LA Angels Wednesday News Crash: Nothing Changes

Perhaps the only value of prospect rankings is for “writers to have something to do”, consider

Being ranked in top MLB prospect lists (e.g., Baseball America, MLB.com, FanGraphs) has purpose because it identifies players with the highest probability of becoming productive Major League players. Higher rankings correlate strongly with success, with Top 100 prospects producing a vast majority of MLB stars, while also providing industry validation, boosting trade value, and increasing marketing visibility. 

• Talent Identification (The “Top 100” Factor): Roughly 70% of players who go on to produce a 20+ WAR (Wins Above Replacement) career were ranked in the Top 100. Being on this list suggests a high likelihood of reaching the majors.
• Trade Value & Organizational Asset Management: Teams use these rankings to gauge trade value, often regarding high-ranked prospects as nearly untouchable or requiring immense returns. High rankings mean an organization views a player as a future cornerstone, increasing their “currency” in trades.
• Future Vale (FV) and Grades: Rankings typically reflect a 20-80 scale, where prospects with a grade of 55 or higher are considered likely to become average-or-better regular players. 

While it is true that rankings are considered an inexact science with roughly 70% of prospects failing to meet high expectations, they remain the industry-recognized standard for tracking future talent.

Lastly, it’s not surprising that ardent fans of the franchise with one of the fewest total number of top 100-ranked prospects over the past 10 years assess prospect rankings to have minimal importance.