What is the MLB farm system?

Minor league baseball teams, also known as 'farm teams', are teams made up of players under the control of a major league team, from either signing them as a free agent or by drafting them .

What date is the MLB draft in 2024?

July 14, 2024 at 4:00 PM PDT 2024 Major League Baseball draft / Start date

What team has the best farm system in MLB?

The Baltimore Orioles have had the best farm system in baseball for quite some time and it only seems to get stronger as more and more of their prospects leave the barn to join the big league club.

Is the 2024 MLB draft strong?

The 2024 class is poised to join this inauspicious group of drafts, and there's a real chance it matches or sets the record low for first-round high school selections, in part because the college hitting crew is above-average. But the draft is nothing if not unpredictable.

Who was the youngest player to join the 30/30 club?

At the tender age of 21, Mike Trout became the youngest member of the 30 HR/30 SB club when he hit his 30th home run Sunday off the Rangers' Yu Darvish.

What is the age limit for MLB draft?

Players attending four-year colleges are eligible to be drafted upon completing their junior year or turning 21 years old .

Why is it called the farm system?

If you watch or read about baseball, you might come across a reference to a certain team's farm system. Rest assured, this doesn't mean the Yankees or Dodgers are growing crops. Rather, “farm system” is a colloquial term for a Major League franchise's system of affiliated Minor League teams .

Why do they call it a farm team?

Etymology. A reference to the fact that many minor league teams in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were in small towns in rural areas .

What are farm terms and how are they used in baseball?

In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players , with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point, usually in an association with a major-level parent ...

How many MLB farm teams are there?

North Carolina has eleven MiLB teams, California has eight , and Texas has eight.

MLB farm system rankings for every team ahead of 2024 draft (2024)

MLB farm system rankings for every team ahead of 2024 draft (1)

The 2024 college baseball season is done and over with, which can only mean that the MLB draft is right around the corner. As it stands, we're just ten days away from seeing the dreams of amateur ballplayers coming true. With so many standout college and international players entering the draft this year, this could seriously alter the MLB landscape in just a few short years.

However, while some organizations may turn into contenders with a solid draft this year, there are others that will still need a good kick in the pants before their ready to boast their prospects with the best in the league. The addition of Charlie Condon or Travis Bazzana (not saying they'll fall far enough for many teams to take a chance on them) will not turn a pitiful farm system into a flourishing one.

Here is where experts rank all 30 MLB farm systems as they stand before the draft.

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MLB farm system rankings:

Before the rankings get started, it's important to note how these were made. These rankings were determined by the aggregation of three different rankings from various sites that took different things into account. USA Today's rankings rated them by the top prospects/most likely impact players within the next few years. FanGraphs used an estimated future value system to determine how much value an organization's farm system would be capable of producing. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report focused on player potential above all else, even over depth, and while their rankings are a bit out of date (published April 16), most of the players labeled prospects in their rankings could still be considered prospects by some.

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Without further ado, here are the rankings:

The bottom 5:

30) Los Angeles Angels

USA Today: 30

FanGraphs: 29

Bleacher Report: 30

The Los Angeles Angels are the consensus bottom pick here, and it's not even because of a lack of talent. There are certainly a few players who could rise up the MLB Top 100 prospects leaderboard if given enough time to develop in the minors. However, the Angels love to promote their best talent before they are ready. Obviously, that doesn't lead to success oftentimes, and until there is some change in the team's front office philosophy, they'll likely remain basem*nt dwellers in this regard.

29) Kansas City Royals

USA Today: 28

FanGraphs: 30

Bleacher Report: 28

A strong 2023 class keeps the Royals above the Angels in this situation. Furthermore, they've shown they're capable of developing young players into stars and are willing to work with talented individuals even if they struggle in the minors.

28) Houston Astros

USA Today: 29

FanGraphs: 26

Bleacher Report: 27

The Houston Astros' farm system has been miserable for years. That hasn't stopped them from maintaining success though. Unfortunately for them, they are one of just four teams (the Angels, Royals, and Marlins) with two or fewer prospects in the 50 Future Value category without any prospects ranking higher. That's not the sign of a team with a great future.

27) Miami Marlins

USA Today: 23

FanGraphs: 28

Bleacher Report: 29

Miami is not very top-heavy with their farm system, but they are deeper than most realize. Furthermore, they are the team with the most viable two-way player in their system currently. That's enough to get some fans excited.

26) Oakland Athletics

USA Today: 27

FanGraphs: 25

Bleacher Report: 26

The A's are one Mason Miller trade away from climbing up this leaderboard drastically. It is still uncertain if that will happen though. As it stands, the A's boast a very underwhelming group with various tools that could fill a MLB club with serviceable talent. It feels like an island of misfit toys rather than a group of players who could win a championship, but hey, that's what the A's are known for.

The middle of the pack:

25) Atlanta Braves

USA Today: 26

FanGraphs: 22

Bleacher Report: 24

24) Toronto Blue Jays

USA Today: 22

FanGraphs: 24

Bleacher Report: 23

23) San Francisco Giants

USA Today: 25

FanGraphs: 20

Bleacher Report: 19

22) St. Louis Cardinals

USA Today: 24

FanGraphs: 18

Bleacher Report: 17

21) Seattle Mariners

USA Today: 19

FanGraphs: 27

Bleacher Report: 13

20) Cleveland Guardians

USA Today: 15

FanGraphs: 17

Bleacher Report: 25

19) Arizona Diamondbacks

USA Today: 20

FanGraphs: 12

Bleacher Report: 22

18) Texas Rangers

USA Today: 11

FanGraphs: 21

Bleacher Report: 21

17) Philadelphia Phillies

USA Today: 17

FanGraphs: 15

Bleacher Report: 16

16) New York Mets

USA Today: 21

FanGraphs: 14

Bleacher Report: 12

15) Cincinnati Reds

USA Today: 14

FanGraphs: 23

Bleacher Report: 9

14) Minnesota Twins

USA Today: 16

FanGraphs: 10

Bleacher Report: 15

13) Colorado Rockies

USA Today: 12

FanGraphs: 19

Bleacher Report: 8

12) Washington Nationals

USA Today: 10

FanGraphs: 6

Bleacher Report: 20

11) Boston Red Sox

USA Today: 13

FanGraphs: 4

Bleacher Report: 18

10) Tampa Bay Rays

USA Today: 6

FanGraphs: 11

Bleacher Report: 14

9) Detroit Tigers

USA Today: 4

FanGraphs: 16

Bleacher Report: 11

8) Chicago White Sox

USA Today: 18

FanGraphs: 9

Bleacher Report: 3

7) San Diego Padres

USA Today: 5

FanGraphs: 13

Bleacher Report: 10

6) New York Yankees

USA Today: 9

FanGraphs: 5

Bleacher Report: 7

The Top 5:

5) Pittsburgh Pirates

USA Today: 8

FanGraphs: 7

Bleacher Report: 5

Paul Skenes may no longer be a prospect, but the Pirates are just getting started with him. The Pirates still have two very strong pitching prospects on their way, and combined with the talent they already have on the offensive side in the big leagues, they could be a problem in the NL Central very soon.

4) Los Angeles Dodgers

USA Today: 7

FanGraphs: 3

Bleacher Report: 6

The rich are very, very rich in this instance. The Dodgers do not have the highest-graded prospects, but they have depth, and they have a track record of turning unwanted players into MLB talent. FanGraphs believe the Dodgers don't have a single prospect in any of their three highest future value tiers. They do have a ton in the lower tiers though, and knowing the Dodgers, that's a full squad of future All-Stars.

3) Milwaukee Brewers

USA Today: 3

FanGraphs: 8

Bleacher Report: 4

The Milwaukee Brewers' farm system is very balanced. They have hitting prospects, pitching prospects, prospects ready to come up to the big leagues now, prospects that are still a few years away. It feels like the Brewers themselves. While nothing stands out tremendously, they're very good everywhere, and are very well-managed.

2) Chicago Cubs

USA Today: 2

FanGraphs: 2

Bleacher Report: 1

The Chicago Cubs have nine prospects in FanGraphs' top-five future value tiers. That's the most of any team in the league. They do lack a true superstar prospect though.

1) Baltimore Orioles

USA Today: 1

FanGraphs: 1

Bleacher Report: 2

What needs to be said about the Orioles' prospect pool that hasn't already been said? This is a team that has the luxury of calling up one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent memory (Jackson Holliday). Then, when he struggles in the Majors, the team can just send him back down, no problems, no beats missed. They are still a tremendous team even with their best prospect falling flat on his face to start his MLB career. Oh, and they have a bajillion other great prospects waiting for their turn to come up as well.

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