MLB writer suggests Reds farm system is top-heavy

Keith Law is well-known throughout many Major League Baseball circles. Currently contributing to The Athletic, Law has previously worked for both Baseball Prospectus and ESPN.

Every year, Law produces his Top 100 prospects in Major League Baseball and also ranks every team's farm system from 1 to 30.

This year, Law's preseason rankings (subscription required) find the Cincinnati Reds outside the Top 10 but with four players ranked among the Top 60. No other team in the National League Central has more than three, and yet all four teams are ranked higher than the Reds.

MLB writer suggests Reds farm system is top-heavy.

Keith Law put together his Top 100 prospects (subscription required) and among them are four players from the Cincinnati Reds organization. Elly De La Cruz, Cam Collier, Noelvi Marte, and Edwin Arroyo all rank in Law's Top 100 prospects.

One would think, with so much top young talent in the pipeline, that Cincinnati would find itself among Law's Top 5 farm systems. Or, at the very least, be ranked in the Top 10. Sadly, Law sees the Reds farm system as the 13th best.

MLB Pipeline has Matt McLain among the Reds Top 100 prospects as well, and after last year's trade deadline, the outlet pegged Cincinnati as the fourth-best farm system in Major League Baseball. We'll have to wait and see how Jonathan Mayo and the crew over at MLB.com see the Reds team overall, as their team rankings haven't been published since last August.

Could it be, however, that Law's assertion is accurate and that the Cincinnati Reds farm system is a little top-heavy? Not only that, but the Reds are top heavy with infielders that can all basically play the same position. Collier and Marte are third basemen, while De La Cruz, McLain, and Arroyo are all shortstops.

Perhaps we'll see the Reds look to trade one of those top infield prospects for some added depth later this year. Cincinnati is very thin on outfielders, and after having the trio of Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft, and Nick Lodolo graduate, the Redlegs are also thin on starting pitching.