Farm Futures: Top 10 Prospects: NL East

For the next three weeks we will continue releasing the top-10 prospect rankings in each organization, moving this week to the teams in the N.L. East. These rankings will be updated throughout the course of the season on RotoWire.com when players switch organizations, lose their rookie eligibility, or when a player's development dictates a change in where they are ranked within their team's system. These rankings are intended for dynasty league owners, as many of the players mentioned will not contribute in 2015.

Please feel free to start a dialogue in the comments section below, or @RealJRAnderson on Twitter.

Rank, Name, Position, Age, Projected Level For Start Of 2015

BRAVES

1. Jose Peraza, 2B, 20, Triple-A
2. Rio Ruiz, 3B, 20, Double-A
3. Lucas Sims, RHP, 20, Double-A
4. Braxton Davidson, OF, 18, Low-A
5. Manny Banuelos, LHP, 23, Triple-A
6. Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, 23, Majors
7. Ozhaino Albies, SS, 18, Low-A
8. Max Fried, LHP, 21, Rehab (Tommy John surgery in August 2014)
9. Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, 22, Double-A
10. Christian Bethancourt, C, 23, Majors

Overview:

Five of the 10 names on this list were acquired via trade this offseason, as the Braves were able to push their farm system toward the middle of the pack. Most of the players they traded for, particularly Manny Banuelos, Mike Foltynewicz, Max Fried, and Tyrell Jenkins, seem to be guys whose original organization soured on them, or were players deemed to be particularly expendable. There is a real chance that none of those four arms ever make it as a mid-rotation starter, so the current excitement surrounding the Braves system seems a bit excessive. Rio Ruiz, who they acquired along with Foltynewicz from Houston in the Evan Gattis trade, is the best prospect Atlanta traded for this offseason, and could be their third baseman of the future. Players like Jose Peraza and Braxton Davidson should be better players in fantasy than in real life based on Peraza's speed and Davidson's power and the fact that they both figure to play positions down the defensive spectrum. On the other hand, Ozhaino Albies and Christian Bethancourt are both much more valuable in real life, as both players offer elite up-the-middle defense with much less offensive potential.

Most Upside:

Braxton Davidson - This is not a system flush with high-upside fantasy talent, and while Davidson fits the bill, he is also four or five years away from the big leagues, which means there is a great deal of risk associated with the profile. Atlanta took the 18-year-old slugger with the 32nd pick in last year's draft, and he spent the rest of the season in rookie ball. As a lumbering left fielder, Davidson may never get pumped up on national prospect lists given the defensive limitations, which offers dynasty league owners a perfect opportunity to jump in and grab him at a discount. Of course the one drawback with this is he could be tougher to flip in a trade if your trade partner does not see him on their top-100 prospect list of choice. He could hit 30-plus homers with a .280 average if everything works out, but extreme patience is required in rostering him.

Best Bet For 2015:

Jose Peraza - Peraza is a top-five hitting prospect for 2015 if we exclude the international signees. Alberto Callaspo, Phil Gosselin, and Jace Peterson will battle this spring to man the keystone at the start of the season -- an abominable trio even by the low standards of this current Braves team. Peraza closed out 2014 hitting .335/.363/.422 with 25 steals in 195 plate appearances after getting promoted to Double-A, and could force the issue early this season to form a dynamic double-play combination up the middle with Andrelton Simmons. He has the same skill set as Elvis Andrus, with perhaps even a little more speed on the bases, so even if he is up for just three months, that could be 30 steals and a .275 average from a middle infielder. One other thing working in Peraza's favor is that he could slot into one of the first two spots in the Braves' batting order, considering that Melvin Upton Jr. (B.J. Upton) may start the season in the No. 2 hole.

MARLINS

1. Tyler Kolek, RHP, 19, Rookie Ball
2. Trevor Williams, RHP, 22, Double-A
3. Avery Romero, 2B, 21, High-A
4. J.T. Realmuto, C, 23, Triple-A
5. Justin Nicolino, LHP, 23, Triple-A
6. Jose Urena, RHP, 23, Triple-A
7. Isael Soto, OF, 18, Short Season
8. Brian Anderson, 2B, 21, Low-A
9. Michael Mader, LHP, 21, Low-A
10. Justin Twine, SS, 19, Rookie Ball

Overview:

The Marlins may get forgotten when we talk about the worst systems in baseball, but they are clearly in the bottom three with the Tigers and Angels. After Tyler Kolek, none of the Marlins' prospects should be owned in leagues where fewer than 150 prospects are owned. Miami has traded away multiple big-league ready pitching prospects (Andrew Heaney and Anthony DeSclafani) for proven talent in Dee Gordon and Mat Latos, so it's understandable that there's not much left on the farm. For dynasty league owners who like No. 4 and No. 5 starters and low-upside middle infielders, this is the system for you. But in shallower leagues, even Kolek has his warts.

Most Upside:

Tyler Kolek - A big, 6-foot-5 high school arm who can touch triple digits with his fastball, Kolek represents a nice long-term piece in dynasty leagues, but there is a ton of risk here. He still has a long way to go with his secondaries, his command and his overall approach to pitching. The fact that the Marlins were willing to take him over Carlos Rodon speaks to Kolek's upside, but for fantasy purposes, he should not be treated like the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft. Instead, Kolek should be taken as the sixth or seventh player from the 2014 class in dynasty league drafts.

Best Bet For 2015:

J.T. Realmuto - This is kind of a shot in the dark, as Realmuto may or may not get a chance to catch on a semi-regular basis with Miami at some point this season. At his peak, Realmuto could hit .270 with 15 homers and steal a handful of bases, which is useful in deeper formats, but with Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the mix for two more years, it is not clear when the Marlins will give Realmuto enough at-bats to be fantasy relevant. There is also the fact that catching prospects often take longer to adjust to big league pitching as they are busy focusing on the more important half of their job. So a common theme throughout these organizational rankings is that I will devalue catchers relative to where you may see them ranked elsewhere, and Realmuto is no different. A guy like Justin Nicolino could wind up joining the rotation at some point this year, but I'd rather bet on a catcher with the potential to help in two-catcher leagues than an inevitable back-end starter like Nicolino.

METS

1. Noah Syndergaard, RHP, 22, Triple-A
2. Steven Matz, LHP, 23, Triple-A
3. Michael Conforto, OF, 21, Low-A
4. Dilson Herrera, 2B, 20, Triple-A
5. Marcos Molina, RHP, 19, Low-A
6. Rafael Montero, RHP, 24, Triple-A
7. Brandon Nimmo, OF, 21, Double-A
8. Amed Rosario, SS, 19, Low-A
9. Dominic Smith, 1B, 19, High-A
10. Kevin Plawecki, C, 24, Triple-A

Overview:

This is a very clear top-10, as no other names were really in consideration. With a few exceptions, most of the talent in this system is either high-upside, high-probability, or both. Steven Matz often gets overlooked because of Noah Syndergaard, but Matz profiles as a solid No. 3 starter who could debut later this season. Michael Conforto may have been the top college bat in last year's draft, and should move quickly through the system. Amed Rosario and Kevin Plawecki get highly touted on non-fantasy prospect lists, but Rosario is at least three years away from the big leagues, and Plawecki is a glove-first catcher who is currently blocked by Travis d'Arnaud, so their fantasy value is dwarfed by their real life value right now. All told, this is a borderline top-five fantasy system, which should graduate multiple players from this list in each of the next three seasons.

Most Upside/Best Bet For 2015:

Noah Syndergaard - If I could own any pitcher in a dynasty league, Syndergaard would be the guy. He checks all the boxes. The big Texan projects realistically to be a No. 2 starter in the big leagues, and could even reach ace status in a few seasons. Throw last year's numbers out because he was pitching for Las Vegas in the Pacific Coast League, a notoriously hitter-friendly environment. This is a guy with three plus pitches, including a double-plus heater that allows the excellent curve and change to play up. He also has an excellent command profile, and has walked fewer than 3.0 BB/9 at every stop in professional ball. Syndergaard's 6-foot-6, 240-pound frame will allow him to develop into a 220-inning workhorse in time, leaving very little to quibble about with the overall profile. He should challenge for a spot in the rotation early on this season, and even the Mets' impressive rotation depth shouldn't get in the way of him making 15-20 big league starts in 2015.

PHILLIES

1. J.P. Crawford, SS, 20, Double-A
2. Maikel Franco, 1B/3B, 22, Triple-A
3. Aaron Nola, RHP, 21, Double-A
4. Yoel Mecias, LHP, 21, High-A
5. Roman Quinn, OF, 21, Double-A
6. Zach Eflin, RHP, 20, Double-A
7. Ben Lively, RHP, 22, Double-A
8. Tom Windle, LHP, 22, Double-A
9. Kelly Dugan, OF, 24, Triple-A
10. Aaron Brown, OF, 22, Low-A

Overview:

Crawford represents the lone top-50 prospect in the system, and he is much safer than he is exciting, profiling as a Francisco Lindor type who is a little further away from the big leagues. Aaron Nola is very similar, in that his floor and ceiling are nearly aligned as a mid-rotation starter, despite being drafted just last season. Maikel Franco's power and Roman Quinn's speed make them intriguing for fantasy purposes, but both players have notable flaws that could prevent them from making it as everyday players. This offseason the Phillies traded Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd for several pitchers with mid-rotation ceilings, in Zach Eflin, Ben Lively, and Tom Windle, helping to bolster the back of this list. There is very little realistic upside in this system, and with the exception of Crawford and Nola, the safer players profile as little more than replacement level options in standard mixed leagues.

Most Upside:

J.P. Crawford - As noted above, Crawford is unlikely to ever be a top-three fantasy shortstop, but he could be a top-10 option at the position for a decade. That said, the move right now should be to sell high on Crawford in dynasty leagues. I've seen him ranked as high as No. 7 on national prospect lists this offseason, and while that ranking is defensible in terms of real-life value, Crawford is not even a top-30 fantasy prospect. The power will never be above average, and the speed will max out in the 30-40 steal range. Fail to cash in on this offseason hype train at your own risk.

Best Bet For 2015:

Maikel Franco - There is no point denying that I have long been the company low man on Franco. That said, if his lackluster 2014 has driven his price down low enough, it might be time to buy back in. Franco may never make it as an average regular at a corner infield spot, but the Phillies are not in a position to deny him the opportunity to sink or swim at some point over the next couple seasons. As the backup to both Ryan Howard and Cody Asche, it seems like a matter of when, not if, that Franco starts to get four or five starts a week this year in Philly. He could offer Pedro Alvarez-esque numbers from the right side if everything clicks.

NATIONALS

1. Lucas Giolito, RHP, 20, High-A
2. Michael Taylor, OF, 23, Majors
3. A.J. Cole, RHP, 23, Triple-A
4. Reynaldo Lopez, RHP, 21, High-A
5. Joe Ross, RHP, 21, Double-A
6. Trea Turner, SS, 21, High-A (w/ Padres)
7. Erick Fedde, RHP, 22, Rehab (Tommy John surgery in May 2014)
8. Wilmer Difo, 2B, 22, High-A
9. Chris Bostick, 2B, 21, Double-A
10. Drew Ward, 3B, 20, High-A

Overview:

This is one of my favorite systems in baseball, and much like Red Sox in the American League, it is hard to envision the Nationals not resembling a juggernaut for the foreseeable future, given the health of the system at every level. Everyone will talk about how good the Nationals' big league rotation is, and for good reason, but I would also put their top-four pitching prospects against any other system's top four arms. A.J. Cole and Joe Ross seem like fairly safe mid-rotation starters, and Reynaldo Lopez has the potential to be slightly better than that. Trea Turner will probably be hanging out in the Padres' system for much of the season, but he is the player-to-be-named-later in the three-team deal involving Steven Souza and Wil Myers, and will eventually report to one of the Nationals' affiliates. Given that the Nationals' only real weakness on the big league club is second base, it only seemed right to include a couple potential future options at the keystone at the bottom of the list.

Most Upside:

Lucas Giolito - The 6-foot-6, 255-pound righty has more upside than any other pitching prospect. His fastball and curveball both rank among the top handful of pitches in the minor leagues, and his changeup is not far behind. The risks with Giolito are obvious, as he already has Tommy John surgery on his resume, and he probably won't debut in Washington until mid-2016. In a win-now mindset, I would take Noah Syndergaard and Dylan Bundy over Giolito in a dynasty league, but in a rebuilding effort, there is no better pitcher to hitch your wagon to for the long haul than Giolito.

Best Bet For 2015:

Michael Taylor - Taylor has 60-grade power and 60-grade speed, which is a fantasy owner's dream package. If there were no questions about the approach, Taylor would be a top-20 fantasy prospect. However, there is a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, and he has never posted a high batting average without the help of an outrageous BABIP. He knows how to take a walk, so in a full-time role, there is the potential for Taylor to be a poor man's George Springer, but therein lies the key. He does not have a full-time role yet, but could open the year as a starter if Jayson Werth is not ready. Once Werth is healthy, Taylor will be relegated to the bench. That said, Taylor needs just one injury to get into the lineup, whereas Cole would need a couple starting pitchers to get hurt to get a crack at the rotation this season.