MLB's top farm systems
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:06 pm
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/67220822
#1- Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are in an odd, and enviable, position -- they have the consensus top farm in baseball, but they also have one of the consensus top teams in baseball, meaning there's really not that many immediately available open spaces for all those top, near-ready prospects to slot into. It's good news, then, that the two most immediate counter-examples to that are also two of Boston's most highly touted young players: shortstop Xander Bogaerts and centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. Bogaerts is the better prospect out of the two; he's been a top-five position player prospect in baseball the last two years, and will either slot in directly at shortstop or, if the Red Sox eventually do something like re-sign Stephen Drew following what can only be called a total collapse of his free agent market, at third base. Bradley shouldn't find playing time too much harder to find, however -- with the departure of Jacoby Ellsbury, and Daniel Nava and Jonny Gomes making up a fairly formidable left field platoon, he should move into centerfield while Victorino mans right.
The pitchers are a bigger mystery, but they might have even bigger upside than the position players; RHP Brandon Workman, RHP Anthony Ranaudo, and LHP Henry Owens (among others like RHP Matt Barnes or RHP Allen Webster) either already are or will soon be ready for some major league looks at some point next year, but the entire rotation and much of the bullpen is already taken up by established veterans. Their best bet for exposure in 2014 would likely only come as an injury call-up, but with at least some spaces opening up in 2015 it's more likely the starters among them will start to make a impact then.
Boom. Bend over, other teams.
#1- Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are in an odd, and enviable, position -- they have the consensus top farm in baseball, but they also have one of the consensus top teams in baseball, meaning there's really not that many immediately available open spaces for all those top, near-ready prospects to slot into. It's good news, then, that the two most immediate counter-examples to that are also two of Boston's most highly touted young players: shortstop Xander Bogaerts and centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. Bogaerts is the better prospect out of the two; he's been a top-five position player prospect in baseball the last two years, and will either slot in directly at shortstop or, if the Red Sox eventually do something like re-sign Stephen Drew following what can only be called a total collapse of his free agent market, at third base. Bradley shouldn't find playing time too much harder to find, however -- with the departure of Jacoby Ellsbury, and Daniel Nava and Jonny Gomes making up a fairly formidable left field platoon, he should move into centerfield while Victorino mans right.
The pitchers are a bigger mystery, but they might have even bigger upside than the position players; RHP Brandon Workman, RHP Anthony Ranaudo, and LHP Henry Owens (among others like RHP Matt Barnes or RHP Allen Webster) either already are or will soon be ready for some major league looks at some point next year, but the entire rotation and much of the bullpen is already taken up by established veterans. Their best bet for exposure in 2014 would likely only come as an injury call-up, but with at least some spaces opening up in 2015 it's more likely the starters among them will start to make a impact then.
Boom. Bend over, other teams.