abundance of highly rated talent on the way usually translate that into winning. Check out the systems that have earned No. 1 accolades since we began evaluating them before the 2015 season:
We based our rankings below on long-term Major League value, factoring in impact talent, depth, proximity to the big leagues and balance – both between position players and pitchers and between ceiling and floor. The numbers in parentheses indicate where prospects place on our Top 100 list.
1. Baltimore Orioles
2023 midseason rank: 1
2023 preseason rank: 1
2022 midseason rank: 1
2022 preseason rank: 1
That’s six in a row now for the Orioles sitting atop these rankings, a run that started with our midseason ranking in 2021. Even with the graduations of top prospects each year (Gunnar Henderson being the latest), there’s still elite-level talent at the top, with five guys in the first 32 spots of our Top 100. Even the trade of a Top 100 guy (Joey Ortiz) didn’t dent them too much. How long they can continue this reign and win at the big league level remains to be seen. More »
2. Chicago Cubs
2023 midseason rank: 4
2023 preseason rank: 12
2022 midseason rank: 10
2022 preseason rank: 18
The Cubs haven’t had this much prospect talent since they ranked No. 1 in 2015 with a system that helped them end their 108-year World Series drought the next season. This time around, they have much more pitching depth, which could help them build a longer-term contender. Four of their MLB-high seven Top 100 prospects arrived via trades (Crow-Armstrong, Caissie, Busch, Alcántara), while Horton and Shaw continue to boost their stock since being selected in the first round of the past two Drafts. More »
3. Milwaukee Brewers
2023 midseason rank: 3
2023 preseason rank: 15
2022 midseason rank: 19
2022 preseason rank: 25
This is the Brewers’ best collection of Minor League talent since they topped the rankings in midseason 2016. The $82 million man Chourio has superstar potential, while Quero, Black and the recently acquired Ortiz build out a robust Top 100 hitting contingent. On the pitching side, Misiorowski has some of the most wicked stuff in the Minors if he can control it better, while Robert Gasser and Carlos F. Rodriguez should contribute to MLB depth in 2024. It’s a well-rounded, well-staggered group too, with Luis Lara, Cooper Pratt and Yophery Rodriguez potentially taking the torch when the others graduate. More »
4. San Diego Padres
2023 midseason rank: 9
2023 preseason rank: 23
2022 midseason rank: 28
2022 preseason rank: 17
So much for the Juan Soto trade depletion. The Padres have kept their pipeline infused with talent since that 2022 blockbuster through the Draft, international additions, trades (like the most recent Soto deal) and internal development. The debate as to whether Salas or Merrill is the better…
This article was originally published by a www.mlb.com . Read the Original article here. .