When your top prospect is also your biggest disappointment, that doesn’t say a lot for an organization’s minor league system.  But that is where we are with the Toronto Blue Jays.

I will say that the system is deeper after the moves they made at the trade deadline, but it’s still a very weak system.  Orelvis Martinez was suspended for 80 games for a PED violation, Ricky Tiedemann had TJS in July, and Arjun Nimmala struck out 31% of the time in Low-A.  That’s how it starts.  Well, Trey Yesavage is wedged in the Top 3, but he didn’t pitch because of his long college season.

Charlie McAdoo, Alan Roden, and Kendry Rojas are interesting as top 200-ish players, and I still hold out hope that Manuel Beltre will develop into something, but there’s just not much here.

Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: Orelvis Martinez
• Biggest Mover: Alan Roden
• Biggest Disappointment: Orelvis Martinez
• Emerging Prospect: Johnny King

The list can be found here.

The Rays have the deepest minor league system, and I’m not sure it’s close.  The top of the system takes a hit with Junior Caminero’s promotion, but Carson Williams is no slouch.  I worry about how much he’ll hit, but he has fantasy-friendly tools and can pick it at shortstop.  I loved the Rays’ selection of Brayden Taylor in the 2023 Draft, but his 37% strikeout rate in High-A is ugly.

Speaking of strikeout rates, that’s one of the things I find interesting about the Rays system.  There is a lot of swing-and-miss with players in their system.  More so than I can ever remember. Xavier Isaac is another player who struck out a lot last season.  I wonder if this is a direction change for the team – worry less about contact and care more about OBP.

There’s a lot to build from here, and that is the Rays’ way. However, they can’t possibly keep all of these players, as the 40-man limitation will become a significant problem in a couple of years.

Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: Carson Williams
• Biggest Mover: Gary Gill Hill and Dylan Lasko
• Biggest Disappointment: Cole Wilcox and Mason Montgomery
• Emerging Prospect: Leonardo Pineda 

I live in New Jersey in the summer and see a lot of New York Yankees minor league games. Perhaps I’m suffering from recency bias, but the development of the Yankees minor league players did not go well.

I know the Yankees, fans, and fantasy managers love Spencer Jones. I saw him play a lot (at least 100 at-bats), and he strikes out A LOT. He can’t hit an inside fastball, and his swing is exceptionally long. He has power and speed, but unless he gets shorter to the ball, I worry that he’ll hit enough to make it. Roderick Arias didn’t hit, and while I didn’t see him play, I’ve gotten reports that he can’t pick up spin and expand the strike zone.  Henry Lalane was hurt and never got it going.  Those were three Top 100 prospects entering the season, and while Jones is still on that list, Arias and Lalane are not.

On the positive side, George Lombard had an excellent season.  He needs to get stronger, but he can hit with more speed than I initially thought. Several of the Yankees’ Complex players also had great seasons, but I said that last year and those hot players in 2023 did not translate well in Low-A this season.

Finally, there is Jasson Dominguez.  I maintain that he has star potential, but injuries caused him to miss considerable time, and the Yankees had to play Alex Verdugo more than I’m assuming they wanted down the stretch.  I think that will change in 2024.

Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: Jasson Dominguez
• Biggest Mover: George Lombard Jr.
• Biggest Disappointment: Spencer Jones, Henry Lalane, and Roderick Arias
• Emerging Prospect: Juan Matheus

The list can be found here.

The Red Sox are set up.  They have hit on several young players and now have four Top 50 prospects in the game – Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, and Kyle Teel.  All four are in Triple-A and can see Boston in 2025.

The situation is reminiscent of the 2022 Orioles when Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, and Jordan Westburg were all in Triple-A, and then they weren’t.  As with the Orioles, the pitching is behind the hitting, but the Red Sox have the financial resources to resolve and a history of making deals when needed.

While the big four are all great players, the system has much more.  Enjoy the read. It’s a great system.

Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: Roman Anthony
• Biggest Mover: Kristian Campbell, Franklin Arias, and Isaac Coffey
• Biggest Disappointment: Nazzan Zanetello
• Emerging Prospect: Justin Gonzalez

The list can be found here.

It was bound to happen.  The Orioles’ outstanding minor league system has taken a hit.  Granted, much of the depth is now playing in the Major Leagues.  As the team has improved, they are picking in the back of the first round of late instead of the top.  Plus, they haven’t developed the pipeline from Latin America that the Dodgers, Brewers, and Padres have.

Of course, one of the best prospects in the game is Sam Basallo, a catcher that the Orioles signed out of the DR in 2021 for a $1.3 million bonus.  So, that one worked out quite well.  He turned 20 in August, and like many of the young Orioles before him, he will be pushing for an MLB assignment before he’s legally able to drink.  Coby Mayo still has minor-league eligibility, and while he didn’t hit in his MLB debut, there is big-boy power in the bat.  Enrique Bradfield and Dylan Beavers are underrated from my viewpoint and could provide some help in Baltimore next season or in 2026.

As it has been in the Mike Elias regime, the pitching is not as strong as their hitters. Their goal will be to trade some of their positional depth when they need pitching at the MLB Level. Hopefully, they will do a better job than they did at the 2024 season deadline.

While the system is down from recent norms, nobody should sing the blues for the Orioles, as there is plenty of talent.

Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: Sam Basallo
• Biggest Mover: Frederick Bencosme
• Biggest Disappointment: Jackson Holliday (I couldn’t resist)
• Emerging Prospect: Felix Amparo

The list can be found here.

The Washington Nationals’ system is strong.  They have strength at the top in positional players with Dylan Crews and Brady House and pitching with Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana.  All four are considered elite talent.  It doesn’t stop there, as the depth is there with players who are close to helping in Washington and others who are a few years away.

Not included in the list was James Woods, our pre-season top prospect in baseball; Jose Tena, who is showing in the big leagues that he can play; and CJ Abrams, who is 23 years old.  The Nationals will be a good team and feel like the 2023 Orioles.  In other words, they are about ready to take off.  You heard it here first.

Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: Dylan Crews
• Biggest Mover: Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana
• Biggest Disappointment: Elijah Green
• Emerging Prospect: Victor Hurtado

The list can be found here.

The Phillies system is better than I thought before I started researching.  Aidan Miller is an exciting player and might have an All-Star upside.  If Andrew Painter can return to form, he could pitch at the top of the rotation in a couple of years.  Remember, he hasn’t pitched in two seasons, so he needs time to return and acclimate.  Then again, Kumar Rocker looked better after he returned from TJS.  Justin Crawford and Starlyn Caba are also elite prospects and Crawford could see Philadelphia as soon as next season.

Those are the top four prospects in the system, but several more players could develop into Major Leaguers.

Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: Aidan Miller
• Biggest Mover: Starlyn Caba
• Biggest Disappointment: Mick Abel
• Emerging Prospect: Eduardo Tait

 The list can be found here.

I’m still trying to decide if I like the Mets’ system. They have a lot of famous prospects, some of whom are good and some of whom are overrated.  They don’t have that “guy.”  A player that could emerge as a significant impact player.

Jett Williams has the best shot but spent most of 2024 on the IL.  Brandon Sprout might be able to pitch at the top of the rotation, but his first handful of starts at Triple-A have not gone well.  I’ve never been a big fan of Drew Gilbert, and his poor season did not give me any reason to change my mind.  Granted, he did spend a lot of time on the IL.  Ronny Maurcio didn’t play in 2024, and while the tools are exciting, there’s something about the approach that I fear will not work. That’s just a flavor of the uncertainty in the system.

Maybe none of this matters, as their system is good enough to use as assets to make trades. That might be who the Mets are – a collection of players other organizations have developed.

Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: Jett Williams
• Biggest Mover: Brandon Sproat
• Biggest Disappointment: Colin Houck
• Emerging Prospect: Yovanny Rodriguez

 The list can be found here.

The Marlins remain an imbalanced team at the Major League level and in their farm system.  They struggled to develop positional players, but their pitching continues to be one of the best in the league.

The top two prospects are pitchers Thomas White and Noble Meyer. While Meyer was taken ahead of White in the 2023 draft, White emerged as the better prospect as Meyer struggled to throw strikes.  The best positional players were acquired through trades.  I like the two Yankees they acquired for Jazz Chisholm in Augustin Ramirez and Jared Serna, but neither has Chisholm’s upside.  Connor Norby missed our list as he lost eligibility, but of all the prospects they acquired at the deadline last July, he has the highest upside and has started showing his wares in Miami.

With all the noted caveats, the system is better today than it was a year ago.  Is it good enough to get to the playoffs in three years?  I actually think it is.

Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: Thomas White
• Biggest Mover: Javier Sanoja
• Biggest Disappointment: Jacob Marsee
• Emerging Prospect: Luis Cova

The list can be found here.

Over the past few years, the Braves have focused their player acquisition strategy on pitchers.  It’s worked, as they’ve created a nice pipeline of pitchers moving quickly through the minor leagues and onto Atlanta.

This strategy has come at the expense of positional players.  In short, they have few positional players that will help them in the next couple of years. Their highest upside player is Jose Perdomo, who turned 18 in September.

I guess when you have cost-controlled positional players on your Major League roster, you can do this.  However, at some point, you’ve got to have some viable hitters in your system – don’t you?

 Prospect Snapshot

• Top Prospect: AJ Smith-Shawver
• Biggest Mover: Ian Mejia
• Biggest Disappointment: The lack of hitting prospects
• Emerging Prospect: Jose Perdomo

The list can be found here.