The New York Yankees farm system has consistently been ranked as one of the worst in baseball. The Athletic provides a different take though.
The Athletic’s Keith Law didn’t put a single New York Yankees prospect in his top 50. He only had three Yankees in his top-100 overall. That usually doesn’t bode well when naming top farm systems.
The Yankees are different though.
Despite the lack of elite prospect talent, Law believes the Bombers possess the sixth-best farm system in baseball. This puts them ahead of other elite systems like the Marlins, Tigers, Orioles, and Cardinals.
How does Law justify that despite the lack of top-end talent? He’s banking on the Yanks’ high-ceiling low-level players along with the organization’s ability to develop. In fact, Law has just three players who have played above A+ ball in the Yankees’ top 20 prospects.
Law sees the way the Yankees develop pitchers and believes they can continue to do so. It’s a curious argument considering the Yankees only have two starting pitchers on their roster who’ve been in their minor league system (Luis Severino and Domingo German). Neither is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher either.
New York built most of its bullpen through free agency and the trade market. Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, and Adam Ottavino all came from different organizations. Even Chad Green only came to the Yankees when he was already in Triple-A.
Law’s other argument is that the Yankees just brought in a stacked international free agent class. That’s 100% true, and it’s headline by Jasson Dominguez. The 17-year-old is considered a prospect on the level of Mike Trout, Bo Jackson, and Joe DiMaggio.
Law ranked Dominguez 99th in his top 100 prospects and he’s never played a game of professional baseball. That’s the argument that makes the most sense for Law.
A system stacked with incredible young prospects who just need time and a team known for developing position players is the “big picture” view of the Yankees farm system. Only time will tell if that optimistic perspective comes true though.
