Athletics infielder Jacob Wilson looking like clear rookie of the year
USA TODAY Sports’ Steve Gardner breaks down the top rookie performances in the first half of the MLB season.
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In every sport, the annual draft is a sign of a new day. It’s an opportunity for basement dwellers to grab players to boost them into contention before the big-market teams can get to them. That’s no different in Major League Baseball. With so much of a team’s success hinging on their farm system, the MLB draft is an incredible tool to help teams either trade for better talent or prep for the future.
We’ve already seen a myriad of teams improve their fortunes with solid drafts. Just a few years ago, the Baltimore Orioles were one of the worst teams in baseball. By 2023, they had won a division title. Sure, they may not be doing so hot in 2025, but their rebuild is evidence that with a little luck, even the lowliest of teams can crawl out of the gutter to become feared.
So, before the draft messes with power dynamics across the league, let’s take a look at where each team’s farm system ranks. Here’s our power ranking of every MLB team’s prospect pool heading into the 2025 draft.
MLB Farm System Power Rankings
Disclaimer: Prospect qualifications are determined by MLB.com; while a player listed may already be with their Major League club, they will remain a part of these rankings, so long as they are classified as a prospect
30) Houston Astros
Top five prospects:
2B/SS Brice MatthewsOF Jacob MeltonC Walker JanekRHP Miguel UllolaRHP Anderson Brito
Brice Matthews is the only Astros‘ prospect in MLB’s Top 100, and Melton has struggle in his limited action with the big league club.
29) Atlanta Braves
Top five prospects:
LHP Cam CaminitiRHP Hurston WaldrepIF Nacho Alvarez Jr.RHP Drue HackenbergRHP Owen Murphy
The lack of offensive talent shouldn’t be much of an issue considering most of the Braves’ current lineup is locked up for a few more years, but the pitching depth isn’t exactly spectacular either. Caminiti boasts a 4.78 ERA across A and Rookie ball this year.
28) Los Angeles Angels
Top five prospects:
2B Christian MooreRHP Caden DanaRHP George KlassenSS Joswa LugoLHP Sam Aldegheri
The Angels are known for calling up their prospects incredibly early, and Christian Moore has been no different. He should remain in the minor league system to develop. If he does, then the Angels could have a star on their hands. As of now though, Moore is struggling at the major league level.
27) New York Yankees
Top five prospects:
SS/2B George Lombard Jr.OF Spencer JonesRHP Ben HessRHP Bryce CunninghamSS/2B Roderick Arias
Jasson Dominguez was carrying the Yankees’ prospect pool for many years. Now that he is gone, the Yankees don’t have much to brag about. That said, there is potential for both Lombard Jr. and Jones to thrive in Yankee Stadium. Both of them have done outstanding offensive work in the minors thus far.
26) Athletics
Top five prospects:
LHP Gage JumpRHP Luis MoralesOF Colby ThomasRHP Mason Barnett3B Tommy White
Without Jacob Wilson qualifying for prospect consideration, the A’s farm system takes a massive hit. That said, Gage Jump has shown signs of brilliance at the lower minor league levels, and although Colby Thomas has struggled thus far with the A’s, he was a stud in the minors. Perhaps he just needs a bit more time to develop.
25) Toronto Blue Jays
Top five prospects:
SS Arjun NimmalaRHP Trey Yesavage2B/3B Orelvis MartinezLHP Ricky TiedemannRHP Jake Bloss
The Toronto Blue Jays’ prospect pool is full of injuries and even a PED scandal, but there are some things to like about this group. Clearly not much though, considering they fall at 25.
24) San Francisco Giants
Top five prospects:
1B Bryce EldridgeLHP Carson WhisenhuntSS Josuar De Jesus GonzalezSS Jhonny LevelOF Dakota Jordan
Bryce Eldridge is the only reason this group is not last place. It certainly doesn’t help your farm system when you trade away a recent first-round pick for Rafael Devers. That said, the fact that James Tibbs does not crack the Red Sox top-five prospects is evidence of just how thin this Giants’ farm was before the trade. And now, it’s only thinner.
23) Colorado Rockies
Top five prospects:
1B/OF Charlie CondonOF/SS Cole CarriggOF Robert CalazRHP Brody BrechtOF Yanquiel Fernandez
The Rockies get a slight edge over division rival San Francisco, because, although Condon does not rank as highly as Eldridge, the Rockies’ depth is far more substantial than the Giants.
22) Baltimore Orioles
Top five prospects:
C/1B Samuel BasalloOF Enrique Bradfield Jr.RHP Chayce McDermottOF Vance HoneycuttOF Dylan Beavers
Samuel Basallo is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for this group. Obviously, with so many of the team’s top prospects being called up in recent years, the Orioles don’t have much left in their tank.
21) Arizona Diamondbacks
Top five prospects:
INF Jordan LawlarOF Slade CaldwellOF Ryan WaldschmidtINF Demetrio CrisantesRHP Yilber Diaz
Jordan Lawlar is the shining gem of this group, but there is depth elsewhere with both Caldwell and Waldschmidt cracking MLB’s top 100. Regardless, Lawlar’s remarkable Triple-A stats must translate to MLB. If not, this group will fall down the leaderboards quickly.
20) Washington Nationals
Top five prospects:
RHP Travis SykoraRHP Jarlin Susana3B Brady HouseSS Seaver KingLHP Alex Clemmey
Dylan Crews was a big reason for this team’s farm system being ranked so high in recent years. Now, they rely on their pitching, which is undeniably solid. However, when one of your top-five prospects is struggling to maintain an OPS of .700 at the lowest levels of the minors like Seaver King is, that’s not a good sign for the immediate future.
19) Tampa Bay Rays
Top five prospects:
SS Carson WilliamsOF Theo Gillen1B Xavier IsaacOF Aidan Smith1B/OF Tre’ Morgan
Although no one really stands out as an elite talent in the Rays’ farm, it’s hard to argue against a team that has developed so many players so tremendously. Their depth is still very impressive though.
18) Texas Rangers
Top five prospects:
SS/3B Sebastian WalcottC Malcolm MooreRHP Winston SantosRHP Emiliano TeodoRHP Alejandro Rosario
Much like the Orioles, a lot of this team’s top prospects have been called up in recent years, but Walcott and Moore remain two very appreciated pieces that will carry this farm for now.
17) New York Mets
Top five prospects:
SS/OF Jett WilliamsRHP Jonah TongOF Carson BengeRHP Nolan McLeanRHP Brandon Sproat
Brandon Sproat is an enigma. He dominated at every level until Triple-A and now he can’t seem to buy an out. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though, and assuming he can find his form, he’ll be a massive addition to the Mets down the line, and he’s just their No. 5 prospect. He needs to find it fast though. He’s already 24 years old.
16) Miami Marlins
Top five prospects:
LHP Thomas WhiteSS Starlyn CabaLHP Robby SnellingC Joe MackRHP Noble Meyer
Noble Meyer has taken a bit of a tumble since our last rankings, but he is still just 20 years old. That said, his inability to move past High-A could start to get worrisome soon.
15) Chicago Cubs
Top five prospects:
OF Owen CassieC/1B Moises Ballesteros2B/SS Jefferson RojasOF Kevin Alcantara2B/OF James Triantos
Despite the Cubs calling up a few of their top prospects recently, there is still a plethora of talent in this farm. Owen Cassie is undoubtedly the brightest star though, boasting a .957 OPS in Class AAA this year, a more than 100-point jump from his already impressive numbers in Triple-A a season ago.
14) St. Louis Cardinals
Top five prospects:
SS/2B JJ WetherholtLHP Quinn MathewsC Leonardo BernalC Rainiel RodriguezRHP Tink Hence
Wetherholt is obviously a stud, but Bernal and Rodriguez are two incredible backstop options as well. The Cardinals have always loved their great catchers, and between those two and Ivan Herrera, there could very well be a bright future in St. Louis.
13) San Diego Padres
Top five prospects:
SS Leo De VriesC Ethan SalasLHP Kash MayfieldRHP Humberto CruzLHP Boston Bateman
This farm does take a steep dive after Salas, but Salas and De Vries are so talented that placing the Padres any lower feels like a disservice.
12) Kansas City Royals
Top five prospects:
1B/OF Jac CaglianoneC Blake MitchellC Carter JensenRHP Ben KudrnaOF Gavin Cross
Jac Caglianone blazed through the minor league system faster than Joey Chestnut through a glizzy, and he alone warrants a solid placing on this list. However, with talent like Kudrna and Mitchell still in the system as well, the Royals have done a nice job of maintaining competitiveness right now without sacrificing the development of their future stars.
11) Minnesota Twins
Top five prospects:
OF Walker JenkinsOF Emmanuel Rodriguez2B/OF/1B Luke KeaschallSS Kaelen CulpepperLHP Connor Prielipp
While Walker Jenkins is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, the Twins still have two other prospects in MLB’s top 50. The Twins could use a little more pitching near the top of their prospect pool though.
10) Pittsburgh Pirates
Top five prospects:
RHP Bubba ChandlerSS/OF Konnor GriffinLHP Hunter BarcoRHP Thomas Harrington2B/SS Termarr Johnson
Bubba Chandler and Paul Skenes could be a deadly 1-2 punch in the near future. Between the depth on the mound and in the field, the Pirates have a lot of good players lined up to help them in the future … if they can just hold out long enough for them to reach the majors.
9) Los Angeles Dodgers
Top five prospects:
OF Josue De PaulaOF Zyhir HopeSS/3B Alex FreelandLHP Jackson FerrisOF Eduardo Quintero
The rich get richer! The Los Angeles Dodgers have studs throughout their farm system, with De Paula, Hope, and Freeland each recording an .800 OPS at their current levels. The Dodgers have always had tremendous depth on the mound, but now they are bringing up their best hitters too? Things could get dangerous.
8) Cleveland Guardians
Top five prospects:
2B Travis BazzanaOF Chase DeLauterINF Angel GenaoOF Jaison Chourio1B/OF C.J. Kayfus
While Bazzana might be the only one with All-Star potential on this list, everyone within the Guardians’ top-ten prospects could play a pivotal role on the big league team within the next five years. The depth is incredible.
7) Cincinnati Reds
Top five prospects:
RHP Chase BurnsRHP Rhett Lowder3B/2B Sal Stewart3B/1B Cam CollierRHP Chase Petty
Although Burns has struggled and Lowder has struggled with injury, the Reds still have arguably the best 1-2 pitching prospect punch in MLB. That keeps them so high on this list.
6) Chicago White Sox
Top five prospects:
LHP Noah SchultzC Kyle TeelOF Braden MontgomeryLHP Hagen SmithSS Colson Montgomery
When you’re as bad as the White Sox have been in recent years, you hope they have a good future ahead of them. The White Sox do.
5) Boston Red Sox
Top five prospects:
OF Roman AnthonyINF Marcelo MayerSS/2B Franklin AriasOF Jhostynxon GarciaRHP Luis Perales
When you steal another team’s high-end prospect and he doesn’t even crack your top-five, that’s the sign of an organization with a very bright future.
4) Philadelphia Phillies
Top five prospects:
RHP Andrew PainterSS Aidan MillerOF Justin CrawfordC Eduardo TaitRHP Mick Abel
The Phillies have been tremendous with their draft picks in recent years, with their 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 first-round picks all in their top five. When you hit on your top guys, you tend to rank well in these lists.
3) Milwaukee Brewers
Top five prospects:
SS/3B Jesus MadeRHP Jacob MisiorowskiSS/3B Luis PeñaSS Cooper PrattC Jeferson Quero
Misiorowski has been an absolute stud for the Brewers, and he’s not even the team’s top prospect. Enough said.
2) Seattle Mariners
Top five prospects:
SS/3B Colt EmersonOF Lazaro Montes2B/SS Cole YoungSS Felnin CelestenC Harry Ford
Picture this. You list out each of a team’s top-five prospects and there are still four more in MLB’s top100 that didn’t make the cut for this article. That’s how good the Mariners’ prospect pool is.
1) Detroit Tigers
Top five prospects:
SS Kevin McGonigleOF Max ClarkSS Bryce Rainer1B/C Josue BriceñoC/1B Thayron Liranzo
Although the Tigers may not have nine prospects in the top 100 like Seattle does, the Tigers have higher quality guys, being the only team in MLB, outside of Boston, with two top-12 prospects. The Tigers don’t stop there though. Each of their top-five prospects ranks in MLB’s top 100. And even their No. 10 prospect, has a 3.43 ERA across Double and Triple-A this year. That’s remarkable for a team’s No. 10.