Jeff Passan: Atlanta Braves farm system isn’t the best?

Ultimately, the answer of “who’s the best” will be answered on the field in the coming years, but right now there’s a robust argument going on about farm system ranks.

Within the past 2 weeks, two major reports about post-draft, post-trade-deadline farm system rankings have been released.  One is favorable to the Atlanta Braves, the other slightly less complimentary.

Baseball America, August 3rd (most behind a paywall):  Atlanta Braves #1, White Sox #2.

Jeff Passan/Yahoo Sports, Aug 11 (keep the volume down on your computer):  White Sox #1, Atlanta Braves #2

Both evaluations rate these systems close to one another.  Baseball America simply has a synopsis of their research from their free teaser:

"1. Braves.  The skinny: Our preseason No. 1 still has depth as well as impact talent. 2. White Sox.  The skinny:  Massive farm system makeover has White Sox nipping on Braves’ heels."

Even this, though, should excite Braves’ fans:  ‘impact talent’.  There’s a phrase that was eluding descriptions of the Braves’ farm, even in the last couple of years.

The real point of evaluating and comparing farm systems revolves around that:  if you have impact talent, then you have players who should be major contributors at the major league level once they are ready for prime time.

Clubs without such minor leaguers will (for the most part) use their best as role players, utility options, relievers, bench bats.  They have to wait for make shrewd trades or find free agents and sign them in order to improve their club.

That can work, of course, but it’s expensive and it’s a dice roll.  Even many ‘premium’ free agents are often not deemed worthy of the huge contracts they command.

So with that, let’s look at Passan’s evaluation, which he introduces with this flair:

"Hold your breath, dive into the muck of the discussion about which team boasts a better cache of players in the minor leagues and suddenly it will become abundantly clear that the combination of a sincerely interesting question and the insanity of baseball’s prospect culture provide a fertile atmosphere indeed for animus to form."

In other words, we like to argue about this topic.  A lot.

After the Jose Quintana trade, Passan declared the argument to be over… that the White Sox had won.

He must have heard from more than a few Braves’ fans, for this judge re-opened the case… though ultimately coming to the same conclusion.

Let’s see what we can learn ourselves…