Baltimore Orioles Named Class of Baseball Farm Systems Again

The Baltimore Orioles' farm system was picked as the best in baseball by two different evaluators this week.

For the second straight season the Baltimore Orioles have the highest-ranked farm system in baseball, and in the eyes of one evaluator it’s not particularly close.

Both Baseball America and ESPN posted their farm system rankings earlier this week and the Orioles ranked No. 1 in both.

For Baseball America the Orioles are the top farm system for the second straight season. For ESPN it’s the third straight season.

Both sites ranked the same player at the top of the Orioles’ system and among the Top 100 prospects in all of baseball. Shortstop Jackson Holliday — the Orioles’ first-round pick and No. 1 overall pick in 2022 — was No. 1 in both rankings.

Holliday reached Triple-A Norfolk at the end of last season and has an invitation to Major League spring training. It’s possible that Holliday would win a job with the Orioles coming out of spring training.

Baseball America ranked four other Orioles prospects among its Top 50, including catcher Samuel Basallo (No. 10), third baseman Coby Mayo (No. 25), outfielder Colton Cowser (No. 34), and outfielder Heston Kjerstad (No. 41).

ESPN has six Orioles among its Top 100 — Mayo (No. 19), Basallo (No. 27), Kjerstad (No. 47), Cowser (No. 50), and shortstop Joey Ortiz (No. 19).

Ortiz was traded to Milwaukee as part of the package to acquire pitcher Corbin Burnes on the same day that ESPN’s rankings came out.

The Orioles don’t have to rush any of these prospects. They’re coming off a 101-win season as they claimed the AL East title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. But, some of them may be ready for jobs this year or could become assets to trade to improve the Orioles’ postseason changes.

Baseball America Farm System Rankings (as of February 2024)

1. Baltimore Orioles

2. Milwaukee Brewers

3. Texas Rangers

4. Chicago Cubs

5. Detroit Tigers

6. San Diego Padres

7. Tampa Bay Rays

8. New York Mets

9. New York Yankees

10. Los Angeles Dodgers

11. Cincinnati Reds

12. Pittsburgh Pirates

13. Boston Red Sox

14. Minnesota Twins

15. Washington Nationals

16. Seattle Mariners

17. Arizona Diamondbacks

18. Chicago White Sox

19. Cleveland Guardians

20. St. Louis Cardinals

21. Philadelphia Phillies

22. San Francisco Giants

23. Colorado Rockies

24. Toronto Blue Jays

25. Oakland Athletics

26. Atlanta Braves

27. Miami Marlins

28. Los Angeles Angels

29. Houston Astros

30. Kansas City Royals

ESPN Farm System Rankings (as of February 2024)

(Note: systems are ranked by empirical surplus dollar values for each future value tier of prospect, based on a formula developed by FanGraphs)

1. Baltimore Orioles ($371 million)

2. Chicago Cubs ($328 million)

3. Detroit Tigers ($318 million)

4. San Diego Padres ($284 million)

5. Milwaukee Brewers ($276 million)

6. New York Yankees ($252 million)

7. Tampa Bay Rays ($249 million)

8. Los Angeles Dodgers ($247 million)

9. Minnesota Twins ($241 million)

10. Cincinnati Reds ($237 million)

11. New York Mets ($235 million)

12. Texas Rangers ($228 million)

13. Boston Red Sox ($223 million)

14. Pittsburgh Pirates ($222 million)

15. San Francisco Giants ($207 million)

16. Washington Nationals ($203 million)

17. Seattle Mariners ($200 million)

18. St. Louis Cardinals ($193 million)

19. Cleveland Guardians ($187 million)

20. Chicago White Sox ($172 million)

21. Arizona Diamondbacks ($168 million)

22. Colorado Rockies ($161 million)

23. Philadelphia Phillies ($158 million)

24. Toronto Blue Jays ($126 million)

25. Oakland Athletics ($112 million)

26. Kansas City Royals ($89 million)

27. Houston Astros ($88 million)

28. Atlanta Braves ($87 million)

29. Miami Marlins ($82 million)

30. Los Angeles Angels ($66 million)