We’re #30 - Keith Law farm systems rankings

[baltfan]

I think this is too low but sad he can even make the argument after what DD traded away. 

The O's pick first in this year's draft and they need it, as the system has fallen apart, which is how they ended up with the worst record in baseball and in need of a change to their entire baseball ops department. The failure to sign international free agents before this year was a huge part of it, dictated by ownership, but the Orioles also have been unable to develop talented players brought into the system from the draft or trades, with pitchers getting hurt or failing to develop with alarming frequency, and even performing players such as Austin Haysand Ryan McKenna being rewarded with unwarranted swing changes. The system is a mess, and it will take years to overhaul it. Fortunately the Orioles hired the right people for the job.

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/25907443/keith-law-2019-ranking-all-30-mlb-farm-systems

[eddie83]

Well if the right people are running it then why can’t they help fix Hays and McKenna? 

At the end of the day this is just another opinion but seems to be an extreme one.  

[Cumberbundy]

11 minutes ago, baltfan said:

I think this is too low

It’s certainly not too high.

[wildbillhiccup]

19 minutes ago, baltfan said:

I think this is too low but sad he can even make the argument after what DD traded away. 

The O's pick first in this year's draft and they need it, as the system has fallen apart, which is how they ended up with the worst record in baseball and in need of a change to their entire baseball ops department. The failure to sign international free agents before this year was a huge part of it, dictated by ownership, but the Orioles also have been unable to develop talented players brought into the system from the draft or trades, with pitchers getting hurt or failing to develop with alarming frequency, and even performing players such as Austin Haysand Ryan McKenna being rewarded with unwarranted swing changes. The system is a mess, and it will take years to overhaul it. Fortunately the Orioles hired the right people for the job.

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/25907443/keith-law-2019-ranking-all-30-mlb-farm-systems

It's really hard to argue with this statement and I'm not going to split hairs with his ranking. The farm system is bad and extremely thin, but it's getting better. With the new regime in place there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. 

I still wish the team had only allowed Duquette to trade the pending free agents (i.e., Machado, Britton, Brach, etc.) and left the other pieces (O'Day, Schoop, Gausman, etc.) for Elias to deal with. That and the botched international signings are really my only criticisms since John has taken over for his father. Everything else has been positive. 

[Luke-OH]

Regardless of the fairly accurate commentary on how some things were done poorly by the org, the ranking is purely ridiculous.

The Mets are middle of the pack by these rankings. The Mets. I’d wager a large sum that there is more future value in the O’s system currently than the Mets system.

[eddie83]

I guess with his opinions on Diaz and Mountcastle it adds up. It really comes down to those 2 players. 

Clearly we will have a better feel by draft time. That will give the prospects 2 full months- which I realize isn’t an eternity- to see any improvements. I am excited to see if the young players respond to an entirely different way of doing things in concert with modern technology and new voices. 

By the end of June things can look very different.  

[wildbillhiccup]

28 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

Regardless of the fairly accurate commentary on how some things were done poorly by the org, the ranking is purely ridiculous.

The Mets are middle of the pack by these rankings. The Mets. I’d wager a large sum that there is more future value in the O’s system currently than the Mets system.

Could he placing more emphasis on farm systems with higher top end prospects? For example, the Mets collectively probably aren't better, but are Alonso and Gimenez ranked higher than any of our top prospects? 

[Cumberbundy]

Worst team, worst system, & yet we are here, the brave, the proud-ish, the Aberdeen’s.

 

[atomic]

We have zero can't miss prospects.  I think that is what it comes down to.  I don't think it would surprise anyone if none of our current prospects became a star player.  I think we really got robbed in Britton and Gausman deals.  There is zero reason that Gausman shouldn't have brought back a top 50 prospect.  And if the team couldn't get it for him he shouldn't have been traded. 

The sons have been making all decisions based on money since taking over.  

[atomic]

8 minutes ago, Cy Bundy said:

Worst team, worst system, & yet we are here, the brave, the proud-ish, the Aberdeen’s.

  

And have made zero moves to sign players since the off-season started.  Skipped on Mesa Brothers and Gaston.  Haven't signed any low cost free agents.  And yet if you criticize the team you are put on ignore by the other posters. 

And we are relying on a GM who has a very weak record drafting #1 overalls.   Really people need to wake up to how bad shape we are in and how we have owners who dont' care about the team winning. 

[atomic]

1 hour ago, Luke-OH said:

Regardless of the fairly accurate commentary on how some things were done poorly by the org, the ranking is purely ridiculous.

The Mets are middle of the pack by these rankings. The Mets. I’d wager a large sum that there is more future value in the O’s system currently than the Mets system.

Accordiing to MLB Pipleline:

 

Mets:

51. Peter Alonso, 1B (ETA: 2019)
58. Andres Gimenez, SS (2020)

The highest rated Oriole prospects are

64. Yusniel Diaz, OF (ETA: 2019)
71. Ryan Mountcastle, 3B (2019)
90. DL Hall, LHP (2021)

I wouldn't say the rankings are purely ridiculous based on Major League Pipeline rankings.  

[wildbillhiccup]

11 minutes ago, atomic said:

We have zero can't miss prospects.  I think that is what it comes down to.  I don't think it would surprise anyone if none of our current prospects became a star player.  I think we really got robbed in Britton and Gausman deals.  There is zero reason that Gausman shouldn't have brought back a top 50 prospect.  And if the team couldn't get it for him he shouldn't have been traded. 

The sons have been making all decisions based on money since taking over.  

There's also zero reason Duquette (a dead man walking GM) should have been allowed to trade Gausman. 

[wildbillhiccup]

2 minutes ago, atomic said:

Accordiing to MLB Pipleline:

 

Mets:

51. Peter Alonso, 1B (ETA: 2019)
58. Andres Gimenez, SS (2020)

The highest rated Oriole prospects are

64. Yusniel Diaz, OF (ETA: 2019)
71. Ryan Mountcastle, 3B (2019)
90. DL Hall, LHP (2021)

I wouldn't say the rankings are purely ridiculous based on Major League Pipeline rankings.  

That was the point that I made. Law seems to place more value on teams/farm systems with top 50ish prospects then he does overall depth. 

[Cumberbundy]

Does Law know about spin rate?

[24fps]

1 hour ago, baltfan said:

I think this is too low but sad he can even make the argument after what DD traded away. 

The O's pick first in this year's draft and they need it, as the system has fallen apart, which is how they ended up with the worst record in baseball and in need of a change to their entire baseball ops department. The failure to sign international free agents before this year was a huge part of it, dictated by ownership, but the Orioles also have been unable to develop talented players brought into the system from the draft or trades, with pitchers getting hurt or failing to develop with alarming frequency, and even performing players such as Austin Haysand Ryan McKenna being rewarded with unwarranted swing changes. The system is a mess, and it will take years to overhaul it. Fortunately the Orioles hired the right people for the job.

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/25907443/keith-law-2019-ranking-all-30-mlb-farm-systems

To the degree this is true, how Elias and his team addresses it is far more interesting than the upcoming draft.  Fixing development and extracting maximum value out of what's already in the system needs to be the main priority IMO.