2016 Top Prospects Lists thread

[Nafro]

I think someone should compile a top 10 top prospect lists list.

[P2F]

I think someone should compile a top 10 top prospect lists list.

 

You mean like an aggregate list of all the other lists compiled into one sheet, sorted by rank? You mean like this?

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AYHdbnvRKdiWSf40UwfPj37Stm7mZKCorcZCZZzNhSY/edit?usp=sharing

[Nafro]

It was actually sarcasm of how many top lists there are out there. LOL. But I will concede your awesomeness for doing that.

[burlingtonbandit]

Law's list is out of org rankings.

[HERPDERP]

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/14726383/atlanta-braves-top-farm-system-rankings-2016-mlb?ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_law_2016farmsystemranks

[G-Snarls]

[HERPDERP]

My guess is Jays somewhere 23-25

[Cyborg]

1. Atlanta Braves

2015 rank: 6

Players in Top 100 (2016): 7

This system was among the bottom five just two years ago after years of bad drafts and questionable player development, but a series of trades -- including several fleecings of the Diamondbacks -- has stocked the system with pitching depth that is the envy of the industry. They tied for the most players in my top 100 and had a couple of other players who could make cases for inclusion, and their 11th-to-20th-ranked prospects still include a lot of prospective major league value. It has been a remarkable turnaround for general manager John Coppolella and his front office, and the future is even brighter with the team having the third overall pick in this June's draft. The team's agreement to sign Venezuelan prospect Kevin Maitan on July 2 is the worst-kept secret in the industry.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/lad.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true2. Los Angeles Dodgers

2015 rank: 10

Players in Top 100 (2016): 7

You can say that they bought this farm-system ranking, and you'd be right, and I don't think they'd particularly care. However, that doesn't do justice to the successful draft picks in 2013 and 2014 that line their top 10 around the various high-dollar Cuban signings (and that one Mexican lefty named Urias).

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/min.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true3. Minnesota Twins

2015 rank: 2

Players in Top 100 (2016): 7

If you'd asked me to just wildly guess at these rankings before I started the research process that goes into them, I might have pegged Minnesota 10 spots too low, but this system is stacked. They have high ceilings, they have probability, they have starters, they have relievers, they have lots of position players ... I guess they don't really have catching, if you want to pick nits. But for a team that runs low payrolls, they're in damn good shape.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/chc.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true4. Chicago Cubs

2015 rank: 1

Players in Top 100 (2016): 6

They graduated Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell, but are still loaded with talent, albeit most of it unlikely to help before 2017. The system has long been light on arms, but there's some pitching coming if you squint hard enough into the distance.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/mil.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true5. Milwaukee Brewers

2015 rank: 28

Players in Top 100 (2016): 4

They've gone from having the majors' worst farm system just two years ago to a top-five system thanks to a series of shrewd trades, starting with former GM Doug Melvin's work last summer to begin the rebuilding process, as well as one of the strongest draft classes in 2015.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/phi.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true6. Philadelphia Phillies

2015 rank: 25

Players in Top 100 (2016): 5

The Cole Hamels trade might turn out to be the Phillies' Herschel Walker moment, trading their best asset for a huge package of prospects who look like they'll boost the major league club for years to come. The next step is maximizing their output from this year's draft, in which they hold the first overall pick.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/col.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true7. Colorado Rockies

2015 rank: 8

Players in Top 100 (2016): 5

This is a system full of athletes, with lots of high-upside position players and a significant contingent of hard-throwing starter prospects behind them. However, there's some reliever risk on all of those starters. If any club were to value reliever prospects a bit higher, though, it probably should be the Rockies.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/pit.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true8. Pittsburgh Pirates

2015 rank: 7

Players in Top 100 (2016): 4

For the Pirates to maintain this strong of a system with a low payroll and a highly competitive major league team is one of the more under-the-radar stories in the game over the past few years. They landed four players on the top 100 and could easily land six or seven next winter.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/tex.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true9. Texas Rangers

2015 rank: 11

Players in Top 100 (2016): 5

Formerly a system dominated by big international signings, the Rangers have since become a more focused team in the draft, going for ceiling and hitting on an impressive fraction of their high picks, including the Lewis Brinson/Joey Gallo parlay from the 2012 draft.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/bos.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true10. Boston Red Sox

2015 rank: 5

Players in Top 100 (2016): 4

Decimated by promotions the past two years and the recent trade for Craig Kimbrel, which cost them two top-100 prospects and two others of some value, yet big international spending and some productive drafts still have them a top-10 system overall. Drafting Andrew Benintendi, who showed in pro ball that his huge spring for the University of Arkansas wasn't just a four-month fluke, also helped.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/cle.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true11. Cleveland Indians

2015 rank: 16

Players in Top 100 (2016): 4

This is a system full of projectable young, high-ceiling arms and topped off with a couple of very promising bats, but somewhat light on potential impact for 2016. I liked their 2015 draft, which focused on those projection high-school pitchers over guys who throw hard now but might not have the same athleticism or repeatable deliveries.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/cin.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true12. Cincinnati Reds

2015 rank: 17

Players in Top 100 (2016): 4

I haven't been a huge fan of the returns on the Reds' recent trades other than the Johnny Cueto deal (which yielded just one prospect for these rankings), but the aggregate result is a big influx of talent on top of a system with a couple of first-round and supplemental-round picks that are looking very promising.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/nyy.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true13. New York Yankees

2015 rank: 20

Players in Top 100 (2016): 4

The Aroldis Chapman deal didn't make much of a dent in the system; the Yankees bought the troubled reliever with quantity rather than quality, and a strong draft in 2015 helped make up for some recent promotions.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/tb.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true14. Tampa Bay Rays

2015 rank: 23

Players in Top 100 (2016): 4

A quietly deep system, light on potential stars but full of potential regulars and back-end starters. These are the types of players the Rays will never be able to afford in free agency in their current market.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/was.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true15. Washington Nationals

2015 rank: 9

Players in Top 100 (2016): 3

A top-heavy system with a couple of potential stars, some depth in position players up the middle, but a somewhat quick falloff after the first 8-10 names. It doesn't set them up well for many trades, but you have to be a potential star to crack the lineup or rotation in D.C., and they do have a few of those prospects.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/nym.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true16. New York Mets

2015 rank: 4

Players in Top 100 (2016): 4

Still well-stocked with position players, but most of the pitching is gone in trades for Tyler Clippard and Yoenis Cespedes, leaving them very dependent on the health of the five young stars in the big league rotation. With a little luck, the next wave of hitters will hit Citi Field just as there are openings in the right spots in the lineup, helping them continue to compete behind their phenomenal young rotation.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/hou.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true17. Houston Astros

2015 rank: 3

Players in Top 100 (2016): 4

With all the trades and promotions, the system has finally dropped out of the top 10, but it's far from barren thanks to a huge draft haul last year and big steps forward by several prospects in the system. There just isn't another Correa coming ... yet.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/oak.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true18. Oakland Athletics

2015 rank: 26

Players in Top 100 (2016): 2

A couple of big trades brought back four of their top-10 prospects in a system that is back on the upswing after a few fallow years. They have a bunch of guys in the 101-150 range of prospects, players who could still have real major league value but have a little less probability because of issues like contact rates.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/stl.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true19. St. Louis Cardinals

2015 rank: 13

Players in Top 100 (2016): 3

This is surprisingly low for a team that has been so productive over the past decade, but they've promoted much of their top talent and are now buttressed by their international department rather than their domestic drafts.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/sd.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true20. San Diego Padres

2015 rank: 18

Players in Top 100 (2016): 2

The Padres strip-mined their system last year in a series of trades to boost the big league club, but then added their new top-two prospects in the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel to Boston. This year's draft will be huge for them, as they have three picks in the first 27 and six in the first 85.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/sf.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true21. San Francisco Giants

2015 rank: 29

Players in Top 100 (2016): 1

Just one top-100 prospect but a passel of intriguing arms -- both starters and relievers -- which should succor the ailing major league rotation soon and help keep the bullpen rolling (a strength of all three World Series-winning Giants teams). They keep finding value in later rounds of the draft, too, and made a big splash internationally for the first time in several years.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/chw.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true22. Chicago White Sox

2015 rank: 12

Players in Top 100 (2016): 1

Gradually improving thanks to some productive drafts, although they lost a little bit by trading three of their top 10 prospects for Todd Frazier (a good trade all the same). There's definitely a new emphasis on improving their player development, even if it's just to trade pieces for big league stars as in the Frazier deal.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/kc.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true23. Kansas City Royals

2015 rank: 15

Players in Top 100 (2016): 2

No complaints here, as the Royals used the fruits of the system to win a World Series and another American League pennant, but they are very light on position players now and many of their remaining pitching prospects are several years away.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/ari.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true24. Arizona Diamondbacks

2015 rank: 14

Players in Top 100 (2016): 2

Two good pitching prospects, one or two decent hitting prospects, then a big drop-off, which is what happens when you keep sending away your top draft picks in trades. They took some middling college arms last year who could surprise this year and establish themselves as top-five prospects in the system ... or look like busted picks by next winter.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/tor.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true25. Toronto Blue Jays

2015 rank: 19

Players in Top 100 (2016): 1

Badly thinned out by trades over the past 18 months, but saved by the sudden emergence this year of their top two prospects, one a football player who finally chose to focus on baseball full-time, the other a projection high-school arm who saw his velocity shoot up last summer.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/det.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true26. Detroit Tigers

2015 rank: 30

Players in Top 100 (2016): 1

They traded for prospects last summer, helping land their new No. 1 prospect and add a little depth to a system that had been depleted by trades in the other direction for years. It's still not a good system, but it's the first time in maybe a decade that it's trending upward, and I think the new emphasis on building from within will continue under GM Al Avila.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/bal.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true27. Baltimore Orioles

2015 rank: 22

Players in Top 100 (2016): 2

Hunter Harvey has been out for a year and a half, Dylan Bundy can't stay healthy and may be done as a starter, and their best prospect is a catcher who might be a singles hitter. Their upside was almost entirely in short-season last summer, but they wouldn't be in this situation if the last wave of arms had panned out.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/sea.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true28. Seattle Mariners

2015 rank: 21

Players in Top 100 (2016): 1

Their best prospect took a big step back in 2015, their top pitching prospect has huge upside but hasn't performed and has major makeup questions, and their draft was my least favorite of all 30 in 2015. New GM Jerry Dipoto has the unenviable task of keeping the big league club competitive while trying to restock the fallen system.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/mia.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true29. Miami Marlins

2015 rank: 24

Players in Top 100 (2016): 1

They barely placed one guy on the top 100 and their No. 2 prospect is probably a reliever when it's all said and done. They have some high-upside bats in the lowest levels, but they're low-probability prospects, and their pitching is light everywhere.

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http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/laa.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true30. Los Angeles Angels

2015 rank: 27

Players in Top 100 (2016): 0

I've been doing these rankings for eight years now, and this is by far the worst system I've ever seen. They traded their top two prospects in the Andrelton Simmons deal and had no one remotely close to top-100 status. They need a big draft this year to start to restock the system or we're going to start talking about whether it's time to trade Mike Trout.

[G-Snarls]

LMAO so hard:

 

"...but a series of trades -- including several fleecings of the Diamondbacks -- has stocked the system with pitching depth that is the envy of the industry"

[G-Snarls]

My guess is Jays somewhere 23-25

 

Good call

[intentional wok]

That last line for the LAA write-up even made me wince a little, and I don't give a s*** about the Angels at all.

[BTS]

"I've been doing these rankings for eight years now, and this is by far the worst system I've ever seen. They traded their top two prospects in the Andrelton Simmons deal and had no one remotely close to top-100 status. They need a big draft this year to start to restock the system or we're going to start talking about whether it's time to trade Mike Trout."

 

This is amazing.

[HERPDERP]

I wonder how much better our ranking would be if we included Osuna there? I don't think anyone expected him to get on the 25-man last season. Probably the same with Travis, although I don't think he would've made a big dent on the list anyway.

[burlingtonbandit]

I wonder how much better our ranking would be if we included Osuna there? I don't think anyone expected him to get on the 25-man last season. Probably the same with Travis, although I don't think he would've made a big dent on the list anyway.

 

Law thinks Travis is a minor league player. Arrogant piece of s*** lol.

[Frenchsoup]

Law thinks Travis is a minor league player. Arrogant piece of s*** lol.

 

He hasn't been watching then and is no longer credible.

[King]

He hasn't been watching then and is no longer credible.

 

Law has always pegged Travis as a non-prospect. He's just too stubborn to change his opinion, and when he eventually does he'll deny he ever thought of him as a non prospect.

[glory]

Law doesn't know s*** about prospects. Never has.

[KingKat]

Law doesn't know s*** about prospects. Never has.

 

He's a former analytics guys now slumming as a scout. He gets very brief looks at the guys on his list and comes to sweeping conclusions based on those mini samples and he's every arrogant about it to boot.

[glory]

He's a former analytics guys now slumming as a scout. He gets very brief looks at the guys on his list and comes to sweeping conclusions based on those mini samples and he's every arrogant about it to boot.

 

Yeah, his arrogance and stubbornness makes it worse, but even when he describes prospects, it sounds like a man talking out of his ass.

 

Sickels is my favorite prospects guy.

[Frenchsoup]

He's a former analytics guys now slumming as a scout. He gets very brief looks at the guys on his list and comes to sweeping conclusions based on those mini samples and he's every arrogant about it to boot.

 

He also had two months to get a look at Travis on the TV or Internet.

[Laika]

Yeah, his arrogance and stubbornness makes it worse, but even when he describes prospects, it sounds like a man talking out of his ass.

 

Sickels is my favorite prospects guy.

 

Sickels is just as bad as Law, except he doesn't have the resume.

 

None of the public top 10 or 100 lists have any value for their rankings alone. But the information within the lists of BP and BA at least come from extensive first hand viewings by multiple scouts + well networked conversations with professional scouts.

 

I mean I'm sure Law and Sickels talk to lots of people too but it's just not the same. They can't even throw proper grades on most of the prospects they reference.

 

Sickels is fine to use but I think he's more of a content aggregator than anything (he compiled lots of public information into deep top ~20 lists with honourable mentions and discussion with commenters). Keith Law kind of just provides one former front office guy's opinion on the profiles of various prospects.

[Jimcanuck]

He's a former analytics guys now slumming as a scout. He gets very brief looks at the guys on his list and comes to sweeping conclusions based on those mini samples and he's every arrogant about it to boot.

 

He's just like a bunch of guys on here

[burlingtonbandit]

He's just like a bunch of guys on here

 

Don't be insulting members of the board like that...

[Boxcar]

Lol Law is awful

[G-Snarls]

Lol Law is awful

 

I think I care more about his food comments than what he says about baseball prospects

[King]

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/14740443/corey-seager-tops-2016-ranking-top-100-prospects-mlb

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/14740518/sean-manaea-jose-de-leon-highlight-second-half-keith-law-top-100-prospect-rankings-mlb

[BTS]

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/14740443/corey-seager-tops-2016-ranking-top-100-prospects-mlb

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/14740518/sean-manaea-jose-de-leon-highlight-second-half-keith-law-top-100-prospect-rankings-mlb

 

Gonna need someone with Insider to post this.

[P2F]

I will update my aggregate rankings once someone has posted this.

[P2F]

Keith Law Top 100

 

• 
  
  1. Corey Seager
     
  2. Byron Buxton
     
  3. Lucas Giolito
     
  4. J.P. Crawford
     
  5. Julio Urias
     
  6. Tyler Glasnow
     
  7. Rafael Devers
     
  8. Alex Reyes
     
  9. Nomar Mazara
     
  10. Orlando Arcia
      
  11. Brendan Rodgers
      
  12. Joey Gallo
      
  13. Dansby Swanson
      
  14. Blake Snell
      
  15. Gleyber Torres
      
  16. Austin Meadows
      
  17. Yoan Moncada
      
  18. Andrew Benintendi
      
  19. Alex Bregman
      
  20. Ozzie Albies
      
  21. Bradley Zimmer
      
  22. Franklin Barreto
      
  23. Kevin Newman
      
  24. Braden Shipley
      
  25. Manuel Margot
      
  26. Jose Berrios
      
  27. Willson Contreras
      
  28. Trea Turner
      
  29. Dominic Smith
      
  30. Sean Newcomb
      
  31. Robert Stephenson
      
  32. Lewis Brinson
      
  33. Max Kepler
      
  34. Javier Guerra
      
  35. Taylor Guerrieri
      
  36. Aaron Judge
      
  37. Steven Matz
      
  38. Anderson Espinoza
      
  39. Aaron Blair
      
  40. Francis Martes
      
  41. Jesse Winker
      
  42. Amed Rosario
      
  43. Kolby Allard
      
  44. A.J. Reed
      
  45. Tim Anderson
      
  46. Brett Phillips
      
  47. Ian Happ
      
  48. Michael Fulmer
      
  49. Victor Robles
      
  50. Dillon Tate
      
  51. Alex Verdugo
      
  52. Anthony Alford
      
  53. Kohl Stewart
      
  54. Cody Reed (CIN)
      
  55. Jorge Mateo
      
  56. Josh Bell
      
  57. Gary Sanchez
      
  58. David Dahl
      
  59. Sean Manaea
      
  60. Jose de Leon
      
  61. Tyler Jay
      
  62. Ryan McMahon
      
  63. Jake Thompson
      
  64. Brent Honeywell
      
  65. Christian Arroyo
      
  66. Jorge Polanco
      
  67. Kyle Tucker
      
  68. Mark Appel
      
  69. Billy McKinney
      
  70. Trent Clark
      
  71. Grant Holmes
      
  72. Clint Frazier
      
  73. Raul Mondesi
      
  74. Nick Williams
      
  75. Jorge Lopez
      
  76. Marco Gonzales
      
  77. Yusniel Diaz
      
  78. Raimel Tapia
      
  79. Luis Ortiz
      
  80. Touki Toussaint
      
  81. Chance Sisco
      
  82. Jorge Alfaro
      
  83. Jack Flaherty
      
  84. Archie Bradley
      
  85. Daniel Robertson
      
  86. Amir Garrett
      
  87. James Kaprielian
      
  88. Albert Almora
      
  89. Gavin Cecchini
      
  90. Jeff Hoffman
      
  91. Dylan Cease
      
  92. Cody Bellinger
      
  93. Bobby Bradley
      
  94. Kyle Zimmer
      
  95. Alex Jackson
      
  96. Max Fried
      
  97. Tyler Kolek
      
  98. Nick Gordon
      
  99. Brady Aiken
      
  100. Hunter Harvey
       

[THANOS]

^ "Kyle Seager"... Your typo or Law's?