The signing deadline for this year's drafted players has passed, with few surprises -- every true first-rounder signed for the first time since 2007 -- and I've already reordered the top 50 prospects in the minors (although that ranking already has come to dust courtesy of a few key promotions). Here now is a very temporary ranking of the five strongest farm systems in baseball.
Two teams not on this list who at least have a chance to make a big leap between now and August 1 are the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds, two teams that need to sell without remorse or compunction at this year's trade deadline.
Plenty has changed since I last ranked the farm systems (back in January), so without further ado, here are the current top five major league farm systems:
January rank: 5
Number of top-50 prospects: 5
Top prospects: Rafael Devers, 3B (ranked 8th in top 50); Yoan Moncada, 2B (11); Manuel Margot, CF (14); Henry Owens, LHP (37); Javier Guerra, SS (48)
The Red Sox have as much potential ceiling -- in terms of players who have at least a fighting chance to become well-above-average regulars or more -- as any organization in baseball, as well as tremendous depth in both position players and pitchers. This sets them up well to make a trade for some major league impact now or this winter.
The top three players in their system are all international signings who have shown huge early promise, as has Guerra and their main signing from July 2, 2014, right-hander Anderson Espinoza, who is already throwing well at age 17 in the Gulf Coast League. They also added, via this year's draft, Golden Spikes Award winner Andrew Benintendi, a power-hitting center fielder with above-average speed who's off to a great start in short-season ball, while fast-rising first baseman Sam Travis (former teammate of Cubs rookie Kyle Schwarber at Indiana) already has hit his way to Double-A. And they still have players like third baseman Garin Cecchini, shortstop Deven Marrero and center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who would be on the major league rosters of many other MLB teams but are completely blocked in Boston.
The only weakness in the system now is near-term pitching after Owens, since Eduardo Rodriguez and Brian Johnson already have graduated to the majors, while former high picks such as Trey Ball and Teddy Stankiewicz have struggled in high-A ball.
January rank: 6
Number of top-50 prospects: 1
Top prospects: Ozhaino Albies, SS (25th in top 50); Kolby Allard, LHP (honorable mention)
Although the Braves placed just one player in my recent top 50, they have a half-dozen players who would be candidates for the next 50, including right-handers Mike Foltynewicz, Matt Wisler and Tyrell Jenkins, all acquired in trades since the World Series ended; infielder/center fielder Jose Peraza, who has slipped with the exposure of some of his flaws at the plate this year; and first baseman/left fielder Braxton Davidson, who is showing great plate discipline and a little power at age 19 in the Class A South Atlantic League. Wisler came in the Craig Kimbrel/Melvin Upton Jr. trade, while outfielder Mallex Smith and lefty Max Fried, the latter of whom is a former top-10 pick (taken seventh overall by the Padres in 2012) now on his way back from Tommy John surgery, were acquired for Justin Upton. Right-hander Andrew Thurman, acquired with Foltynewicz in the Evan Gattis trade, just returned from a nearly two-month DL stay after he was injured in a team bus crash, but the command and control that seemed to evaporate on him last year appear to be back.
The system is a little light on future stars other than Albies and Allard, but there's a tremendous amount of depth here, especially pitching, which Atlanta desperately needed coming out of the Frank Wren Reign of Error.
January rank: 11
Number of top-50 prospects: 4
Top prospects: Joey Gallo, 3B (5th in top 50); Nomar Mazara, RF (6); Dillon Tate, RHP (46); Jorge Alfaro, C (49); Jake Thompson, RHP (honorable mention).
The Rangers drafted for ceiling for years and adopted the same approach in Latin America, with the fruits of that huge wave of talent signed in 2011-12 starting to reach the majors or get close this year, with Gallo debuting early and Mazara starring in Double-A at age 20. A strong draft this year added Tate and Duke right-hander Michael Matuella, a likely top-five pick who missed most of his junior season after Tommy John surgery, along with the usual array of raw high school athletes. They also have quite a bit of starting pitching that is major league-ready or close to it, including Thompson, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Luke Jackson and Alec Asher; all four are in either Double- or Triple-A and have a chance to be major league starters. First-rounder Luis Ortiz was throwing the heck out of the ball for low-A Hickory and might have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the system, though he's on the shelf now due to a strained flexor tendon. Even the mythical David Perez, injured for most of the past three seasons, has managed to pop back up as a relief prospect in Class A ball.
The Rangers have been down a little for the past year and a half, but there's a cascade of talent coming to help the major league club.
January rank: 4
Number of top-50 prospects: 2
Top prospects: Michael Conforto, OF (12th in top 50); Dominic Smith (40).
Even after the promotions of top pitching prospects Noah Syndergaardand Steven Matz, the Mets still have a system loaded with high-probability big leaguers, including a couple of potential stars in Conforto, Smith and shortstop Amed Rosario. The re-emergence of Gavin Cecchini as a legitimate offensive prospect -- built on a good finish last summer -- gives the Mets some options for their infield going forward, especially important when the team is owned by John Elwes (i,e., a Scrooge). Casey Meisner, one of my two sleeper prospects for this system coming into the year, had a breakout first half for St. Lucie, and Michael Fulmer has been healthy and effective in Double-A after missing the first two weeks of the season. There's a ton of pitching in here, most of it potentially useful in trades because of the depth of the Mets' rotation, but they also have some bats coming -- five guys I'd tab as regulars or better -- to help that very sad major league offense as soon as next year.
January rank: 9
Number of top-50 prospects: 3
Top prospects: Lucas Giolito, RHP (3rd in top 50); Trea Turner, SS (16); Joe Ross, RHP (28); Reynaldo Lopez, RHP (honorable mention).
The Nationals would be a spot or two lower had they not traded 26-year-old rookie Steven Souza, now hitting .210/.301/.417 for Tampa Bay, for both Turner and Ross in what looked at the time like a great deal for the team and has only improved since. They already had a strong trio of starting pitching prospects in high-A in Giolito, Lopez and Nick Pivetta, the last of whom already has been promoted to a Double-A club in Harrisburg that has at least a half-dozen players likely to make it to at least backups in the majors.
Their 2014 first-rounder, right-hander Erick Fedde, is coming back quickly from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last May; he's back up to 92-94 mph with good fastball life, while the slider is lagging a little behind. And center fielder Victor Robles, signed for just $225,000 in July 2013, has emerged as one of the system's top-10 prospects; he's a plus-plus runner with good feel to hit. Or as one scout told me about him the other day, Robles is "a GUY."
Just outside the top five: Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies.
