Here’s Where Pirates Farm System Ranks On MLB.com’s New List

After entering the 2024 season with a farm system ranking in the top 10 throughout Major League Baseball, where do the Pittsburgh Pirates rank as the season nears its end?

When Paul Skenes is the top pitching prospect in baseball, your farm system is going to be ranked highly, and rightfully so. But Skenes has made his major league debut and has done nothing but thrive since doing so. He’s no longer a prospect, meaning that the farm system has naturally taken a hit.

MLB.com released an updated list of the best farm systems in baseball. After ranking No. 9 to start 2024, the Pirates now rank 20th in the majors. The main reason for the drop is due to both Skenes and Jared Jones graduating to the big leagues.

“Losing the best pitching prospect anyone has seen in years to graduation means your ranking is going to take a hit,” Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra, and Jonathan Mayo wrote in the updated list. “Then you add in former fellow Top 100 arm Jared Jones becoming a big leaguer too, and that’s a double whammy. The good news is that Chandler has taken up the challenge of being the best pitching prospect in the organization and Ashcraft has taken a big step forward along with non-Top 100 arms like Thomas Harrington and Hunter Barco. The hitters in the system have not progressed with the same consistency, but it was exciting to see the Pirates inject it with exciting young bats from this year’s Draft in Griffin and Wyatt Sanford, not to mention a high-upside arm like Levi Sterling.”

Pittsburgh remains strong enough considering the talent that made it big this season. The Pirates have four Top 100 prospects (per MLB.com) with Bubba Chandler leading the way at No. 41. Considering Skenes and Jones might make up the best young pitching duo in the sport, Pirates fans can probably deal with the hit to the farm system ranking for the time being. Especially with how both have pitched this season.

More MLB: Pirates Rotation Cracks Top Ten In Bleacher Report Ranking