MLB: Minor League System Rankings After Draft and Trades

MLB Farm System Analysis: Drastic Changes and New Talent

A lot has changed since the 30 MLB farm systems were ranked before the 2025 season. Much of that change has occurred in recent weeks, as the newest prospects joined their new teams through the MLB draft and front offices added, or subtracted, young players at the MLB trade deadline. With two of the most impactful periods for any farm system in the rearview mirror, it’s time to see how the 30 organizations compare and what has changed the most since Opening Day. These figures in dollars are a bit lower (approximately 5% on average) than they will be in winter, basically because when doing a deep dive into each system, it will reveal/update more lower-level prospects for each team, but for the most part it will not affect the higher-level prospects.

This is a fairly objective process (each prospect has a dollar value based on their rank). Obviously, there’s also some subjectivity in the process (how players are ranked), and roughly the top 50 prospects in the sport have an empirical value, but for most fans disproportionate. Having the most players in the top half of the Top 100 is the best way to be the highest-ranked team in this exercise. With that in mind, let’s move on to that first team.

1. New York Mets ($315 million)

Preseason Ranking: 9 The Mets have been in the middle third of my farm rankings for years, until the start of this season, when they rose to ninth place. Now they are at the top, at the top of the valuation of this crest of young talent, with a top-tier system that features prospects who are largely in the Top 100 and who are in Triple-A or the major leagues. This is also not a random occurrence or a large number of players about to graduate from being prospects at once. Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña have already graduated this year, Christian Scott graduated last year, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos the year before that, Francisco Álvarez before that, and there have also been several mid-level prospects traded out of the system in the last two deadlines: Jesús Báez, Drew Gilbert, and Kade Morris lead the way. At this time next year, I would expect six of New York’s top eight prospects, if not more, to have graduated or be in the big leagues to stay, so this ranking won’t last long, but that’s also because the Mets will have a roster full of useful big league players: the reason this list exists.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers ($309 million)

Preseason Ranking: 1 If you’re a regular reader of my rankings, the Dodgers have been doing well for a while; they’ve been in my top 10 farm systems in the last five rankings, since after the 2021 season. Dalton Rushing, Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, and Jack Dreyer graduated this year, with Alex Freeland possibly joining that group before the end of the year. The top of the system is mostly position players in A, so the Dodgers are likely to be ranked high for many years.

3. Seattle Mariners ($302 million)

Preseason Ranking: 7 The Mariners have quietly assembled a great system based on solid scouting and development without trading their top prospects. Instead, Seattle has dipped into its second tier when necessary, such as moving first baseman Tyler Locklear and pitcher Brandyn Garcia to improve the lineup at the trade deadline. The Mariners’ draft focus a few years ago was largely on position players, but that has shifted somewhat to include pitchers, with potential first-line starters Ryan Sloan and Kade Anderson added in the last two summers.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates ($301 million)

Preseason Ranking: 20 A large part of this ranking is that the Pirates have the number 1 prospect in the sport in Konnor Griffin. They would be ninth on this list if he were the second prospect in baseball because there is a premium on being the best prospect. Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco, Rafael Flores, Thomas Harrington, and Nick Yorke are expected to be important players for the team next year. Griffin will likely move into that conversation in the second half. I don’t know if this group will be enough to propel the big league team into contention, but the prospects will give Pittsburgh the opportunity to make that kind of move in the standings.

5. Minnesota Twins ($299 million)

Preseason Ranking: 6 The demolition of the deadline was not primarily designed to boost the Twins’ farm rankings, but obviously, it did so as well. The addition of young talent in the trades that trimmed the MLB roster, along with the fact that Minnesota had no major prospects graduating from eligibility this year (although Luke Keaschall is close), helped the Twins move up. Minnesota has been in the top 10 farm systems since the end of the 2023 season. Talent is largely found in the upper minor leagues and will be relevant to the major league team next year. There is also quality depth here, with the third-most prospects above 40 FV of any system.

6. Milwaukee Brewers ($297 million)

Preseason Ranking: 8 The Brewers are bordering on the “Breaking Bad” meme “He can’t keep getting away with it” as they continually field a competitive (if not excellent) major league team on a tight budget, but they also have young players regularly appearing in the majors and have a strong farm system. The Brewers could have four players receiving Rookie of the Year votes this season: Jacob Misiorowski, Isaac Collins, Caleb Durbin, and Chad Patrick. It shouldn’t be surprising that Milwaukee also leads the league in quality depth in its farm system.

7. Cleveland Guardians ($285 million)

Preseason Ranking: 11 The Brewers and Rays lead the “How are they still doing this” teams, but the Guardians are quietly in third place by being competitive, if not good, almost every year. Second baseman Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 pick in 2024, is tracking as another impact talent as early as next season, while the deadline acquisition RHP Khal Stephen could be the next standout pitcher who wasn’t a high pick. There is depth in the system and many solid contributors, but keep an eye on outfielders Chase DeLauter (can he stay healthy?) and Jace LaViolette (can he make enough contact?), who have star potential if everything clicks.

8. Detroit Tigers ($264 million)

Preseason Ranking: 3 The Tigers might have the best system top in baseball, with two of the top six prospects and five of the top 60, but their depth has been reduced due to several graduations and some deadline deals. Shortstop Kevin McGonigle and center fielder Max Clark have star potential and will be on the verge of the big leagues next season, but you could see them not get the chance to debut or get a tryout at the end of the season to preserve their 2027 Rookie of the Year/Prospect Promotion Incentive possibilities. I am also intrigued by the Tigers’ high-variance draft approach this summer, as they took the top two position players from high school with the shortest track record of facing high-end pitching: Jordan Yost and Michael Oliveto.

9. St. Louis Cardinals ($257 million)

Preseason Ranking: 19 As Chaim Bloom takes the reins from John Mozeliak as president of baseball operations after this season, the Cards’ system is in the best shape it has been in years (they ranked tenth after the 2022 season). JJ Wetherholt and Liam Doyle are the most recent first-round picks and are also potential impact rookies for the 2026 club. There are more questions regarding the other top prospects. Quinn Mathews and Tink Hence had up-and-down seasons, Cooper Hjerpe and Tekoah Roby had/have serious arm injuries, and Rainiel Rodriguez and Joshua Baez came out of nowhere. In general, there is a solid depth in the system and with the young talents in the major leagues, so I am intrigued to see how Bloom handles the team-building challenge.

10. Miami Marlins ($236 million)

Preseason ranking: 15 The Marlins continue to improve as they add young players. Miami’s farm system was ranked 29th before the 2024 season, 19th at this time last year, and 15th entering this season. LHP Thomas White has developed into a potential ace, and LHP Robby Snelling and CF Jakob Marsee led the charge of rising prospects. SS Aiva Arquette and CF Cam Cannarella were the top players added in the draft. I believe the maximum ranking for this wave of talent will probably come sometime next year (perhaps after the draft, White is still considered a prospect), which means that many of Miami’s top prospects will be on the big league team at some point next season.

11. Baltimore Orioles ($200 million)

Preseason Ranking: 14 The O’s had the best farm system in the game until the 2024 trade deadline and then fell to 14th before this season, as their best young players continued to graduate to the majors. They seem to have stabilized with this next wave of talent, and it appears that C Samuel Basallo and OF Dylan Beavers will narrowly maintain their prospect status for this winter. The group behind those two emerged this season, with RHP Trey Gibson, CF Nate George, and RHP Esteban Mejia taking a big step forward. Meanwhile, having the largest 2025 draft group led to a large group of incoming prospects led by C/RF Ike Irish, SS Wehiwa Aloy, CF Slater de Brun, and C Caden Bodine.

12. Toronto Blue Jays ($199 million)

Preseason Ranking: 24 The Jays hit a home run with their first three selections in the 2024 draft: first-round pitcher RHP Trey Yesavage is the No. 35 prospect in the sport, second-round pitcher RHP Khal Stephen (now with the Guardians after a deadline deal) is the No. 59 prospect, and third-round pitcher LHP Johnny King is among the top 150 prospects. The Jays showed they can replicate that success with position players by drafting shortstop Arjun Nimmala in 2023, and they will look to do it again with the first round of 2025, JoJo Parker.

13. Arizona Diamondbacks ($192 million)

Preseason Ranking: 25 The D-backs added young talent at the trade deadline, with 1B Tyler Locklear, LHP Kohl Drake, LHP Brandyn Garcia, LHP Mitch Bratt, RHP Juan Burgos, RHP Ashton Izzi, RHP David Hagaman, and RHP Andrew Hoffmann, all ranked as 40 FV or better. Their returns on their first three picks in the 2024 draft (CF Slade Caldwell, LF Ryan Waldschmidt, and 2B JD Dix) also look strong from the start. There’s real depth here (Arizona is tied for third in quality depth), and there’s a lot of talent that should appear in the major leagues and/or graduate next season.

14. Boston Red Sox ($190 million)

Preseason ranking: 4 It’s been a busy year for the Red Sox system. The club graduated three top-tier position player prospects in Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell. Those three leave a giant hole in terms of prospect value, but SS Franklin Arias and LHP Payton Tolle led the charge of rising prospects attempting to fill it. Right-handers Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, and Anthony Eyanson headlined a 2025 draft haul dominated by pitchers.

15. Athletics ($182 million)

Preseason Ranking: 23 The headline here is in giant letters: They added prospect number 5 SS Leo De Vries at the trade deadline to this current wave of talent moving through the minors that includes Gage Jump and Jamie Arnold. All of them could join an incredibly deep group already in the big leagues as early as next season: Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, Lawrence Butler, Denzel Clarke, Luis Morales, J.T. Ginn, and Jack Perkins.

16. Tampa Bay Rays ($176 million)

Preseason ranking: 5

This is the first time the Rays haven’t been in the top seven in at least three years, and it’s for numerous reasons. First, they graduated some talent this year in CF Chandler Simpson, LHP Mason Montgomery, Jake Mangum, along with star 3B Junior Caminero last year. Second, it wasn’t a great year for development, as Carson Williams and Xavier Isaac continued to stagnate due to contact issues, leaving Theo Gillen as the only clear rising player at the top of the system.

The players acquired by the deadline were also mostly second-tier types, but the draft haul was deep with high-potential secondary players who give hope for upward mobility next season.

17. Texas Rangers ($170 million)

Preseason Ranking: 16 The Rangers have maintained their position, graduating Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter this season, but also having those holes filled by rising prospects like Devin Fitz-Gerald and Caden Scarborough, along with the recent draft class led by Gavin Fien, Josh Owens, and AJ Russell. They have injured players (Alejandro Rosario and Winston Santos) who should return to the field and an intriguing group of international signing position players (Yolfran Castillo, Yeremy Cabrera and Elorky Rodriguez), which gives this system some upward mobility next season, although it is not clear when Rosario will return to the mound.

18. Cincinnati Reds ($163 million)

Preseason Ranking: 13 The Reds are in a downward cycle of the farm system (they have oscillated between fifth and 19th in the last four years), with Chase Burns graduating after the electric class of Elly De La Cruz, Andrew Abbott, and Matt McLain lost eligibility. Some of their current top prospects: 3B Sal Stewart, RHP Rhett Lowder, and RHP Chase Petty, should graduate early next season, which would then clear the way for the system to be defined by some potential impact players in the lower levels: C Alfredo Duno, 1B Cam Collier, SS Steele Hall, SS Tyson Lewis, and RHP Aaron Watson.

19. Chicago Cubs ($161 million)

Preseason Ranking: 10 The Cubs graduated Matt Shaw and Cade Horton this year after Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, and Daniel Palencia last season. This current crop of prospects is spearheaded by players who have already debuted (Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcantara) or are in the upper levels of the minors (Jefferson Rojas, Jaxon Wiggins, Jonathon Long, Brandon Birdsell). I liked their recent draft crop, led by RF Ethan Conrad, LF Josiah Hartshorn, CF Kane Kepley, and RHP Kaleb Wing, and I believe there’s enough talent in the lower levels to make a next wave of talent.

20. Chicago White Sox ($157 million)

Preseason ranking: 2 The White Sox had a tough break: SS Colson Montgomery lost his prospect eligibility after the top 100 was released but before farm rankings were released, moving them from 13 to here. Originally they fell from second place on the preseason list to 13th due to the graduations of Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, Grant Taylor, Chase Meidroth, Shane Smith, and Mike Vasil, as well as control issues on the mound for top pitching prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith. The top two picks in the 2025 draft class (Billy Carlson and Jaden Fauske) have upward mobility in 2026.

21. Philadelphia Phillies ($155 million)

Preseason Ranking: 17 SS Aidan Miller, RHP Andrew Painter, and CF Justin Crawford are all in the upper minor leagues and it appears they were off-limits for trades at the last two trade deadlines. They could be the homegrown infusion of potential impact talent as the major league roster ages. I liked the 2025 draft class, with RHP Gage Wood and LHP Cade Obermueller as potential fast risers and RHP Matthew Fisher as a great value. CF Dante Nori and 2B Aroon Escobar are also notable prospects on the rise this season.

22. Washington Nationals ($154 million)

Preseason Ranking: 12 The Nats are in a short downward cycle in prospect value, as James Wood, Dylan Crews, Daylen Lile, Brady House, Robert Hassell III, Brad Lord, and Cole Henry graduated this year. They supplemented it with a great draft class, which was aided by going under slot in the number 1 selection: SS Eli Willits, 1B Ethan Petry, SS Coy James, RHP Landon Harmon, and RHP Miguel Sime Jr. RHP Jarlin Susana needs to reduce his walks to shoot up in the Top 100, and RHP Travis Sykora could do it if he stays healthy. I see the Nats climbing up this list again next season.

23. Colorado Rockies ($149 million)

Preseason Ranking: 18 Adding potential star SS Ethan Holliday, the fourth pick in the draft, is the headline for the Rockies’ farm system this year. I also liked the following picks, landing RHP JB Middleton and RF Max Belyeu. Another infielder with major league lineage, 3B Kyle Karros, has been the top riser in the system this year, and I liked both headliners of the two deadline trade deals with the Yankees, obtaining 2B Roc Riggio and LHP Griffin Herring. LF Sterlin Thompson got hot after a slow start, but the top twelve returning prospects have mostly been moving sideways this season.

24. San Francisco Giants ($140 million)

Preseason Ranking: 29 1B Bryce Eldridge is the Giants’ top prospect and will likely play a significant role for the major league team next season, while LHP Carson Whisenhunt and CF Drew Gilbert are in the major leagues. These are the next hopes for a local star, after Logan Webb and Patrick Bailey (despite their offseason). SS Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez, 17, is more likely than Whisenhunt or Gilbert, but it will take a while to reach the major leagues. SS Jhonny Level, RHP Keyner Martinez, and RHP Argenis Cayama are rising from the international department along with Gonzalez.

25. New York Yankees ($137 million)

Preseason Ranking: 21 The Yankees traded 16 prospects at this year’s trade deadline after dealing six at last year’s deadline, along with four more in deals outside the deadline in the last two seasons. Oh, and a more notable prospect loss from another scenario. For credit to Brian Cashman, this exodus did not include any of the organization’s top prospects: SS George Lombard Jr., RHP Cam Schlittler, CF Spencer Jones and RHP Carlos Lagrange. But these moves have cleared much of the system’s depth and some potentially impactful young players, such as C Agustin Ramirez and 2B Caleb Durbin, and even some solid veterans like RHP Michael King. The last two draft classes and international signings have helped fill the organization with young talents who could make the Yankees soon climb back up this list and reverse a trend that has seen New York go from the sixth-best farm system before the 2024 season to number 15 after last year’s deadline, to number 21 entering this season and number 25 in this edition.

26. Atlanta Braves ($124 million)

Preseason ranking: 27 The Braves have a new group of pitchers to complement the current shortage at the major league level, led by LHP Cam Caminiti, RHP Didier Fuentes, and RHP JR Ritchie. As fans might be thinking, these pitchers are not solutions this year, but Fuentes could be next year and RHP Hurston Waldrep, who will soon graduate, could have changed the course with his strong major league debut. This year’s draft class, led by SS Tate Southisene and LHP Briggs McKenzie, has some of that high-potential preparation formula that has worked for the Braves in the past, so I would expect this ranking to continue to increase.

27. Kansas City Royals ($94 million)

Preseason Ranking: 22 The Royals graduated Jac Caglianone and Noah Cameron as possible central players, with John Rave, Ryan Bergert, Jonathan Bowlan, and Steven Cruz joining them as role players who have graduated or will soon graduate. Of the remaining prospects, C Carter Jensen is in Triple-A and could be a core player, and I like the draft haul (3B Josh Hammond, CF Sean Gamble, and RHP Michael Lombardi were the first three picks). Meanwhile, RHP Kendry Chourio has become arguably the best pitcher in the system. Hammond and Gamble could be the high-level prospects needed to pull this system out of the bottom third of the league, as they were before the 2022 season.

28. Los Angeles Angels