MLB released their MLB Minor League preseason rankings. Unsurprisingly, our Atlanta Braves came in at the bottom of the list. Now, it is never great to be ranked last in anything. Organizations always desire a healthy farm to replenish the majors through call-ups or a timely trade.
Thankfully, the Braves have one of the best major league rosters in all of baseball. Foxsports is doing a 26 and under rankings where they are evaluating the team's long-term cores. It is revealed one at a time and has ranked 3 through 30. The two organizations not ranked currently are the Houston Astros and our Atlanta Braves.
Arguably the two best rosters in baseball are considered to have the two best young cores. Coincidently, both teams are at the bottom of the minor league rankings (Astros 27th). This is because their prospects are now dependable major-league contributors, or they were used to acquire pieces from other teams.
This is one of the more prevalent arguments our Braves have as being one of, if not the best-run organizations in baseball. They are a homegrown team that has also been filled out by acquiring key pieces such as Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, and Raisel Iglesias.
That is because farm system rankings do not mean a team cannot produce solid talent. These rankings evaluate the depth of an organization's minor leagues. There is no denying that the Baltimore Orioles have a tremendous farm. They have plenty of high-upside prospects that hopefully turn into major-league contributors soon.
As mentioned earlier, that does not mean a team lower in the rankings will not produce minor-league talent. The Braves had Michael Harris and Spencer Strider, the top two rookies in the National League. Even going back to the Astros, they allowed Carlos Correa to walk and trusted a kid from their poorly ranked minor league system to replace him. As we know, Jeremy Peña turned out pretty well in his rookie campaign, capping it off with a World Series MVP.
That is because player development is equally important. A prospect can have all the potential in the world but fail without the right coaching and development. As we have seen with the Braves over the last few years, they have been one of the best at developing players and putting them in the best position to be successful.
A deep farm just gives an organization more chances to hit on their prospects.
While the Braves may enter the season with the "worst" minor league system, there is no current reason to stress as fans. The Braves' core is set up to be competitive for a long time.
We have seen the organization do wonders with player development and scouting. This Spring, we can see Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd's performances as evidence.
The Braves have time to rebuild the minors. Thankfully, one does not win any awards for a good farm. The organization has set itself to be valuable where it matters for the better part of the next decade.