The National League dominates the Minor League News MLN FAB50 2004 survey of the top players in the affiliated minor leagues of developmental baseball with 34 players making this year's list to the American's 14. Of course, in the quality department, the number one pick, the D-Rays' B.J. Upton, comes from the American. What is of more interest is what farm clubs are in vogue right now, and which ones did not have players that made the list.
The top farm system overall in the FAB50 is the Colorado Rockies, with eight of our top fifty players. The Rockies continue to have one of the best developmental systems in baseball. More importantly, they make good use of their farm talent at the major league level, rather than just dealing them as some teams (George) are prone to doing.
The quality of talent passing through the farm system can foreshadow a change in the fortunes of the parent club. Two years ago the Cubs had some of the better talent on the farm. Last year they fell a ball or two shy of the World Series. The Angels, Marlins, and many other clubs have also seen some ripple effect from a larger grouping of fast-track players moving through their systems.
So who is hot now? The biggest surprise of 2004 may be the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Players like Upton, Young, and Gathright and a farm system with one of the best coaches in the AAA, Bill Evers, are poised to send up some great players to a major league club that already has reaped a great harvest from the farm in the form of players like Rocco Baldelli. More important, these new players are D-Rays born and bred, not tired retreads. The Devil Rays, accustomed to being the also-rans behind half of the spring training facilities around them and transplant fans from New York, Philly and elsewhere, are setting the stage to create a whole new generation of D-Rays fans around that home-made talent.
We like two hot hurlers in the Mariners farm system: Blackley and Hernandez. Both bring it on with MAJOR ATTITUDE™.
The Rockies have a lot of amazing talent, including ace Jeff Francis. The Diamondbacks, whose Unit-hamstrung budgets have perhaps caused a more active visit to the farm list for bright new talent at more modest salaries, are also staging a run at 2006 or 2007.
Clubs like the Padres, which had some of the best and brightest talent last year, have dropped a step this year. Only hurler Tim Stauffer (#11) makes the FAB50. Likewise the Oakland Athletics and the Atlanta Braves have a much less exciting talent pool than in previous years.
Some, like the Angels, Dodgers, and Yankees continue to provide a reliable crop of fast-track players worthy of our attention.
Then there are farm systems like Detroit, whose minor league prospects don't seem to be pointing the team down the road to recovery any time soon. Likewise, we were disappointed by the candidates in the Baltimore organization.
There are a lot of great players in the farm systems of many clubs. Those who made the MLN Fab50 for 2004 though, are that something extra: Players and parent organizations that are on the fast track, that stand out above their peers.
American League
The American League farm system delivers 14 of the top fifty players this year. While not as deep in quantity, they make up in quality. The D-Rays, Mariners, and Angels all serve up players that can make an impact on the fortunes of their clubs over the next few years. There were several players in both leagues, including our cover story last month, the Royals Zack Greinke, who were pulled from the fifty because they had already been called up.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays[3] Top: [1]
The D-Rays are a ballclub on the move. Players like Upton, Young, and Gathright in addition to former farm faves like Rocco Baldelli are not only positioning Tampa Bay for a competitive future, but also creating a generation of home-grown players (and hopefully home town fans that aren't post-spring-training Yankee fans.).
Anaheim Angels[3] Top: 5
Remember the World Series Angels? The organization is looking to produce the sequel sometime soon. Players like McPherson, Santana and Kendrick are very much in the mold of the organization's improved use of the farm system to win championships. During the three years prior to the championship club we could identify as many as five promising fast-track players in their farm system. While we think that these three have the potential to help the club, we would like to see another two to three players of this calibre before we get excited about the major league club's prospects for HALO-2: The World Series Return.
Seattle Mariners [2] Top: 6
The Mariners may be using half of Asia as their farm system these days, but the wundah from downundah, Aussie Travis Blackley, is being farm-raised here in the states. Felix Hernandez, also an import, is smoking his way through the farm system. Given the Mariners' mix of overseas scouting, free agent acquisitions, and domestic farm product, we think that their system will continue to feed a contending team for some time to come.
Texas Rangers [2] Top: 14
The Rangers are on the rebuild (again) in the post A-Rod era. Our two picks from their farm, Kinsler and Botts, should help get them on the right track. They'll need to do more trading or build up more fast-track players for any short-term improvements over the next two seasons.
New York Yankees[2] Top: 40
From the Yankees we bring you two players well on their way to being the "player to be named." When you watch the next overpaid Yankee flashing his lotto-winning smile, the new pinstripes and crushing the fans of his former ballclub, be of good cheer: You probably got one of the better talents from the Yankee farm system, perhaps even Sardinha or Cabrera, both of whom suffer from excellence in highly occupied positions on the major league clubs.
Oakland A's [1] Top: 17
Billy, Billy, Billy. Where has your farm system gone? We love Mark Teahen. We like the prospects of your AAA and AA clubs. There just aren't large numbers of individual players that have that "franchise" stamp, that excite us in quite the same way as they used to. We're hoping to see more of the mean green Athletics next year when more are ready to top out on the Fab50.
Minnesota Twins[1]
The Twins generate a lot of sound and fury with our number 2 pick, Jason Kubel. It may signify nothing, though, as we don't see a lot of excitement in their minor league lineups beyond him.
National League
The National League leads our listing of the top talent on the fast track represented in the FAB50 for 2004 with 34 of the top 50 players in the affiliated minors. We were most impressed with the Colorado Rockies' farm organization and some of the talent being cultivated there. Likewise, the Diamondbacks seem to be making some sound investments in their future. The New York Mets continue to deliver some interesting prospects. This year we've been less impressed with the farm systems for Chicago, San Diego, Atlanta and Houston. All four have storied reputations for delivering the goods on great minor leaguers. This year, some of the hot candidates for stardom and the fast track have cooled down a bit.
Colorado Rockies[8] Top: 3
The Colorado Rockies farm system is a class operation. It has promoted some of the best players that we've seen come off of the farm in recent years. It consistently delivers to the major league club quality talent and players that make attractive trades. The focus, though, still seems to be on the development of talent for use by the club, and not solely as chips on the table. Jeff Francis, our number three pick, is one of the most impressive pitchers we've seen come out of the organization in some time. Jeff Salazar, our number fifteen pick, was also the MLN 2003 South Atlantic League Player of the Year.
Arizona Diamondbacks [4] Top: 20
The Diamondbacks aren't holding a lot of attractive cards at the AAA level right now, but in El Paso and further down the line there are promising players aplenty headed in that direction. We particularly like Josh Kroeger and Carlos Quentin's more immediate futures. The Phoenix fans have developed an unfortunate addiction to big name trades. Counter those champagne tastes with the beer budget that salaries like the Unit and those still on the books from deals past, and it becomes a toss up whether these guys are the foundations of the future, attractive deals for clubs looking to saddle the D-backs with a little more of their high-salaried players, or part of the free agent cha-cha.
New York Mets [3] Top: 4
The Mets continue to slowly add to a collection of rising stars. Reyes, one of our previous picks, may be joined by the likes of David Wright. The Mets' farm system is starting to show more signs of life throughout the system.
Philadelphia Phillies[3] Top: 25
The brightest light on the Phillies farm is trade bait. Ryan Howard will have too long to wait out Thome. Roberson and Floyd show promise for the future, but neither look to be the franchise player that will change Philly fortunes.. New ballpark. Same Phils.
Los Angeles Dodgers [3] Top: 39
The curse of Rupert Murdoch may still be upon the Dodgers. The once proud farm system that generated legions of the best players in the business continues to develop a few gems. There is stagnation, however, at the higher levels of development where some former fast-track players aren't moving forward or out into other organizations. That has to create a certain amount of frustration. It may account for some degredation of careers stuck in the Dodger doldrums. Our picks from the big blue machine are at levels where the stagnation has yet to be felt. Pitchers Megrew and Tiffany have the best hope. The Dodgers keep the line of pitchers, the resource in which the fans in L.A. have some pride invested, moving.
Expos [2] Top: 7
They're here. They're there. They're everywhere. MLB ownership will point the Expos into a new market. The group set up to study this mess includes the Commissioner's daughter. That's almost as "fair and balanced" as Fox news. We don't know where they will land, but we do know this: Wherever that is, if they want to build a new team that fans in Las Vegas or Norfolk or D.C. take to, Ryan Church should be on the roster by the time that they get there.
St. Louis Cardinals[2] Top: 8
Brad Thompson ignited national attention when he ran his scoreless innings streak to a minor record. Pundits like Rob Dibble dissed it. "I'd rather have a major league record any time," Dibble scoffed on ESPN radio. We expect Mr. Thompson to make Mr. Dibble eat those words once he hits the big leagues. He has all the markings of a world-class pitcher of the world (Thompson, not Dibble). He is one of the first impact "franchise" players that we've seen coming off of the Cardinals farm in some time. While further back in the assembly line, we expect that Daric Barton has the potential to become a franchise player when he is ready for prime time.
San Francisco Giants [2] Top: 19
The Giants are raising Cain on the farm. We see a lot of "good" players filling up the bay bombers' rosters. Hopefully over the next season a few will rise to franchise quality. Right now, Cain and Schierholtz are the only two that wow us. The Giants team is a carefully balanced mix, usually augmented by free agent acquisitions, so it is little wonder that their farm system is little wonder.
San Diego Padres [1]
How the mighty have fallen. There was a time, a couple of years ago, where you could reach down into the Padres farm system and pan for nuggets of gold the size of your fist. There are a few players on the cusp of greatness. We still like Josh Barfield, although this season has been a bit less stellar for him. Right now hurler Tim Stauffer seems to be the brightest star in the future skies of San Diego. There are a couple of players who could easily hit franchise status within the next season or two. A cluster of two or three, possibly including Barfield, would be good news for the Pads.
Milwaukee Brewers [1]
For a club which moves from hapless to hopeless and back again, Prince Fielder has all the earmarkings of a great franchise player who could energize the Brew crew. Of course, playing for Bud Light, Wendy and the gang means never having to say "I'm sorry," or "Championship" for that matter. If he does get up to Milwaukee before being dealt somewhere else, it does give him a relatively low-stress way to build up his cred before free agency. We expect the Prince of Pop to shine wherever he goes.
Chicago Cubs [1]
Call it "George Light" but the Cubs have been making moves to bring their various and sundry curses keeping them out of the World Series to an end. The club that relied heavily on its farm for the front lines now is full of beefy free-agent deals to make that big run. We don't see a lot of shining stars on their farm, with the exception of Richard Lewis, right now. Several more have the potential to hit that status by next year. If they do, we see them likely as more trade bait to stoke the championship fires burning in Chi town.
Pittsburgh Pirates [1]
Farm? We have a farm? For a team on financial Atkins, you would think that the Pirates would have a great developmental system. Nah. Zach Duke is the diamond of their farm. We haven't seen a more general lack of interest in any farm team. Even our sources with the Tigers talked up their team better.
Atlanta Braves [1]
The Braves farm is full of good to great players, few of whom seem to be more than potential trades. We see the Braves working the free agent market harder than the farm in the next year or two. Capellan is coming up behind that. If the winds change, more players may make it to the fast track.
Houston Astros [1]
The Astros have one of the better overall farm systems, with competitive teams at each level. Last year we featured several rising stars from the organization. This year we see a lot of potential that is still green on the vine. Next year we expect to see more of their system make the fast-track list. Right now, Taveras is the player that interests us. Click on his photo to find out why.
Cincinnati Reds [1]
The lower levels of the Reds organization interest us. There we see signs of life that may lead to a more exciting farm system and even a few more fast-track players in the years to come. Encarnacion is the incarnation of that new activity, and may be the guy at the forefront of a new wave of Reds players who can bring a World Series back to Cincy.
