Farm System Rankings: Rays, Twins, and Braves among the Top 10 for position players

Three Appalachian League associated Farm Systems were ranked in the top ten for position players by MiLB.com.

 6. Atlanta Braves
For years, this system's bread and butter has been pitching (Ronald Acuña Jr. (Danville 2015) aside). Times have changed, with the duo of Cristian Pache  (Danville 2016) (No. 13 overall) and Drew Waters  (Danville 2017) (No. 26) among the best position players in the Minors. Both 21-year-olds finished 2019 at Triple-A Gwinnett and could eventually form a feared outfield trio with Acuña. Pache posted a career-best .802 OPS and projects as a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder for years to come. Waters (No. 26) won the Double-A Southern League batting title and MVP award with a .319 average over 420 at-bats.

5. Minnesota Twins
   With a wrist injury behind him, outfielder/first baseman Alex Kirilloff  (Elizabethton 2016) (No. 32) should resemble the balanced hitter who broke through with a .970 OPS in 2018. (Homering in four straight playoff games to finish 2019 was a good sign). Outfielder Trevor Larnach  (Elizabethton 2018) (No. 81) and the .842 OPS he delivered in his first full season will fit right in with the power-happy Twins.
   3. Tampa Bay Rays
   Just imagine what the Rays' infield could look like in a few years and you'll know why Tampa Bay slotted here. Switch-hitting top overall prospect Wander Franco  (Princeton 2018) has an 80-grade hit tool. The 18-year-old shortstop batted .327/.398/.464 with 56 walks and only 35 strikeouts in his first full season last year, reaching the Class A Advanced Florida State League, where he was more than four years younger than the average player. The club's top catching prospect, 22-year-old Ronaldo Hernandez  (Princeton 2017), projects to hit for both power and average while working to polish his skills behind the plate.