Red Sox vs the AL East: farm systems

Jun 10, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first round draft pick and first baseman Casey Gillaspie talks with the media before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

5. Tampa Bay Rays 

Notable Prospects: Daniel Robertson, Willy Adames, Steven Souza, Casey Gillaspie, Taylor Guerrieri

While I’ve long finished the rankings for the best teams in the AL East this season, I decided to come back for one more segment and profile which teams are best-suited for the future. And while the Rays did finish second on the major league side on the strength of their starting pitching, the outlook for their future isn’t quite so rosy.

The Rays don’t have much prospect depth, nor do they have much in the way of elite talent, though they’ve been making their best effort to acquire some in recent months. Robertson, acquired in the Ben Zobrist trade this offseason, represents the Rays’ top prospect and, after hitting .310/.402/.471 in High-A Stockton, is one of the better shortstop prospects in baseball. And the 19-year old Adames, who came to Tampa Bay by way of the David Price trade, is an intriguing young talent who slashed .271/.353/.429 in his first exposure to full-season baseball last season. Finally, the Rays acquired Souza, who hit a remarkable .350/.432/.590 with 18 home runs and 26 stolen bases in Triple-A last season, in the Wil Myers deal and will likely plug him into right field for the major league squad this year.

Outside of those three, the Rays still have some high-upside talent in former first-round selections in Guerrieri (2011) and Gillaspie (2014), but their draft success hasn’t been impeccable as their first-rounders in 2012 (Richie Shaffer) and 2013 (Nick Ciuffo and Ryne Stanek) have largely disappointed. The Rays may get some major league talent out of this crop, but there’s little in the way of high-impact talent outside of Adames. 

February 27, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dylan Bundy (49) throws a pitch in the third inning against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

4. Baltimore Orioles

Notable Prospects: Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey, Chance Sisco, Christian Walker

The Orioles have two of the top pitching prospects in the division but their system tails off extremely quickly after the top two and lacks the depth to compete with the other systems in the AL East.

The fourth overall selection in the 2011 draft, Bundy raced through the minor leagues and reached the majors in his first full season, developing into the top pitching prospect in the minor leagues. However, injuries have slowed his pace in recent seasons as Tommy John Surgery sidelined him for the entirety of the 2013 season and much of the 2014 season as well. The talent is absolutely still there though and 2015 will be an opportunity for Bundy to prove his worth. Harvey, Baltimore’s first pick in the 2013 draft, also impressed in his first full minor league season. While he only started 17 games due to injuries, Harvey posted a 3.18 ERA and struck out 10.9 batters per nine innings and appears to have top-of-the-rotation potential.

After those two, the Orioles’ system has little in the way of legitimate talent though. Sisco, a 20-year old catcher who slashed .340/.406/.448 in Single-A Delmarva last season, is intriguing and so is Walker, a powerful first baseman who hit .288/.357/.489 between Double-A and Triple-A before a cup of coffee last season. However, the Orioles’ system curtails in talent so quickly that it lands in fourth place in the AL East.

Jul 13, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; World pitcher Luis Severino throws a pitch in the 4th inning during the All Star Futures Game at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

3. New York Yankees

Notable Prospects: Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, Ian Clarkin, Rob Refsnyder

A stagnant New York farm system was revitalized in 2013 with a stellar draft and the emergence of international signee Luis Severino as a legitimate talent and the system now ranks in the middle of the pack around baseball.

Severino emerged in 2013, but he really took a step forward last season when he posted a 2.46 ERA with a 10.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 between Class-A, High-A, and Double-A. In that esteemed draft, the Yankees added top talent in 6’7″ slugger Aaron Judge (.308/.419/.486 between Class-A and High-A), Ian Clarkin (3.12 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 between Class-A and High-A), and Eric Jagielo (.259/.354/.460 in High-A) and added some significant strength to their system.

However, their farm system also doesn’t live and die by those who emerged in 2013. Sanchez, who is still just 22 years old, slashed .270/.338/.406 in Double-A last season and could be major league ready in 2015. Bird, a first baseman who hit .271/.376/.472 between High-A and Double-A last season, also profiles as a starting caliber first baseman due to his excellent plate discipline. Refsnyder, who broke out with a .318/.387/.497 line between Double-A and Triple-A last season, also looks like a solid prospect and could appear at second base for the Yankees this season. The Yankees’ organization might not have much elite talent outside of Severino but, compared to Yankees’ systems of past years, it certainly looks like a farm system on the rise.

Feb 25, 2015; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Daniel Norris (32) works out during spring training at Bobby Mattick Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

2. Toronto Blue Jays

Notable Prospects: Daniel Norris, Aaron Sanchez, Dalton Pompey, Jeff Hoffman, Max Pentecost, Devon Travis

After a number of breakout seasons a year ago, this Blue Jays farm system looks poised to start churning out top major league talent sooner rather than later.

Norris, an intriguing talent before last season, broke out in a big way in 2014 as he posted a 2.53 ERA across High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A before a brief stint in Toronto last September. He now looks poised to compete for a job in the rotation during spring training and could add a major boost to a mediocre Blue Jays rotation. Sanchez, who had started throughout his minor league career, pitched in 24 games out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen last season and posted a 1.09 ERA and a .128 opposing batting average.

The Blue Jays also got a breakout season at the plate last year as Dalton Pompey, a native Torontonian, hit .317/.392/.469 with 43 steals across the three highest levels of the minors before making his own major league debut. In addition to the breakouts from Norris and Pompey, however, the Blue Jays also added some significant talent to their system by drafting pitcher Jeff Hoffman, who has undergone Tommy John Surgery but remains a top prospect, and catcher Max Pentecost in addition to acquiring second baseman Devon Travis (.298/.358/.460 in Double-A last season) from the Tigers. All three of the Norris/Sanchez/Pompey combination should contribute in Toronto this season as the Jays will add some young life to their powerful, veteran roster.