MLB Pipeline: Here’s where all 30 farm systems rank

Gone are the days of the Rays at the top. (Don’t worry, Tampa Bay fans; there are positive reasons for the drop.) A new AL East organization has risen to take their place. But the competition for No. 1 was extremely close—closer than previous years with dynamic mixes of Top 100 talent and overall depth all coming into play.

In that way, let there be hope. Four of the top five organizations in this edition of the rankings enter Aug. 24 with losing Major League records. But help is coming just a little further down the Minor League ladder.

1. Baltimore Orioles
2021 preseason rank: 5
2020 midseason rank: 8
2020 preseason rank: 13
Top 100 Prospects: Adley Rutschman, C (No. 1), Grayson Rodriguez, RHP (No. 8), DL Hall, LHP (No. 78), Gunnar Henderson, SS (No. 80), Colton Cowser, OF (No. 83)

The O’s now boast the best prospect in baseball AND the best pitching prospect in baseball, both in the top 10 overall. They’ve also had other prospects—like Henderson and Jordan Westburg—take steps forward, and have added two new members of their top 10 via the 2021 Draft (Cowser and Connor Norby).

BA: Few Prospects Traded At The Deadline Go On To Significant Major League Careers

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Baseball America reviewed every July trade made from 2001-2016 to examine how often a prospect acquired in such a trade went on to play the majority of more than one season in the major leagues and post a positive career WAR, as measured by Baseball-Reference.com. (Note: The 2016 trade deadline was Aug. 1, so trades made on that day are included.) Players traded as prospects in 2017 or later are largely still making their way up the minors and cannot be fully evaluated yet.

In all, 124 of the 612 prospects traded in non-waiver deadline deals from 2001-2016 went on to play the majority of more than one season in the majors and post a positive career WAR. That’s just 20.3% of all prospects moved in such trades.

There were big hits among the successes. Corey Kluber, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Cliff Lee, Ben Zobrist and Carlos Santana and were all traded as prospects in July deals. Players traded as prospects in deadline deals more recently include Yordan Alvarez, Zack Wheeler, Gleyber Torres, Josh Hader, Mitch Haniger, Kyle Hendricks, Sean Manaea and Jean Segura.