Now that we have ranked the top 100 MLB prospects heading into the 2025 season (along with a look at the potential breakout players in the Nos. 101-200 range), let's look at how all 30 farm systems stack up. For the first time since 2021, someone other than the Baltimore Orioles is in the No. 1 spot.
These rankings were done, for the most part, the same way as my previous versions. While at FanGraphs, research by Craig Edwards (who now works for the MLB Players Association) revealed empirical surplus dollar values for each future value tier of prospect, so we can make an objective ranking of farm systems derived from my individual team lists, which will be published next week.
A benefit of this approach is that you can use your own judgment to disagree with a ranking if, say, a team has $500,000 more talent, but the lower-ranked team has prospects of the sort you prefer. This gives you the tools to see exactly how close every team is and a more granular view of what their players are like, compared to the other 29 teams.
So just how bright does the future look for your favorite MLB team?
Top 100 | Nos. 101-200 | Team-by-team top 10 lists
Jump to team's top-ranked prospect:
American League
ATH | BAL | BOS | CHW | CLE
DET | HOU | KC | LAA | MIN
NYY | SEA | TB | TEX | TOR
National League
ARI | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL
LAD | MIA | MIL | NYM | PHI
PIT | SD | SF | STL | WSH
1. Los Angeles Dodgers ($420 million)
Last year: 8th, $247 million
Top 100 prospects: 8
Yeah, nobody outside of Dodgers fans is excited to see this: The defending champs with the biggest payroll in baseball also have the best farm system. If it makes you feel any better, this isn't a record-breaking farm system value and the Dodgers' lead here is by a few million dollars less than Roki Sasaki's value. That means that approximately two months into the season, when Sasaki is expected to graduate from prospect eligibility, the Dodgers will likely lose the top spot. But two months is a lot of time when it comes to projecting prospect rankings so that could change.
Los Angeles got here via a number of scouting and developmental avenues to maximize their system. Among their prospects on the top 100 list: Dalton Rushing was a top-50 overall pick, Alex Freeland was a third-round pick, Emil Morales got a top international bonus, Josue De Paula got a lower-to-midrange international bonus, and Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope were non-top 100 prospects a year ago when both were acquired from the Cubs for infielder Michael Busch. The Dodgers are so good because they are one of the most efficient franchises in baseball from top to bottom (you could argue for the Rays, Brewers or Guardians, too) and they also have a ton of money.
2. Chicago White Sox ($313 million)
Last year: 20th, $172 million
Top 100 prospects: 6
Two years ago at this time, the White Sox had the 25th-ranked farm system in baseball, then last year they moved up to 20th and last summer, after the trade deadline and draft, they moved up to eighth. And now, they are a Roki Sasaki away from having the top farm system in the game. Things haven't gone perfectly over that time, of course -- last season at the big league level couldn't have gone much worse, on multiple fronts -- but the franchise's accumulation and development of prospects has been effective.
Left-handed pitcher Noah Schultz is a potential front-line starter, infielder Colson Montgomery is a starter and maybe a good one, catchers Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero are also solid projected starters, and Hagen Smith should slot in right behind Schultz. All of them are on the top 100 and have a real shot at being in the big leagues in 2025 (which also means Chicago's stay at the top of the farm rankings could be a relatively short one).
3. Detroit Tigers ($298 million)
Last year: 3rd, $318 million
Top 100 prospects: 4
The AL Central is having a scouting and development moment right now. The Twins and Guardians are continuing to do a solid job of cycling through new talent, but the Tigers and White Sox are also doing it now. Meanwhile, the Royals are contenders until proven otherwise. Detroit should graduate Jackson Jobe, Jace Jung, Brant Hurter, Trey Sweeney and Dillon Dingler pretty quickly this season.. But five of their top seven prospects won't graduate to the majors this season, including the ninth and 10th prospects in baseball: Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle. I'd expect Detroit's farm system to stay in the top 10 of these rankings for a good run.
4. Boston Red Sox ($278 million)
Last year: 13th, $223 million
Top 100 prospects: 3
The Red Sox have also been on a bit of a heater in the player development space, but they should lose their top-five farm system status at some point in 2025 as this ranking is driven heavily by three players who are all in the upper minors. Outfielder Roman Anthony (who will be the top prospect in baseball when Sasaki graduates), shortstop Marcelo Mayer and infielder Kristian Campbell combine for $172 million of the $278 million of value in Boston's system. There's a real shot at least two of them, if not all three, graduate to the big leagues at some point during the season. There's a nice wave of talent behind them, though, with shortstop Franklin Arias and outfielder Miguel Bleis leading the position players and right-hander Luis Perales (who likely won't pitch in a regular-season game until 2026) leading a lighter group of pitching prospects.
5. Tampa Bay Rays ($270 million)
Last year: 7th, $249 million
Top 100 prospects: 5
Ho hum, the Rays, as per usual, have a strong farm system. Shortstop Carson Williams paces their group as the fifth-ranked prospect in the game, but the strength here is their depth, with 13 prospects ranking between 63rd and 189th. That group was acquired in a variety of ways -- via trade, drafted from high school or college and signed internationally -- and has a strong bias toward position players. Even better for the Rays: The prospects have generally been acquired before or during their breakout, rather than the team waiting for industry consensus to form before it acts. Tampa Bay tends to start trends rather than follow them. This is the formula for ballin' on a budget.
6. Minnesota Twins ($257 million)
Last year: 9th, $241 million
Top 100 prospects: 4
I've long been a Walker Jenkins believer -- I was blown away watching him, Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark and Giants first base prospect Bryce Eldridge dominating the prep players who were a year older than them back in 2021 -- and Jenkins is now on a trajectory to be the top prospect in the sport at some point this summer or next offseason.
The Twins run their organization similarly to the Rays, so a steady group of a half-dozen prospects of varying quality need to show up every year, and the scouting and development groups in Minnesota do that pretty darn well. I believe I'm the high guy in the media on RHP Charlee Soto and SS Kaelen Culpepper, so those are two picks to watch to be more prominent in the system later this season.
7. Seattle Mariners ($241 million)
Last year: 17th, $200 million
Top 100 prospects: 5
Seattle continues to be on a heater when it comes to finding prep position players and college pitchers in the draft. SS Colt Emerson, 2B Cole Young, C Harry Ford, CF Jonny Farmelo, OF AIdan Smith (now with the Rays), SS Edwin Arroyo (now with the Reds) and SS Tai Peete have all been arrow-up since being drafted by Seattle. On the college pitcher side, you don't need to know prospects to understand how well it is working because Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo were all picks from this regime -- and the next wave is forming behind them: Jurrangelo Cijntje, Brody Hopkins (now with the Rays), Teddy McGraw, Logan Evans and Brandyn Garcia.
When a team finds that caramel ribbon of value creation in the tub of ice cream that is the draft, you have to double down and keep digging in until the caramel is gone. That was just a random metaphor, not a personal experience, of course.
8. Milwaukee Brewers ($225 million)
Last year: 5th, $276 million
Top 100 prospects: 4
The Brewers are the envy of baseball in some ways: productive international operations, skill in valuing in all parts of the draft, and ability to develop middling prospects into contributors for a perennial contender despite a bottom-10 payroll.
Jesus Made was the top prospect in the Dominican Summer League, going from midtier international signee to the middle of the top 100 in 51 pro games. Current major leaguer Jackson Chourio is also pretty good as a representative of their past international classes.
The Brew Crew have found a draft strategy that works for them, and they don't have much competition pursuing it: Identify Upper Midwest prep prospects for under $1 million bonuses, largely after the 10th round. Top 100 prospect Cooper Pratt was the result of some good, old-fashioned outscouting of the competition, and 3B Luke Adams and RHP Bishop Letson are the best finds so far from the Upper Midwest strategy.
9. New York Mets ($222 million)
Last year: 11th, $235 million
Top 100 prospects: 4
Some of the smart moves the franchise made to pivot under former GM Billy Eppler are now giving way to president of baseball operations David Stearns' moves. As a result, the Mets now have a strong group of prospects in the upper minors with a real chance to contribute to the 2025 big league team.
Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuna should be factors in the first half, and CF Drew Gilbert, IF/CF Jett Williams, RHP Brandon Sproat, RHP Nolan McLean and OF/1B Ryan Clifford could all be factors later in the season -- and they all rank within the top 200 prospects in the game. Keep an eye on RHP Jonah Tong to see if his incredible miss rates continue in the upper minors.
10. Chicago Cubs ($215 million)
Last year: 2nd, $328 million
Top 100 prospects: 5
Like the Mets, the Cubs also have a wealth of prospects, mostly position players, in the upper minors who could be a real factor in the 2025 season. 3B Matt Shaw is tracking like an Opening Day starter. C Moises Ballesteros, 2B James Triantos, CF Kevin Alcantara, RF Owen Caissie, RHP Cade Horton and RHP Brandon Birdsell all are likely to open the season in Triple-A.
Five of those players made the top 100, one is ranked among the 101-200, and one just missed. If even half of those players are solid big leaguers in 2025, that changes the team-building posture of a franchise with Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly hitting free agency after this season followed by Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Nico Hoerner and Jameson Taillon the next year. Replacing some of those players with graduated prospects making the league minimum frees up a lot of money with one fewer roster need.
11. Cleveland Guardians ($213 million)
Last year: 19th, $187 million
Top 100 prospects: 3
The Guardians have to stay in the top half of these rankings for their model to continue to work, and they have demonstrated they can do that consistently with Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter leading a deep group of position players at the top of the system.
Cleveland has a very productive international program, pumping out a few new versions of "plus hitter with short arms who plays an important position" every year. The Guardians' approach to the draft is somewhat predictable (targeting young-for-their-class high schoolers, long-famous summer circuit performers, midround college pitchers), but it keeps working.
12. Washington Nationals ($212 million)
Last year: 16th, $203 million
Top 100 prospects: 4
The rebuild is starting to turn the corner in D.C., with some clear keepers graduating to the big league club and another wave likely to show up in 2025.
Dylan Crews, Brady House and Cade Cavalli should join James Wood, C.J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, D.J. Herz, Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin in the group of former prospects becoming core major league players. With a strong 2025 showing, the wave coming behind them -- led by RHP Jarlin Susana, RHP Travis Sykora, LHP Alex Clemmey and SS Seaver King -- could be what turns a solid rebuild into a young contending core. That next wave should be helped further by a 2025 draft haul that will be headlined by the top overall pick.
13. Cincinnati Reds ($210 million)
Last year: 10th, $237 million
Top 100 prospects: 4
The Reds' rebuild is being built around potential front-line power pitchers. Hunter Greene is already doing it in the majors, Nick Lodolo is showing flashes, and they're about to be joined by Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder and Chase Petty.
I don't think any of Cincinnati's top position player prospects will spend much time in the big leagues in 2025, but infielders Sal Stewart, Edwin Arroyo and Cam Collier figure to be factors for the 2026 season. By then we'll likely know if catcher Alfredo Duno is a potential All-Star or more of a limited player with huge power.
14. Baltimore Orioles ($207 million)
Last year: 1st, $371 million
Top 100 prospects: 3
The Orioles had the top farm system in the game before the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons, keeping the spot through my post-deadline rankings last summer. But with Jackson Holliday and Cade Povich graduating from eligibility after those rankings -- coming on the heels of Heston Kjerstad, Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser moving up and prospects dealt away in trades for major league starters Zach Eflin, Trevor Rogers and Corbin Burnes -- the Baltimore system has thinned out considerably. The O's still have two of the top 20 prospects in the game in 3B Coby Mayo and C Samuel Basallo leading the system, with big league inventory arms and lower-level position players supplying much of the value after them.
15. Miami Marlins ($197 million)
Last year: 29th, $82 million
Top 100 prospects: 3
The Marlins are right in the middle of their rebuild, having moved almost every arbitration-eligible player in the organization for prospect value and bottoming out in the standings. They've accumulated young talent effectively, with a number of potential lineup regulars and starting pitchers set for a 2025 debut, but none of the players close to the majors seem like true future stars.
In the lower minors, there is some star potential, with LHP Thomas White leading the way. Miami should be able to add some more of that type of talent in the next couple of drafts and international signing classes, and will continue to climb up this list over that time.
16. Texas Rangers ($192 million)
Last year: 12th, $228 million
Top 100 prospects: 3
The Rangers' system has been one of baseball's most volatile recently: RHP Kumar Rocker's and RHP Jack Leiter's past few seasons have been a roller coaster, SS Sebastian Walcott went from interesting international signee to a top-20 prospect in the game pretty quickly, RHP Alejandro Rosario and RHP Winston Santos rose almost out of nowhere, and RHP Brock Porter, RHP Owen White and 1B Abimelec Ortiz have varied wildly in value year-to-year.
The big league lineup looks strong and the pitching in the system -- led by Rocker, Rosario, Santos and Leiter -- is about to show up to fortify the major league staff behind Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom & Co.
17. Philadelphia Phillies ($188 million)
Last year: 23rd, $158 million
Top 100 prospects: 3
For the Phillies, prospects are more of a means to an end. It's great if homegrown young big leaguers turn into stars such as Aaron Nola, or strong contributors such as Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott, but this team is built by players coming from all different places. The price was high at the trade deadline for Philly to acquire a rental in right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (the 88th and 111th prospects), but right-hander Andrew Painter and shortstop Aidan Miller are likely prospects the team wouldn't include in trade discussions -- so they might soon join Nola & Co. as the homegrown stars of the next phase of the Phils.
18. Colorado Rockies ($185 million)
Last year: 22nd, $161 million
Top 100 prospects: 2
The Rockies' scouting groups actually do a pretty good job. I was getting worried about right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander before the 2022 draft, but he has turned into the best version of himself. There's a yellow flag to monitor for third baseman Charlie Condon, but I think he'll be fine in the long term. Outfielder Robert Calaz has a shot to be a home run-hitting machine at Coors Field, but he's still a teenager, so it could take a while to get there. There's some solid depth in role player types in Colorado's system, but it just doesn't seem like there's enough young talent to right the wrongs committed at the big league level.
19. St. Louis Cardinals ($184 million)
Last year: 18th, $193 million
Top 100 prospects: 3
The Cardinals have some strong upper-minors pitching depth in right-handers Tink Hence, Michael McGreevy and Tekoah Roby and left-handers Quinn Mathews and Cooper Hjerpe -- and I'd expect to see shortstops JJ Wetherholt and Thomas Saggese as well as catchers Leonardo Bernal and Jimmy Crooks in the upper minors in 2025. I'd bet there will be some All-Star appearances among that group, which is increasingly what the Cardinals need from their system. Their organizational payroll posture is effective at filling out a core with solid contributors, but they need to out-scout the competition to find stars since they haven't been interested in paying retail price in free agency.
There are only two players in the organization with contracts guaranteed after 2026. St. Louis is in the middle of trying to trade one of them (Nolan Arenado), which bodes well for flexibility, but the core needs to be bolstered by standout young players, whether that is prospects or recent graduates.
20. Pittsburgh Pirates ($179 million)
Last year: 14th, $222 million
Top 100 prospects: 4
The whole organization has a different feel after the emergence of Paul Skenes. Oneil Cruz might be the only other potential star on the big league roster, but that's two more than some teams have, and Bubba Chandler could make it a trio by the middle of 2025. Konnor Griffin is arguably the prospect with the highest variance in the top 100, so he certainly could turn into a superstar; however, this system is in a brief down cycle as the big league team is full of the last couple of years of graduates. Pittsburgh might have to now start to balance competing in the short term and long term, a welcome change after six straight losing seasons.
21. New York Yankees ($166 million)
Last year: 6th, $252 million
Top 100 prospects: 2
The Yankees' system took a bit of a tumble in these rankings since last year after graduating standout rookies catcher Austin Wells and right-hander Luis Gil, and making trades for Jazz Chisholm Jr., Mark Leiter Jr. and Devin Williams. At the same time, it wasn't a great year for the prospects who stayed in the system: Spencer Jones didn't progress as expected, Chase Hampton was injured much of the year, a handful of others fit one or both of those descriptions, and the draft/international capital was at the low end of the scale due to the big league team's success and payroll. I think that was more clustered bad luck than anything systemic, and only Jasson Dominguez is expected to graduate in the first half of 2025 -- so I'd expect the rest of the farm to appreciate this year.
22. Kansas City Royals ($163 million)
Last year: 26th, $89 million
Top 100 prospects: 2
Kansas City has transitioned quickly from the difficult final stages of a rebuild to competing, thanks in large part to a superstar turn from shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (which was somewhat expected) but also left-hander Cole Ragans going from low-profile trade return to ace in less than a year. The Royals' past two first-round picks -- catcher Blake Mitchell and first baseman Jac Caglianone -- are in the top half of the top 100, and left-hander David Shields is already arrow-up due to a velocity spike before even throwing in a regular-season big league game. Beyond that, it's mostly role players and high-variance types in this system.
23. Athletics ($160 million)
Last year: 25th, $112 million
Top 100 prospects: 2
The A's have a nice wave of upper minors talent that should show up in the big leagues soon (or, briefly, already has): shortstop Jacob Wilson, first baseman Nick Kurtz, shortstop Max Muncy, right-hander Mason Barnett, center fielder Denzel Clarke, left fielder Colby Thomas and right-hander Jack Perkins. That group is coming up on the heels of recent graduates Lawrence Butler and Mason Miller, along with the emergence of designated hitter Brent Rooker and the payroll increase. All of that combined gives some hope that the on-field personnel can be better than in recent years, despite the current situation in which ownership has created.
24. Toronto Blue Jays ($151 million)
Last year: 24th, $126 million
Top 100 prospects: 3
Toronto took some tough blows to its system last season, losing left-handers Ricky Tiedemann and Brandon Barriera as well as right-hander Landen Maroudis to elbow surgery and second baseman Orelvis Martinez to a PED suspension. Things aren't really looking up for that group either: Though Martinez returned late in 2024, Barriera won't return until late in 2025, Maroudis will return in 2025 and Tiedemann won't return until the 2026 season.
On the bright side, shortstop Arjun Nimmala caught fire late in the season after some early struggles, right-hander Jake Bloss was acquired in a great deadline deal for Yusei Kikuchi, left-hander Adam Macko got to Triple-A while posting a career high in innings and a late injury in college helped deliver right-hander Trey Yesavage to the Jays at No. 20 in last summer's draft. Bloss and Martinez should graduate this season, meaning Toronto will need some steps forward from others in its system to make up for the loss of those two.
25. Arizona Diamondbacks ($139 million)
Last year: 21st, $168 million
Top 100 prospects: 1
Jordan Lawlar is the lone potential All-Star in the system, but there are multiple waves of solid role players throughout the minors. Arizona added a nice mix of prospects with its two extra Day 1 picks in the 2024 draft, a late pick 2B Demetrio Crisantes (a seventh-round pick in 2022) turned into a near-top 100 prospect in 2024 and the D-backs' international program continues to produce real prospects, in Jansel Luis, Yu-Min Lin, Yilber Diaz and Adriel Radney, among others.
26. San Diego Padres ($135 million)
Last year: 4th, $284 million
Top 100 prospects: 2
The Padres are an organization of extremes, stomping the pedal to the floor in whatever direction they're going at the moment. Right now, it's all-in for the big league team and at the top of the international market, while trying to make the most of lesser draft capital tied to their perennial contender status.
Leodalis De Vries and Ethan Salas are both potential stars in the top quarter of the top 100, while their most recent first-round pick, LHP Kash Mayfield, snuck onto the end of the top 200. After that, it's almost entirely higher-variance players in the low minors and a handful of big league inventory types. I bet it won't take long to beef up the rest of the system enough to make another bold trade though.
27. Atlanta Braves ($133 million)
Last year: 28th, $87 million
Top 100 prospects: 2
The Braves have done a nice job adding to their system status in the past year, with RHP Spencer Schwellenbach a notable but lone graduate from the top of last year's list. Atlanta has now signed top-of-the-market prospects in consecutive international signing classes and had multiple midtier prospects take leaps forward last season. I was the high guy last winter on C Drake Baldwin and SS Nacho Alvarez Jr., and they both rewarded my belief. RHP Owen Murphy was in the middle of a top-100-looking breakout season before elbow surgery shelved him for the year. LHP Cam Caminiti, a 2024 first-rounder, and post-surgery former first-rounder RHP J.R. Ritchie will try to make up for Murphy's loss. RHP Garrett Baumann and RHP Lucas Braun took big steps forward in 2024, and CF Luis Guanipa is one of the more intriguing low minors position players I'll be monitoring early in 2025.
28. Los Angeles Angels ($129 million)
Last year: 30th, $66 million
Top 100 prospects: 3
The Angels did strong work in the minors last season, more than doubling their farm system value. RHP Caden Dana took a big step forward and looks like a real midrotation starter now. Second baseman Christian Moore immediately raked in the minors after going No. 8 overall in the draft. The biggest move the Angels made was a fantastic trade, netting RHP George Klassen and LHP Samuel Aldegheri for a rental of RHP Carlos Estevez. All four of those players could be in the upper minors in 2025 and we know GM Perry Minasian will promote them aggressively.
Keep an eye on potential relievers RHP Chris Cortez and RHP Ryan Johnson, two more potential quick movers from the 2024 draft, if they're throwing in short stints -- but they could also end up being slower movers if they're developed as starters only.
29. San Francisco Giants ($109 million)
Last year: 15th, $207 million
Top 100 prospects: 1
There have been a lot of graduations from this system over the past two seasons: SS Tyler Fitzgerald, OF Heliot Ramos, C Patrick Bailey, OF Grant McCray, 3B Casey Schmitt, SS Marco Luciano, OF Luis Matos, LHP Kyle Harrison, RHP Ryan Walker, RHP Hayden Birdsong and half a dozen more pitchers from lower prospect tiers.
That leaves the last two to three draft and international signing classes to fill the farm system, and there are potential stars in 1B Bryce Eldridge and recently signed SS Josuar Gonzalez along with role-player types in LHP Carson Whisenhunt and RF James Tibbs III. There isn't a lot of high-end talent, but there's nice depth. This is a down cycle after graduating so many young players; I'd bet the Giants rank a good bit higher at this time next year.
30. Houston Astros ($104 million)
Last year: 27th, $88 million
Top 100 prospects: 2
Third baseman Cam Smith was one of the key players Houston received in the Kyle Tucker trade, and adding him helped rescue this system value from being lower than it was at this point last winter, as the other teams with lagging systems all improved. Outfielder Jacob Melton (Houston's other top-100 prospect) should graduate this season, as should 3B Zach Dezenzo, with Smith having an outside chance.
Houston isn't a bad scouting organization, but the Astros prioritize the big league team, so arrow-up prospects such as OF Drew Gilbert, OF Ryan Clifford, RHP Jake Bloss and OF Joey Loperfido are often part of trades to help the major league roster with deals. The system depth is almost entirely role players with only a handful of high-variance exciting types. The path the Astros take with Alex Bregman (current free agent) and Framber Valdez (free agent after the 2025 season) should tell us a lot about their philosophical direction now that the core is aging to a point that tough decisions must be made.