The 2016 MLB draft is in the books, with 1,216 players selected over the course of the 40-round, three-day event.
With no clear-cut No. 1 talent in this year’s class, the first round was as unpredictable as any in recent memory and a number of highly regarded prospects wound up slipping below their expected draft position as a result.
Now the focus for each team the next few weeks will be on signing its respective draft picks and getting their pro careers started.
With that in mind, what follows is an updated look at where all 30 farm systems rank, assuming all of the top draft picks sign. Day 1 talents who slipped due to signability concerns were not included, as they will almost certainly be heading off to school.
The following factors helped determine the rankings of players and teams:
- Potential (Player): Potential trumps production a lot of the time, especially in the lower levels of the minors and with recent draft picks. Skill set and overall tools are often a better indication of what kind of player a guy will be in the future.
- Talent (Player): As for guys in the higher levels of the minors who are close to breaking through at the big league level, production and current talent level are the determining factors, as they are viewed as a more complete product.
- Overall Depth (Team): Having one or two elite prospects is great, but having a deep farm system from top to bottom is the way to build a sustainable contender. The overall depth and level of talent was the biggest factor in ranking each team.
- High-End Talent (Team): That being said, there is a difference between a prospect who has a chance of making an impact at the big league level and a prospect who could be a star. Elite prospects served as a tiebreaker of sorts when two teams were close in the rankings.
An updated list of the top 10 prospects for each team has been provided, as well a breakout down of each team’s top position-player prospect, pitching prospect and one prospect on the rise.
It should be noted that players on the big league roster who have not yet used up their rookie status (130 AB, 50 IP, 45 days on roster) were included as prospects.