This season's most improved farm systems
We talk about breakout prospects all the time, like Ethan Salas going from being a 16-year-old new signee to a Double-A player in just a few months or Junior Caminero starting the season outside the Top 100 and ending it at No. 6 (and likely higher by the time of
We talk about breakout prospects all the time, like Ethan Salas going from being a 16-year-old new signee to a Double-A player in just a few months or Junior Caminero starting the season outside the Top 100 and ending it at No. 6 (and likely higher by the time of our next update).
But what of breakout farm systems?
There are multiple avenues in which an entire system could take a jump in a calendar year. The most straightforward is good old-fashioned player development, i.e. getting multiple players at once to improve enough that the entire organization gets noticeably better from an outside viewpoint. Strong Draft classes can also improve a club's Minor League standing, and while no club wants to be a seller, in-season trades can bring extra talent and depth to the system's present and the organization's future.
Since we've reached the last week of the calendar year, let's look at six of the most improved farm systems from 2023, in alphabetical order:
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs climbed from No. 12 in our preseason farm system rankings to No. 4 in the midseason update, thanks to nice jumps from players like Cade Horton and Owen Caissie and a debut from Pete Crow-Armstrong, and even since then, 2023 first-rounder Matt Shaw found his way into the Top 100 as he pushed his way from Maryland to Double-A in a matter of months. Chicago now boasts six MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects, putting it in a tie with Baltimore and San Diego for most in the game, and there's a good case to be made that Moises Ballesteros, James Triantos and Jordan Wicks should get Top 100 consideration as well. The Cubs are in a position where the focus should always be on the top level, but there's an impressive prospect base to build around here too.
Chicago White Sox
The South Siders remain far from the top tier of farm systems, but it's easier to see them closer to the middle these days than it was back in June. Chicago was one of the busier sellers at the Deadline and picked up Edgar Quero, Jake Eder, Nick Nastrini, Ky Bush and Korey Lee, among others. That came after a deep Draft that saw the organization add four of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects in Jacob Gonzalez, Grant Taylor, Seth Keener and George Wolkow. Wolkow -- ranked at 71st overall but drafted in the seventh round -- may have been a particular steal as a $1 million signing. Overall, 10 of the club's present Top 19 prospects weren't in the organization in June, and the biggest name that's remained all along (Colson Montgomery) proved why he's one of the best shortstop prospects in baseball with a productive Arizona Fall League.
Detroit Tigers
Health will take you a long way. Colt Keith missed much of 2022 with a shoulder injury but vaulted to the No. 25 overall spot as he clubbed 27 homers and posted a .932 OPS in 126 games between Double-A and Triple-A. Jackson Jobe's stock looked like it was slipping when back issues held him behind in the first half of the season; now with his wicked slider, added cutter and improved fastball, he's one of the best pitching prospects in the game again. In the Draft, the Tigers took one of the Big Five in the class in Max Clark and used some of the savings to give their contingent great depth and ceiling by adding Top 100 Draft prospects Kevin McGonigle, Max Anderson and Paul Wilson with their next three picks. Nice steps forward by pitchers Troy Melton, Sawyer-Gipson Long and Keider Montero were certainly welcome, while Justice Bigbie followed the Kerry Carpenter breakout model and Parker Meadows put himself on the inside track for the Opening Day center-field spot. Ranked 13th in our midseason farm system rankings, the Tigers seemingly have more helium where that came from.
Milwaukee Brewers
"This is the breakout system of the 2023 season." That's what we wrote back in August, and it holds up. Ranked 15th to start the season, the Crew leaped to No. 3 in the midseason rankings and should hold around there, even with the graduation of Sal Frelick. Jackson Chourio solidified himself as one of the top talents in the Minor Leagues (and now has the eight-year contract to prove it), while Jeferson Quero, Jacob Misiorowski and Tyler Black all joined him in the Top 100. Strong seasons from Robert Gasser and Carlos F. Rodriguez solidified that Milwaukee has quality upper-level arms, while Luis Lara followed the Chourio route of skipping the Arizona Complex League to join Single-A Carolina in his age-18 season (albeit with less power). ACC home run king Brock Wilken brought thunder as this year's 18th overall pick, and Cooper Pratt (a $1.35 million signing in the sixth round) could be one of the coups of the Draft. Milwaukee might be shedding salary in The Show of late, but if it intends to keep competing in the NL Central, this is the level of system it needs to maintain.
New York Mets
With Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty likely to graduate early and the team in win-now mode, New York's farm system stood to take a hit in 2023. You likely know what came next. The Mets became surprise sellers at Deadline time and used their financial might to pay off part of the large contracts of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to acquire top prospects Luisangel Acuña, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. Getting potential plus hitter Marco Vargas from the Marlins might also prove to be a savvy move. The upper levels also saw Mike Vasil, Blade Tidwell, Christian Scott, Dominic Hamel and Tyler Stuart prove that they could be MLB rotation options early in '24, and Jett Williams showed he might be the best prospect of them all with a .425 OBP and 45 steals across three levels in his first full season. Even if this isn't a Top 5 system in baseball needed to rebuild an organization, it can help the Mets retool over the next two years, and that's a much better place to be than where it was in early July.
San Diego Padres
We mentioned Salas’ status as the Breakout Prospect of the Year up top, and it’s worth noting that left-hander Robby Snelling was the runner-up for Pitching Prospect of the Year with his 1.82 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings across three levels. The addition of right-hander Drew Thorpe (the actual Pitching Prospect winner) in the Juan Soto trade puts San Diego in a tie for the most Top 100 prospects with six total. That’s notable on its own, and you can bet that that fact will help the Padres climb higher than their spot at ninth in the midseason rankings. But what really kicked San Diego up a notch was the quality of its 2022 Draft class. Snelling and Dylan Lesko were already top talents, but Graham Pauley, Jakob Marsee and Nathan Martorella proved to be forces too and will be must-follows moving forward. So much for the original Soto trade wrecking the system.
Sam Dykstra is a reporter for MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @SamDykstraMiLB.
Crawdads Lose Finale 13-6
Hickory, NC- The Augusta GreenJackets took advantage of twelve walks from Hickory pitchers to earn a series win on Sunday by a 13-6 score at LP Frans Stadium. Despite outhitting Augusta by a 12-11 tally, the GreenJackets scored in five of their final six times to bat, putting the game
Morel Mashes, Crawdads win 4-1 on Saturday
Hickory, NC- Braylin Morel slugged a fifth-inning homer in his second Carolina League game to give the Hickory Crawdads a 4-1 win at LP Frans Stadium against the Augusta GreenJackets. Morel, a 2024 Arizona Complex League All-Star, drilled the three-run drive to left field that plated Marcos Torres and Maxton
Crawdads Pitch and Pop Their Way to 5-2 Win
Hickory, NC- Garrett Horn and Thomas Ireland punched out 13 Augusta GreenJackets on Friday night, while Yeremy Cabrera and Hector Osorio lifted solo homers, as Hickory claimed a 5-2 win at LP Frans Stadium. After Augusta opened the contest with a two-run first, Cabrera launched his fifth homer of 2025
Fowler's Strong Start Spoiled by Late Innings
Hickory, NC- A furious four-run rally for the Hickory Crawdads in the seventh inning tied the game, but a trio of ninth-inning errors cost the team dearly as the Augusta GreenJackets claimed their third straight win in the series by an 8-5 score at LP Frans Stadium. Brooks Fowler got
Crawdads Blanked by Augusta
Hickory, NC- The Crawdads mustered just two hits off the Augusta GreenJackets as they were shut out 6-0 on Wednesday night. Cam Caminiti got the start for Augusta against Enrique Segura, as both pitchers sought the first wins for their respective clubs. Both pitchers tossed a trio of scoreless frames,
GreenJackets Sting Hickory 6-1
Hickory, NC- Eric Hartman and Owen Carey led a 10-hit attack on Tuesday, as the Augusta GreenJackets took down the Hickory Crawdads by a 6-1 score at LP Frans Stadium. Hartman finished the game a triple shy of the cycle, as the outfielder hit his fourth homer of the year
Mendez Slugs Go-Ahead Homer in Victory
Hickory, NC- The Hickory Crawdads used a five-run sixth inning on Sunday to defeat the Charleston RiverDogs 7-5 at LP Frans Stadium. Hickory, losers of their last three contests, watched the RiverDogs jump out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Crawdads scored their first run of
Marquez Homers, 'Dads Fall in Extras
Hickory, NC- A two-run single from Ricardo Gonzalez in the tenth inning put the Charleston RiverDogs up for good Saturday, claiming a 6-4 win at LP Frans Stadium against the Hickory Crawdads. Charleston was able to take advantage of an uncharacteristically tough game from Hickory, as the ‘Dads surrendered five
Hickory Falls to Charleston 7-1
Hickory, NC- A decisive four-run seventh inning for the Charleston RiverDogs was enough to claim a 7-1 win at LP Frans Stadium on Friday night. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Hickory Crawdads were never able to get dialed in against starter Ryan Andrade, who claimed his Carolina League
Kannapolis Uses Big Frames to Down Crawdads 9-2
Hickory, NC- A four-run second inning was more than enough to snap a four-game losing skid for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, defeating Hickory 9-2 on Sunday at LP Frans Stadium. The Crawdads, seeking their fifth straight win for the fourth time this season, took an early lead in the first
Crawdads Double Up on Cannon Ballers 10-5
Hickory, NC- Hector Osorio had a three-hit night for the Hickory Crawdads, as the club won their eleventh game in fourteen tries on Saturday night against Kannapolis by a 10-5 score at LP Frans Stadium. Caden Scarborough put together a solid effort on the bump for the 'Dads, tossing 4.1
Crawdads Cruise to 7-1 Win on Independence Day
Hickory, NC- The Hickory Crawdads continued their recent stretch of solid play, beating the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers by a 7-1 score in front of 4,276 fans at the Frans on Friday night. Antonis Macias led a quartet of hitters, reaching base four times in the 10-hit effort. The Crawdads second
Crawdads Claw Past Shorebirds 8-5
Hickory, NC- The Hickory Crawdads used a three-run eighth inning to defeat the Delmarva Shorebirds 8-5 on Sunday afternoon at LP Frans Stadium. The Crawdads came into the contest seeking a 5-1 week at home against the Baltimore Orioles' affiliate, having won eight of their previous eleven games against the
Crawdads Clip Shorebirds 6-4
Hickory, NC- Maxton Martin and Esteban Mejia led a 10-hit attack while Thomas Ireland matched a season-high with five innings pitched, as the Hickory Crawdads got past the Delmarva Shorebirds 6-4 at LP Frans Stadium on Saturday night. The Crawdads, seeking their fourth win in five outings against the Shorebirds,
Cabrera, Guerrero Pace Crawdads in 11-3 Win
Hickory, NC- Yeremy Cabrera and Pablo Guerrero collected three hits each on Friday night as the Hickory Crawdads defeated Delmarva 11-3 at LP Frans Stadium. Garrett Horn made his 'Dads debut on the mound and was dominant in his effort. In three innings, the Greensboro native struck out five hitters,
Shorebirds Turn the Tables, Win 5-4
Hickory, NC- Luis Almeyda doubled home two Shorebirds in the eighth inning to propel Delmarva to a come from behind 5-4 win at LP Frans Stadium on Thursday night. The Crawdads claimed a 1-0 lead in the third inning as Marcos Torres lifted a breaking ball over the right field
'Dads Win 5-4 on Second Balk-Off of the Season
Hickory, NC- Few things in life are more exhilarating than watching the home team pick up a walk-off win. On Wednesday afternoon, however, the Hickory Crawdads took the walk-off to new levels, picking up their second balk-off win, a 5-4 triumph over Delmarva, in front of 2,069 people at LP
Torres Late Homer Lifts Crawdads Past Delmarva
Hickory, NC- Marcos Torres capped a dramatic comeback for Hickory, slamming a two-run shot in the eighth to propel the Crawdads to a 6-4 win over Delmarva at LP Frans Stadium. Delmarva jumped out early against the Crawdads, scoring all four of their runs in the first two innings. Yasmil
Martin Drills Walk-Off Home Run to Cap off Rally
Hickory, NC- Maxton Martin's three-run homer in the ninth capped a four-run ninth-inning rally as the Hickory Crawdads earned a dramatic 9-7 win over Columbia Sunday afternoon at LP Frans Stadium. The win for Hickory earned a split against Columbia, keeping Hickory 1.5 games back of Kannapolis, who won in
Crawdads Drop Decision on Saturday Night
Hickory, NC- The Columbia Fireflies scored single runs in five consecutive frames to claim a 5-3 win against the Hickory Crawdads at LP Frans Stadium on Saturday evening. Brennon McNair broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with his fifth home run of the season, giving the Fireflies a
Comeback Comes Up Short in 5-4 Loss
Hickory, NC- Maxton Martin's solo homer in the 9th inning was not enough for the Crawdads, falling 5-4 to Columbia on Friday night at LP Frans Stadium. Gabriel Silva's two-run homer was the difference for the Fireflies, as the Columbia catcher launched his first home run of the year against
Torrid Torres Leads Crawdads to Win
Hickory, NC- Marcos Torres led a 19-hit attack on Thursday evening as the Hickory Crawdads cruised to an 18-2 win over Columbia at LP Frans Stadium. Torres, who came into the contest 1-for-7 in the series, collected five hits, including an eighth inning double that closed out a perfect five-for-five
Crawdads Fall 6-2 in Extras
Hickory, NC- Enrique Segura was stellar tonight for the Hickory Crawdads. The right-hander from the Dominican Republic pitched six quality innings, striking out seven while allowing just one run on two hits. However, it was not enough as the Hickory Crawdads lost a ninth inning lead and surrendered four runs
Pollard Pounds, Agreda Astounds, Crawdads Win 10-1
Hickory, NC- Ismael Agreda earned his second win of the season with a stellar pitching performance that set the tone on Tuesday night, as the Hickory Crawdads defeated the Columbia Fireflies 10-1 at LP Frans Stadium. Agreda tossed five innings and dominated things for the Crawdads, as the right-hander scattered