Baseball America ranks Royals farm system #3 in all of baseball

The system is improving.

The Royals haven’t rebuilt the greatest farm system since whenever, but they have one of the top organizations in baseball, according to Baseball America which ranked the Royals #3 in their mid-season update of organizational rankings. In their updated rankings, they rank the Royals behind only the Orioles and Mariners, writing:

It‘s been a great year for Royals farmhands, largely bolstered by a revamped hitting development system that has seen 1B Nick Pratto, C M.J. Melendez and others break out to join uber-prospect SS Bobby Witt Jr.

Going into the season, most assumed the Royals would have an improved farm system likely led by the 2018 draft of pitchers while hoping the bats would try to catch up. The pitching group hasn’t achieved as most had hoped but their talent level combined with the resurgence of Pratto and Melendez has helped the Royals rebuild a mid-level farm into a top system. Pratto (#69) and Melendez (#94) both jumped onto Baseball America’s mid-season Top 100 prospect list while Witt has had a standout performance and is ranked #3 in Baseball America’s individual rankings. Pitchers Daniel Lynch (#27), Asa Lacy (#68), and Jackson Kowar (#72) are also ranked in the BA Top 100.

The Royals were ranked 14th by Baseball America at the start of the season. It’s a surprising surge up the rankings considering they don’t have a 2021 draft pick that ranked in the BA Top 100, using their first-round pick on Connecticut prep pitcher Frank Mozzicato. The last time Baseball America ranked the Royals this high was before the 2012 season when they were ranked #2.