Talent Fuels Chicago Hope
Image credit: Eloy Jimenez (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Farm System Talent Rankings |
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| Last Three Years | |||
| Team | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Chicago White Sox | 4 | 5 | 23 |
| Cleveland Indians | 22 | 18 | 16 |
| Detroit Tigers | 21 | 25 | 26 |
| Kansas City Royals | 29 | 26 | 21 |
| Minnesota Twins | 12 | 21 | 10 |
Chicago White Sox Farm System Overview For 2019
SEE THE WHITE SOX TOP 10 MLB PROSPECTS
NOTABLE GRADUATIONS: RHP Carson Fulmer (13), LHP Jace Fry (NR), OF Daniel Palka (NR)
TRENDING: ???? The system will truly begin bearing fruit in 2019, when Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease are on pace to debut in the big leagues.
STRENGTHS: The system is rich with potential top-end players. Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease all could be difference-makers in the future, and 2018 first-rounder Nick Madrigal gives them the best pure hitter in his class. Micker Adolfo and Luis Robert add tooled-up outfielders with tremendous upside. These players should represent phase two of the team’s bottom-up rebuild and will eventually join Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and Yoan Moncada in Chicago.
WEAKNESSES: The star power at the top masks a system that is not particularly deep. Righthander Alec Hansen, who ranked No. 3 on this list entering the season, endured a trying year filled with injury and ineffectiveness. First baseman Gavin Sheets, the team’s second-round pick from 2017, hit just six home runs at hitter-friendly high Class A Winston-Salem.
Chicago White Sox Projected 2022 Lineup
(Listed with 2022 season age)
Cleveland Indians Farm System Overview For 2019
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NOTABLE GRADUATIONS: RHP Shane Bieber (5), OF Greg Allen (8), SS Erik Gonzalez (11)
TRENDING: ???? Cleveland traded top-prospect catcher Francisco Mejia to improve its bullpen, but the organization saw several low-level prospects emerge.
STRENGTHS: Half a dozen years ago, the Indians had a wealth of middle infielders moving through their system, led by the likes of Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor. The makings of another wave is now building in the lower levels, with Tyler Freeman and Brayan Rocchio leading the charge. The core of the Indians’ system skews young across the board. The bulk of their best prospects are still at Class A or below.
WEAKNESSES: Trades and graduations have thinned the upper levels of the system. They still have some gems, such as righthander Triston McKenzie, in Double-A and Triple-A, but most of the players in the system are still at least a couple years away from reaching Cleveland. While the Indians are strong up the middle in the infield, the same cannot be said in the outfield, where they lack impact prospects.
Cleveland Indians Projected 2022 Lineup
(Listed with 2022 season age)
SEE THE INDIANS TOP 10 MLB PROSPECTS
Detroit Tigers Farm System Overview For 2019
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NOTABLE GRADUATIONS: RHP Joe Jimenez (15), OF Victor Reyes (25), 2B Niko Goodrum (NR)
TRENDING: ?? Choosing at the top of each round in the 2018 draft helped embellish the Tigers’ prospect stock.
STRENGTHS: The Tigers have stockpiled a good group of arms, with Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Franklin Perez leading the pack. In addition, the Tigers have gathered a group of athletic outfielders who have offensive potential, including Daz Cameron, Parker Meadows and Kingston Liniak. The athleticism is also prevalent on the infield, with middle infielders Isaac Parades, Sergio Alcantara and Willi Castro.
WEAKNESSES: The Tigers have no heir apparent at first base, where the aging Miguel Cabrera resides. The current cluster of catchers in the system didn’t perform well in 2018, with Jake Rogers looking like the best option at present even though his bat needs work. There are still improvements to be made in those areas as the Tigers continue to rebuild their club from the ground up.
Detroit Tigers’ Projected 2022 Lineup
(Listed with 2022 season age)
SEE THE TIGERS TOP 10 MLB PROSPECTS
Kansas Royals’ Farm System Overview For 2019
SEE THE ROYALS TOP 10 MLB PROSPECTS
NOTABLE GRADUATIONS: LHP Eric Skoglund (5), OF Brett Phillips (7 in Brewers system), 1B Hunter Dozier (8),
1B Ryan O’Hearn (15), RHP Heath Fillmyer (18 in Athletics system), RHP Burch Smith (21), RHP Brad Keller (22), LHP Tim Hill (NR), RHP Jorge Lopez (NR)
TRENDING: ???? The Royals loaded up on college pitchers in the 2018 draft and didn’t lose many top prospects to big league graduations. Their rookie class of 2018 was made up primarily of trade acquisitions, Rule 5 picks and other low-ceiling prospects.
STRENGTHS: The Royals selected college pitchers with their top four picks in 2018, which has helped make starting pitchers a focal point of the system. That depth is further bolstered by a trio of young Latin American pitchers—Yefry Del Rosario, Carlos Hernandez and Yohanse Morel—two of who were acquired within the past year.
WEAKNESSES: What the system lacks most is high-end talent at the top levels. Middle infielder Nicky Lopez reached Triple-A in his second full season and should soon be able to contribute in the big leagues. Former top prospect Josh Staumont has spent time in Triple-A the past two years and could be a power arm out of the bullpen—if he can tame his control. The most likely arm to contribute in 2019 is lefty reliever Richard Lovelady, who had a big year in Triple-A.
Royals Projected 2022 Lineup
(Listed with 2022 season age)
C MJ Melendez 23
1B Nick Pratto 23
2B Nicky Lopez 27
3B Whit Merrifield 33
SS Adalberto Mondesi 26
LF Kyle Isbel 25
CF Khalil Lee 24
RF Seuly Matias 23
DH Ryan O’Hearn 28
SP Brady Singer 25
SP Danny Duffy 33
SP Daniel Lynch 25
SP Jackson Kowar 25
SP Brad Keller 26
CL Josh Staumont 28
SEE THE ROYALS TOP 10 MLB PROSPECTS
2019 Minnesota Twins Farm System Overview For 2019
SEE THE TWINS TOP 10 MLB PROSPECTS
TRENDING: ?? Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff might be the best one-two punch of position prospects in baseball. College bats Trevor Larnach and Brent Rooker could add punch to future Twins’ lineups.
STRENGTHS: Power has been replenished in the past two drafts with the selections of Brent Rooker, Trevor Larnach and Ryan Jeffers. The Twins brought aboard more middle-infield athleticism, too, with the additions of Royce Lewis as well as Wander Javier and Yunior Severino. Power arms in the system include Brusdar Graterol, Jhoan Duran and Blayne Enlow with several more on the way.
WEAKNESSES: Finding a true two-way center fielder isn’t the easiest task, which might not matter as much if Byron Buxton can get back on track. Two-way catching is a concern across the game, but 2018 second-rounder Ryan Jeffers has a chance to remedy that issue for the Twins if he can stay behind the plate. There is suddenly a dearth of power bullpen arms after the likes of Nick Burdi, Randy Rosario and J.T. Chargois got away.
Twins Projected 2022 Lineup
(Listed with 2022 season age)
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