These clubs have the most Top 100 prospects
MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 preseason prospect rating — now in its twentieth version after it started as a Top 50 in 2004 — is supposed to be a collection of particular person assessments. We consider every participant for who they’ve been, who they’re and who they could possibly be as Major Leaguers sometime based mostly on their efficiency and instruments, and we slot them into Nos. 1-100 accordingly. But as soon as that’s accomplished, there are complete types of the way to slice and cube the listing. By place. By age. By dwelling nation.
Fans of particular person organizations could decipher the Top 100 in a single particular method — what number of did we get?
For 2023, there are 5 farm programs with at the very least 5 prospects on the up to date Top 100. For reference, a bigger group of eight golf equipment have precisely 4 Top 100 prospects, so this group represents a transparent separation from the pack.
Baltimore Orioles (8)
The O’s have developed top-of-the-line farm programs in current occasions, however one may argue it’s by no means been stronger than it’s now. This octet represents not solely probably the most Top 100 prospects Baltimore has claimed on a preseason listing since we began rating prospects in 2004, nevertheless it’s additionally the primary time it’s opened a season with greater than 5 gamers on a Top 100 listing. Yes, that features final 12 months’s group headlined by Adley Rutschman.
No. 1 total prospect Gunnar Henderson is the massive title this time round, adopted by Grayson Rodriguez (No. 7), Jackson Holliday (No. 12), Colton Cowser (No. 40), Jordan Westburg (No. 74), Heston Kjerstad (No. 80), DL Hall (No. 97) and Joey Ortiz (No. 99). Those are 4 infielders, two outfielders and two pitchers — a reasonably various mixture of names past simply the general expertise. Henderson, Rodriguez and Hall may all compete for Opening Day jobs, whereas Ortiz, Westburg and Cowser might not be far behind.
Notably, the organizations with eight or extra prospects on a preseason Top 100 within the earlier 5 years — Rays (2021), Padres (2020), Braves (2020, 2019, 2018) — all made the postseason in 2022.
Cleveland Guardians (7)
Similarly to Baltimore, that is the very best complete of preseason Top 100 prospects Cleveland has boasted since lists started 19 years in the past, beating the earlier finest of 5 set a 12 months in the past. MLB executives voted the Guardians as the perfect builders of pitching prospects, and that comes via with the location of Daniel Espino (No. 16), Gavin Williams (No. 42) and Tanner Bibee (No. 65) on the listing.
That similar ballot listed Cleveland because the group almost certainly to hoard its prospects too. That would possibly clarify how George Valera (No. 51), Bo Naylor (No. 64) and Brayan Rocchio (No. 75) are nonetheless on the membership’s ever-crowded 40-man roster as an alternative of being flipped for extra Major League-ready items, however all three additionally match Cleveland’s mildew of counting on its younger expertise to compete within the AL Central. Chase DeLauter (No. 82) — the membership’s first-round decide in 2022 — has as a lot ceiling as every other hitter within the group as a possible five-tool outfielder.
Los Angeles Dodgers (7)
On the flip facet, the Dodgers had been chosen by MLB execs because the system that finest develops hitters, and positive sufficient, the hard-hitting quartet of Diego Cartaya (No. 14), Miguel Vargas (No. 37), Michael Busch (No. 54) and Andy Pages (No. 81) leads the cost for the perennial NL West contenders. Don’t sleep on the pitchers both with Bobby Miler (No. 24), Gavin Stone (No. 56) and Ryan Pepiot (No. 70) every displaying starter-level-quality stuff within the Minors (or in Pepiot’s case, the Majors too).
An necessary factor to notice: All seven gamers have ETAs of 2023. The Dodgers’ Top 100 contingent may look very completely different this time subsequent 12 months, however given the group’s potential to carry out breakouts in gamers of every type, it may nonetheless declare a wholesome quantity on the 2024 listing too.
Texas Rangers (6)
This isn’t probably the most high-ceiling group you’ll discover on this listing. Josh Jung is the highest-ranked at No. 34, and he’s coming off a 2022 marketing campaign wherein he missed a lot of the season with a left shoulder tear. But the truth that it’s this deep ought to give extra hope to a Texas fanbase already hoping for a 2023 turnaround following the additions of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney this offseason.
Evan Carter (No. 41) and Luisangel Acuña (No. 71) may each be darkhorses to influence the Major League lineup this season after ending 2022 at Double-A, whereas Owen White (No. 66) could want well being and repeated upper-level begins to offer himself a shot on the Texas rotation quickly. By maintaining him within the Top 100, we’re banking on Jack Leiter (No. 78) studying from his Double-A bumps final 12 months and making the changes essential to show why he was the highest pitcher chosen within the 2021 Draft. Another right-hander Brock Porter (No. 94) is simply getting his profession going and has the four-pitch combine way more akin to his signing bonus ($3.7 million) than his Draft spot (fourth spherical).
St. Louis Cardinals (5)
Remember the five-round 2020 Draft? The Cardinals made 4 picks within the high 70 picks that 12 months. All 4 of them are actually Top 100 prospects: Jordan Walker (No. 4), Masyn Winn (No. 50), Tink Hence (No. 77) and Alec Burleson (No. 91). That’s an unimaginable hit fee for a Draft that got here after the pandemic shortened the spring season for everybody in baseball. The Draft successes haven’t stopped there. Gordon Graceffo (No. 79) was a fifth-round decide two years in the past and launched himself into Top 100 territory with a breakout pitching efficiency at High-A and Double-A final 12 months. The St. Louis conveyor belt continues apace.
We’ve been going off uncooked totals to honor the farm programs above, however right here’s what occurs whenever you break down the Top 5 by Prospect Points (i.e. 100 for No. 1 total, 99 for No. 2, and so on.):
1. Orioles, 398
2. Dodgers, 371
3. D-backs, 317
4. Guardians, 312
5. Reds, 252
Arizona boasts arguably the perfect Big Four of any prospect group this 12 months in Corbin Carroll (No. 2), Jordan Lawlar (No. 11) and Druw Jones (No. 15) and the reigning Minor League strikeout chief in Brandon Pfaadt (No. 59). That quartet represents the D-backs’ solely Top 100 illustration, nevertheless it’s sufficient to clear 27 different golf equipment within the Prospect Points ranks.
The Reds focus on infielders with their Top 100 foursome of Elly De La Cruz (No. 10), Noelvi Marte (No. 29), Edwin Arroyo (No. 44) and Cam Collier (No. 69). The final three had been all acquired final 12 months both through the Draft or the Luis Castillo blockbuster commerce with the Mariners, giving Cincinnati a much-needed inflow of expertise at a time when it’s heading towards a sure rebuild.
Historical context
After we embody the 2023 uncooked totals, the highest 5 all-time leaders in preseason Top 50/100 prospects are the Rays (84), Dodgers (76), Braves (66), Padres (65) and Twins/Pirates (each with 64). Atlanta holds its place in third from a 12 months in the past regardless of being the one group and not using a Top 100 prospect this 12 months.
The Angels (36), Nationals (39), Giants (40), Athletics (42) and Tigers (43) take up the underside 5 spots. Every system in that group has at the very least two Top 100 prospects to start this 12 months, and with 4, the Nationals give themselves the perfect shot at climbing out of the cellar inside the subsequent few seasons.
