MLB Ranking: Mets Surprise, Dodgers Still Strong, and More

Deep Dive into MLB Minor League Systems: Who’s Dominating the Future of Baseball?

Much has changed since the 30 MLB minor league systems were ranked before the 2025 season. A key factor in this transformation has been the arrival of the most recent prospects to their new teams through the MLB draft and the strategies of the front offices at the close of the trade deadline. With two of the most influential periods for any minor league system in the past, it’s time to assess how the 30 organizations are positioned and what has changed the most since Opening Day. These figures in dollars are a bit lower (approximately 5% on average) than in the winter, basically because by delving into each system, more lower-ranked prospects will be revealed/improved for each team, but for the most part, it will not affect the higher-ranked prospects. This is a fairly objective process (each prospect has a dollar value based on their ranking). 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 the first team.

1. New York Mets ($315 million)

Pre-season ranking: 9 The Mets have hovered in the middle third of my minor league rankings for years, until the start of this season, when they climbed to ninth place. Now they are at the top, at the highest point of valuation of this wave of young talent, with a high-level system that features prospects who are mostly in the Top 100 and are in Triple-A or the major leagues. This is also not a random event or an excess of players who are about to stop being prospects at the same time. Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña have already graduated this year, Christian Scott graduated last year, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos the year before, 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)

Pre-season ranking: 1 If you’re a regular reader of my rankings, the Dodgers have been performing well for a while; they’ve been in my top 10 minor league systems in the last five rankings, since after the 2021 season. Dalton Rushing, Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, and Jack Dreyer graduated this year, and Alex Freeland may join that group before the end of the year. The top of the system is mostly position players in Class A, so the Dodgers are likely to rank high for many years.

3. Seattle Mariners ($302 million)

Pre-season ranking: 7 The Mariners have quietly assembled a great system based on good scouting and development without trading their top prospects. Instead, Seattle has turned to 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 approach a few years ago focused heavily on position players, but that has shifted somewhat to include pitchers, with potential front-line starters Ryan Sloan and Kade Anderson added in the last two summers.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates ($301 million)

Pre-season 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 join that conversation in the second half. I don’t know if this group will be enough to propel the major league team into contention, but the prospects will give Pittsburgh a chance to move up in the standings.

5. Minnesota Twins ($299 million)

Pre-season ranking: 6 The reconstruction at the deadline wasn’t primarily designed to boost the Twins’ minor league rankings, but obviously, it did that too. The addition of young talent in trades that reduced the MLB payroll, along with the fact that Minnesota didn’t have any major prospects graduate from eligibility this year (though Luke Keaschall is close), helped the Twins ascend. Minnesota has been in the top 10 minor league 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)

Pre-season ranking: 8

The Brewers are on the verge of 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 shoestring budget, but they also have young players regularly appearing in the majors and have a strong minor league 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 their minor league system.

7. Cleveland Guardians ($285 million)

Pre-season 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 first pick in 2024, is on his way 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’s 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)

Pre-season 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 cusp of the big leagues next season, but you could see them not get the chance to debut or get a little taste at the end of the season to preserve their Rookie of the Year/Prospect Promotion Incentive chances for 2027. I am also intrigued by the Tigers’ high-variance draft approach this summer, as they took the top two high school position players with the shortest track record of facing high-level pitching: Jordan Yost and Michael Oliveto.

9. St. Louis Cardinals ($257 million)

Pre-season 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’s 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 potentially impactful 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 Rodríguez and Joshua Báez came out of nowhere. In general, there is a solid depth in the system and with the young talent in the major leagues, so I am intrigued to see how Bloom handles the challenge of team building.

10. Miami Marlins ($236 million)

Pre-season ranking: 15 The Marlins continue to rise as they add young players. Miami’s minor league system ranked 29th before the 2024 season, 19th at this time last year, and 15th at the start of this season. LHP Thomas White has emerged as 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 classification for this wave of talent will probably arrive 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 major league team at some point next season.

11. Baltimore Orioles ($200 million)

Pre-season ranking: 14 The O’s had the best minor league system in the game until the 2024 trade deadline and then fell to 14th before this season as their top 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 most 2025 draft groups led to a large incoming group of prospects led by C/RF Ike Irish, SS Wehiwa Aloy, CF Slater de Brun, and C Caden Bodine.

12. Toronto Blue Jays ($199 million)

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

13. Arizona Diamondbacks ($192 million)

Pre-season 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 ranking as 40 FV or better. Their performances in their first three picks in the 2024 draft (CF Slade Caldwell, LF Ryan Waldschmidt, and 2B JD Dix) also look solid 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 big leagues and/or graduate next season.

14. Boston Red Sox ($190 million)

Pre-season 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. RHP Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, and Anthony Eyanson headlined a 2025 draft class focused on pitchers.

15. Athletics ($182 million)

Pre-season 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 minor leagues, which includes Gage Jump and Jamie Arnold. All of them potentially join an incredibly deep group already in the major 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)

Pre-season ranking: 5

This is the first time the Rays have been outside 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 at the deadline were also mostly second-tier types, but the draft pool was deep with high-potential secondary players who give hope for upward mobility next season.

17. Texas Rangers ($170 million)

Pre-season ranking: 16 The Rangers have maintained their position, graduating Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter this season, but also having those gaps 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 Rodríguez), 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)

Pre-season ranking: 13 The Reds are in a minor league system decline (they’ve fluctuated between fifth and 19th in the last four years), with Chase Burns graduating after the electrifying class of Elly De La Cruz, Andrew Abbott, and Matt McLain lost eligibility. Some of their most important current 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 players of potential impact at the lower levels: C Alfredo Duno, 1B Cam Collier, SS Steele Hall, SS Tyson Lewis, and RHP Aaron Watson.

19. Chicago Cubs ($161 million)

Pre-season 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 headed by players who have already debuted (Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcantara) or are in the upper levels of the minor leagues (Jefferson Rojas, Jaxon Wiggins, Jonathon Long, Brandon Birdsell). I liked their recent draft class, led by RF Ethan Conrad, LF Josiah Hartshorn, CF Kane Kepley and RHP Kaleb Wing, and I believe there is enough talent in the lower levels to make a next wave of talent.

20. Chicago White Sox ($157 million)

Pre-season ranking: 2 The White Sox had some difficult moments: SS Colson Montgomery lost his prospect eligibility after the top 100 was published, but before the minor league rankings came out, which moved them down 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)

Pre-season 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)

Pre-season 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 lower his walks to move up in the Top 100, and RHP Travis Sykora could do it if he stays healthy. I see the Nats rising on this list again next season.

23. Colorado Rockies ($149 million)

Pre-season ranking: 18 Adding a potential star in SS Ethan Holliday, the fourth selection in the draft, is the headline for the Rockies’ minor league system this year. I also liked the following selections, landing on RHP JB Middleton and RF Max Belyeu. Another infielder with major league lineage, 3B Kyle Karros, has been the top rising player in the system this year, and I liked both headlines from the two trade deadline deals with the Yankees, obtaining 2B Roc Riggio and LHP Griffin Herring. LF Sterlin Thompson got hot after a slow start, but the roughly a dozen returning prospects have mostly moved sideways this season.

24. San Francisco Giants ($140 million)

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

25. New York Yankees ($137 million)

Pre-season ranking: 21 The Yankees traded 16 prospects at this year’s trade deadline after trading six at last year’s deadline, along with four more in deals outside the deadline in the last two seasons. Oh, and one 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 this list again and reverse a trend that has seen New York go from the sixth-best minor league system before the 2024 season to number 15 after last year’s deadline, number 21 entering this season and number 25 in this edition.

26. Atlanta Braves ($124 million)

Pre-season 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 is about to graduate, could have made a splash with his strong major league debut.

This year’s draft group, led by SS Tate Southisene and LHP Briggs McKenzie, has some of that high-potential prep formula that has worked for the Braves in the past, so I would expect this ranking to continue to rise.

27. Kansas City Royals ($94 million)

Pre-season ranking: 22 The Royals graduated Jac Caglianone and Noah Cameron as potential 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 group (3B Josh Hammond, CF Sean Gamble, and RHP Michael Lombardi were the first three picks). Meanwhile, RHP Kendry Chourio has emerged as possibly 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

The information about Los Angeles stops here.