Atlanta Braves Ranked As The Top Farm System In The MLB
By Jeff Schafer
Braves Top The Farm System Board!
MLB Pipeline released their top farm systems in the league and yours truly is number one! The Atlanta Braves minor league system ranks ahead of the stacked Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees.
The Braves have seven players in the top 100 prospects in the game. SEVEN!!
Dansby Swanson leads the list for the Braves at number four overall. Ozzie Albies is next on the top 100 list at number 10. Braves 17-year-old prospect Kevin Maitan falls in at number 32 overall before playing a professional game! Lefty Kolby Allard is at number 53. Mike Soroka slides in at number 78. Sean Newcomb at number 80 and first round draft pick in 2016 Ian Anderson is at number 86.
The way MLB pipeline does their top 10 teams is they add up all players inside the top 100 and where it equals is how they rank them.
MLB ranked these teams as their top 10…
10. Tampa Bay Rays
9. Cincinnati Reds
8. Colorado Rockies
7. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Milwaukee Brewers
4. San Diego Padres
3. Chicago White Sox
2. New York Yankees
1. Atlanta Braves
Seven players within the top 100, but that really doesn’t sum up our farm system. The Braves are loaded! Braves front office and John Coppolella should be very excited about where the minor league teams are at right now.
One of which that missed out on the top 100 is Ronald Acuna, he’s currently ranked number eight on the Braves list. He’s the guy everyone’s been talking about during the 2017 Spring Training season. Acuna started yesterdays game and has appeared in four games so far this ST season. He’s had seven at bats and has five hits…two of which were doubles. The 19-year-old will soon be on that top 100 list.
Braves Top 30
30. Lucas Herbert – C
29. Braxton Davison – OF
28. Akeel Morris – RHP
27. Luke Jackson – RHP
26. Drew Harrington – LHP
25. Bryse Wilson – RHP
24. Alex Jackson – C
23. Rio Ruiz – 3B
22. A.J. Minter – LHP
21. Derian Cruz – SS
20. Ricardo Sanchez – LHP
19. Lucas Sims – RHP
18. Dustin Peterson – OF
17. Kyle Muller – LHP
16. Patrick Weigel – RHP
15. Cristian Pache – OF
14. Joey Wentz – LHP
13. Austin Riley – 3B
12. Touki Toussaint – RHP
11. Luiz Gohara – LHP
10. Travis Demeritte – 2B
9. Max Fried – LHP
8. Ronald Acuna – OF
7. Ian Anderson – RHP
6. Sean Newcomb – LHP
5. Mike Soroka – RHP
4. Kolby Allard – LHP
3. Kevin Maitan – SS
2. Ozzie Albies – 2B
1. Dansby Swanson – SS
MLB ranked Maitan at number three on the Braves list and number 32 in all of the MLB. It’s kind of surprising to me. Yes, I think and hope he turns into a fantastic MLB player, but he hasn’t had one professional at-bat! A lot of us are high on this guy, but that’s very high.
I’m still really high on Braves right-handed starter Lucas Sims. The now 22-year-old has been within the Braves organization for five years (2017 will be his sixth). He needs to still work on his third pitch behind his fastball and curve, but this kid is on the verge of breaking through. He struggled during his time in Gwinnett last year — 7.56 ERA, a 2-6 record, 58 strikeouts compared to 37 walks in his 10 starts, but pitched really well in Mississippi. 2017 could be a huge year for Sims as to what his future will hold as I expect him to start the season in Gwinnett.
Like never before, we should be excited from guys at the 20 to 30 rankings as well. The Braves, for as long as I can remember, have never been this deep in their minor leagues.
Though years away, Derian Cruz I’m excited about! A.J. Minter could make the team out of Spring Training this season! Same with Rio Ruiz! Alex Jackson’s bat to go along with going back to the catcher position is exciting! Luke Jackson and Akeel Morris could join the Braves at some point this season!
Next: The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness, Braves Style
OH NO NEWS!
Braves number 18th ranked outfielder Dustin Peterson had surgery today to repair a bone in his left wrist and is expected to miss eight weeks. More coming shortly on this.