Updated farm system rankings for 2022
Adley Rutschman was one of the main reasons why the Orioles topped MLB Pipeline's farm system rankings at midseason in 2021 and again entering this season. Baseball's best catching prospect in years, he has made a case for being the game's best catcher since arriving in Baltimore in late May and surprisingly spurred his club into Wild Card contention.
There's more talent on the way to Camden Yards. Rutschman has graduated from prospect status, yet the Orioles have held onto the No. 1 spot in our updated system rankings. They still feature three of the best prospects on our revamped Top 100 Prospects list -- shortstop/third baseman Gunnar Henderson (No. 2), right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (No. 4) and shortstop Jackson Holliday (No. 14) -- and more depth than they've had in quite a while.
Behind Baltimore, we line up the next-best systems with the Dodgers at No. 2, followed by the Guardians, Reds and D-backs. Los Angeles is no stranger to such lofty heights, having placed No. 1 in the 2016 preseason and No. 3 in mid-2019 and pre-2020. But this is the first time Cleveland has cracked the top 10 since we began evaluating organization talent in 2015, as well as the first time Cincinnati has crashed the top five.
Our complete rankings are below. They're based on long-term big league value, including factors such as potential impact talent, depth, proximity to the big leagues and balance between position players and pitchers as well as ceilings and floors.
1. Baltimore Orioles
2022 preseason rank: 1
2021 midseason rank: 1
2021 preseason rank: 5
2020 midseason rank: 8
Top 100 Prospects: Gunnar Henderson, SS/3B (No. 2), Grayson Rodriguez, RHP (No. 4), Jackson Holliday, SS (No. 14), Colton Cowser, OF (No. 43), Jordan Westburg, INF (No. 80), DL Hall, LHP (No. 92)
This is the third straight time the Orioles have landed in the top spot and it¡¯s now five rankings in a row Baltimore has a top 10 farm system. They stay atop the rankings even after losing Adley Rutschman to graduation, as the O¡¯s still have two of the top four prospects in all of baseball, three in the top 15 and six in the Top 100 overall. Having the No. 1 overall pick in this year¡¯s Draft doesn¡¯t hurt, but there¡¯s top-end talent AND depth up and down the system courtesy of the entire Draft and the renewed efforts in Latin America. More ?
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
2022 preseason rank: 5
2021 midseason rank: 16
2021 preseason rank: 14
2020 midseason rank: 11
Top 100 Prospects: Diego Cartaya, C (No. 9); Bobby Miller, RHP (No. 27); Miguel Vargas, 3B/OF (No. 44); Michael Busch, 2B/OF (No. 45); Andy Pages, OF (No. 69); Ryan Pepiot, RHP (No. 77); Gavin Stone (No. 81)
The Dodgers continue to marry winning in the Majors with churning out impact talent in the Minors. They're en route to setting a franchise record for victories for the third straight full season and top all organizations with seven Top 100 Prospects. Among that group, Pepiot is in Los Angeles and Miller, Vargas, Busch and Stone are all knocking on the door in Triple-A. More ?
The Guardians excel at signing talented young hitters and helping pitchers take their stuff to another level. Jos¨¦ Ram¨ªrez and Shane Bieber are the best big league examples, and all five of their Top 100 Prospects fall into one of those two categories. The system should make a huge impact in Cleveland shortly, with 13 of its 15 best prospects having reached Double-A or higher. More ?
The Reds¡¯ restocking has come in a variety of ways. Their last two first-round Draft picks are in the Top 100, and an international signee¡¯s ascension gives them one of the most exciting prospects in baseball. But it¡¯s been the trade market where Cincy has restocked its system the most, with nine of its Top 30, and eight of the top 15, coming in deals. In addition to the intriguing talent at the top, this is the deepest the system has been in some time. More ?
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
2022 preseason rank: 4
2021 midseason rank: 9
2021 preseason rank: 9
2020 midseason rank: 9
Top 100 Prospects: Corbin Carroll, OF (No. 3); Druw Jones, OF (No. 12); Jordan Lawlar, SS (No. 13); Brandon Pfaadt, RHP (No. 95)
Arizona is the only organization with three prospects ranked among Pipeline¡¯s Top 13 overall, following the addition of Jones in this year¡¯s Draft and the impressive years of Carroll and Lawlar. It¡¯s a far drop from them to Pfaadt, who looks like he has the best chance to emerge from a glut of Double-A/Triple-A arms to become a bonafide Major League starter in Phoenix. Don¡¯t read too much into the one-spot drop; the D-backs have held serve as a solid rebuilding system that stands out more for its high-ceiling talent than its depth. More ?
The Rangers have improved their standing for the fourth straight ranking, thanks to a combination of potential star talent and depth. They may have their deepest crop of pitching prospects ever, starting with Leiter, White, Porter, Kumar Rocker and Cole Winn, who were signed out of the Draft for a combined $21.5 million. They're well-stocked in position players as well, led by Jung, Carter, Foscue and Luisangel Acuna. More ?
This is the fourth straight time the Pirates¡¯ system is in the top 10. Even though they lost Oneil Cruz and Roansy Contreras to graduation, they did add 2022 first-round Johnson. This remains a very deep system, bolstered by trade acquisitions and some aggressive Drafts, especially the last two years. More ?
8. Tampa Bay Rays
2022 preseason rank: 3
2021 midseason rank: 6
2021 preseason rank: 1
2020 midseason rank: 1
Top 100 prospects: Taj Bradley, RHP (No. 21); Curtis Mead, 3B/2B (No. 38); Carson Williams, SS (No. 86)
On one hand, this is the lowest the Rays have ranked since the 2017 preseason list. On the other, this is the 12th consecutive time Tampa Bay has slotted in the Top 10, an MLB Pipeline record. Graduations by Shane Baz and Josh Lowe, along with tougher years from Greg Jones and Xavier Edwards, have taken the edge off the group, but the ascensions of Bradley and Mead into two of the best prospects at their positions have kept the conveyor belt stocked and moving toward St. Petersburg. Keep an eye on the Draft class. First baseman Xavier Isaac may have been a shock first-rounder, but the Rays really believe he has the power to take off in the pros. This player-development group, in particular, may be well-suited to make that happen. More ?
9. Colorado Rockies
2022 preseason rank: 24
2021 midseason rank: 26
2021 preseason rank: 27
2020 midseason rank: 28
Top 100 Prospects: Zac Veen, OF (No. 24); Ezequiel Tovar, SS (No. 28); Adael Amador, SS (No. 64); Drew Romo, C (No. 66)
The Rockies had been making small, incremental progress up the rankings until this huge leap, putting them in the top 10 for the first time since the 2017 preseason (when we only did a top 10). There weren¡¯t any big trades that caused the push, but rather a combination of several players already in the system breaking out as top-notch prospects (three of the four Top 100 prospects in the system were not on the list at the start of this season) and a strong 2022 Draft class -- six from the top 100 of our Draft Top 250 are now Rockies -- that added seven new names to a much deeper Top 30. More ?
10. Chicago Cubs
2022 preseason rank: 18
2021 midseason rank: 18
2021 preseason rank: 22
2020 midseason rank: 26
Top 100 Prospects: Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF (No. 31); Brennen Davis, OF (No. 51); Kevin Alcantara, OF (No. 91)
The Cubs system hasn't been this deep since Chicago was assembling the talent that won the 2016 World Series. Though all three of their Top 100 Prospects are outfielders, their pitching depth is also notable. Most of their best arms have been acquired in the last 13 months, including Cade Horton, Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, Jackson Ferris, Hayden Wesneski and Caleb Kilian. More ?
11. Boston Red Sox
2022 preseason rank: 14
2021 midseason rank: 12
2021 preseason rank: 24
2020 midseason rank: 25
Top 100 Prospects: Marcelo Mayer, SS (No. 8); Triston Casas (No. 26), Brayan Bello (No. 37)
The Red Sox just missed making the top 10 for the first time since they were No. 7 in mid-2016. The strength of the system is infielders, including first-round picks Mayer, Casas, Nick Yorke and Mikey Romero. Two of Boston's most electric prospects are international outfielders Ceddanne Rafaela and Miguel Bleis. More ?
12. New York Yankees
2022 preseason rank: 13
2021 midseason rank: 19
2021 preseason rank: 18
2020 midseason rank: 19
Top 100 Prospects: Anthony Volpe, SS (No. 5); Jasson Dominguez, OF (No. 42); Oswald Peraza, SS (No. 53), Austin Wells, C (No. 87)
Despite trading 24 prospects for big league help in the last 13 months, the Yankees have held onto most of their best position players, including all four of the Top 100 Prospects above plus Everson Pereira and Trey Sweeney. While its system is hitter-heavy now, New York does a nice job of identifying pitchers who upgrade their stuff, such as 2021 eighth-rounder Will Warren, who already has shot to Double-A. More ?
13. St. Louis Cardinals
2022 preseason rank: 16
2021 midseason rank: 21
2021 preseason rank: 17
2020 midseason rank: 18
Top 100 prospects: Jordan Walker, 3B/OF (No. 6); Masyn Winn, SS (No. 54); Gordon Graceffo, RHP (No. 83); Matthew Liberatore, LHP (No. 85); Alec Burleson, OF (No. 93); Tink Hence, RHP (No. 96)
Would you believe this is the highest St. Louis has been since Pipeline rankings began in 2016? Years of continual contention will do that (i.e. prevent a club from making high Draft picks), but even under those conditions, the Cardinals have been able to develop six Top 100 prospects, tying them with the Orioles and Rangers for second-most in baseball. Five of those six (excepting only Liberatore) were acquired through the Draft, so the Cards have had successes through that process. Beyond that half-dozen, St. Louis lacks the depth of a Top 10 system -- the bottom of its Top 30 is notably filled with relief prospects -- but it isn¡¯t far off from joining that tier for the first time. More ?
14. New York Mets
2022 preseason rank: 20
2021 midseason rank: 22
2021 preseason rank: 19
2020 midseason rank: 20
Top 100 prospects: Francisco ?lvarez, C (No. 1); Brett Baty, 3B (No. 19); Kevin Parada, C (No. 40); Alex Ramirez, OF (No. 90)
Having the No. 1 overall prospect in MLB Pipeline¡¯s rankings is a great way to climb the ladder, and this is the highest the Mets have been since they ranked fifth in the 2015 preseason. New York drafted well, adding Parada and No. 5 prospect Jett Williams to a group that very much needed depth, and ?lvarez and Baty have enjoyed stellar years at the top levels to keep their spots as big names. This still very much remains a top-heavy system, however, and the Top 100 contingent can only carry so much weight. For now, Baty¡¯s recent debut proves that the Mets have talents in the system to complement the big moves at the Majors and help build a serious October contender. More ?
15. Washington Nationals
2022 preseason rank: 23
2021 midseason rank: 20
2021 preseason rank: 30
2020 midseason rank: 30
Top 100 prospects: Robert Hassell III, OF (No. 23), Elijah Green, OF (No. 29); James Wood, OF (No. 35); Cade Cavalli, RHP (No. 58)
Even last year¡¯s blockbuster Trade Deadline moves couldn¡¯t push the Nats into the top half. This year¡¯s swap that sent Juan Soto to San Diego certainly did. (As it should have.) Hassell, Wood and No. 8 prospect Jarlin Susana added heft to the organization¡¯s top 10 that doesn¡¯t include the graduated MacKenzie Gore or CJ Abrams. So did Green, the fifth overall pick in this year¡¯s Draft, with his loud power, speed and defensive tools. If not for injuries from Brady House and Cole Henry, this group could look even brighter. Instead, they only bring more question marks to a group that could use as many exclamation points as possible. More ?
16. Miami Marlins
2022 preseason rank: 6
2021 midseason rank: 3
2021 preseason rank: 4
2020 midseason rank: 5
Top 100 Prospects: Eury P¨¦rez, RHP (No. 10), Max Meyer, RHP (No. 46); Jacob Berry, 3B/OF (No. 52)
The Marlins system has slid back into the middle of the pack for a variety of reasons, including graduations (Edward Cabrera), injuries (Meyer) and disappointing performances (Kahlil Watson). But there's still a lot of intriguing talent, including one of the best pitching prospects in the Minors (P¨¦rez) and perhaps the best combination of hitting, power and patience from the 2022 college ranks (Berry). More ?
17. Oakland Athletics
2022 preseason rank: 22
2021 midseason rank: 28
2021 preseason rank: 26
2020 midseason rank: 17
Top 100 Prospects: Shea Langeliers (No. 36), Tyler Soderstrom (No. 50), Ken Wadichuk, LHP (No. 70), Zack Gelof, 3B (No. 100)
The A¡¯s moved up in the preseason after their several post-lockout trades and they were on the market again this Trade Deadline, with Frankie Montas bringing in a Top 100 guy in Waldichuk and three other members of the A¡¯s current Top 30. Adding four members of our Draft Top 100 didn¡¯t hurt, either. If some of the pitchers acquired in trades who are just starting to get back from injury, namely J.T. Ginn and Gunnar Hogland, can return to form, that would provide another boost. More ?
18. San Francisco Giants
2022 preseason rank: 11
2021 midseason rank: 8
2021 preseason rank: 11
2020 midseason rank: 13
Top 100 Prospects: Marco Luciano, SS (No. 17); Kyle Harrison, LHP (No. 22)
Though their system has dipped a bit in 2022 with some of the better prospects regressing, the Giants still have a pair of high-end talents in Luciano and Harrison. They've also had some farmhands take huge steps forward, such as Grant McCray, Eric Silva, Vaun Brown and Mason Black. More ?
19. Milwaukee Brewers
2022 preseason rank: 25
2021 midseason rank: 25
2021 preseason rank: 28
2020 midseason rank: 29
Top 100 prospects: Jackson Chourio, OF (No. 11); Sal Frelick, OF (No. 49); Joey Wiemer, OF (No. 89)
Is this jump into the Top 20 solely based on Chourio? We wouldn¡¯t go that far, but the 18-year-old breakout phenom certainly plays a strong role. Chourio could be the top prospect in the game at some point once he gains experience and tightens up some of his swing-and-miss concerns. Frelick is a strong second-best prospect, having climbed three levels in his first full season. With Wiemer, Garrett Mitchell and the recently acquired Esteury Ruiz, outfield remains by far the deepest group for Milwaukee. No other position group comes close, thus the ranking. Pitching got a boost through trades and the Draft, but the fact that second-rounder Jacob Misiorowski is the top-ranked arm at No. 9 speaks volumes. More ?
20. Toronto Blue Jays
2022 preseason rank: 21
2021 midseason rank: 14
2021 preseason rank: 7
2020 midseason rank: 7
Top 100 prospects: Gabriel Moreno, C (No. 7); Ricky Tiedemann, LHP (No. 34); Orelvis Martinez, SS/3B (No. 73)
If Moreno had graduated as many expected him to by this point, the Jays would have likely slipped a few places. Instead, they actually rise one from their preseason standing. Moreno, who is blocked by Toronto at present, continues to show a plus hit tool and special athleticism behind the plate, while on the other end of the battery, Tiedemann has been one of the Minors¡¯ best breakout pitchers in his first full season, rising from the 2021 third round to comfortably within the Top 100. Brandon Barriera and Tucker Toman were solid Draft additions, and Yosver Zulueta (when healthy) flashes plus stuff across the board. What once looked like a deep group of Toronto infielders has taken a step back, affecting the overall health of the system, and outside of the big three, there are questions about how much pitching this group can provide future Toronto staffs. More ?
21. Kansas City Royals
2022 preseason rank: 8
2021 midseason rank: 5
2021 preseason rank: 10
2020 midseason rank: 10
Top 100 prospects: Gavin Cross, OF (No. 75); Nick Pratto, 1B/OF (No. 84)
A reminder that these (and any) rankings are snapshots in time. In the preseason, the Royals boasted the still-eligible Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez and Vinnie Pasquantino, and Asa Lacy still showed Top-100-quality. Their graduations and drop leave Kansas City with only two Top 100 prospects this round. On the other hand, we might just be ranking the Royals at an advantageous time for them since Pratto, No. 3 Michael Massey, No. 14 Angel Zerpa, No. 16 Nate Eaton and No. 17 Max Castillo could all be graduates by season¡¯s end. No. 9 Drew Waters also just made his MLB debut on Monday. As it stands, that Major League readiness is a point in the system¡¯s favor, but once so many lose prospect status, expect a steep drop. More ?
22. Detroit Tigers
2022 preseason rank: 10
2021 midseason rank: 7
2021 preseason rank: 2
2020 midseason rank: 2
Top 100 prospects: Jackson Jobe, RHP (No. 41); Jace Jung, 2B (No. 74)
Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson are off prospect lists, yet the Tigers continue their tradition of having first-rounders in the Top 100 with Jobe (2021) and Jung (2022). Right-handers Wilmer Flores and Ty Madden give the club two more Top-100-adjacent talents on the mound. But as a whole, this group lacks the ceiling it had in the preseason when Greene and Torkelson looked like potential stars, and it isn¡¯t deep enough to overcome that and push into the Top 20. More ?
23. Minnesota Twins
2022 preseason rank: 19
2021 midseason rank: 18
2021 preseason rank: 22
2020 midseason rank: 12
Top 100 Prospects: Brooks Lee, SS (No. 33), Royce Lewis, SS (No. 61), Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF (No. 97)
It¡¯s been a little bit of a mixed bag farm system-wise for the Twins, with Lewis¡¯ second knee injury the most notable blow. On the plus side, they¡¯ve gotten some good contributions from prospects in the big leagues (leading to some graduations), putting them in playoff contention. That led them to trade some prospects away (three to the Reds for Tyler Mahle), though adding Lee¡¯s advanced bat through the Draft helps, as does a first-round talent in Connor Prielipp, who should be at full strength next year. More ?
24. Seattle Mariners
2022 preseason rank: 2
2021 midseason rank: 2
2021 preseason rank: 3
2020 midseason rank: 4
Top 100 Prospects: Harry Ford, C (No. 68)
The Mariners began the year with six players in the Top 100. Three, most notably top prospect Julio Rodr¨ªguez, graduated from prospect status. Two more Top 100 guys (one who was on the preseason list, one who wasn¡¯t) were sent to the Reds in the Luis Castillo deal. The depth of the system was aided by the addition of six members of their 2022 Draft class, but winning/competing does have its cost in terms of maintaining a system that had been a mainstay in the top five. More ?
25. Philadelphia Phillies
2022 preseason rank: 26
2021 midseason rank: 27
2021 preseason rank: 23
2020 midseason rank: 23
Top 100 Prospects: Andrew Painter, RHP (No. 25), Mick Abel (No. 57)
It¡¯s status quo, more or less, for the Phillies¡¯ system. While several prospects in the Top 30 have not performed particularly well, the combination of Painter and Abel give them one of the better pitching prospect duos in the game. Watching 2022 draftee Justin Crawford and No. 5 prospect Johan Rojas duel it out for who the best center field prospect in the system is should be fun to watch over the next couple of years. More ?
26. Chicago White Sox
2022 preseason rank: 30
2021 midseason rank: 30
2021 preseason rank: 16
2020 midseason rank: 6
Top 100 Prospects: Colson Montgomery, SS (No. 60)
After graduating a ton of talent to the big leagues and placing last in our last two rankings, the White Sox system is climbing back to respectability. While Montgomery is the lone Top 100 Prospect, Oscar Colas isn't far behind and Chicago's talent runs deeper than it has in years. More ?
27. Atlanta Braves
2022 preseason rank: 27
2021 midseason rank: 23
2021 preseason rank: 15
2020 midseason rank: 15
Top 100 Prospects: Vaughn Grissom (No. 79)
The Braves¡¯ system might continue to be a bit thin as they continue to compete in the NL East/Wild Card, but you have to give credit where it¡¯s due. Their lone Top 100 guy at the start of the season, Michael Harris II, made the jump from Double-A to the big leagues, earned a big contract extension and should get plenty of Rookie of the Year votes. Their current Top 100 guy, Vaughn Grissom, has made a similar Double-A to the bigs jump to contribute as well, and they¡¯ve still managed to upgrade their big league roster using prospects in smaller deals. More ?
28. San Diego Padres
2022 preseason rank: 17
2021 midseason rank: 17
2021 preseason rank: 6
2020 midseason rank: 3
Top 100 prospects: Jackson Merrill, SS (No. 88); Luis Campusano, C (No. 98)
The fact that the Soto trade didn¡¯t completely sink San Diego to No. 30 is a testament to where the farm was before the blockbuster of the century. Despite a wrist injury that kept him out for nearly three months, Merrill has continued to give evaluators plenty of reasons to believe he can be a quality everyday Major Leaguer. Campusano remains a Top 100 prospect, albeit barely, as a potential starting-quality backstop with a good overall bat, and the Draft picks of Dylan Lesko and Robby Snelling added even more upside. This is still without a prospect among the Pipeline Top 85 or a ton of depth beyond the names listed, so they land in the bottom three. More ?
29. Houston Astros
2022 preseason rank: 29
2021 midseason rank: 29
2021 preseason rank: 29
2020 midseason rank: 27
Top 100 Prospects: Hunter Brown, RHP (No. 71)
The Astros rank next-to-last for the fourth straight time, but that hasn't stopped them from reaching five straight American League Championship Series while getting contributions from homegrown talent. Unheralded prospects Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and Chas McCormick have grown into key roles and Jeremy Pe?a has done a nice job replacing the departed Carlos Correa. More ?
30. Los Angeles Angels
2022 preseason rank: 28
2021 midseason rank: 24
2021 preseason rank: 25
2020 midseason rank: 21
Top 100 Prospects: Logan O¡¯Hoppe, C (No. 67)
The Angels have long had some depth in terms of young, and raw, players with high ceilings. Many of them have not taken the steps forward the Angels hoped to see. On the positive side, they did add O¡¯Hoppe, one of the better catching prospects in the game, at the deadline and he could soon be joined on that list by Edgar Quero. Zach Neto, their 2022 first-rounder, gives them another Top 100 contender in the near future. More ?