Atlanta Braves Minor League System Is Not #1, And That’s Okay
Tomahawk Take writer Benjamin Chase recently ranked the Atlanta Braves #2 among minor league systems, and that’s a GOOD thing?!
While many of us have enjoyed the Atlanta Braves building up their farm system and taken heavy pride in the quality of the Braves farm system from top to bottom, a writer who covers the Braves minor leagues extensively ranking the Braves system 2nd could raise some eye brows. But should it?
The competition for #1
Many of you have followed my writing on my other location, Call To The Pen, but if you have not and did not see the article, this is the link.
Right now, there are, in my eyes, seven elite systems in the game, and the Braves are firmly in that group of seven.
The six other systems are the Dodgers, White Sox, Padres, Brewers, Yankees, and Phillies. The one team I had ahead of the Braves was the Phillies, and that seems to be where the biggest rub has been.
Fans don’t like to let anyone beat their favorite team, but definitely not a team in their own division!
Why Is This A GOOD Thing?!
More from Tomahawk Take
- Braves News: Atlanta makes a pair of trades, prospect debuts, more
- Atlanta Braves History: How the Red Stockings became the Braves
- Braves News: Atlanta Braves acquire Eli White from the Texas Rangers
- Atlanta Braves Swing Trade with the New York Yankees for Lucas Luetge
- Atlanta Braves 2012 Top Prospects Review: Zeke Spruill
Being ranked #1 is always a positive feeling in the offseason for fans, especially after multiple seasons of 90+ losses. After a positive second half from the big league club, it’s even better to think of the minors being that good to support a big league team getting better as well.
However, the level of competition the Braves are facing is absolutely ridiculous. What people have seemingly passed on is that while the Braves have built up their own dynamic and deep system (trust me, trying to pare down to a top 100 was actually difficult this year!), other teams have also built up systems just as deep or just as talented.
Five years ago, the Kansas City Royals had a farm system that Baseball America rated as their best system ever. I don’t want to disparage Baseball America by any means, but I would say that the Royals system of 2011 would right now rank about #6 on my list, and that system produced a team that made the World Series twice and won a World Championship in 2015.
The best farm systems in the game now are better than they have been in ages. In reviewing the depths of farm systems, I was astonished to find that, like the Braves, the Phillies had guys who would rank in the 40s or 50s in their lists that I projected as legit major league starters – not bench players or relievers even. That’s incredibly rare.
That means that even being the #5 farm system right now would mean the Braves were better than the farm system that was called the best ever and led to two World Series appearances. I would say any Braves fan would take those results any day of the week. So to be ranked #2 isn’t all THAT bad when you really look at it.
Now, I will say that I did have the Braves #1 before the trades of the offseason, and that did affect things. From my own rankings, the Braves have traded away their #10, #26, #28, #31, and #39 ranked prospects in trades this offseason. That does affect some of the system depth just enough to allow the Phillies to squeak by.
Let It Rip!
I’m sure this won’t be a popular opinion by any means, especially among Braves fans, but I’d be more than willing to discuss the different points of each organization and where I’d rank the Braves among each.
Next: Braves Minor League Database
Coming up in mid- to late-January, I will be doing a re-ranking of my top-100 list to take into effect a number of other discussions I’ve had this offseason as well as adjusting for the players that have been traded this offseason, much like I did last offseason.
I welcome your comments and questions below!