Here's our ranking of every farm system, from 1-30
Evaluating the relative talents of more than 5,000 prospects in various stages of development across 30 organizations is difficult to do with precision. Yet since MLB Pipeline started its biannual farm system rankings before the 2015 season, the clubs that have earned the No. 1 spot have enjoyed an undeniable track record of success almost immediately afterward.
The Cubs (pre-2015), Red Sox (mid-2015), Dodgers (pre-2016) and Braves (pre-2017) all parlayed their prospect talent into World Series championships. The Brewers (mid-2016), White Sox (mid-2017) and Rays (pre-2021 through pre-2021) all set franchise records for consecutive playoff appearances with four, two and five (and counting) respectively.
The Padres (pre-2018 through mid-2019) are on the verge of making the postseason for the third time in five seasons, something they've never done before. The Orioles (mid-2021 through pre-2024) won 101 games last year and could top the American League in victories for the second straight season.
Tampa Bay moves back into the No. 1 spot in our latest system rankings, which are based on long-term Major League value -- factoring in impact talent, depth, proximity to the Majors, balance between position players and pitchers and between ceilings and floors. The numbers in parentheses indicate where prospects sit on our newly updated Top 100 Prospects list.
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2024 preseason rank: 6
2023 midseason rank: 7
2023 preseason rank: 6
2022 midseason rank: 8
Tampa Bay already boasted a sharp tip of the spear in its system with the players above, and it’s one of only two organizations with four prospects in the top 50 on the updated list (the Cubs being the other). It also had the Minor League leader in both average and steals in Chandler Simpson, a few promising young arms in Gary Gill Hill and Santiago Suarez and some more solid bats in Brailer Guerrero, Tre’ Morgan and Dominic Keegan. But the club’s aggressive approach to build out the system at the Trade Deadline put it over the top and created the deepest farm in baseball. Headlined by Aidan Smith, Dylan Lesko and Brody Hopkins, eight of the Rays’ Top 30 prospects joined the org in July trades.
2. Minnesota Twins
2024 preseason rank: 15
2023 midseason rank: 17
2023 preseason rank: 19
2022 midseason rank: 23
Not only do the Twins have three players in the top 25, they are one of five teams with six players in the Top 100. They’re finding top-tier talent from their first-round picks and big international signees, but also in the later rounds. Matthews and Festa are the biggest examples, but the Twins continue to find big league pitching from just about every stage of the Draft, and in addition to the talent at the top, this is a deep and robust system.
3. Baltimore Orioles
2024 preseason rank: 1
2023 midseason rank: 1
2023 preseason rank: 1
2022 midseason rank: 1
This ends a run of six straight farm system rankings with the Orioles at the top, but there’s obviously still a lot to like about this system, starting with three players in the top 11 overall. The addition of first-rounder Vance Honeycutt provides another super-toolsy player who could jump into the Top 100 if he shows he can manage the strike zone. Some pitchers -- i.e., Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott -- have touched the big leagues and should have the chance to be more permanent contributors there in 2025 and beyond. Steps forward by players like right-hander Juan Nuñez and outfielder Stiven Martinez help solidify the top half of the O’s list, even if the back half has thinned out a bit via trades and graduations.
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4. Cleveland Guardians
2024 preseason rank: 19
2023 midseason rank: 15
2023 preseason rank: 4
2022 midseason rank: 3
The Guardians needed to replenish their system after 17 rookies made their big league debuts in 2022 and five former Top 100 prospects graduated to the Majors last season. They've done just that, making the biggest surge (up 15 spots) since our March rankings and tying for the lead among all teams with six Top 100 dudes. Having youngsters such as Chourio, Velazquez and Genao take steps forward helps. So did spending an unprecedented $20.4 million on the Draft, which landed the best pure hitter available in Bazzana and several talented high school arms.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers
2024 preseason rank: 8
2023 midseason rank: 6
2023 preseason rank: 2
2022 midseason rank: 2
We write this every time we do system rankings, but the Dodgers never stop winning or developing prospects. They're a lock for their 12th consecutive playoff appearance and responded to graduating three Top 100 prospects in 2023 by having De Paula, Ryan, Freeland and Ferris all jump onto the list since the start of this season. They also have an incredible wave of teenage talent just getting started in shortstops Joendry Vargas, Emil Morales and Kellon Lindsey; and outfielders Eduardo Quintero, Zyhir Hope and Ching-Hsien Ko.
6. Detroit Tigers
2024 preseason rank: 5
2023 midseason rank: 13
2023 preseason rank: 25
2022 midseason rank: 22
The Tigers’ farm may have lost Colt Keith to graduation, but McGonigle’s breakout in his first full season has helped Detroit’s pipeline remain just as strong. Clark, Jobe and Jung have kept on chugging as potential future Motor City cornerstones, and first-rounder Rainer was arguably the best prep prospect available in this year’s Draft class. Adding Thayron Liranzo in the Jack Flaherty deal brought in some extra ceiling, and Hao-Yu Lee and Dillon Dingler solidified their places as top-10 talents in a top-heavy system.
7. Boston Red Sox
2024 preseason rank: 14
2023 midseason rank: 16
2023 preseason rank: 16
2022 midseason rank: 11
Few teams have a better trio of prospects than the Red Sox with Mayer, Anthony and Teel, all of whom are knocking on the door to the Majors in Triple-A. Campbell, a supplemental fourth-rounder from 2023 who has become one of the biggest breakout performers in the Minors this year, isn't far behind. Outfielder Braden Montgomery (the No. 12 overall pick in July) and international shortstops Franklin Arias and Yoeilin Cespedes are potential All-Star position players as well, though Boston lacks quality arms.
8. Chicago Cubs
2024 preseason rank: 2
2023 midseason rank: 4
2023 preseason rank: 12
2022 midseason rank: 10
The Cubs have graduated four former Top 100 prospects to Wrigley Field this year -- Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown -- yet they still tie for the org lead with six current Top 100 guys. All of them are in Triple-A and should bolster the big league club soon. It's a top-heavy system that drops off fast after that contingent, precocious shortstop Jefferson Rojas and 2024 first-rounder Cam Smith, however, and there's precious little pitching.
9. Seattle Mariners
2024 preseason rank: 18
2023 midseason rank: 19
2023 preseason rank: 24
2022 midseason rank: 24
Not only are the Mariners one of the five teams with six Top 100 prospects, they join the Guardians as the only ones with six hitters on the list. It’s hard not to get excited about the young bats, and it shows the diversification of how the M’s do it (three high school draftees, one college, two international signees). Beyond those top guys, it’s a really deep and interesting system that includes three arms in the top 10 -- two from this year’s Draft in Jurrangelo Cijntje and Ryan Sloan and one who has jumped up onto the radar strongly this year in Logan Evans.
10. Washington Nationals
2024 preseason rank: 12
2023 midseason rank: 8
2023 preseason rank: 10
2022 midseason rank: 15
The Nats would have slid a few spots higher had James Wood not graduated over the weekend. (They’ll gladly take his production in the Majors, thanks.) In his stead, Crews and House remain Top 100 mainstays, and the former, who is in the midst of a Triple-A surge in his first full season, could see D.C. before the year is out as well. Washington has also seen breakouts on the mound from 2023 third-rounder Sykora and fireballer Jarlin Susana, and it built the system out more through trades (Alex Clemmey) and the Draft (Seaver King, Luke Dickerson, Caleb Lomavita, Kevin Bazzell). Contention should be right around the corner in the capital if the Nats supplement these homegrown contributors with other talent soon.
11. Chicago White Sox
2024 preseason rank: 20
2023 midseason rank: 20
2023 preseason rank: 26
2022 midseason rank: 26
The White Sox are enduring a dismal season in the Majors but their farm system has improved from 26th entering 2023 to the cusp of the top 10, thanks to two promising Drafts and a series of veterans-for-prospects deals. Twenty of the prospects on their Top 30 have joined the organization since the start of last year, with the notable exceptions of 2022 first-rounder Schultz and 2021 first-rounder Montgomery. Chicago is tied with the Marlins for the second-most ranked prospects (11, one behind the Rays) acquired in trades but is tied for last with the Athletics with just two via the international market.
12. Colorado Rockies
2024 preseason rank: 21
2023 midseason rank: 18
2023 preseason rank: 14
2022 midseason rank: 9
Picking in the top 10 in the past two Drafts has certainly helped, with those selections topping the six Top 100 guys the Rockies have. Dollander’s big first full season is a lift as well, and many people felt Condon was the best player in the 2024 class. The Rockies have built out their system with solid Drafts of late, with players like Cole Carrigg and Sean Sullivan joining Dollander in representing the Class of ‘23 well, and also boast many players beyond those classes who have turned in strong 2024 campaigns. Continued development/hitting the reset button for international signees like Fernandez and Amador could help the Rockies slot in even higher next year.
13. New York Mets
2024 preseason rank: 13
2023 midseason rank: 11
2023 preseason rank: 11
2022 midseason rank: 14
Sproat’s surge from High-A to Triple-A on the back of a strong pitch mix has headlined a system that has been ravaged by injuries to players like Jett Williams, Drew Gilbert and Ronny Mauricio. Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong have established themselves as legitimate arms with two of the best pitches -- slider and fastball respectively -- in the whole system, while Jesus Baez’s surge was dulled some by season-ending right knee surgery in July. Healthier seasons from Williams and Gilbert and a full campaign from 2024 top pick Carson Benge could push New York into the top 10 next year.
14. Cincinnati Reds
2024 preseason rank: 10
2023 midseason rank: 5
2023 preseason rank: 5
2022 midseason rank: 4
On a Top 100 list with the lowest total of pitchers ever, there are just 11 arms in the top 50, so it’s notable that two of them are Reds prospects. Both were top 10 picks, with Lowder really seeming to be figuring things out in Double-A down the stretch in his first full season and Burns the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s Draft. This is a really young group of prospects, with five of the Reds' new top 10 still in their teens. That might mean fans will have to wait a little longer for talent to impact the big league club, though guys like Rece Hinds and Blake Dunn have contributed this year at the plate and a somewhat underrated arm in Julian Aguiar is knocking on the door.
15. Miami Marlins
2024 preseason rank: 29
2023 midseason rank: 24
2023 preseason rank: 18
2022 midseason rank: 16
The Marlins not only are tied for second with 11 ranked prospects acquired in trades -- led by second baseman Connor Norby, catcher Agustin Ramirez and corner infielder Deyvison de los Santos -- but first-year president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has landed them all in the past three months. That helped Miami make the second-biggest jump in our rankings, moving up 14 spots from No. 29 before the season. It has much more success developing pitchers than hitters, so that bodes well for its three Top 100 prospects, who cost them $15.3 million and three premium Draft picks.
16. Philadelphia Phillies
2024 preseason rank: 22
2023 midseason rank: 23
2023 preseason rank: 21
2022 midseason rank: 25
It’s always a positive sign when your top prospects show upward mobility. All three of the Phillies’ Top 100 hitters have each been promoted up a level in 2024, with Crawford particularly performing well in his new environment. The system inches up a bit this time around and that’s without Painter throwing a pitch in nearly two years. He could very easily come back in 2025 and resume looking like the best pitching prospect in the game, which would clearly boost the Phillies’ ranking. Though Mick Abel has struggled, other young bats like catcher Eduardo Tait have performed well, and the Phillies kept going aggressively after young hitters in this year’s Draft, adding Dante Nori and Griffin Burkholder to their top 10.
17. Milwaukee Brewers
2024 preseason rank: 3
2023 midseason rank: 3
2023 preseason rank: 15
2022 midseason rank: 19
Milwaukee graduated Top 100 prospects Jackson Chourio and Joey Ortiz and have lost Quero and fifth-ranked Robert Gasser for much of the season due to shoulder and elbow surgeries respectively. That’s the bad news when it comes to injuries and some of the causes for the drop here. The good news: Pratt has become a legit shortstop prospect in his first full season, and players like Luke Adams, Mike Boeve, Josh Knoth, Jesus Made and Brett Wichrowski have solidified their standings as names to follow. The Brewers thrive on building farm-system depth, which is why they don’t fall outside the top 20 even after “losing” a potential superstar in Chourio.
18. New York Yankees
2024 preseason rank: 11
2023 midseason rank: 21
2023 preseason rank: 13
2022 midseason rank: 12
Top 100 prospect: Jasson Domínguez, OF (No. 17)
Domínguez is making a strong comeback from Tommy John surgery, but the Yankees' three other preseason Top 100 prospects have dropped off the list. Outfielder Spencer Jones and shortstop Roderick Arias have struggled offensively, while right-hander Chase Hampton missed the first three months of the season with elbow discomfort. New York excels at getting the best out of pitching prospects and used its first seven picks in July, starting with Southeastern Conference right-handers Ben Hess, Bryce Cunningham and Thatcher Hurd.
19. St. Louis Cardinals
2024 preseason rank: 23
2023 midseason rank: 22
2023 preseason rank: 9
2022 midseason rank: 13
Getting Wetherholt -- a legit candidate to go first overall right down to the wire -- at seventh overall this year could prove to be one of the steals of the Draft. It gave the Cardinals system a much-needed impact bat alongside the two pitchers in Hence and Mathews while former Top 100 prospects Thomas Saggese and Victor Scott II took steps back at the upper levels. Jimmy Crooks has improved as a well-rounded backstop, and there have been interesting steps forward from low-level arms Chen-Wei Lin and Darlin Saladin as well. But there’s still work to do beyond adding Wetherholt to make this a deeper, more talented group.
20. Pittsburgh Pirates
2024 preseason rank: 9
2023 midseason rank: 2
2023 preseason rank: 8
2022 midseason rank: 7
Losing the best pitching prospect anyone has seen in years to graduation means your ranking is going to take a hit. Then you add in former fellow Top 100 arm Jared Jones becoming a big leaguer too, and that’s a double whammy. The good news is that Chandler has taken up the challenge of being the best pitching prospect in the organization and Ashcraft has taken a big step forward along with non-Top 100 arms like Thomas Harrington and Hunter Barco. The hitters in the system have not progressed with the same consistency, but it was exciting to see the Pirates inject it with exciting young bats from this year’s Draft in Griffin and Wyatt Sanford, not to mention a high-upside arm like Levi Sterling.
21. Arizona Diamondbacks
2024 preseason rank: 16
2023 midseason rank: 12
2023 preseason rank: 3
2022 midseason rank: 5
Lawlar has missed much of 2024 with thumb and hamstring injuries or else he would have been a candidate to graduate off this list. Fellow top-10 prospects Tommy Troy, Yu-Min Lin and Gino Groover have also been bit by the injury bug throughout the summer, halting their potential progresses. Arizona added a pair of solid-hitting outfielders in the Draft in Slade Caldwell and Ryan Waldschmidt, while Yilber Diaz has become a legit Major League option on the mound. But this system remains a few levels below where it was when Corbin Carroll topped it, a price to pay for being competitive at the top level for two straight years.
22. Oakland Athletics
2024 preseason rank: 25
2023 midseason rank: 26
2023 preseason rank: 22
2022 midseason rank: 17
Despite some injuries, Wilson went from first-rounder to big leaguer in a year and there’s a good chance that Kurtz, this year’s No. 4 overall pick, could move pretty quickly as well. The A’s had a solid 2024 Draft overall -- snaring a potential first-round pick in Tommy White in Round 2 was a good get -- with some intriguing talent acquired throughout the rounds. Between the Draft and Trade Deadline deals, the A’s have breathed a little life into the system, with 10 total players (six from the Draft, 4 from trades) added to the new Top 30.
23. San Francisco Giants
2024 preseason rank: 17
2023 midseason rank: 14
2023 preseason rank: 17
2022 midseason rank: 18
With Kyle Harrison and Marco Luciano graduating to the Majors after headlining the Giants system for so long, it now has a different look. San Francisco's eight best prospects all signed within the past two years: Eldridge, Birdsong, Tibbs, left-handers Carson Whisenhunt and Joe Whitman, outfielders Dakota Jordan and Rayner Arias, shortstop Walker Martin. Eldridge (2023) and Tibbs (2024) will try to reverse the trend of the Giants getting little out of their first-round picks since a run of Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey and Zack Wheeler from 2006-09.
24. Toronto Blue Jays
2024 preseason rank: 24
2023 midseason rank: 25
2023 preseason rank: 25
2022 midseason rank: 20
Top 100 prospects: None
Orelvis Martinez’s PED suspension and Ricky Tiedemann’s Tommy John surgery mean the Jays will be without two of their best preseason prospects in the second half, and injuries to pitchers Adam Macko, Kendry Rojas, Landen Maroudis and Brandon Barriera have further taken the shine off in ’24. On a positive note, Toronto was aggressive in bulking up the system at the Trade Deadline and earned praise for picking up prospects Jake Bloss and Will Wagner from the Astros, Jonatan Clase from the Mariners and Charles McAdoo from the Pirates in particular. That has buoyed the system for now, and maybe strong 2025s from first-rounders Trey Yesavage and Arjun Nimmala can provide further boosts next year.
25. Kansas City Royals
2024 preseason rank: 28
2023 midseason rank: 29
2023 preseason rank: 29
2022 midseason rank: 21
Kansas City’s two most recent first-round picks lead the way. Getting Caglianone at sixth overall this summer was a massive boon to the top of the rankings, given his plus-plus power, and the Royals seem at least open about him as a two-way option. Mitchell’s pop has played to expectations in his first full season, and he looks like the heir apparent to Salvador Perez. The Royals lack other high-ceiling names, but the depth has improved with nice steps forward by pitchers Noah Cameron and Steven Zobac and 18-year-old outfielder Asbel Gonzalez, among others.
26. Texas Rangers
2024 preseason rank: 7
2023 midseason rank: 10
2023 preseason rank: 7
2022 midseason rank: 6
Top 100 prospect: Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B (No. 38)
The defending World Series champions have taken the second-biggest tumble from our March rankings (down 19 spots), in large part because Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford shed their prospect status after sitting fifth and sixth on our preseason Top 100. On the positive side, the Rangers rank second with 12 ranked prospects from the international market, led by Walcott and bargain right-handers Emiliano Teodo and Winston Santos. They're also making strides with developing pitchers, with Kumar Rocker looking good in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, 2023 fifth-rounder Alejandro Rosario looking sensational and Jack Leiter figuring some things out at Triple-A.
27. Atlanta Braves
2024 preseason rank: 26
2023 midseason rank: 27
2023 preseason rank: 30
2022 midseason rank: 27
Top 100 prospects: None
The Braves started the season with a pair of arms in the Top 100, AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep, but both have dropped off the list, giving them no representation on it for the second time in the last four (2023 preseason). The good news is that not only are Smith-Shawver and Waldrep young with plenty of time to reach their potential, they’ve been joined by 2024 first-rounder Cam Caminiti, now the No. 1 prospect in the organization, to form a very solid trio of young arms. If they can get Owen Murphy and JR Ritchie fully behind their Tommy John surgeries (Ritchie is back; look for Murphy in 2025), this will be once again a solid pipeline of pitching prospects. Even without a top-ranked system, the Braves always manage to find pieces to trade to help them compete, like they did to bring in Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson this year.
28. San Diego Padres
2024 preseason rank: 4
2023 midseason rank: 9
2023 preseason rank: 23
2022 midseason rank: 28
So about that Trade Deadline. The Padres have dealt 12 of their top 21 prospects, including some in the Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez moves earlier in the year, which is why they’ve made the biggest drop (24 spots) from our preseason rankings. They’ve held onto Salas and De Vries -- who would have been at the top of the list regardless of who had stayed -- and their Draft class was a deep one, starting with a pair of prep lefties up top in Kash Mayfield and Boston Bateman. There are some other interesting talents in here -- San Diego is especially high on 17-year-old right-hander Humberto Cruz after his initial stateside move -- but this has the predictable look of a thin system weakened by trades in support of the Major League club’s contention chances.
29. Los Angeles Angels
2024 preseason rank: 30
2023 midseason rank: 28
2023 preseason rank: 28
2022 midseason rank: 30
It might not seem like a lot of progress moving up one spot, but there are some signs of life here. The Angels have two Top 100 guys for the first time since the 2023 preseason list, and if his torrid start is any indication, Moore looks like the next in the organizational line of college draftees to make it very quickly to Los Angeles. There are 10 new names on this Top 30, five total from the Draft and five acquired via Deadline deals, with George Klassen perhaps the most intriguing trade acquisition with future Top 100 potential. Four of the new names are pitchers currently in the top 10, with Ryan Johnson and Chris Cortez from the 2024 Draft class and Samuel Aldegheri coming with Klassen from the Phillies.
30. Houston Astros
2024 preseason rank: 27
2023 midseason rank: 30
2023 preseason rank: 27
2022 midseason rank: 30
Top 100 prospects: None
Baseball's most baffling farm system never has placed higher than 27th since we started ranking all 30 systems in 2020, yet the Astros have played in the last seven American League Championship Series and had at least one player receive a Rookie of the Year vote in the past five seasons. Spencer Arrighetti, Jake Bloss, Zach Dezenzo and Joey Loperfido all have contributed in Houston this season, though Arrighetti and Loperfido graduated and Bloss and Loperfido went to the Blue Jays in a deal for Yusei Kikuchi. Their best prospects are a pair of potential 20/20 guys (outfielder Jacob Melton, shortstop Brice Matthews) and the best catcher in the 2024 Draft (Walker Janek).