ESPN’s Law ranks D-backs’ farm system as 8th in MLB
Feb 5, 2019, 8:00 AM | Updated: Feb 6, 2019, 7:11 am
Arizona Diamondbacks and the U.S. Team pitcher Jon Duplantier throws during the All-Star Futures baseball game, Sunday, July 9, 2017, in Miami. The U.S. Team won 7-6. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
With a disappointing season and an eventful offseason seemingly behind them, the Arizona Diamondbacks can now begin to focus on the future.
The clearest path to a bright future usually involves having a farm system with loads of talent. In his recent list before the start of spring training, ESPN’s Keith Law ranked the D-backs farm system as the eighth best in all of baseball.
Just a year ago, the D-backs found themselves in the 26th position on this list, but a couple of moves this offseason and having three of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects have boosted them up the list.
Another system that has bounced back quickly after bottoming out a few years ago, the Diamondbacks have rebuilt with two very strong drafts (despite whiffing twice on first-rounders), a couple of productive trades and the signings of the two best Bahamian prospects in baseball. The news gets even better: In this June’s draft, Arizona will pick 16th, 26th, twice in the comp A round, once in the second round and twice more in the competitive balance B round, giving it seven picks in the top 80.
As Law notes, the D-backs have drafted really well in the past two years. According to MLB Pipeline, 13 of the D-backs Top 30 prospects were drafted in either the 2017 or 2018 draft.
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On top of that, the D-backs signed MLB Pipeline’s 18th best international prospect Alvin Guzman. The club signed the 17-year-old center fielder from the Dominican Republic in July of 2018.
With the D-backs having seven picks in this upcoming draft, they will have the ability to climb this list for years to come.
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