Dynasty! Rays win another Baseball America Top 100

Ancient wisdom: Whom the gods wish to destroy, they grant unlimited Kim Kardashian. Yesterday, the baseball world observed its annual rites of crapola: The unveiling of the Baseball America Top 100 prospects list. Among prospect lists, this is Springsteen, this is Spielberg, this is French toast with Mrs. Butterworth's, this is - you get the picture - this is Crown Royal.

Now, as you may know, every year around this time, I rant and rave about the insane folly of these lists. They're a bunch of hooey, wrapped in humdrum, prepared for knuckle-dragging inebriates. Nobody should bother with them. There is nothing there, nothing! I should not look, not give them one iota of my valuable time. And yet - dear mother of pearl! - it's like the musky, dizzying, pheromone scent of a newborn stallion. You tell yourself to stay away. You order yourself to leave this riotous stable, to secure to the nearest tavern and douse the fire that is raging in your soulful loins. You've become Peter Lorre, screaming "HELP ME, RICK, HELP ME!" but it does no good. You click on the site, just for a peek, a momentary glance, what can it hurt? - to see what's there. And it's over. 

Yesterday, the Yankiverse buzzed over the news that three of our prospects made this coveted-but-ridiculous list. That puts us squarely in the middle of the MLB pack. But a closer look, I'm afraid to say, does not improve our standing.

For starters, our top prospect is 16-year-old OF Jasson Dominguez, whom we've already discussed. At this stage, he's nothing but a pin-up fantasy; he's never even seen a professional pitch. He's probably never driven a car, or had his heart broken by a gym teacher. He could spend 2020 in the Dominican Summer League, never even set foot in an American minor league stadium. At the earliest, if he runs every red light, he's three years away from The Show. He ranks #38. 

Next up is Clarke Schmidt, a power RH, who came in at #62. This is a good sign, sorta. Three years ago, Schmidt was our No. 1 draft pick - (BA always loves #1 picks) - though recovering from TJ surgery. He didn't wow anyone in 2018 but looked good last year. He's 23. He could make the team this summer. Fingers crossed. 

Finally, RH pitcher Deivi Garcia is #65. This is actually a disappointment. Garcia received a lot of ink last summer, and the Yankees felt compelled to announce they wouldn't use him in September. At age 20, he streaked through the system, and he's an outlier - just 5'9" tall - which has everybody thinking Pedro II. (Once upon a time, that's what we thought of Luis Severino.) That's a lot of attention - and stress - on a young arm. I worry about this guy. It seems as though we have one every year; he arrives in Tampa, hurts an elbow trying to impress the brass, and he's never the same. 

Three on the Top 100. Not bad. Not good. But for the sake of a meaningless parlor game, let's look around the AL East. 

Once again, and I don't know how they do it, Tampa is showing the world how to run a baseball organization. I shudder to think of what the Rays would do in a city that loved baseball - (that's you, Buffalo) - or if they played in a park with cheers instead of reverb, and blue sky instead of gray catwalks. Tampa placed  eight prospects on the Top 100, most in baseball. That includes the game's consensus top prospect, 19-year-old SS Wander Franco, who might reach the majors late this year. It's rare for a kid to take #1 two straight years; they usually wither under the spotlight. Franco had a great 2019, he looks like the real deal, and Tampa has him. 

Not only that, but they have #14 (a P), #51 (2B), #71 (P), #80 (P), #83 (P), #85 (2B), number #98 (P) and two who BA says nearly made the list. Damn, they are the Atlantic Ocean: One wave after another. We can feel good about Geritt Cole, but Tampa gave us the biggest tussle last year, and they could improve in 2020. Damn.

Also, Toronto and Baltimore each placed three prospects on the list. The Blue Jays have a pitcher, Nate Pearson, at #22, plus a SS at #29 - both higher than our 16-year-old fantasy. (The third, a pitcher, lands at #61 - again, in front of Schmidt and Garcia.) Add them to the youngsters Toronto unpacked last year... two words come to mind: "Uh." and "Oh." 

The O's represent a threat to nobody in 2020. But their big hope is a catcher named Adley Rutschman, whom BA ranks #5. (The others are pitchers, #35 and #47 - again, above both Schmidt and Garcia.)

As for the Redsocks, they have two, the top being a pitcher at #70. Ha. Years of trading kids have taken a toll. And it would be nice if MLB grows a pair and docks them a draft pick or two, based on Alex Cora's magical insights in securing the 2018 world championship.  

So, what does all this mean? Absolutely nothing. Still, I believe we fans have a tendency to eat with a knife and fork all the crapola from the YES spin machine. To hear the Yankees talk, they have a glorious farm system, with waves of talent on the way. I'm not saying the cupboard is empty. But had we not invested $5 million on Dominguez, we'd look pretty paltry right now. And whatever we're doing, we're being consistently outclassed by Tampa. 

Look, it's great to have Cole, plus a nice group of young pitchers. But make no mistake: The Yankees need to win it in 2020. If we fail, we might not get a better chance in 2021. And if you're thinking of dynasties - (which all Yankee fans are, btw) - we better watch out for the Rays.