Yankees' Star-Studded Farm System Brings High Ranking

The New York Yankees have as robust a farm system as nearly any team in baseball according to new rankings.

The New York Yankees love to bring in top free agents, but the best backup plan is a well-stocked and highly-respected farm system, something the Yankees have, too.

Last week the Yankees got their system rankings from both Baseball America and ESPN and those ranking bode well for the Yankees’ ability to restock its Major League team with internal talent.

Baseball America ranked the Yankees at No. 9 while ESPN ranked the Yankees at No. 6.

Showing off the depth of the organization was the fact that both evaluators had six Yankees prospects among its Top 100 ranked players.

Baseball America noted that the Yankees made a big jump. They were ranked No. 16 overall last season, and since 2019 their highest system ranking was No. 13 in 2022.

What has fueled the rise is the plethora of highly-touted prospects in the organization, elite players that could take their place in pinstripes full-time soon.

Baseball America listed outfielder Jasson Dominguez (No. 16), outfielder Spencer Jones (No. 46), outfielder Everson Pereira (No. 67), shortstop Roderick Arias (No. 68), catcher Austin Wells (No. 71) and right-handed pitcher Chase Hampton (No. 72) among its Top 100 players.

Dominguez, Pereira and Wells all made MLB debut last season. Dominguez will miss part of the season as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery. Wells figures to vie for the backup catcher position behind Jose Trevino.

ESPN had five of the same players ranked among its Top 100 —Dominguez (No. 21), Jones (No. 56), Arias (No. 60), Hampton (No. 81) and Wells (No. 82).

The difference were pitcher Will Warren, who was ranked No. 69 and a player that ESPN projects as a potential mid-rotation starter this season.

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)