The Orioles farm system is really good, maybe even the best. Not everyone agrees, of course. MLB Pipeline polled front office executives earlier this month and found that half of them preferred another club. Keith Law at The Athletic liked two other organizations above the O’s, but he still views them favorably.
The prospect ranking business is a mix of art and science. The traditional things like batting average and home runs matter in the minors, but they don’t tell the whole story. Just as the flashy skills like power, speed, or fastball velocity are important but don’t guarantee in-game success.