Updated MLB Farm System Rankings After 2016 Trade Deadline Frenzy

The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and along with some notable veterans changing teams, there was also the usual bevy of prospect talent changing hands.

With that in mind, what follows is an updated look at where all 30 farm systems rank, as well as an updated look at each team's top 10 prospects.

The following factors helped determine the rankings of players and teams:

• Potential (Player): Potential trumps production a lot of the time, especially in the lower levels of the minors and with recent draft picks. Skill set and overall tools are often a better indication of what kind of player a guy will be in the future.

• Talent (Player): As for guys in the higher levels of the minors who are close to breaking through at the big league level, production and current talent level are the determining factors, as they are viewed as a more complete product.

• Overall Depth (Team): Having one or two elite prospects is great, but having a deep farm system from top to bottom is the way to build a sustainable contender. The overall depth and level of talent was the biggest factor in ranking each team.

• High-End Talent (Team): That being said, there is a difference between a prospect who has a chance of making an impact at the big league level and a prospect who could be a star. Elite prospects served as a tiebreaker of sorts when two teams were close in the rankings.

This time around we've incorporated a tier system to help differentiate between the different levels of prospects talent. Here's a quick explanation: 

• Tier 1: Prospects who have an elite skill set and legitimate All-Star potential. This is the cream of the crop.

• Tier 2: Prospects who have a good chance of becoming at least a contributor at the MLB level. This is where most prospects on the following list will fall.

• Tier 3: Prospects who profile as fringe MLB contributors or young prospects still too raw to project any higher. Having one of these players ranked among your top 10 prospects is a good indication of a thin system.

That's all capped off with a quick rundown of how the farm system changed at the trade deadline and a look ahead to the prospect most likely to make a significant impact at the MLB level in 2017.

Let's get started.

Note: Players on the big league roster who have not yet used up their rookie status (130 AB, 50 IP, 45 days on roster) were included as prospects.

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