Ranking the best farm systems in MLB going into 2019

With the minor league season just completing the first weekend of play, it’s a good time to look at the minor league systems in the game. Who is good, who is not?

The first grouping in rankings really is the bottom 4, which includes three teams who have seen a lot of success in the 2010s, along with one that has worked into recent competitiveness:

30. Boston Red Sox

Top prospect: #119 Michael Chavis, 3B
Prospect to watch in 2019: Antoni Flores, SS

The Red Sox saw Dave Dombrowski do what he’s known for doing – build a winner at the major league level at the expense of the farm system. One thing many did not appreciate about Dombrowski’s Tigers teams was that he tended to have a very good prospect or two to feed the roster or be an excellent trade chip. Right now, that’s a tough sell for the Red Sox system.

There is some hope for potential relievers out of some of the top arms in the system like Darwinzon Hernandez, but injuries to guys like Jay Groome and Bryan Mata have left the system without their high-upside arms to show well.

Flores is a guy Red Sox fans should begin to know as a guy who has a great frame, a very good contact tool, and an ability to drive the ball to the gaps. He really is smooth at shortstop, though his quick growth already could mean that he ends up moving off the position. He will likely open in a short-season league, but he could find his way to full-season ball at just 18 in 2019.

29. Chicago Cubs

Top prospect: #107 Nico Hoerner, SS
Prospect to watch in 2019: Reivaj Garcia, IF

Chicago developed one of the top farm systems in the game in 2014-2015 and then began reaping the rewards of that system through promotions to the major leagues and trades to supplement a winning club that eventually ended the club’s long World Series championship drought, so pardon Cubs fans if they’re not terribly upset seeing their club ranked here.

It does hurt, however, to watch players like Eloy and Cease flourish for the crosstown team in their farm system while being ousted from the playoffs in the Wild Card. There are some positives to watch here, especially in the development of backend arms and bullpen pieces, but overall this system is rough, having gambled heavy on upside and often seeing it fall flat.

One of those rare medium-upside, high-floor players in the international market that the Cubs targeted recently was Reivaj Garcia from Mexico, signing him for a $500K bonus. Garcia’s not going to be a guy to ever hit for big power, and though he’s got plus speed, he’s not likely a 30-steal sort of player, but he’s very reminiscent of Luis Urias in the Padres system in that he’s solid on either side of the keystone defensively, makes consistent contact, and is well ahead of his age in “baseball maturity” on the field. He’ll not start in full-season ball, but he could find his way there in 2019 at just 18 years old.

28. San Francisco Giants

Top prospect: #23 Joey Bart, C
Prospect to watch in 2019: Jake Wong, RHP

This is a farm system that could see a solid jump in next year’s rankings if the low-level prospects from the last few international signing periods can take a step forward. For right now, though, the system is rough, with Bart as the only consensus top-100 player, and few guys who are primed to offer much impact at the majors beyond he and potentially Melvin Adon (if Adon is moved to the bullpen).

The real concern here is that after the 2019 season, the Giants are facing the real possibility that their ace, Madison Bumgarner, is gone, along with their top reliever, Will Smith, and with 7 players already on the ledger making at least $14 million in 2020, there is little financial flexibility to make moves for another playoff run. Instead, it seems the Giants may have missed their chance to blow things up and rebuild, whether that was mid-year 2018 or during the offseason, when they could have significantly impacted this farm system and the long-term health of the organization.

One thing done very well in the last few seasons has been identifying excellent international players, and there are a host of good, young international players to fit the prospect to watch category, but Wong is a guy that I’ve been tracking throughout his career as his rise mirrors the rise of his school, Grand Canyon, into national prominence. Wong is now working with mid-90s heavy sink along with two secondary pitches that would rate as at least average and both flash plus. He will open with low-A Augusta in 2019, but he could be a guy to rise quickly through the system.

27. Milwaukee Brewers

Top prospect: #14 Keston Hiura, 2B
Prospect to watch in 2019: Micah Bello, OF

The Brewers have been a team in the top 5 of farm systems as recent as two years ago, but using those prospects both at the major league level and in a host of trades (along with a few notable players taking a step back in their performance) has seen the Milwaukee system tumble heavily down the rankings lists.

There are multiple excellent young players that were sent away over the last two offseasons, and gaining Christian Yelich, Mike Moustakas, and the contributions of Jonathan Schoop and Gio Gonzalez in the team’s 2018 playoff run that left them just short of the World Series without a real rotation at all. If they can get anything out of starting pitching, they could be a big player in the 2019 postseason again.

While Hiura was the only player on my top 150 prospects, there are a number of excellent young players, especially from the last two drafts, to track in the Brewers system. One place the Brewers have targeted is Hawaii, and they grabbed Micah Bello from high school in the islands in the 2018 draft. Bello has work to do to fill out his body, but his natural skills project him to be a top-of-the-order hitter who can also pound out plenty of extra base hits. He’s going to open in short-season ball this year, but it will be interesting to see if he pushes his way up the system quickly in his first pro year.

The next grouping of systems takes us up to #20, a grouping of systems mostly working to build up their systems or with a heavy group of young prospects with high upside:

26. Arizona Diamondbacks

Top prospect: #79 Jazz Chisholm, SS
Prospect to watch in 2019: Alek Thomas, OF

The Diamondbacks have been near the bottom of the rankings for some time, and many will see them here and assume more of the same, but this is not the same Arizona farm system that we’ve seen the last 3-5 years. The Diamondbacks have been approaching the international market and draft aggressively, and they have put together a very good base of talent, but right now most of that talent is low in the system with plenty of questions still to answer.

With Carson Kelly already starting at the big league level and Merrill Kelly on the major league roster, the system has already seen multiple players hit the majors in 2019, and they could see a couple more players work their way up as well, but development in the A-ball levels will be the biggest thing to watch for Diamondbacks fans.

Two draft picks in 2018 were the two I considered strongest for the player to watch between Alek Thomas and Blaze Alexander. Both have tremendous tools and should find their way to full-season ball, but Thomas simply looks the part of a guy who could rocket through the farm system, if not in his first full season, potentially in 2020.

25. Kansas City Royals

Top prospect: #64 Brady Singer, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Yefry Del Rosario, RHP

After using a tremendous farm system to build their 2013-2015 run, the Kansas City Royals fell off significantly in their farm system quickly after those players graduated, with some poor trades in value, though in hindsight, the moves were made to compete, so it’s hard to get too upset about that.

The Royals had excellent depth in draft picks the last two years, and they used it completely opposite. In 2017, the team targeted high upside high school and junior college talent, with 5 of the first 6 picks of the 2017 draft coming from high school or junior college. Instead, the team did not select a high school or junior college player until the 9th round in 2018, instead focusing on 4-year college players.

That blend has not really done it yet as most of those college players did not play a lot in their draft year, but what should come out of the draft blend should be an interesting blend in depth, with many of the college players of 2018 moving to the upper levels of the minors in a hurry while the youth continues moving at an intentional path through the system.

Looking at players to watch, two former Atlanta Braves prospects stood out. Outfielder Juan Carlos Negret did not show well with the bat, but with a slight body, he still generated nearly a .200 ISO, which is impressive, and he showed some of the best right field defense I had a chance to see in the minors, making a few errors on balls that most guys in a corner would never get to. However, the guy to watch for me is another former Brave that was signed after being removed by MLB, Yefry Del Rosario, who the Royals jumped all the way to their full-season team in 2018, and he held his own over 79 innings, with a 3.19 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. He’s got the stuff to project as a mid-rotation starter and will just be 19 for the entire 2019 season, yet he seems to fly under the radar for many discussing this system.

24. Washington Nationals

Top prospect: #12 Victor Robles, OF
Prospect to watch in 2019: Israel Pineda, C

The Nationals have built their farm systems around drafting injured pitchers and rehabbing them into elite starters, which has worked well, and signing and developing players up the middle in the Latin market and stocking their system that way. It’s led to some big hits and some big misses as well.

While a number of “failed” shortstops can transition to third base or second base and “failed” center fielders can find their way to a corner, typically guys with the profile to be signed up the middle don’t have the type of bat that profiles well to those corner spots. Where catchers go when they fail is not a great thing, though, as most aren’t physically built to be first basemen or athletic enough to play anywhere else.

That said, there is a depth of quality catching prospects on the Washington Nationals prospect list right now. None have the upside of Israel Pineda, however. Initially signed as a big-bat, defense-needs-work backstop, Pineda has actually shown well behind the plate and shown well at the plate, but he’s been cut off from showing either in too much depth due to injury. He should get his first shot at full-season ball in 2019, and he’s still going to be 19 in his first full-season experience, putting him on a very good pace to be an impressive riser on prospect lists in 2019.

23. New York Mets

Top prospect: #30 Andres Gimenez, SS
Prospect to watch in 2019: Shervyen Newton, SS

The Mets would have been significantly higher on this list before their trade for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz, and I think their development of their farm system has gone surprisingly under the radar for a New York club. While even without that trade, there would not have been a top-20 talent on the team, the Mets would have had six top-100 players on my top 150 along with 3 top 50 players.

There is still plenty left in the farm system, and the Mets still do very well in Latin America finding uber-talented shortstops. They’ve also had success finding college pitchers lately, trading one of their top finds recently in Justin Dunn while seeing their college picks in 2016 and 2017, Anthony Kay and David Peterson, each showed well in 2018.

While the Mets have been known for their slick-fielding shortstops with offensive upside, Shervyen Newton is perhaps the opposite side of the coin. Newton trained in Curacao, a baseball hot bed, but was born in the Netherlands, which is not exactly known for depth in major league talent. Newton has taken his time to develop, spending two seasons in the DSL before coming stateside in 2018, but he was more than worth the wait. Standing 6’4″ and with a frame that could reach 215-225 pounds without having bad weight, Newton still is 180-190 and can handle shortstop well, but his incredible power and patience at the plate along with soft hands and plus arm make him a prime candidate for third base down the line. The Mets have assigned Newton to low-A Columbia, where he’ll be on the same roster as Ronny Mauricio and Mark Vientos, meaning he could get some work at second base with Mauricio and Vientos manning short and third.

22. Baltimore Orioles

Top prospect: #60 DL Hall, LHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Adam Hall, SS

The Orioles continue to be a joke when people discuss poor farm systems and especially poor pitching development. Neither is true anymore, and both should be indicative of the level of casual of the writer.

The pitching system that has been shifted over the last two systems and seen excellent development of young arms over the “promote and break” paths of the past is already seeing results in guys like Zac Lowther and Keegan Akin along with getting something out of guys with fringe stuff like Alex Wells.

A pair of shortstops were my targets in the prospect to watch in this system, and interestingly, Baseball America ranked the two #18 and #19 in the farm system. I had a chance to see Cadyn Grenier at the College World Series last year, and his defense is incredible. If he can hit at all, he could be a regular in the major leagues due to his glove. The player that could be more than just passable, however, is 2017 draft pick Adam Hall, who has missed much of his first two pro seasons with the Orioles due to injury, but he finished 2018 very, very well. The Canadian has worked hard at his defensive skills to be an above-average defense with the ability to be a plus-hit, plus-speed offensive contributor along with a solid defender. He’ll get his first shot at a full season in 2019, turning 20 in late May, so he’s certainly got plenty of time to develop!

21. Texas Rangers

Top prospect: #40 Hans Crouse, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Sherten Apostel, 3B

The Rangers had plenty of success early in the 2010s, and they used their farm system to supplement that success, but their success caused not just a drain of their farm system but also their top farm system-related front office people, and that’s taken some of the edge off their work in the draft and Latin America.

There is still a “swing wildly and enjoy when you make contact” approach to Rangers player drafting and signing, as many of their players are high upside players that have some significant downside as well. This can lead to tremendous talent coming forward when a guy hits, but it can lead to some rough falls when a guy doesn’t meet all his tools.

One guy that epitomizes that came to the Rangers in their trade with the Pirates last year. While many focused on lefty Taylor Hearn, who is a high upside/low floor guy in his own right, the secondary piece in that deal was Sherten Apostel, a player who has a brilliant arm and many viewed as a pitcher coming from Curacao, but enjoyed hitting and wanted to work his way out of hitting before pitching. Apostel has that elite arm at third base with a 6’4″ filled-out frame at 20. He’s filled out plenty already, and many who have followed Apostel feel like he’s likely maxed out his healthy weight addition already. With potential plus or even double-plus power and a double-plus arm, Apostel could be a guy that comes from under the radar to a top 10 team prospect in 2019 for sure, and with a big year with Hickory, typically a hitters’ haven, he could vault into consideration for top 100 lists next offseason.

20. Miami Marlins

Top prospect: #19 Sixto Sanchez, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Jordan Yamamoto, RHP

Miami has been a tough team for fans for years. The front office has done a number on the fanbase at the major league level, from getting fans to build a new stadium for the team, to selling off the team, and then seeing new ownership gut the team.

Now those players that were traded are thriving, and Miami fans are frustrated that they perhaps didn’t quite get the type of package that they should have in return, especially with some of the results from guys who got to the major leagues in 2018. However, that does miss guys like Nick Neidert, who really developed into a sure-fire backend starter in 2018 in the upper minors, as well as Jose Devers (from the Giancarlo Stanton deal) earning his way to high-A at just 18.

The guy to watch for me, however, is not Neidert or Devers. It’s another player that the Marlins acquired last offseason – one from the Christian Yelich deal. Righty Jordan Yamamoto was originally a 12th-round pick by the Brewers in 2014, and he’s developed into a very good pitcher, showing excellent work in high-A and even in a short AA stint. His Arizona Fall League work was excellent as well. While he doesn’t have a blazing fastball, his feel for pitching could be an excellent indication of his ability to jump up in 2019, even to the major league rotation if all goes well in the upper minors.

Through #14, the next few systems have either a few top guys and a mediocre collection in the middle or have such impressive overall depth that their lack of an elite top guy does not portend their being part of this portion of the rankings:

19. New York Yankees

Top prospect: #99 Deivi Garcia, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Antonio Cabello, OF

While the Yankees don’t have a player that (to me) is one of the elite prospects in the game, the depth in this system is crazy. Baseball America and MLB Pipeline have 35 players between their respective top 30 lists, but the ordering is wildly different, and I’d argue that you could easily suggest 5-7 players more who could be placed on the top 30 over players that made both lists.

While there aren’t elite players in the system right now, there are some elite tools, especially velocity in arms throughout the system, something the Yankees have developed a unique ability to bring out of their pitchers. Last year’s draft of a pair of catchers with their first two selections did bring notice to the lack of catching in the system, but there’s few other positions that are really short in talent.

When reviewing those who have the potential to be an elite player as they develop, I kept coming back to Antonio Cabello, who was one of the consolation prizes for the Yankees when they missed out on Shohei Ohtani, redirecting their money to multiple international signings, headlined by Cabello. Cabello has an elite offensive set of skills with legit potential to be a power/speed guy down the road, though his raw power certainly makes one think he could be a 30 home run hitter down the road. He will be limited most likely to left field defensively, so his offensive skills will be his calling card, but he has shown very well thus far and could be a top-100 guy after 2019.

18. Detroit Tigers

Top prospect: #28 Matt Manning, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Wenceel Perez, SS

Tigers fans may want to crush me for this ranking, but this is no knock on their club’s vastly improved farm system. It’s more an indication of just how good the overall competition for top system in baseball is as the Tigers have made huge strides with their farm system over the last half-decade.

The Tigers should start to see some of the fruits of their farm system with Christin Stewart in the Opening Day lineup and a whole host of pitchers who will be in the upper minors that could easily jump up to the major leagues with a rotation in Detroit that really doesn’t have anyone that is holding off a big prospect.

While there are a few guys ahead of him that should make an impact in the infield in the next few years, another guy that could move quickly if he can keep up what he’s shown so far is Wenceel Perez. Perez will be 19 the entire 2019 season, and he brings excellent contact skills along with a plus run tool. He may not be an elite defender up the middle, but he should be a good contact and speed guy with above-average defense on either side of the keystone that could move very quickly up the system with his on-field maturity.

17. Colorado Rockies

Top prospect: #17 Brendan Rodgers, IF
Prospect to watch in 2019: Terrin Vavra, IF

The Rockies have long been saying that they have a great farm system, and the results have shown well at the big league level, as the team has produced many of its best players on a roster that’s reached the postseason the past two years. However, most didn’t give the team the credit for the pitching development that was going on due to the extreme hitter parks that are rampant throughout the Rockies system, something that also skews proper evaluation of Rockies hitting prospects.

The team has begun to see a focus up the middle in their development, and that’s indicated by the team’s top two prospects both being middle infielders. Interestingly, one other thing the Rockies have in abundance in their farm system is smooth hitting corner infielders that could profile well at first base. The Rockies did sign Daniel Murphy with the intention of him playing first base, but if one of their prospects forced their hand, his contract would not force his presence on the field, either.

With that development of middle infielders, one of the very intriguing selections in the 2018 draft was the Rockies pulling the trigger on University of Minnesota shortstop Terrin Vavra. Vavra comes from a baseball family, as his father has been a major league coach for essentially his entire life, so his baseball accumen is through the roof. He may not profile long-term as a shortstop, and he doesn’t really have any one skill that stands out offensively, but he’s the type of guy who ends up with solid numbers across the board and doesn’t hurt you defensively, no matter where he plays. He could be someone to move quickly into a reserve/utility infielder role or could spend some time building on his offensive skills and end up a very useful second baseman down the road potentially.

16. Seattle Mariners

Top prospect: #36 Jarred Kelenic, OF
Prospect to watch in 2019: Sam Carlson, RHP

General Manager Jerry Dipoto made a comment this winter that he wanted to get his team’s farm system to top 5 in all of baseball. Well, he’s still in the bottom half of the league after all the moves he made, but this system would have been among the bottom group before the deals made, so this is a significant move up.

The Mariners have made some very nice moves in the international market recently, though those moves are going to be multiple years before they come to roost. Outside of that, most of the top 10 are players acquired in deals this offseason.

One of the things that has plagued the Mariners recently has been injuries to top prospects, like Kyle Lewis. One that will be intriguing to watch in 2019 will be former Minnesota prep righty Sam Carlson, who has totaled just 2 games and 3 innings in his pro career thus far before Tommy John took away his entire 2018 season. The 6’4″ righty had an impressive pitch mix that could allow him to move quickly once he’s back on the mound full-time, though having surgery in July could mean he doesn’t pitch in a game in 2019.

15. Oakland Athletics

Top prospect: #13 Jesus Luzardo, LHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Nick Allen, SS

The Oakland Athletics have been in the news plenty this offseason due to the choice of their 2018 top pick to enter the NFL draft and likely leave his MLB career behind. The A’s will miss his talent, but this is still a talented and deep system.

Injuries have devastated the pitching depth in the system in the last few seasons, really hurting the overall ranking of the system. They have plenty of big upside players, especially in the outfield to watch closely.

While the 2018 draft lost the top player, there are some very intriguing players from that draft class to watch, including outfielder Jameson Hannah, one of my personal favorite players in the 2018 draft, and shortstop Jeremy Eierman, who was one of the top college middle infielders entering the 2018 draft. The guy to watch for me, though, will be a 2017 draftee, shortstop Nick Allen, who is arguably the best defensive shortstop in all the minor leagues. Allen showed off his plus speed as well last season, but he struggled to make consistent contact. He’ll be in the Cal League this year, and if he can see the bat tick up even a bit, he’ll be a sure-fire top 100 prospect after 2019.

14. Philadelphia Phillies

Top prospect: #84 Luis Garcia, SS
Prospect to watch in 2019: Logan O’Hoppe, C

The Philadelphia Phillies have used some of their top prospects to gain players for the big league club as they’re now on the other side of a rebuild, but they also saw some struggles in getting players to the big leagues through their system.

Some of that comes down to some questionable drafting. While the last three top picks all look to still have a chance to be big leaguers, each has shown to not be the elite-level prospect that perhaps their draft position indicated that they would be. Then, while the team is tremendous at identifying Latin American pitching talent, getting that talent through the upper minors seems to be a struggle that they’ve not figured out quite yet.

As Rhys Hoskins shows, the Phillies do get excellent production out of surprising hitters. Hoskins was a 5th round pick out of Cal State-Sacramento, but an even more obscure draft pick could end up being a big mover in 2019. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe was drafted in the 23rd round out of New York high school. He’s got advanced defensive skills behind the plate, and he has a good feel for contact. If he can add power and take a few pitches along the way, he could join an elite crop of catching prospects in the game. He hasn’t been assigned yet, but he could go from extended spring straight to low-A later in April or in early May to begin his journey.

This is where we start to get on the fringe of the elite systems, with these farm systems typically missing just one component to truly be among one of the elite. Incredibly, when I first started writing on prospects, many of these systems would have the depth already to be considered top-5 systems, but focus on development in the game has really led to much better depth throughout farm systems in all the game:

13. Pittsburgh Pirates

Top prospect: #26 Mitch Keller, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Tahnaj Thomas, RHP

Many are surprised to see how many Pirates prospects populate top 100 lists this offseason, but the thing is – there are a host of players that are just off those top 100 lists that are really the reason that the Pirates are right here.

Pittsburgh has seen homegrown players boost the team to competitiveness that was held for a number of years and may be on a bit of a retooling point right now as they prepare for the next generation to take over after Cutch and Cole turn to Taillon and…perhaps Hayes? The work the team has done to stress athleticism and all-around play up and down the system on the position player side has sometimes left players not as polished when they reached the big leagues, meaning they take their lumps with MLB pitching for a bit, but as seen with guys like Gregory Polanco (94 OPS+ over nearly 2,000 plate appearances before breaking out for 23 home runs and 12 steals in just 130 games in 2018 before injury), once they adapt, those players can turn into superstars.

While the Pirates penchant for developing arms really has been in retooling major league arms under pitching coach Ray Searage, the minor league system has developed some excellent young hurlers, and Tahnaj Thomas from the Bahamas could be the next big name to know in the Pirates system. He was acquired from the Indians this offseason, and at 6’4″ and ~200 pounds, he has an excellent frame on the mound. He’s still raw, but can pump a fastball consistently in the mid-90s, touching 97 with a slider that took huge steps forward last season. There’s work to do here, but Thomas has the upside to be something very special and could move quickly once kinks in his delivery and feel for his third pitch come together.

12. St. Louis Cardinals

Top prospect: #29 Alex Reyes, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Jhon Torres, OF

The Cardinals continue to be a steady organization, rarely in competition for the top overall farm system, but also rarely out of the top half of systems in the game, often getting tremendous value from mid- to late-round selections in the draft or low-priced international signings. It’s all quite annoying for anyone not a fan of the team of Musial, Wizard, and Bob Gibson!

What has become interesting in the Cardinals system in recent years is a seeming drift away from the center of the field. The top infield prospects are almost exclusively future corner infield prospects. The top outfield prospects in the system are nearly all future corner outfielders, not center fielders. Perhaps the one area that still is strong up the middle is a significant depth in catching, which allowed the team to trade away long-time “catcher in waiting” Carson Kelly this winter.

When viewing those corner players, one particular outfielder really stands out, and not just because he literally stands taller than most at a true 6’4″. He has filled out well and held his athleticism as he’s done so, producing plus to even double-plus raw power along with plus speed underway. He’s got an arm that ranks among the best in all the minor leagues as well. That young man is Jhon Torres, a trade acquisition from the Indians last summer that could be one to track closely as he’s shown good feel for the barrel of his bat, but wavering zone recognition, so as he develops that more fully, he could really take off!

11. Los Angeles Angels

Top prospect: #8 Jo Adell, OF
Prospect to watch in 2019: Livan Soto, SS

Those who lamented the Mike Trout signing often did so with a chorus of “but they haven’t surrounded him with winning teams and don’t have the farm to do it anytime soon”. Those people obviously are not paying attention.

What Billy Eppler and his staff in the Angels front office have done to remake the Angels farm system in just a few seasons is nothing short of incredible. Not only does the system have star prospects, but there is plenty of depth, both at the upper levels and lower levels in players that should provide value. He’s attacked multiple routes to acquire those players as well, going after both college and prep players in the draft while grabbing multiple high-upside players in the Latin market, and he’s even taken advantage of gifts that have come his way, like Shohei Ohtani and signing multiple former Atlanta Braves prospects that were removed by MLB.

In all, he’s developed a farm system that really has excellent depth and raw talent. One thing that is very interesting is how certain players that weren’t as highly regarded have thrived with the Angels. One great example is Livan Soto. Certainly, anyone looking at the three players the Angels signed from the ex-Braves would not have identified Soto as the top guy of that bunch, but he’s quickly establishing himself as just that, with elite defensive skills that may only be rivaled in the Angels system by their all-world shortstop at the big league level along with plus contact tool and excellent plate discipline. He’s added strength and worked with the Angels to adjust his swing to generate more power as well, and though he doesn’t have anywhere near Andrelton’s arm, he is on par or better with virtually everything else he does defensively, which should allow him to stick at short. As he gains comfort in his new swing, he could move very quickly up the system.

10. Cleveland Indians

Top prospect: #45 Triston McKenzie, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Brayan Rocchio, SS

With McKenzie ranking #45 as their top prospect, many might be surprised to see the Indians this high, but with the exception of just one other team that is yet to come on this list, no one else has as much talent that has yet to reach full-season ball at the end of 2018 as does the Cleveland system.

While that could lead many to say that the system may be deep, but it’s way too high risk to be here, also consider that their top 10-15 consensus prospects contain roughly 4-5 players in the upper minors, 4-5 now in full-season A-ball leagues in 2019, and another 4-5 who have yet to reach full season again to open 2019. There will be help coming soon as well as a huge wave within 4-5 years.

Very possibly the most talked-about prospect in the Indians system this spring as I’ve talked around has been shortstop Brayan Rocchio, part of the vaunted Cleveland 2017 international signing class. The Venezuelan showed very well in the Arizona Rookie League in 2018 in his pro debut, flashing impressive skills in the field and on the bases, along with a plus hit tool. Many have been impressed with his overall profile and believe that he could be a guy to develop 15-20 home run power to accompany his plus speed from a middle infield spot along with his potential future batting champ skills with putting the bat on the ball. He should reach the Midwest League at some point this year.

9. Cincinnati Reds

Top prospect: #10 Nick Senzel, IF/OF
Prospect to watch in 2019: Mariel Bautista, OF

A trade before the season has shifted the Reds not only down the list but also out of a “tier” for me, but this is still a very deep system. When folks cannot agree on your #7-#20 prospects, that usually means one of two things – either your system is really not very good and only 6 decent prospects exist, or your system is so deep that there’s not agreement on the final three in your top 10. For the Reds, it’s definitely the latter.

While the names further down in the system may not be well-known, having four players in the top 50 consensus around the industry definitely shows that there is talent here. Losing Hunter Greene to Tommy John is certainly a blow, but with the youth of a number of the players in the system, a number of players could produce in 2019 to move into top 100 conversation after the season.

One guy to watch for exactly that would be outfielder Mariel Bautista. While he’s taken a few years to get to full-season ball, Bautista has been handled carefully by the Reds to let his immense talent fill into his frame, and it’s done just that. He’s now added roughly 20 pounds to his frame since signing, and he could still add even more strength without hurting his athleticism. Bautista has a special gift at the plate for making contact along with the frame to produce potential plaus power. He’s already a plus runner and has good instincts in the field, though he has just an average arm, likely making his future in left field. After letting him have the time to develop physically, the Reds could see Bautista move quickly with his advanced bat.

The next four systems are really the “elite-minus” among farm systems, with all the components of an elite system, but perhaps a player or component missing compared to the teams who are in front of them:

8. Los Angeles Dodgers

Top prospect: #20 Keibert Ruiz, C
Prospect to watch in 2019: Michael Grove, RHP

It does get a bit frustrating for those competing in the National League when looking at prospect lists like this, realizing that the Dodgers continue to have a top 10 farm system while also being the NL representative in the World Series the last two seasons. The Dodgers have not picked earlier than #15 since 2006, when they selected some high school lefty from Texas at #7 overall.

The Dodgers seem to have a consistent stream of talent, and that’s not changed, even though recent trades to make World Series runs have sent over a dozen minor leaguers from the farm system. The Dodgers have brought in minor league players recently in deals and even through other deals along the way, though, consistently looking for talent that others may not be valuing, which is why the Dodgers have been able to see guys like Chris Taylor, Justin Turner, and Max Muncy have success.

While perhaps more of a high-pedigree player than those, one of the Dodgers 2018 draft picks could be a guy to really watch this season as 2nd round pick Michael Grove was in line to be a top pick as he was elite in his sophomore year of college in 2017, but he blew out his elbow and missed all of 2018. He’s well-built and works with a mid-90s fastball and mid-80s hard slider. He’s worked to get his delivery back, and once he gets comfortable there and starts getting his stuff back as well, he could move quickly as a potential mid-rotation option or even a power reliever.

7. Chicago White Sox

Top prospect: #4 Eloy Jimenez, OF
Prospect to watch in 2019: Caberea Weaver, OF

The White Sox were hoping to be able to graduate multiple members of their list this year with Michael Kopech having Tommy John last year that will keep him out all of 2019 and now Dane Dunning having the same surgery and missing all of the season as well. Fans in the Windy City will have to enjoy Eloy this year and hope development happens to see multiple players in 2020 from their system.

Stagnation and struggles with some of the big names in the system has dropped the White Sox system in many ranking lists, but the raw talent is there. It really wouldn’t surprise if a guy like Zack Collins or Alec Hanson jumped forward with a big 2019, but injuries have seemed to curse the top prospects as well, so it’s something to watch whether the White Sox prospects can stay healthy.

One of those guys that everyone is hoping to stay healthy to see is uber-athletic Caberea Weaver, the White Sox 7th round pick out of high school in Georgia last year. He’s got impressive speed and should stay in center field for now, but there are multiple scouts who compared where he’s at with his raw ability to Reds outfield prospect Taylor Trammell, who was incredibly athletic, but he picked up game nuance very quickly and worked on his long swing to become one of the game’s top prospects. If Weaver could do the same, he could move quickly and be the top-order table setter for Eloy down the line.

6. Houston Astros

Top prospect: #3 Forrest Whitley, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: Luis Santana, 2B

With three elite prospects, the Astros system is often noted primarily for those guys, but there is plenty in the system, even after seeing the 2017 World Series run be keyed by players developed in the farm system.

The Astros have been noted for their use of innovative techniques in drafting and evaluating players, and that has allowed them to develop plenty of depth in their farm system, such that they’ve seen multiple excellent players lately go elsewhere and have success simply because there was no room in their big league club for the player.

While the pitching development has received plenty of criticism for the “stacking” of starters, Houston seems to be producing viable major league arms at a breakneck pace, with their top prospect also an arm. The talent of bats is also well spread out among up-the-middle players, corner power guys, and guys who are bit of both.

One guy to watch was acquired this offseason away from the Mets organization, a flashy infielder from the Dominican named Luis Santana. Santana is just 5’8″ as he’s listed (though he could even be shorter than that!), but he has tremendous power in his small package. That power is not likely to be home run power with his current swing, but he is able to make consistent contact with his aggressive approach. While just an average runner, he has good instincts and exceptional effort that allows him to play up to a fringe-plus defender at second base. He should get a shot at full-season ball in 2019 and be fun to see how he handles that challenge.

5. Minnesota Twins

Top prospect: #5 Alex Kirilloff, OF
Prospect to watch in 2019: Jordan Balazovic, RHP

Not that long ago, the Twins were considered a top farm system with two elite prospects looking to lead a new wave for a team that had been tremendously successful in the 2000s but not so much in the 2010s. Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano haven’t quite reached the levels hoped for them, but multiple players in the system at that time have formed the core of the team that made the playoffs in 2017 and are considered a potential playoff contender in 2019.

The Twins used a pair of big drafts in 2016 and 2017 to impact their minor league system as well as some very good international signings. What’s been most notable is the work that the new Twins front office to develop players in a more modern way, seeing pitchers with more velocity and strikeout focus and hitters who are more patient and can pull the ball as well as use their athleticism. The depth of talent could lead to some interesting decisions soon, especially in the outfield as fast-moving prospects begin knocking on the door.

One of the players from that 2016 draft that really has been noted but hasn’t really moved up the system significantly is right hander Jordan Balazovic. A 5th round selection out of Canada in that year’s draft, Balazovic was exceptionally lean when drafted, with some reports of 6’5″ and 165. He was truly more 6’4″ and 170-175, which is still plenty lean. He has filled out well and as he has, his velocity has been able to hold deeper into games. He has worked on his slider, which can run into the upper-80s and even bump 90, to compliment his heat, which has been more consistent in the 93-96 range and able to touch 97-98. His change has above-average movement, but he’s still working on commanding the pitch. There were some off-field issues in his draft profile that were mentioned, but he has worked past them, and if his first start of 2019 is any indication, he could be a big factor in top 100 lists after the 2019 season.

Our next two teams are two different organizations in their building. While the Jays have elite top players and have arguably the best farm system of players who have not yet played full-season ball, the Braves are stacked in the upper levels of their farm system without a top-10 guy, but frequently either the second-most or third-most top-100 players:

4. Toronto Blue Jays

Top prospect: #1 Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., 3B
Prospect to watch in 2019: Orelvis Martinez, SS

I mentioned with the Cleveland Indians that only one team for sure has a system with more talent below the full season level to end 2018 than them, and this is the organization. Combine that with two of the top 10-15 prospects in the entire game, and you have an impressive overall farm system.

The Blue Jays will certainly get extra note due to Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. in the organization, but the loaded farm system has future position players in the majors throughout the top 30 at all levels of the organization. Recent drafts have been very fruitful, and not just in the first round or even the first couple rounds. Add in some incredible international signings, and the Jays have a lot for their fans to look forward to, though the present could hurt just a bit on the scoreboard each night.

One of those international signings that could become a household name in Jays fans homes by the end of the year is infielder Orelvis Martinez, signed out of the Dominican Republic just last July. Orelvis has already impressed scouts at instructs, and if you ask scouts about the 2018 class and which player from that signing class could have a season like Vladdy in 2016 or Wander Franco in 2018, the overwhelming response was Martinez. Martinez has definite power in his swing, though his pre-swing setup needs some adjustment, though there were already signs of that in instructs. He’ll open at short, but with below-average speed, he’s most likely to move to third, where his plus arm and excellent hands would play well.

3. Atlanta Braves

Top prospect: #18 Mike Soroka, RHP
Prospect to watch in 2019: CJ Alexander, 3B

Competing for the #1 system in the game for the last couple of years, this may feel like a step down for Braves fans, but after making a playoff run last season, most Braves fans are plenty fine with seeing the struggles of the rebuild come to an end and some success from players in the farm system lead to a successful big league club.

That certainly doesn’t mean that there is a lack of talent on the Braves farm system, however. In fact, there is not another system with near the overall upper-level pitching talent as the Atlanta Braves, which could be something that becomes fuel for a trade this season as the Braves compete in the NL East after a busy offseason for their competition in the division. The Braves rotation will likely not feature a start by a pitcher over 30 years of age this season.

With all that depth of pitching, of course the hitters can get overlooked, and one that has really emerged is a late draft pick in 2018. CJ Alexander was selected out of JuCo in the 20th round and was incredible, though he did adjust his previously-power-hungry swing in order to get those results. Alexander spent the offseason looking to mix his contact-oriented swing of his pro debut and his power stroke from his amateur time to hopefully combine the two. The Braves definitely showed some trust in Alexander’s ability to adjust, sending him all the way to AA to open his first full pro season!

These final two systems are the elite of the elite. Both have not just depth in top-100 players, but they have players off their top 30 lists that could jump up to the top 100, showing the depths of their systems in raw talent:

2. Tampa Bay Rays

Top prospect: #6 Wander Franco, SS
Prospect to watch in 2019: Tanner Dodson, RHP/OF

Very quietly, the Tampa Bay Rays are looking much like the organization that surprised many in baseball by taking a young, exuberant team to the World Series in 2008. This Rays group is still getting its best players to the big league club, so the best days could still be a few years away, but there are top prospects ready for the big leagues and plenty of recent top prospects dotting the roster as well.

There has really been no singular method that has keyed the rejuvenation of the Rays farm system as they’ve seen top prospects in the system come from the draft, from international signings, and from trades, without any one method dominating. The real fun will be when the organization’s penchant for two-way talent gets to the big leagues, making the “opener” seem like no big deal compared to a roster of two-way players!

Speaking of two-way players, the guy to watch could see his two-way ability allow him to move very quickly through the Rays farm system after being drafted in the 2nd round in the 2018 draft out of Cal. Tanner Dodson was likely not a pro prospect as an outfielder, but on the mound, he’s a tremendous relief prospect with a hard-sinking fastball that reaches upper-90s and a hard slider that can touch 90 to pair with it. He is a very good defender with fringe-plus speed and an obvious plus arm in the outfield along with fringe-average contact skills. The combination could make him a dynamic member of the Rays bench, with the ability to pitch out of the bullpen with hard stuff and also work as a 4th/5th outfielder, saving a roster spot. He should move quickly, likely getting him to the big leagues in 2020, if not by the end of 2019.

1. San Diego Padres

Top prospect: #2 Fernando Tatis, Jr., SS
Prospect to watch in 2019: Xavier Edwards, SS

There really isn’t a question who is #1 among farm systems right now. The Padres had 17 players that I considered as legit potential members of my top 150 prospects in the entire game, with 11 making the list. The Padres have shown that they’re not afraid to use their prospects as well, with their top prospect Tatis opening the season in the major leagues and their closest pitching prospect making the big league rotation out of spring camp.

With that amount of depth in top prospects, finding one that’s someone “off the radar” is difficult, so instead, I’m going to focus on a couple of prospects that may be known, but they’re definitely guys who should be valued much higher than they currently are. While he’s not the guy I list as the #1 prospect to watch, potentially the most interesting prospect in the system is outfielder Jeisson Rosario, who is known to be a cut-up in the dug out to go along with ridiculous athleticism, including the ability to throw with both arms. Rosario has legit double-plus speed and what would be considered a plus eye at the plate, as he really has tremendous zone recognition. He doesn’t project to more than average power, if even that, but with excellent defense and speed along with a good OBP and contact skills, he could be a very good top-order hitter and center fielder that will play in the California League to open 2019, but he could finish the year in the upper minors at just 19 all of the 2019 season.

The guy I will highlight is shortstop Xavier Edwards. Incredibly, Edwards is ranked around #15-22 in this farm system, but in roughly 25 of the systems in the game, he’s a top 3-5 player in the system. Edwards was selected in the supplemental 1st round in 2018 out of high school in Florida, and his raw tools could have him competing with Rosario for that future leadoff job, but he’s also got the chance to have above-average power. He’s got excellent hands, and though his arm may lead to him being a second baseman, he should be a high-level defender at the position as well as the type of guy who tortures pitchers at the top of the batting order. He’s getting his first taste of full-season ball this year, but it would not surprise if he pushes the envelope quickly!

So there you have it, all 30 systems ranked! What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Feel free to comment below, or if you’d like to see more content like this (with no advertising!) click on the Patreon button below and you can even decide which players I write up scouting reports about!

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