As we approach the 2025 MLB season, one fact is abundantly clear: not everyone is going to compete for a World Series this season. That’s just how the sport is. Some teams are good, some teams are bad, and some teams are building something grand.
While some teams may not be in a position to compete for a championship this year, they’ve been able to build a team that will be ready to compete in a few short years. That said, other teams have sold all of their best young talent in an effort to push for a World Series now. They’ve given away all of the best prospects and their hope of a bright future in order to secure a coveted title as soon as possible.
Neither of these strategies are necessarily better or worse than the other. After all, how many years of sorrow is a championship really worth? However, it is clear which teams have a brighter future ahead of them thanks to the talent they’ve retained, acquired, and/or developed at the lower levels. Here’s every MLB team’s farm system ranked ahead of the 2025 regular season.
MLB Farm System Rankings:
*All top prospect rankings are provided by MLB.com
30) Toronto Blue Jays
- SS Arjun Nimmala
- RHP Trey Yesavage
- 2B/3B Orelvis Martinez
- LHP Ricky Tiedemann
- OF Alan Roden
Arjun Nimmala is the best this organization has going for it and he’s not even considered a high-end talent just yet. After three of the tam’s top-15 prospects were forced to undergo elbow surgery in 2024, and another was suspended for PEDs, it’s hard to feel good about this team’s future. Nay, it’s near impossible.
29) New York Yankees
- OF Jasson Dominguez
- SS/2B George Lombard Jr.
- OF Spencer Jones
- RHP Ben Hess
- RHP Will Warren
Jasson Dominguez has been the No. 1 prospect in this system for forever it seems, and even he has his issues. He’s a switch-hitter who slashed .185/.264/.246 against lefties in the minors last year. He could be relegated to a platoon role at the major league level. If the Yankees had to wait so long just to bench Dominguez in certain situations, that would be a major blow to their World Series chances and shows just how poor the rest of their farm system is currently.
28) Houston Astros
- 3B Cam Smith
- SS/3B Brice Matthews
- OF Jacob Melton
- C Walker Janek
- 3B/1B Zach Dezenzo
When your team’s top prospects like Jacob Melton, Brice Matthews, and Zach Dezenzo are all considered MLB hopefuls as platoon players, you know your farm system is in a rough spot. Outside of Cam Smith, the Astros don’t have much to brag about in their minor league affiliates, and even he only joined the club recently as part of the Kyle Tucker trade.
27) Atlanta Braves
- C Drake Baldwin
- LHP Cam Caminiti
- RHP AJ Smith-Shawver
- RHP Hurston Waldrep
- INF Nacho Alvarez Jr.
Injury concerns, low ceilings, and long timetables are the most common issues with the Braves’ farm system. While Baldwin and Smith-Shawver could each be solid contributors for the club soon, the Braves don’t boast very many impact hitters or many top-line arms. Sure, there is depth on the mound, but that won’t help Atlanta take down the Phillies or Mets.
26) San Francisco Giants
- 1B Bryce Eldridge
- LHP Carson Whisenhunt
- SS Josuar Gonzalez
- OF James Tibbs III
- SS Jhonny Level
While Bryce Eldridge is a tremendous, enviable talent, the Giants don’t have much else going for them. Whisenhunt is expected to make his big league debut soon, but he’s not expected to be a top-of-the-rotation arm. Meanwhile, the Giants only have one other prospect in their top-ten expected to be ready for the majors in 2025.
25) Los Angeles Angels
- 2B Christian Moore
- RHP Caden Dana
- RHP George Klassen
- SS Joswa Lugo
- LHP Sam Aldegheri
For once, the Angels are not at the bottom of these rankings. That will likely change given their tendency to call up prospects long before they are ready, but as it stands, the Halos have a few solid players like Christian Moore and Caden Dana.
24) New York Mets
- RHP Brandon Sproat
- SS/OF Jett Williams
- OF Carson Benge
- 1B/OF Ryan Clifford
- RHP Nolan McLean
The Mets may have a deep farm system, but it’s littered with question marks. Most of the team’s top position prospects suffered injuries in 2024, including their top offensive prospect Jett Williams. As for the pitching side, the Mets do have a flurry of prospects ready to join the Major League club, but outside of Brandon Sproat, there isn’t much hope that any of them will develop into franchise cornerstones.
23) Arizona Diamondbacks
- SS Jordan Lawlar
- INF Demetrio Crisantes
- OF Slade Caldwell
- RHP Yilber Diaz
- C Adrian Del Castillo
The Diamondbacks were expected to boast one of the best farm systems in baseball this year. However, after another injury to Jordan Lawlar and struggles from first-rounders Druw Jones and Tommy Troy, the Snakes have fallen down in the rankings. Even with breakouts from Yilber Diaz and Adrian Del Castillo, the consistency from their top prospects has not been there.
22) Athletics
- SS Jacob Wilson
- 1B Nick Kurtz
- OF Colby Thomas
- RHP Mason Barnett
- RHP Luis Morales
Jacob Wilson could be a future batting title champion. Nick Kurtz is a stud at the plate. That’s basically all the A’s have going for them though. If Kurtz and Wilson fail to live up to expectations, the Athletics don’t have a single other prospect expected to produce at an All-Star level.
21) Texas Rangers
- SS/3B Sebastian Walcott
- RHP Kumar Rocker
- RHP Jack Leiter
- C Malcolm Moore
- RHP Winston Santos
The Rangers could end up being much higher on this list by the end of this season, depending on how their 2024 breakouts play this year. Winston Santos, Alejandro Rosario, and Emiliano Teodo all provided enormous, unexpected value in 2024, but if they can’t keep that momentum going into 2025, then the Rangers will be back to leaning almost entirely on Walcott and Rocker.
20) Colorado Rockies
- RHP Chase Dollander
- OF/3B Charlie Condon
- OF/SS Cole Carrigg
- OF Robert Calaz
- RHP Brody Brecht
While Dollander and Condon are certainly huge gets, the Rockies have tricked people into thinking they have very solid pitching depth. However, given the fact that Coors Field is one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in America, the Rockies will need more high-end pitching talent to feel good about their future on the mound.
19) San Diego Padres
- SS Leo De Vries
- C Ethan Salas
- LHP Kash Mayfield
- RHP Humberto Cruz
- LHP Boston Bateman
Outside of De Vries and Salas, this Padres’ farm is subpar to say the least. However, those two players are two of the top-33 prospects in baseball. That alone keeps them in the top-20.
18) Miami Marlins
- LHP Thomas White
- SS Staryln Caba
- RHP Noble Meyer
- C/1B Agustin Ramirez
- SS Andrew Salas
The Marlins’ inability to hold onto talent, or even trade them for big prospect hauls has come back to bite them in recent years. They have only two top-100 prospects heading into 2025, and if they hadn’t added Starlyn Caba in the Jesus Luzardo trade, they’d be much lower on this list.
17) St. Louis Cardinals
- SS JJ Wetherholt
- LHP Quinn Mathews
- RHP Tink Hence
- C Jimmy Crooks
- INF Thomas Saggese
Everybody agrees that the Cardinals were given a gift when JJ Wetherholt fell to them at No. 7 in the MLB draft. However, the lack of consistent, proven talent is what holds this farm back. Sure, there are prospects like Rainiel Rodriguez who have provided glimpses of greatness that could develop into franchise cornerstones, but until we see those glimpses come more consistently over a longer period of time, it’s hard to have a ton of faith that the Cardinals will develop any future All-Stars.
16) Kansas City Royals
- 1B Jac Caglianone
- C Blake Mitchell
- C Carter Jensen
- RHP Ben Kudrna
- LHP Noah Cameron
Undeniably top-heavy, the Royals are certainly praying that Caglianone and Mitchell live up to their expectations. Outside of them, though, there are several question marks.
15) Baltimore Orioles
- C/1B Samuel Basallo
- 3B/1B Coby Mayo
- OF Enrique Bradfield Jr.
- RHP Chayce McDermott
- OF Vance Honeycutt
It’s hard to maintain a top spot in the rankings when you graduate all of your top prospects. However, this team’s farm is still nothing to scoff at. Basallo and Mayo are widely regarded as two of the best bats in the minor leagues, and the Orioles have decent depth on the mound as well.
14) Milwaukee Brewers
- C Jeferson Quero
- SS/3B Jesus Made
- SS Cooper Pratt
- RHP Jacob Misiorowski
- 3B/1B Mike Boeve
The Brewers may have graduated several of their top prospects in 2024, but that hasn’t slowed their farm system down much. The team continues to boast one of the best international scout teams in the business with the addition of Jesus Made. That signing alone could keep them in the top half of the league in these rankings.
13) Washington Nationals
- OF Dylan Crews
- RHP Travis Sykora
- RHP Jarlin Susana
- 3B Brady House
- SS Seaver King
This farm system is obviously carried by Dylan Crews. While there is hope that Sykora and Susana can bring some much-needed pitching depth to the big league squad, the Nationals lack depth at the position beyond those two prospects.
12) Minnesota Twins
- OF Walker Jenkins
- OF Emmanuel Rodriguez
- 2B/OF/1B Luke Keaschall
- 3B Kaelen Culpepper
- LHP Connor Prielipp
Walker Jenkins is the best prospect the Twins have had in years, but after him, it does take a bit of a tumble. Emmanuel Rodriguez is incredible but has faced some serious injury issues. Furthermore, their lack of a truly elite pitching prospects is troubling, but Minnesota has shown capable of developing late-round pitchers into solid MLB starters lately.
11) Pittsburgh Pirates
- RHP Bubba Chandler
- SS/OF Konnor Griffin
- RHP Thomas Harrington
- 2B/SS Termarr Johnson
- 2B/OF Nick Yorke
We’ve seen the Pirates develop tremendous pitchers, and that’s no different with their 2025 prospect pool. Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington remain two of the game’s most coveted minor league arms. However, their lack of a truly talented homegrown hitter has led to some skepticism, with fans waiting to see whether or not Konnor Griffin can break the streak.
10) Cincinnati Reds
- RHP Chase Burns
- RHP Rhett Lowder
- 2B/3B Sal Stewart
- 3B Cam Collier
- SS Edwin Arroyo
By the end of 2025, the Reds could very well have their entire starting rotation composed of homegrown arms. That speaks volumes to their development programs. However, their MLB roster does lack in the homegrown hitter department. We’re still a few years away from seeing Stewart, Collier, and Arroyo join the big league squad.
9) Cleveland Guardians
- 2B Travis Bazzana
- OF Chase DeLauter
- OF Jaison Chourio
- INF Angel Genao
- 1B Ralphy Velazquez
The Cleveland Guardians were already a great farm system. Then they got the No. 1 overall pick and selected an absolute dawg at second base in Travis Bazzana. The Guardians are known for being able to develop their pitchers, yet each of their top-five prospects are hitters. That’s terrifying if you’re a fan of any other AL Central team.
8) Philadelphia Phillies
- RHP Andrew Painter
- SS Aidan Miller
- OF Justin Crawford
- C Eduardo Tait
- RHP Moises Chace
While the Phillies have certainly gutted their farm to an extent in their quest for a World Series, they’ve still got a very solid top-end, headlined by top pitching prospect Andrew Painter. The Phillies could certainly use a little more depth, but it’s hard to deny their wealth in the minors with so many trusted prospects still available to them.
7) Tampa Bay Rays
- SS Carson Williams
- 1B Xavier Isaac
- INF Brayden Taylor
- 1B/OF Tre’ Morgan
- OF Theo Gillen
The Rays’ decision to sell Randy Arozarena, Zach Eflin, and Jason Adam at the deadline has paid off in a huge way. Many fans believed the Rays’ well of prospects had finally started to run dry, but woah, Nellie, did it fill back up overnight? Not only did they refill their pools, but they’ve continued to see development at the lower levels from homegrown talents like Trevor Harrison and Gary Gill Hill, giving them a steady farm that will provide a solid influx of talent each year for years to come.
6) Seattle Mariners
- SS/3B Colt Emerson
- OF Lazaro Montes
- SS/2B Cole Young
- C Harry Ford
- SS Felnin Celesten
Although there isn’t a single pitcher in the team’s top-five prospects, the Mariners have actually done a tremendous job balancing their focus between hitters and hurlers in recent years. The Mariners need hitting now, so their top prospects are hitters. However, they clearly focused on pitching in the 2024 draft, using 15 of their 20 picks on pitchers. They’re certainly not dying for mound talent at the lower levels.
5) Chicago Cubs
- INF Matt Shaw
- RHP Cade Horton
- OF Owen Caissie
- C/1B Moises Ballesteros
- 2B/OF James Triantos
While the loss of Cam Smith certainly hurts the Cubs’ prospect pool, this is still one of the deepest farm systems in the league, boasting seven top-100 prospects, tied for the most in MLB. The biggest issue is the lack of pitching. Outside of Cade Horton, the Cubs really don’t have a transcendent arm they can develop. They also only have one top-50 prospect. However, given the sheer volume of talent they can pick from, their approach of shotgunning a dartboard and hoping one or two darts hit the bullseye is arguably better than praying one or two elite prospects develop into the players you expect them to be. We’ve seen too many instances where players fail to live up to expectations they’d developed in the minors.
4) Chicago White Sox
- LHP Noah Schultz
- C Kyle Teel
- LHP Hagen Smith
- SS Colson Montgomery
- OF Braden Montgomery
While Colson Montgomery experienced an underwhelming season a year ago, the White Sox have done a solid job building their farm system, especially after trading Garrett Crochet to Boston. Unfortunately, the White Sox are still a long way away from being a World Series threat, and even their abundance of high-end prospects may not be enough to help them in the near future.
3) Los Angeles Dodgers
- RHP Roki Sasaki
- C/OF Dalton Rushing
- OF Josue De Paula
- LHP Jackson Ferris
- SS Alex Freeland
The Los Angeles Dodgers can do no wrong. Even if Roki Sasaki did not count as a prospect, the Dodgers would still likely have a top-10 or 12 farm system. However, adding the best international pitcher, who will be ready to join the Dodgers by opening day, is obviously a huge plus.
2) Boston Red Sox
- OF Roman Anthony
- 2B/SS/OF Kristian Campbell
- SS Marcelo Mayer
- SS/2B Franklin Arias
- RHP Luis Perales
This is really more of a 1A/1B situation between the Red Sox and our No. 1 team. The Red Sox have undoubtedly the higher-end, but are a little thinner, boasting just four top-100 prospects. That said, when your team holds three of MLB’s top-12, that’s a pretty impressive feat. When the 2024 Minor League Player of the Year isn’t even your top prospect, you know you’ve done a good job of building your farm. Even with the Red Sox dealing four solid prospects to the White Sox for Garrett Crochet, Boston still has a flurry of talent that will be game-changers in just a few years.
1) Detroit Tigers
- RHP Jackson Jobe
- OF Max Clark
- SS/2B Kevin McGonigle
- SS Bryce Rainer
- C/1B Thayron Liranzo
Given that the Tigers were able to develop Tarik Skubal into arguably the best pitcher on the planet, the Tigers’ farm system is made even scarier by the fact that each of their top-three prospects will be ready to join the team by 2026. Jobe, Clark, and McGonigle all have tremendously high ceilings.
This post appeared first on USA TODAY
