Washington Nationals: Organizational Rankings, Top Prospects.

The Hardball Times' Matt Hagen put his team by team prospect rankings in one place this afternoon for a post entitled, "The compilation: MLB team-by-team top-10 prospects", which listed the teams in order of organizational strength with the Tampa Bay Rays' considered the best farm system in baseball and the Washington Nationals', led by Stephen Strasburg (RHP), Derek Norris (C), Danny Espinosa (SS), Chris Marrero (1B), and Strasburg's fellow '09 1st Round pick Drew Storen (RHP) one through five, ranked as the 11th best system of Major League Baseball's thirty clubs...

ESPN.com's Keith Law ranked the Nationals 23rd overall in baseball when he posted his own "MLB Organizational Rankings" (for INSIDERS only) in late January, though he acknowledge that Washington was, "...getting there slowly", though their ascension has been hampered by the fact that, "...a number of top draft picks from 2006 to 2008 haven't developed as expected." Mr. Law had four of the same top five players as The Hardball Times' Mr. Hagen on his own list of the top Nationals' prospects, with Mr. Law replacing Marrero with Ian Desmond, who might soon outgrow his prospect status, and future-closer Drew Storen ranked ahead of both Desmond and his fellow shortstop option Danny Espinosa, behind only Strasburg and Norris as the third-best prospect in Washington's system. 

(ed. note - "6-10 and another look at Baseball America's Aaron Fitt's List after the JUMP.")

• 6-10 Mr.'s Hagen and Law differ somewhat, with the Hardball Times' writer rounding out his top 10 with 6) Ian Desmond (IF), 7) Eury Perez (OF), 8) Destin Hood (OF), 9) Michael Burgess (OF), and 10) Marcos Frias (RHP) completing his list while Mr. Law agreed that Eury Perez (6) was the Nats' best outfielder, with Michael Burgess (9) the second-best, while Chris Marrero (7) belonged lower on his own list, and RHP Juan Jamie (8) rather than Frias ranked as the third best pitcher in the system with LHP Aaron Thompson (10), (acquired from the Marlins for Nick Johnson) the fourth best arm the Nats' have to work with.

While Mr. Law thinks Washington's "getting there slowly", The Hardball Times' Mr. Hagen writes that while, "The Nationals' depth is weak," DC GM Mike Rizzo and company, "...may be just one more strong draft away from one of the best systems in baseball in terms quality and quantity." And having the 1st pick again this season certainly helps as Mr. Hagen acknowledges. 

The Nationals placed just two prospects (Strasburg and Storen) on MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo's 2010 Top 50 Prospects List. ESPN.com's Keith Law had Strasburg, Storen and Derek Norris in his Top 100 Prospects. Baseball America's Aaron Fitt had Destin Hood as the 10th best Nationals' prospect, while adding the names Jeff Kobernus (2B) and Justin Maxwelll (OF), neither of whom were included on either Mr. Hagen's or Law's lists, to the discussion, but otherwise his list and his opinion of the Nationals' system is pretty much the same, as Mr. Fitt recommends Washington use their second-straight no.1 overall pick, "...to infuse their mediocre farm system with impact talent," which leads me to believe his organizational ranking, at least for the Nationals, might more closely resemble Mr. Law's...

LINKS: 

• Washington Nationals: 2010 Draft Watch...Keith Law's Top Prospects. - Federal Baseball's Ed Chigliak

• The Hardball Times Ranks the Washington Nationals' Top 10 Prospects - Dave Nichols from the Nats News Network 

"The Hardball Times released their Top 10 prospects list for the Washington Nationals today. Not much surprise, however, only three of their top ten were arms, the rest position players."

• Washington Nationals: Prospect Watch - Marcos Frias - Federal Baseball's Ed Chigliak

• Washington Nationals: Prospect Watch - OF Eury Perez. - Federal Baseball's Ed Chigliak