2 The Bigs

By Sal Corso: February 10th, 2026:

Instead of just dropping a top-10 farm systems list with analysis (yes, I’m going to do that too), I’m also going to grade each team on this list off of three categories, which helped determine my overall ranking of said team.

(1) Depth: how deep is the system in terms of the quantity of quality prospects

(2) Top Tier Talent: does the team have high-upside (MLB All-star potential) prospects in their system.

(3) MLB-Ready Talent: does the team have players that will impact the pro-level team this year.

Let’s get right into it. Here are my top MLB farm systems going into 2026.

11. Minnesota Twins

I included 11 teams on this list because I HAD to cover the Twins. They are an undervalued system mainly due to their extensive depth. Walker Jenkins needs to make his mark this season; but you have him, Rodriguez and Gonzalez all ready for the big leagues. Add in a nice young talent in upcoming shortstop Kaelen Culpepper, and you have yourself a solid foundation of talent.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
A	C	B	Jenkins, Tait, Culpepper, Rodriguez, Gonzalez

10. Cincinnati Reds

When you have an NL ROY favorite in Sal Stewart, and a monster top catching prospect in Alfredo Duno, you have to make this list. But that’s not all. The back-to-back shortstop draftees in Tyson Lewis and Steele Hall round out a nice core group with very good upside potential.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
B	B+	B	Stewart, Duno, Rodriguez, Lewis, Hall

9. St. Louis Cardinals

Similar to the above. It’s hard to keep the Cardinals off of this list with JJ Wetherholt (SS) and Rainiel Rodriguez (C). The depth isn’t there just yet. However, I’m high on 2nd-round pick Ryan Mitchell, and they just acquired two nice prospects in Taj Peete (OF) and Jurrangelo Cijntje (SP) from the Mariners in the Brendan Donovan deal.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
C	A	B	Wetherholt, Rodriguez, Doyle, Bernal

8. New York Mets

What’s impressive is that this farm system is still as deep as it is, even after dealing Jett Williams (INF) and Brandon Sproat (SP) in the Freddy Peralta deal. I always liked Carson Benge, as I had ranked him 4th on my 2024 Bowman Draft chases. The focus however, will come down to whether or not Jonah Tong can accompany McLean in that MLB rotation.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
B	B+	A	McLean, Benge, Tong, Reimer, Ewing

7. Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers always have a ton of ‘homegrown’ talent in their system. Made and Pena are the two international signees who will make-or-break this farm. But Fischer (3B), Adamczewski (2B), Pratt (SS) and Williams (INF) build out some nice added depth in the hitting department. Add on Sproat and Henderson and you have some MLB-ready pitchers to accompany the bats. A very, very deep system.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
A	B	B+	Made, Pena, Fischer, Sproat, Williams

6. Chicago White Sox

I am a firm believer in this White Sox rebuild. The two LHP (Schultz and Smith) are the centerpiece, both of which can (and should) end 2026 as 1-2 in the White Sox rotation. Braden Montgomery is a middle-of-the order, switch-hitting bat who can make his way to the major league lineup before June. Then add one of the fastest rising young hitters in all of baseball in Caleb Bonemer (SS) [who I also called out in our 2024 Bowman Draft chases]. All together, you have a young core who could turn the tides in Chicago within the next 12-18 months.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
B	B+	A-	Bonemer, Schultz, Smith, Montgomery, Antonacci

5. Cleveland Guardians

Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana are two important MLB-ready lineup additions for the Guardians this year. If DeLauter can stay healthy, he’ll fight for that AL ROY award (which I think he’ll win). But depth is why the Guardians are top-5. Velasquez, Genao, Caceres and Chourio are all international signings that have shown success in the stateside levels. Keep an eye out for these younger guys to backfill the top spots of the Guardians prospect ranks once the two former names graduate.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
A	B+	B+	DeLauter, Bazzana, Genao, Velasquez, Chourio

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers always seem to find themselves amongst the top-5 systems in baseball. Say what you want about their payroll, they know how to scout and develop young talent. I can’t even list out all of the outfield names that they have, but it extends beyond just the ones listed below. Kendall George and Ching-Hsien Ko aren’t even in their top-10; George hit .300 and stole 100 bases last season, and Ko is one of the highest-potential signings from the 2024 international period.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
A+	B+	B-	De Paula, Hope, Quintero, Morales, Sirota

3. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have the best hitting and pitching prospects in baseball. Sorry McGonigle and McLean fans. Chandler (SP) and Griffin (SS) will not only compete for the NL ROY award against each other, but don’t be surprised to see Chandler fight for some Cy Young votes as well. Remember, after a rough starting debut, here was Bubba’s stat line in his remaining games: 3 GS, 16 IP, 19 K, 2 ER. If Florentino and Hernandez (’25 top draft pick) can show development at upper levels, you have a young, but mature core of talent with elite MLB-upside.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
B-	A+	A+	Griffin, Chandler, Florentino, Hernandez

2. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers and my next team (you can probably guess who by now) are almost interchangeable. They are the clear cut 1 and 2 systems in baseball. We all know about McGonigle, he jumped onto the scene in 2025. However, here at 2 The Bigs, you would’ve known about him late in ’24. But Clark is one of, if not the highest upside five-tool potential talent in the minor leagues. Then don’t forget about Bryce Rainier, who was showing unbelievable tools at the plate before his season-ending injury last year. Top that off with a fast-rising power lefty bat in Briceno and you have a core of talent that is unbeatable.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
B	A+	A	McGonigle, Clark, Rainier, Briceno

1. Seattle Mariners

Colt Emerson (INF) is a 2TB top sleeper pick for AL ROY. He’ll be fighting for a starting job in the spring, worst case, a job that will inevitably be his by May, the latest. But there’s plenty more. Kade Anderson, the best and most MLB-ready pitcher from this years’ draft, should find his way onto the big league roster by the summer. By 2027, he’ll be the Mariners 1 or 2 rotation guy. Then you have my favorite Mariner, if not MLB prospect all together, Michael Arroyo. Arroyo would also be competing for the 2B/3B jobs with Young and Emerson. However, the Mariners want him up in the pros so badly, that they are working him in LF in order to pave a quicker path for him. Seattle also has younger talent in Lazaro Montes (OF), Johnny Famelo (OF), Yorger Bautista (OF) and Ryan Sloane (SP), all of which have shown tremendous upside potential from time to time in the lower levels.

Depth	Top Tier Talent	MLB-Ready Talent	Notables
B+	A	A	Emerson, Anderson, Arroyo, Montes, Sloan