Baseball America Top 30 and the Cubs are ranked # 15

2009= 5 2008= 23 2007= 20th.

A dose of reality for the delusional around here who don’t believe that the Yankees and Red Sox owe a HUGE part of their success to a consistently productive player development system —

Yankee farm products — Rivera, Chamberlain, Hughes, Aceves, Robertson, Pettitte, Jeter, Cano, Posada, N. Johnson — all on the roster right now — plus Ian Kennedy, Melkey Cabrera, Austin Jackson, Dionar Navarro to name just a few others

Red Sox farm products — Youklis, Pedroia, Varitek, Ellsbury, Lester, Masterson, Buccholz, — all on the roster right now — plus Hanley Ramirez

Pettitte, Rivera, Jeter, Posada and Nick Johnson were products of Brian Sabean when he was with the Yanks as a scouting director and his organization is now ranked 4th. Also Varitek wasnt drafted by Boston it was by Seattle who came to Boston in the infamous Heathcliffe Slocumb deal.

I’m glad folks eventually came around to what I had been saying early in the year. I remember some specific posters here telling me I was crazy early in April/May when I suggested the Cubs system had moved up dramatically. To a certain extent, Slam’s points about the talent largely being there have always been valid, but the issue was that, relative to how most people judge systems, the progress didn’t happen until this past year.

Some comments -

Red Sox – their system is on a downswing right now … and they are still a top 10 system. That’s what I hope our farm can eventually become – a system that, when they are down, is still a top half system. No system can, year in and year out, be an elite, top 5 or so system. The Red Sox still have two potential elite talents in OF Ryan Westmoreland and P Casey Kelly, along with a host of solid talents.

Yankees/A’s – A’s had an elite system last year. With graduations, they were bound to slip. I imagine they are still a top half system. That said, I think they get too much praise at times. They run hot and cold. They had an awful system a few years back. Yankees system isn’t all that great right now, particularly with the loss of Arodys Vizcaino.

Tampa/Texas – One of the best run systems in the minors right now in regards to how they push players.

Cleveland – System bounced up dramatically from trades.

SanFrancisco is the stunning one. I’m not a fan of their system as an elite system. After the top shelf the talent really drops off there.

Philly – Don’t be surprised if Juan Ramirez turns out better than Kyle Drabek. They’ve done a good job of developing toolsy guys and they managed to keep their best prospect, Domonic Brown. I’m a bit surprised they hung onto top 5 status, as BA was really high on d’Arnaud, with Taylor and Drabek considered top shelf.

My top 30 is a bit different from BA’s, but some of that is to be expected with BA’s focus on tools and stuff. Trey McNutt is a nice hard-throwing arm that’s gotten a lot of hype this offseason, but I’m taking a wait and see on that one. I want to see how he does stretched out (well … if he stays in the pen, that’s a different story, but most vibes point to them moving McNutt to the rotation).

The system’s improving, and the system philosophy/structure is improving as well. Talent always is the trump card in this, but it needs to be pointed out once again that the Cubs have done a good job of hiring, identifying, and finding coaches and teachers in the last few years.

I like him and his getting along with Hak-Ju lee and all. Either seven is high, or we have a ridiculous glut of middle infielders. LeMahieu, Flaherty, Lee, Castro. What can we get for Tony Thomas, Casey Coleman, Mike Brenly, and an arm in June?

But still, with Castro, Lee, Flaherty, and LeMahieu all in the mix, something will have to give. Or get dealt.