Top 25 Pitchers
1. Mag Shamhradháin, Feidhelm, SP (Astros)
2. Woodall, Bill, SP (Rays)
3. Sparks, Jeramy, RP (Braves)
4. Cossairt, Calum, SP (Lions) [2037]
5. Guley, Kareem, RP (Blue Jays) [2037]
6. McGuire, Frances, RP (Diamondbacks)
7. Peterson, Ollie, SP (Orioles)
8. Paik, Il-Ho, SP (Mariners) [2036 IFA]
9. Mosley, Paul, SP (Blue Jays)
10. Dorsey, Carey, SP (Bandits)
11. Olsen, Dustin, SP (Dodgers)
12. Hamels, Braxton, SP (Athletics)
13. Mederos, Victor, SP (Gamblers)
14. Goodwin, Dylan, SP (Diamondbacks)
15. Giles, Brody, SP (Braves)
16. Brooks, Kelly, SP (Nationals)
17. Del Rio, Bjoern, SP (Braves) [2036 IFA]
18. Perras, Ryker, SP (Rays) [2037]
19. Patterson, Mark, SP (Athletics)
20. Meredith, Phil, SP (Volcanoes) [2037]
21. Curry, Canon, RP (Gamblers) [2037]
22. Fisk, Grant, SP (Yankees)
23. Barco, Hunter, SP (Astros)
24. Papelbon, Gunner, SP (Astros)
25. Price, Xavier, SP (Orioles)
Top 25 Position Players
1. West, Hank, SS(IF) (Volcanoes)
2. Nikolai, Samen, OF(SS) (Cardinals) [2036 IFA]
3. Chavez, Zhancarlo, 2B(SS) (Twins) [2036 IFA]
4. Zyskowski, Ambrozy, IF(OF) (Reds)
5. Shields, Trevor, C(3B) (White Sox)
6. Yantrius, Raja, 2B(OF) (Yankees)
7. Kingston, Kyrie, OF(3B) (Yankees)
8. Gray, Gunnar, 2B(DH) (Astros)
9. Gage, Erik, 1B(C) (White Sox)
10. Gobayakawa, Hideyaki, OF(OF) (Diamondbacks) [2036 IFA]
11. Baum, Al, 2B(3B) (Volcanoes)
12. Williams, Lloyd, C(DH) (Athletics)
13. Taylor, Aaron, 2B(SS) (Tigers)
14. Bell, Devin, RF(3B) (Rays)
15. Bishop, Lloyd, 2B(IF) (White Sox)
16. Gonzalez, Brian, SS(2B) (Astros)
17. Fitzgerald, Kerry, 3B(DH) (Red Sox)
18. Burroughs, Antwan, 3B(SS) (Rays)
19. Cretella, Dzhozef, OF(C) (Rays) [2037]
20. Lynch, Mathew, 3B(OF) (Bandits)
21. Alvarez, Javier, DH(LF) (Volcanoes)
22. James, Demarius, 1B(OF) (Lions)
23. Quinlan, Brinley, 3B(1B) (Lions) [2037]
24. Kersey, Sherwood, C(DH) (Lions)
25. Brooklyn, Stanford, 1B(OF) (Yankees)
2037 Draft Class - Now Promoted!
#5 - Hartsfield, Brady, SP (Angels)
#25 - Aguilar, Cory, RP (Phillies)
#32 - Weems, Yogi, 3B (Angels)
#39 - Stokes, Leland, RP (Angels)
#97 - Norberg, Ulf, 1B (Angels)
(Position on this list was where they were drafted in 2037)
Top Farm Systems
#1 - Tampa Bay Rays
It is really no contest ... the Rays dominate the league with 17 Top 100 prospects ... many of which should probably already be playing for Tampa in Rays Ballpark. Promoting them would be inexpensive, aligning with their current salary approach, a league-low $93M spent, $51M under their salary cap. They have so little spent on salary, they're able to loan $46M over 2037-38 to other teams. But we're here to talk prospects and Tampa has them everywhere:
Antwan Burroughs (3B/SS) - age 22, rank 91, prog A, 80-Grade Hitting, 8 Speed
Bill Woodall (SP) - age 23, rank 89, prog S, 0.88 WHIP, 9.2 K/9 18 Fire
Ryker Perras (SP) - age 18, rank 77, prog C, 0.93 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 18 Fire
Burroughs and Woodall would fit beautifully on Tampa's roster today, providing a needed jolt to both sides of the roster. Just-drafted Perras (#4 overall) will have a few seasons to get used to Pro Ball before receiving the call. The Rays did open the checkbook for Zequiel Sepulveda, signing him to a 4-year/ $160M extension, which may be paving the way to either promoting their young core to be competitive or trading them to acquire better MLB-ready pieces. Only time will tell -- and it will be fun to watch!
#2 - Vancouver Volcanoes
The Volcanoes can also claim 10 Top 100 spots, but the reason they're ranked this high is the 3 positional standouts they have in their ranks:
Hank West (SS/IF) - age 22, rank 81, prog S, 65-Grade Defense, 75-Grade Hitting, 6 Speed
Al Baum (2B/3B) - age 25, rank 86, prog S, 75-Grade Hitting, 0.977 OPS, 26 Fire
Javier Alvarez (DH/LF) - age 21, rank 81, prog A, 55-Grade Power, 0.445 OBP, 20 Fire
Vancouver is struggling through the middle part of their season, now sitting at 41-49, 9.5 games back of the Wild Card spot. Time for the team to assess whether West and Baum are to be part of their team's future successes or if they'll be moved to bring in other talent. Some have questioned West being the #1 overall position prospect, but when you combine his youth, hitting, on-base skills, with his defense and speed, you have the makings of a 4.5-tool player. (The power is a little light.)
Alvarez makes up for West's power gap and these three complement each other well. Tyler Rice (1B) is a super-expensive 6-time All-Star, but it may be time to move that aging, offensive talent for some pitching help and promote these young studs. They are ready to help the Volcano offense erupt.
#3 - Houston Astros
The Astros claim 10 of the Top 100 and 7 of the Top 50 in their 39 prospect system. Above that, they have arguably the #1 SP prospect in their farm, a player whose name that few can pronounce and even fewer can spell. And he's a player the Commissioner's Office has long since wondered when his Major League debut will arrive.
Feidhelm Mag Shamhradháin (SP) - age 25, rank 86, prog S, 0.88 WHIP, 12.2 K/9
Gunnar Gray (2B/DH) - age 22, rank 75, prog S, 70-Grade Hitting, 55-Grade Power
Tripwire has only been covering the MLB for a couple of short months, but it already takes two hands to count the number of times Houston GM Beansnap has been chided over not yet promoting Feidhelm, heretofor call "Mag" (or "FMS") for short. Mag has done all he can (or needs to) do at even the highest Minor League levels. Allowing a paltry 17 walks in 197.0 innings, his control and power (12.2 K/9) are more than evident. With Houston having expanded its NL Central lead to 6 at the All-Star Break, one could rightly assume that Mag will finally get his shot when rosters expand. Not sure there's anyway that GM Beansnap trades this pitcher.
With reigning MVP and 3-time All-Star Egan Kelly blocking his path, Gray looks to marinate for a while in the Minors. Another player that the Astros simply don't feel compelled to promote earlier than needed. Houston, 2036 defending champs, have truly the best of both worlds. They have a powerhouse MLB club and an absolutely loaded Farm System ... with the only question being, will GM Beansnap be able to ride these waves to multiple World Series titles?
#4 - San Antonio Bandits
11 more of the Top 100 spots belong to the Bandits. This aligns beautifully with what the big club in San Antonio is doing - leading the AL Central at the time of this writing by 5.5 games with a 53-35 record. 18 games over 0.500, the Bandits have resources to acquire any piece needed to strengthen their chances of a deep 2037 playoff run.
Matthew Lynch (3B/OF) - age 25, rank 46, prog S, 8 Speed, 55-Grade Power, 75-Grade Defense
Carey Dorsey (SP) - age 23, rank 69, prog S, 1.2 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
Dorsey heads a trio of top-28 ranked pitching prospects, with both Dorsey and Charlie Gaines (RP, #28) ready for either promotion or trade. Both offer strikeout ability with control-based approaches, with Dorsey offering better-than-average walk-rates (1.2 per 9).
Lynch doesn't possess much contact ability (45-Grade Hitting), but when he makes contact, the power is undeniable. Couple his power with his high-end glovework, you have a player built to inhabit the middle of a lineup for a number of seasons. Whether that is in the middle of a Bandits' lineup remains to be seen.
#5 - London Lions
Another team boasting both quality and quantity ... 49 minor league players, adding 8 of these players in the recent 2037 draft. Their top two picks in 2037 are both included in the top 50, just 2 of their 7 top 50 players. The Lions also boast 11 of the top 100.
Brinley Quinlan (3B/1B) - age 18, rank 51, prog S, +2.10 dW, 7 Speed
Calum Cossairt (SP) - age 19, rank 73, prog S, 0.99 WHIP, 10.2 K/9, 19 Fire
Cossairt was in several team's Draft Queues, but the LIons fell into him at #7, arguably the 3rd-rated talent in the 2037 Draft. Cossairt joins two other high-quality Lions' SP prospects in Cooper Arrieta and Brooks Rice, which could form the foundation of a solid rotation for seasons to come. Cossairt will likely be ready to debut in mid-to-late 2038, although Lions' management will wrestling with whether to push for the 2037 Wild Card (well ahead of 2037 expectations), or sit tight and fight for the playoffs in 2038.
Assisting in that 2038 fight will not be the second best defender in the 2037 draft, Quinlan. He appears to be 2-3 seasons away, but his defensive prowess and offensive power have the fans in London excited for 2040. Myron Butts has 4 years left on his contract, but I would be looking for London to trade (or maybe even release) Butts in advance of 2040, clearing the way for Quinlan.
#6 - Minnesota Twins
The Twins have both quantity and quality in their Farm System, sporting 49 prospects (28 position players and 21 pitchers). They have 10 Top-100 prospects, with this one setting the pace:
Zhancarlo Chavez (2B/SS) - age 19, rank 72, prog S, +1.41 dW, 9 Speed
Chavez is an ob-base machine, with a 0.417 OBP to go with 86 XBH (53.8% of his hits go for extra bases). He has speed and can defend, a veritable 4-tool player. (Not much pop in his bat, but he can run with the best of them, so we'll certainly overlook that one minute hole in his game.) The Twins are battling for the Wild Card playoff spot and will have to resist the urge to promote Chavez early. Or rather, may wish to take advantage of the fact they have their double-play tandem (Harold Haas [2B] and LaQuaveon Demontraveous [SS]) locked up for at least the next 4 seasons. If I was a betting man, I'd bet that Chavez would be in another uniform before his 20th birthday in order to help the Twins get to the playoffs. (They have a $5M salary bonus riding on making it to the ALDS in 2037!)
#7 - Atlanta Braves
Where some teams have just an abundance of players on the Farm, the Braves are definitely more quality, with three of the top 17 pitchers in the Minors, and only 29 players total in their System.
Jeramy Sparks (RP) - age 24, rank 78, prog S, 5.5 H/9, 19 Fire
Brody Giles (SP) - age 21, rank 73, prog A, 9.9 K/9, 12 Fire
Bjoern Del Rio (SP) - age 23, rank 66, prog A, 13.2 K/9, 31 Fire
Sparks is arguably the best RP prospect in the game, something the team may need to fall back on sooner than later. (They have All-Star Weston Fuller in their 'pen, but if they're looking to make a deep playoff run, expect to see Sparks get promoted after Day 123.) Sparks has a high K-rate (12.5 per 9) and doesn't allow many baserunners - a perfect combination for dominating games late.
Giles and Del Rio are both starters that each offer differing skillsets. Del Rio has wipe-out stuff (13.2 K/9), but also can be quite wild (4.8 BB/9). Whereas Giles is a true artist, painting corners (1.5 BB/9) but still having enough gas to get it done (9/9 K/9). These two look like a long-term solution for 40% of the Braves' starting rotation.
#8 - Chicago White Sox
The White Sox boast 9 (of their 36) prospects in the Top 100, with a couple position players looking poised to contribute ... soon.
Trevor Shields (C/3B) - age 24, rank 77, prog S, 1.043 OPS, 26 Fire
Erik Gage (1B/C) - age 23, rank 80, prog S, 1.00 dW, 0.413 OBP, 20 Fire
Lloyd Bishop (2B/IF) - age 23, rank 77, prog A, 1.77 dW, 0.434 OBP
So much infield talent resides in the Minor Leagues for the White Sox. Shields is the #1 C prospect and flashes it all, well, except for an elite-level defense. He has power (38 HRs), hits for average (0.328), and speed (8 Speed), but he may still be stuck in the Minors through the end of 2038. Tough to push All-Star Brant Richardson out of the way ...
Gage and Bishop could be the right-half of the White Sox infield for the next 5+ seasons or become trade pieces to help the White Sox shore up other gaps in their ball club. Bishop's multi-positional infield utility may give him the leg up on Gage, and give the White Sox a great defensive player as a starter or off the bench.
#9 - Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays also have a number of prospects, 42 to be precise. 14 of these are position players and a whopping 28 are pitchers. This is where their talent pops.
Kareem Guley (RP) - age 19, rank 68, prog S, 5.9 H/9, 21 Fire
Paul Mosley (SP) - age 25, rank 73, prog A, 10.6 K/9, 21 Fire
Each pitcher brings a little something to their Toronto ball club. In addition to limiting runner opportunities (0.91 WHIP), Guley has mastered the slurve to the tune of 15.8 K/9. Mosley looks like his ceiling could be that of a #2, as he limits baserunners as well as having swing-and-miss potential.
Hiding down on the farm is Kid Fitzgerald, the 37th ranked position prospect. He has many GMs salavating at his +1.68 dW as well as his 75 grade speed. If he can improve at the plate, he'll be a multi-dimension threat in Toronto for years.
#10 - New York Yankees
The Yankees have a number of minor leaguers (9 pitchers, 21 position), with two standouts, both position players:
Raja Yantrius (2B/OF) - age 20, rank 85, prog A, dW +0.88
Kyrie Kingston, (OF/3B) - age 23, rank 86, prog A, dW +0.45
While their dW isn't the best, they're not complete liabilities in the field. But they are wonderfully gifted batters. Yantrius sports a triple-slash of 0.351/ 0.418/ 0.538 while Kingston chips in with 0.339/ 0.429/ 0.536.
As they progress and their defense improves, this will be a dynamic due in the Yankees' infield for season to come.
The Rest ...
11-30, with best prospect listed (ranking indicates where the player is on the Pitcher or Position Player list):
11. San Jose Athletics - Lloyd Williams, C/DH (#12)
12. Anaheim Angels - Montsho Brown, 1B/3B (#46)
13. Las Vegas Gamblers - Victor Mederos, SP (#13)
14. Arizona Diamondbacks - Frances McGuire, RP (#6)
15. Baltimore Orioles - Ollie Peterson, SP (#7)
16. Boston Red Sox - Kerry Fitzgerald, 3B/DH (#17)
17. Washington Nationals - Kelly Brooks, SP (#16)
18. Cincinnati Reds - Ambrozy Zyskowski, IF(OF) (#4)
19. New York Mets - Herbert Trosky, 2B/SS (#29)
20. Kansas City Royals - Ike Rodgers, SP (#39)
21. Los Angeles Dodgers - Dustin Olsen, SP (#11)
22. Pittsburgh Pirates - Carey Newell, 3B/OF (#51)
23. St. Louis Cardinals - Samen Nikolai, OF(SS) (#2)
24. Philadlephia Phillies - Doug Zigmont, C/DH (#54)
25. Texas Rangers - Dominique Holmes, OF/IF (#61)
26. Detroit Tigers - Aaron Taylor, 2B(SS) (#13)
27. Seattle Mariners - Il-Ho Paik, SP (#8)
28. Chicago Cubs - Mark McCormick, SP (#30)
29. San Diego Padres - Simon Rodgers, C/2B (#76)
30. San Francisco Giants - Korey Garcia, OF/OF (#356)