The 2016 MiLB regular season is over, and each league’s respective postseason is already underway.
With that in mind, now seems like the perfect time for one final look at where all 30 MLB farm systems rank, as well as an updated look at each team’s top 10 prospects.
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 these players 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.
We’ve incorporated a tier system to help differentiate between the different levels of talent. Here’s a quick explanation:
- Tier 1: Prospects who have an elite skill set and legitimate All-Star potential. This is the cream of the crop.
- Tier 2: Prospects who have a good chance of becoming at least a contributor at the MLB level. This is where most prospects on the following list will fall.
- Tier 3: Prospects who profile as fringe MLB contributors or young prospects who are still too raw to project any higher. Having one of these players ranked among your top 10 prospects is a good indication of a thin system.
We capped that off with a quick rundown of each farm system and each team’s MiLB Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year.
These nominations are based solely on who put together the best statistical season at the minor league level, not taking into account things such as prospect upside, age relative to level and other league factors.
Just something to keep in mind as you’re perusing.
Let’s get started.
Note: Kansas City Royals second baseman Raul A. Mondesi (119 AB) and Texas Rangers third baseman Joey Gallo (125 AB) are both technically still prospects, but since both are in line to exceed the rookie-eligibility limit of 130 at-bats before the season is over, they were excluded from these rankings.