Note: This article was originally posted on Seamheads.com (2/13/2018)
In the process of conducting research for the “Minors vs. Majors” chapter for my upcoming book “Hardball Retroactive,” I tabulated the overall won-loss records among the minor league affiliates for every Major League franchise since 1963. Further investigation allowed me to ascertain the largest gaps between MLB teams and their farm systems, divided into two distinct charts:
- teams with the best overall minor league winning percentage as compared to their Major League record during the same season
- teams with the top Major League winning percentage as compared to their overall minor league record during the same season
- the second chart in each section depicts the Major League winning percentage for the selected teams over a ten-year period
Terminology
OW – Overall Wins (All Minor League Affiliates, Season)
OL – Overall Losses (All Minor League Affiliates, Season)
OWPCT – Overall Win Percentage (All Minor League Affiliates, Season)
ORANK – Overall Rank (All Minor League Affiliates, Season)
Y0 – Y9 – Major League Win Percentage over Ten Year Period
Y0-RANK – Major League Win Percentage Rank in “Year Zero (0)”
RankDiff – absolute value of the difference between ORANK and Y0-RANK
Example: The 1997 Oakland Athletics concluded the season with a record of 65-97. This equates to a .401 WPCT in Year 0. The A’s affiliates combined for an overall record of 372-324 (.534 OWPCT). Oakland’s record in the subsequent season (1998), denoted as Year 1, improved to 74-88 (.457 WPCT-Y1). The team eclipsed the .500 mark for the remaining eight seasons (1999-2006), represented as Y2-Y9.
Assessment
Best Overall WPCT (Minors) – Worst WPCT (Majors)
| FranchID_Year | OW | OL | OWPCT | ORANK | Y0-RANK | RankDiff | WPCT-Y0 |
| ARI_2014 | 473 | 365 | 0.564 | 2 | 30 | 28 | 0.395 |
| HOU_2013 | 476 | 360 | 0.569 | 2 | 30 | 28 | 0.315 |
| COL_2012 | 428 | 357 | 0.545 | 1 | 28 | 27 | 0.395 |
| TEX_2014 | 470 | 362 | 0.565 | 1 | 28 | 27 | 0.414 |
| PHI_2000 | 394 | 301 | 0.567 | 2 | 29 | 27 | 0.401 |
| SEA_2010 | 448 | 384 | 0.538 | 2 | 29 | 27 | 0.377 |
| HOU_2012 | 439 | 394 | 0.527 | 4 | 30 | 26 | 0.340 |
| MIN_2016 | 408 | 351 | 0.538 | 4 | 30 | 26 | 0.364 |
| PHI_2015 | 417 | 351 | 0.543 | 4 | 30 | 26 | 0.389 |
| NYM_1983 | 396 | 294 | 0.574 | 1 | 25 | 24 | 0.420 |
| OAK_1997 | 372 | 324 | 0.534 | 4 | 28 | 24 | 0.401 |
| TEX_1973 | 271 | 193 | 0.584 | 1 | 24 | 23 | 0.352 |
| CHW_1989 | 404 | 290 | 0.582 | 1 | 23 | 22 | 0.429 |
| OAK_1982 | 446 | 256 | 0.635 | 1 | 22 | 21 | 0.420 |
| PHI_1972 | 308 | 250 | 0.552 | 2 | 23 | 21 | 0.378 |
| NYM_1967 | 344 | 276 | 0.555 | 1 | 20 | 19 | 0.377 |
| FranchYr | Y0 | Y1 | Y2 | Y3 | Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 | Y8 | Y9 |
| ARI_2014 | 0.395 | 0.488 | 0.426 | 0.574 | ||||||
| HOU_2013 | 0.315 | 0.432 | 0.531 | 0.519 | 0.623 | |||||
| COL_2012 | 0.395 | 0.457 | 0.407 | 0.420 | 0.463 | 0.537 | ||||
| TEX_2014 | 0.414 | 0.543 | 0.586 | 0.481 | ||||||
| PHI_2000 | 0.401 | 0.531 | 0.497 | 0.531 | 0.531 | 0.543 | 0.525 | 0.549 | 0.568 | 0.574 |
| SEA_2010 | 0.377 | 0.414 | 0.463 | 0.438 | 0.537 | 0.469 | 0.531 | 0.481 | ||
| HOU_2012 | 0.340 | 0.315 | 0.432 | 0.531 | 0.519 | 0.623 | ||||
| MIN_2016 | 0.364 | 0.525 | ||||||||
| PHI_2015 | 0.389 | 0.438 | 0.407 | |||||||
| NYM_1983 | 0.420 | 0.556 | 0.605 | 0.667 | 0.568 | 0.625 | 0.537 | 0.562 | 0.478 | 0.444 |
| OAK_1997 | 0.401 | 0.457 | 0.537 | 0.565 | 0.630 | 0.636 | 0.593 | 0.562 | 0.543 | 0.574 |
| TEX_1973 | 0.352 | 0.525 | 0.488 | 0.469 | 0.580 | 0.537 | 0.512 | 0.472 | 0.543 | 0.395 |
| CHW_1989 | 0.429 | 0.580 | 0.537 | 0.531 | 0.580 | 0.593 | 0.472 | 0.525 | 0.497 | 0.494 |
| OAK_1982 | 0.420 | 0.457 | 0.475 | 0.475 | 0.469 | 0.500 | 0.642 | 0.611 | 0.636 | 0.519 |
| PHI_1972 | 0.378 | 0.438 | 0.494 | 0.531 | 0.623 | 0.623 | 0.556 | 0.519 | 0.562 | 0.551 |
| NYM_1967 | 0.377 | 0.451 | 0.617 | 0.512 | 0.512 | 0.532 | 0.509 | 0.438 | 0.506 | 0.531 |
The 1967 Mets and the 1973 Rangers are the only teams in the last 55 seasons to achieve the highest overall winning percentage among their minor league affiliates in a given year while ranking last in the Majors in the same category. The Metropolitans finished last in the National League with a record of 61-101 (.377), residing in the cellar for the fifth time in six seasons. Yet there was a glimmer of hope as Tom Seaver (16-13, 2.76) captured Rookie of the Year honors. Primarily under the direction of Joe McDonald and Nelson Burbink, the Mets’ farm system thrived from 1966 through 1971 and sustained the big league squad into the mid-1970’s. The “Miracle Mets” shocked the world in ’69 and the Mets played above .500 baseball for five straight seasons (1969-73). The talent stockpile included Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Ed Figueroa, Jon Matlack, Tug McGraw, Amos Otis and Ken Singleton. Ryan missed most of ’67 due to military service after obliterating the opposition in the Western Carolinas League, striking out 272 batters in 183 innings as the Greenville Mets’ ace in ’66. The “Ryan Express” whiffed a MLB-record 5714 hitters and spun 7 no-hitters over the course of his remarkable 27-year career. Koosman eclipsed the 20-win mark in ’76 and ’79 and racked up 222 victories with 51 WAR through 19 MLB seasons. “Kooz” placed runner-up in the 1968 NL Rookie of the Year and 1976 NL Cy Young balloting. Figueroa enjoyed a four-year run from 1975 to 1978 with 18 victories per year and an ERA of 3.12. Matlack (15-10, 2.32) merited 1972 NL Rookie of the Year honors and supplied a 3.18 ERA over thirteen big-league campaigns. McGraw saved 180 contests with a 3.14 ERA in nearly two decades of Major League competition. Generating 40.7 WAR in 17 campaigns (14 as the Royals’ center fielder), Otis twice led the American League in doubles and swiped 29 bags yearly during the Seventies. The runner-up for 1979 AL MVP with a .295 BA, 35 round-trippers and 111 ribbies, Singleton coaxed 90+ bases on balls eight times and paced the NL with a .425 OBP in 1973.
1967 New York Mets Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Bernie Smith | LF | .309 | 4 | 52 | Richard Noe | 13-7 | 1.37 |
| Don Bosch | CF | .263 | 5 | 31 | Jim McAndrew | 10-8 | 1.47 |
| Ken Singleton | RF | .277 | 4 | 41 | Danny Frisella | 11-5 | 1.88 |
| Mike Jorgensen | 1B | .295 | 5 | 41 | Tug McGraw | 10-9 | 1.99 |
| Bob Heise | 2B | .298 | 1 | 37 | Jerry Koosman | 11-10 | 2.43 |
| Tony Canzano | SS | .248 | 3 | 34 | |||
| Arsenio Diaz | 3B | .258 | 17 | 58 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Steve Chilcott | C | .290 | 6 | 45 | Jay Carden | 13-7 | 1.69 |
| Malcolm Warren | 12-6 | 2.25 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Ed Bauta | 4-4 | 2.22 |
| Tom Robson | 1B | .319 | 12 | 44 | Ed Figueroa | 12-5 | 2.05 |
| Denny Lundgren | 1B | .225 | 18 | 54 | Jim Bethke | 10-8 | 2.58 |
| James Plant | 3B | .226 | 15 | 55 | |||
| Michael Gerich | OF | .271 | 6 | 30 | |||
| Johnny Lewis | OF | .218 | 11 | 41 | |||
| Jerry Morales | OF | .248 | 8 | 48 | |||
| Greg Goossen | C | .234 | 11 | 37 |
Rebranded as the Rangers after abandoning Washington D.C. prior to the start of the 1972 season, Texas toiled through consecutive 100-loss campaigns. Farm director Hal Keller supervised a talented crew which topped all organizations with a .584 OWPCT in ’73 and runner-up with a .566 mark in the following year. Under the fiery leadership of Billy Martin, the Rangers placed second in the American League West with 84 victories in 1974. Texas notched 94 wins in ’77 and seized the runner-up slot in consecutive seasons (1977-78). Known as the “Human Rain Delay” for the inordinate amount of time he required to finish an at-bat, Mike Hargrove secured the 1974 AL Rookie of the Year with a .323 BA. The first-sacker eclipsed the century mark in bases on balls four times and paced the Junior Circuit with a .424 OBP in ’81. Four-time National League batting champion Bill Madlock retired after 15 seasons with a .305 lifetime BA. Jim Sundberg accumulated six consecutive Gold Glove awards (1976-1981) as the Rangers’ backstop. Lenny Randle eclipsed the .300 mark twice in a four-year span (’74 and ’77). Len Barker led the American League in strikeouts in back-to-back seasons (1980-81), recorded 19 wins for the Tribe in ’80 and pitched a perfect game against Toronto on May 15, 1981.
1973 Texas Rangers Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Don Castle | LF | .325 | 9 | 88 | Jeff Scott | 14-9 | 2.83 |
| Vernon Wilkins | CF | .310 | 3 | 47 | Jackie Brown | 10-1 | 2.34 |
| Doug Ault | RF | .276 | 19 | 88 | Rick Henninger | 12-5 | 3.81 |
| Tom Robson | DH | .316 | 38 | 126 | Wade Frye | 8-6 | 2.49 |
| Mike Hargrove | 1B | .351 | 12 | 82 | Len Barker | 7-1 | 1.37 |
| Mike Cubbage | 2B | .312 | 13 | 65 | |||
| Pete Mackanin | SS | .302 | 7 | 55 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Bill Madlock | 3B | .338 | 22 | 90 | Stan Thomas | 15 | 2.75 |
| Jim Sundberg | C | .298 | 5 | 40 | Wayne Popiolek | 4-3 | 2.47 |
| Michael Miller | 4-5 | 2.41 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | James Raynor | 4-5 | 2.82 |
| Steve Greenberg | 1B | .281 | 8 | 71 | Dave Moharter | 8-5 | 3.23 |
| Roy Howell | 3B | .242 | 15 | 47 | |||
| Bob Jones | OF | .277 | 9 | 71 | |||
| Ron Pruitt | OF | .277 | 8 | 55 | |||
| Dave Moates | OF | .302 | 4 | 63 | |||
| Dave Criscione | C | .276 | 4 | 47 |
The Astros earned high OWPCT marks in successive seasons (2012-13) while ranking last in the Majors over three straight years (2011-13). We will focus on 2013 as the organization placed runner-up with a .569 OWPCT. While the jury is still out on the long-term results of the franchise’s rebuilding plans, Houston’s near-term triumphs include a playoff berth in 2015 and a victory in the 2017 World Series. George Springer claimed the 2017 World Series MVP award with a .379 BA and 5 long balls after averaging 29 doubles, 32 circuit clouts and 114 runs scored over the past two seasons. Carlos Correa, the #1 selection in the 2012 Draft, secured 2015 AL Rookie of the Year honors and produced 28 two-baggers, 22 jacks and a .288 BA for the Astros in three seasons. Jonathan Villar pilfered 32 bags annually over six minor league seasons with the Phillies and Astros. “Villi” ripped 38 two-base knocks and 19 four-baggers while pacing the NL with 62 stolen bases in 2016 for the Brew Crew. Domingo Santana (.278/30/85) capitalized on a full-time role as Milwaukee’s right fielder in 2017. Chris Devenski (12-9, 2.38) thrived as a reliever for the Astros since his promotion in 2016 after a severe flogging as a member of the Lancaster JetHawks (A+) three years earlier (4-2, 7.88). Lance McCullers, Jr. furnished a 3.18 ERA and struck out 10.1 batters per nine innings with the Quad Cities River Bandits (A) in 2013. He maintained a 19-16 record with a 3.60 ERA and 10.2 K/9 through 58 starts with Houston (2015-17).
2013 Houston Astros Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Andrew Aplin | LF | .278 | 9 | 107 | David Martinez | 14-4 | 2.57 |
| George Springer | CF | .303 | 37 | 108 | Jake Buchanan | 12-7 | 2.96 |
| Preston Tucker | RF | .297 | 25 | 103 | A. Wojciechowski | 11-8 | 3.32 |
| Chris Epps | DH | .275 | 16 | 75 | Bobby Doran | 11-2 | 3.51 |
| M.P. Cokinos | 1B | .313 | 13 | 94 | Vince Velasquez | 9-6 | 3.54 |
| Delino D DeShields | 2B | .317 | 5 | 54 | |||
| Carlos Correa | SS | .320 | 9 | 86 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Matt E. Duffy | 3B | .309 | 24 | 94 | Gonzalo Sanudo | 19 | 1.16 |
| Tyler Heineman | C | .286 | 13 | 71 | Jorge De Leon | 0-3 | 3.46 |
| Jordan Jankowski | 3-1 | 3.05 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Michael Dimock | 9-1 | 3.88 |
| Erik Castro | 1B | .280 | 18 | 65 | Mitchell Lambson | 8-3 | 3.03 |
| Brett Wallace | 1B | .326 | 11 | 37 | |||
| Joe Sclafani | SS | .294 | 7 | 62 | |||
| Brandon Meredith | OF | .279 | 16 | 68 | |||
| Domingo Santana | OF | .252 | 25 | 64 | |||
| Max Stassi | C | .277 | 17 | 60 |
The 2014 Diamondbacks matched the largest rank differential, finishing in the basement with a record of 64-98 (.395) while securing second place in overall minor league win percentage. Arizona returned to respectability in Year 3, capturing a playoff berth in 2017 with a 93-69 mark in the regular season. David Peralta aka “Freight Train” paced the NL in triples (10) while establishing career-highs with a .312 BA, 17 jacks and 78 ribbies for the D-backs in his sophomore year (2015). The pitcher-turned-outfielder spent three seasons in Independent Ball before Arizona signed him as a free agent in 2013, where he quickly worked his way through the minors to merit a promotion to the big leagues in June 2014. Twice involved in three-team trades early in his career, Didi Gregorius slumped to a .226 BA in his second season with Arizona, earning a demotion to the Reno Aces (AAA). The slick-fielding shortstop added power to his game, boasting a .281 BA with 30 two-base hits and 22 round-trippers over the last two years for the Yankees. Jake Lamb mustered 30 doubles and 30 circuit clouts while driving in 98 runs per year over the last two seasons. “Lambo” reached the Majors in 2014 following a stellar campaign chiefly with the Mobile BayBears (AA) where he batted .327 with 39 two-baggers.
2014 Arizona Diamondbacks Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Alex Glenn | LF | .285 | 24 | 89 | Brandon Sinnery | 14-7 | 4.02 |
| David Peralta | CF | .297 | 6 | 46 | Aaron Blair | 9-5 | 3.56 |
| Danny Dorn | RF | .310 | 12 | 50 | Braden Shipley | 7-8 | 3.86 |
| Rudy Flores | 1B | .301 | 28 | 100 | Ryan Doran | 8-3 | 2.71 |
| Garrett Weber | 2B | .318 | 9 | 48 | A.J. Schugel | 6-4 | 3.47 |
| Didi Gregorius | SS | .310 | 3 | 25 | |||
| Jake Lamb | 3B | .327 | 15 | 84 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Michael Perez | C | .238 | 9 | 35 | Silvino Bracho | 26 | 2.08 |
| Enrique Burgos | 29 | 2.47 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Will Locante | 3-0 | 1.53 |
| Mike Jacobs | 1B | .299 | 19 | 97 | Jose Jose | 1-1 | 2.58 |
| Trevor Mitsui | 1B | .331 | 12 | 53 | Cody Wheeler | 5-4 | 1.63 |
| Brandon Drury | 3B | .299 | 23 | 95 | |||
| Andy Marte | 3B | .329 | 19 | 80 | |||
| Alfredo Marte | OF | .319 | 11 | 45 | |||
| Justin Williams | OF | .351 | 4 | 46 | |||
| Ronnie Freeman | C | .278 | 3 | 41 |
The Mets topped all farm systems in 1983 with a .574 OWPCT while barely escaping the cellar as the Mariners suffered through the third 100-loss season in their seven-year existence. Reaping the benefits of a budding minor league operation helmed by Joe McIlvane and Steve Schryver, New York reeled off seven consecutive seasons above .500 (1984-1990) culminating in a World Series victory in ’86. Dwight “Doc” Gooden whiffed 300 batsmen in 191 innings as an 18-year old at Lynchburg (A) while teammate Lenny “Nails” Dykstra ignited the lineup with a .358 BA, 105 stolen bases and 132 runs scored. Gooden logged a 157-85 mark with a 3.10 ERA, 1.175 WHIP and 45.3 WAR through 11 seasons with the Metropolitans. Dykstra (.305/19/77) placed runner-up in the 1993 NL MVP race as the center fielder for the Phillies as he topped the circuit in hits (194), bases on balls (129) and runs scored (143). Kevin “World” Mitchell seized the 1989 NL MVP award, posting a league-high 47 moon-shots, 125 ribbies and a .635 SLG.
1983 New York Mets Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| John Christensen | LF | .322 | 14 | 87 | Dwight Gooden | 19-4 | 2.50 |
| Lenny Dykstra | CF | .358 | 8 | 81 | Kevin A. Brown | 15-7 | 2.74 |
| Paul Hollins | RF | .301 | 21 | 97 | Jay Tibbs | 14-8 | 2.92 |
| Gary Rajsich | 1B | .270 | 28 | 83 | Bill Latham | 12-8 | 3.15 |
| Steve Springer | 2B | .338 | 12 | 88 | Floyd Youmans | 12-3 | 3.42 |
| Wilmer Caraballo | SS | .299 | 13 | 66 | |||
| Clint Hurdle | 3B | .285 | 22 | 105 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| John Gibbons | C | .298 | 18 | 67 | Scott Murray | 21 | 1.73 |
| Wes Gardner | 15 | 1.87 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Ed Pruitt | 8 | 3.95 |
| Mike Bishop | 1B | .260 | 14 | 54 | Jeff Innis | 8-0 | 1.37 |
| Dave Cochrane | 3B | .263 | 25 | 102 | John Boyles | 12-1 | 2.42 |
| Ken Harris | 3B | .301 | 7 | 57 | |||
| Kevin Mitchell | 3B | .299 | 15 | 85 | |||
| Stan Jefferson | OF | .320 | 9 | 36 | |||
| Herm Winningham | OF | .329 | 5 | 52 | |||
| Mike Fitzgerald | C | .284 | 14 | 65 |
Texas nose-dived to the third-worst record in baseball during the 2014 campaign after back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010-11. On a positive note, the Rangers’ .565 OWPCT ensured a swift recovery. Nomar Mazara swatted 20 big-flies in his first two big league seasons and eclipsed the 100-RBI plateau in 2017. Joey Gallo dialed long distance 41 times in 2017 despite a .209 BA and 196 strikeouts. Part of the ransom sent to the Phillies in return for Cole Hamels, right fielder Nick Williams debuted in 2017 with a .288 BA, 14 doubles and 12 homers in 83 games.
2014 Texas Rangers Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Ryan Cordell | LF | .318 | 13 | 59 | Andrew Faulkner | 12-5 | 2.73 |
| Jared Hoying | CF | .271 | 26 | 78 | Chi Chi Gonzalez | 12-6 | 2.66 |
| Nomar Mazara | RF | .271 | 22 | 89 | Sam Wolff | 9-5 | 3.37 |
| Ryan Rua | DH | .306 | 18 | 74 | Alec Asher | 11-11 | 3.80 |
| Preston Beck | 1B | .255 | 11 | 77 | Jerad Eickhoff | 10-9 | 4.08 |
| Seth Spivey | 2B | .332 | 3 | 27 | |||
| Hanser Alberto | SS | .273 | 7 | 58 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Joey Gallo | 3B | .271 | 42 | 106 | Phil Klein | 10 | 0.52 |
| J.P. Arencibia | C | .279 | 14 | 41 | Abel De Los Santos | 8 | 1.92 |
| Cody Kendall | 8-3 | 1.11 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Josh McElwee | 4-0 | 2.57 |
| Lewis Brinson | OF | .288 | 13 | 50 | Alex Claudio | 6-3 | 1.66 |
| Jake Smolinski | OF | .267 | 10 | 41 | |||
| Brad Snyder | OF | .284 | 18 | 51 | |||
| Luke Tendler | OF | .316 | 11 | 57 | |||
| Nick Williams | OF | .283 | 13 | 74 | |||
| Marcus Greene | C | .289 | 3 | 25 |
Colorado led all MLB franchises with a .545 OWPCT in 2012 while placing 28th out of 30 teams at the big league level. The Rockies struggled for five seasons to return to relevance, emerging with a Wild Card berth in 2017. Charlie Blackmon (.331/37/104) collected the 2017 NL batting crown and placed fifth in the NL MVP race while leading the circuit with 213 base hits, 14 triples, 137 runs and 387 total bases. Corey Dickerson drilled 30+ doubles in back-to-back seasons (2016-17). Trevor Story (.272/27/72) placed fourth in the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year balloting. David Dahl (.315/7/24) missed the entire 2017 campaign due to injury after a promising debut through the final two months of the previous year. Will Harris owns a 2.99 ERA with a 1.105 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 in 290 relief outings through six big-league seasons.
2012 Colorado Rockies Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Andrew Brown | LF | .308 | 24 | 98 | Christian Bergman | 16-5 | 3.65 |
| David Dahl | CF | .379 | 9 | 57 | Ben Alsup | 14-5 | 3.63 |
| Kyle Parker | RF | .308 | 23 | 73 | Tyler Anderson | 12-3 | 2.47 |
| Harold Riggins | 1B | .302 | 19 | 76 | Edwar Cabrera | 11-5 | 3.05 |
| Taylor Featherston | 2B | .299 | 12 | 53 | Brandon Hynick | 9-7 | 3.32 |
| Trevor Story | SS | .277 | 18 | 63 | |||
| Brendan Harris | 3B | .317 | 9 | 63 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Will Swanner | C | .302 | 16 | 61 | Adam Jorgenson | 16 | 1.86 |
| Kenny Roberts | 4-1 | 1.85 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Will Harris | 4-1 | 2.08 |
| Jordan Ribera | 1B | .285 | 10 | 54 | Russell Brewer | 1-3 | 2.09 |
| Josh Rutledge | SS | .306 | 13 | 35 | Mike Ekstrom | 3-1 | 2.53 |
| Charlie Blackmon | OF | .289 | 6 | 37 | |||
| Corey Dickerson | OF | .304 | 22 | 81 | |||
| Matt McBride | OF | .344 | 10 | 87 | |||
| Julian Yan | OF | .282 | 16 | 57 | |||
| Tom Murphy | C | .288 | 6 | 38 |
Philadelphia leads all franchises with three entries in the Best OWPCT – Worst WPCT chart. Steve “Lefty” Carlton (27-10, 1.97) recorded nearly half of the victories for the hapless 1972 crew. The Fightin’ Phillies resurfaced in 1975, kicking off a decade of winning baseball in the City of Brotherly Love. Mike Schmidt made his MLB debut in September 1972 following an exceptional year with the Eugene Emeralds (AAA). “Schmitty” launched 36 moon-shots and plated 104 baserunners per year from 1974 to 1987 counting 8 seasons atop the charts. The 3-time NL MVP and 10-time Gold Glove winner retired in 1989 with 548 home runs and 116 WAR. Bob Boone similarly earned a promotion to the Phillies subsequent to an outstanding campaign in Eugene, hitting at a .308 clip with 32 doubles and 17 jacks. The seven-time Gold Glove backstop caught 2,225 games over a 19-year career.
Bobby Abreu (.316/25/79) and Scott Rolen (.298/26/89) highlighted an otherwise mundane roster that managed only 65 wins. Excepting 2002, the Phils played at or above .500 ball from 2001 to 2012. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (AAA) featured shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who made his big-league debut in September 2000 following a productive year comprising 28 doubles, 11 triples, 12 homers and 24 steals. “J-Roll” captured the 2007 NL MVP award, leading the league with 20 three-base hits and 139 tallies to complement career-highs in batting average (.296), base hits (212), homers (30), RBI (94) and total bases (380). Marlon Byrd eclipsed the century mark for runs scored in three successive seasons in the Phillies’ farm system (2000-02) while batting .307 with 29 doubles and 20 taters in the same stretch. Playing for 10 teams in a career that spanned 15 years, Byrd squashed at least 20 big-flies four times and set a career-high with 43 two-baggers and 89 RBI for the Rangers in 2009. Ryan Madson fashioned a record of 59-35 with an ERA of 3.58 during his minor league career including a 14-5 mark with a 2.59 ERA with the Piedmont Boll Weevils (A) in 2000. Converted to relief work upon promotion to the Majors in September 2003, “Mad Dog” twice saved at least 30 contests in a season and holds an ERA of 3.35 entering the 2018 campaign.
The 2015 squad held the fourth-best OWPCT while struggling to a 63-99 mark. It remains to be seen if the current group of prospects can restore the Phillies to playoff contention. Rhys Hoskins established a Major League record when he homered 18 times in his first 34 games (2017). “Hosk” clobbered 34 blasts and knocked in 104 baserunners per year during his ascent to the big leagues (2016-17). One year subsequent to his selection as the Phillies #1 pick in the June 2014 Draft, Aaron Nola debuted with a 6-2 mark and a 3.59 ERA in 13 starts. Nola struck out 184 batsmen in 168 innings in 2017 and fashioned ratios comparable to his minor league output (2.57 ERA, 1.057 WHIP).
1972 Philadelphia Phillies Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Joe Lis | LF | .338 | 26 | 58 | Dave Downs | 15-7 | 2.41 |
| Mike Anderson | CF | .298 | 17 | 56 | Donald Kreke | 15-7 | 3.14 |
| Jerry Martin | RF | .316 | 12 | 112 | Chuck Kniffin | 13-1 | 2.11 |
| Bob Spence | 1B | .294 | 18 | 61 | Roy J. Thomas | 11-7 | 3.43 |
| Thomas Silicato | 2B | .329 | 6 | 56 | Mike Martin | 11-8 | 3.54 |
| Fred Andrews | SS | .271 | 3 | 53 | |||
| Mike Schmidt | 3B | .291 | 26 | 91 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Bob Boone | C | .308 | 17 | 67 | Murray Gage-Cole | 17 | 2.25 |
| Ed Sukla | 9 | 2.25 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Mac Scarce | 4-0 | 0.88 |
| Bob Beall | 1B | .283 | 5 | 53 | Terry Periman | 11-3 | 1.99 |
| Kevin Bryant | 3B | .330 | 11 | 43 | David Fanning | 9-3 | 1.71 |
| Russell Klobas | OF | .319 | 6 | 48 | |||
| Bill Robinson | OF | .304 | 20 | 66 | |||
| Mike Rogodzinski | OF | .266 | 18 | 44 | |||
| James Ziegler | OF | .316 | 6 | 47 | |||
| Bill Nahorodny | C | .263 | 6 | 33 |
2000 Philadelphia Phillies Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Marlon Byrd | LF | .309 | 17 | 93 | Ryan Madson | 14-5 | 2.59 |
| Jay Sitzman | CF | .316 | 6 | 55 | Frank Brooks | 14-8 | 3.44 |
| Jorge Padilla | RF | .305 | 11 | 67 | B. Duckworth | 13-7 | 3.16 |
| Nate Espy | 1B | .312 | 21 | 87 | Jason Kershner | 10-2 | 3.32 |
| Marlon Anderson | 2B | .305 | 8 | 53 | Cliff Politte | 8-4 | 3.12 |
| Jimmy Rollins | SS | .274 | 12 | 69 | |||
| Rusty McNamara | 3B | .294 | 14 | 76 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Gary Bennett | C | .306 | 12 | 52 | Doug Nickle | 16 | 2.44 |
| Mark Outlaw | 11 | 0.94 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Jeremy Wedel | 9 | 2.13 |
| Gary Burnham | 1B | .268 | 13 | 61 | Joe Cotton | 4-2 | 2.35 |
| Reggie Griggs | 1B | .340 | 6 | 42 | Matt Bailie | 7-0 | 1.39 |
| Gene Schall | 1B | .286 | 21 | 80 | |||
| Tomas Perez | SS | .294 | 10 | 56 | |||
| Jason Michaels | OF | .295 | 10 | 74 | |||
| Eric Valent | OF | .258 | 22 | 90 | |||
| Russ Jacobson | C | .247 | 19 | 71 |
2015 Philadelphia Phillies Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Herlis Rodriguez | LF | .294 | 10 | 61 | Ricardo Pinto | 15-4 | 2.97 |
| Brian Bogusevic | CF | .296 | 12 | 57 | Aaron Nola | 10-4 | 2.39 |
| Aaron Altherr | RF | .293 | 14 | 67 | Ranfi Casimiro | 9-7 | 3.35 |
| Rhys Hoskins | 1B | .319 | 17 | 90 | Brandon Leibrandt | 7-3 | 2.91 |
| Josh Tobias | 2B | .321 | 4 | 37 | Tyler Viza | 5-10 | 3.38 |
| J.P. Crawford | SS | .288 | 6 | 42 | |||
| Damek Tomscha | 3B | .282 | 8 | 59 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Andrew Knapp | C | .308 | 13 | 84 | Matt Hockenberry | 19 | 2.24 |
| Robert Tasin | 17 | 1.84 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Joey DeNato | 10 | 1.67 |
| Russ Canzler | 1B | .274 | 10 | 47 | Alexis Rivero | 10 | 2.64 |
| Kyle Martin | 1B | .279 | 5 | 37 | Edubray Ramos | 8 | 2.07 |
| Brock Stassi | 1B | .300 | 15 | 90 | |||
| Angelo Mora | 2B | .312 | 3 | 39 | |||
| Dylan Cozens | OF | .286 | 8 | 59 | |||
| Roman Quinn | OF | .306 | 4 | 15 | |||
| Lenin Rodriguez | C | .258 | 4 | 30 |
The 2010 Mariners slogged through a wretched season, posting the worst record in the American League at 61-101. Only the lowly Pirates tallied more losses in the Major Leagues with a 57-105 mark. Seattle’s farm system, on the other hand, finished second with an overall winning percentage of .538. Kyle Seager blistered the opposition with a .340 BA and 37 two-base knocks at three minor league affiliates (2010-2011). “Corey’s Brother” merited All-Star status along with a Gold Glove at the hot corner in 2014. Seager produced 33 doubles, 25 circuit clouts and 85 ribbies annually in six full seasons since 2012. Despite injury and inconsistency during his five big-league seasons, Michael Pineda carries a 1.190 WHIP and 9.1 K/9 into the 2018 season. An All-Star selection in his rookie year (2009), Pineda fashioned a 31-14 mark with a 2.50 ERA and a WHIP of 1.186 during his stint in the M’s farm system.
2010 Seattle Mariners Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Jake Shaffer | LF | .336 | 9 | 78 | Anthony Vasquez | 11-9 | 2.46 |
| Greg Halman | CF | .243 | 33 | 80 | Michael Pineda | 11-4 | 3.36 |
| Johermyn Chavez | RF | .315 | 32 | 96 | Luke French | 11-3 | 2.94 |
| Mike Wilson | DH | .278 | 25 | 78 | Erasmo Ramirez | 10-4 | 2.97 |
| Rich Poythress | 1B | .315 | 31 | 130 | James Gillheeney | 10-11 | 3.55 |
| Kyle Seager | 2B | .345 | 14 | 74 | |||
| Nick Franklin | SS | .283 | 23 | 65 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Nate Tenbrink | 3B | .318 | 14 | 70 | Forrest Snow | 9 | 0.60 |
| Guillermo Quiroz | C | .286 | 7 | 46 | Anthony Varvaro | 9 | 4.02 |
| Brian Moran | 6-1 | 1.73 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Stephen Penney | 5-3 | 3.53 |
| Dennis Raben | 1B | .291 | 20 | 66 | Robert Rohrbaugh | 4-2 | 3.70 |
| Kevin Mailloux | 3B | .296 | 15 | 52 | |||
| Ramon Morla | 3B | .323 | 17 | 49 | |||
| Matthew Cerione | OF | .287 | 12 | 42 | |||
| Kevin Rivers | OF | .332 | 11 | 48 | |||
| Blake Ochoa | C | .285 | 9 | 32 |
The 1982 Athletics compiled the second-best OWPCT (.635) in the last 55 seasons, trailing only the 1979 Yankees (.639). Oakland secured four playoff berths and played above .500 ball in six successive campaigns (1987-1992). Tony Phillips scored 104 runs, coaxed 107 bases on balls and laced 27 two-base hits per year over an eight-year span (1990-97). The Expos first-round selection in the 1978 Amateur Draft equaled his minor league OBP of .374 (in the Athletics’ system) over an 18-year career. Mike Davis leveraged a .299 BA with 38 steals for the Tacoma Tigers (AAA) in 1981-82 to attain a full-time role as Oakland’s right fielder from 1983-87. Registering 27 doubles, 16 dingers and 23 steals annually during that timeframe, Davis established personal-bests in ’85 with a .287 BA, 34 two-baggers, 24 homers, 82 ribbies and 92 runs scored.
1982 Oakland Athletics Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Jim Bennett | LF | .278 | 29 | 115 | Mark Ferguson | 17-6 | 1.77 |
| Mike Davis | CF | .316 | 12 | 68 | Chris Codiroli | 16-4 | 2.03 |
| Tom Romano | RF | .340 | 26 | 98 | Tim Conroy | 15-4 | 2.25 |
| Dave Hudgens | DH | .301 | 24 | 82 | Mike Warren | 15-4 | 2.92 |
| Phillip Strom | 1B | .294 | 15 | 73 | Eric Barry | 13-2 | 2.40 |
| Keith Drumright | 2B | .329 | 0 | 29 | |||
| Tony Phillips | SS | .297 | 4 | 47 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Bob Bathe | 3B | .288 | 9 | 41 | Jeff Kobernus | 13 | 1.72 |
| Bill Bathe | C | .281 | 17 | 57 | Paul Josephson | 13 | 1.92 |
| Ed Myers | 12 | 1.63 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Todd Fischer | 8 | 1.12 |
| Jim Eppard | 1B | .376 | 1 | 41 | Allen Edwards | 12-4 | 3.21 |
| Greg Robles | 1B | .371 | 7 | 52 | |||
| Danny Goodwin | OF | .301 | 11 | 58 | |||
| Anthony Laurenzi | OF | .362 | 8 | 38 | |||
| Mitchell Page | OF | .305 | 14 | 59 | |||
| Charlie O’Brien | C | .295 | 6 | 46 |
Pale Hose prospects Frank E. Thomas, Robin Ventura and Jack McDowell contributed to a solid seven-year run in the Windy City as the team yielded winning records in six seasons (1990-96) including consecutive first-place finishes within the division in ’93 and ’94. The organization yielded a .582 OWPCT in 1989 in stark contrast to the Southsiders’ last-place finish in the AL West (69-92, .429). In addition to the three superstars listed above, Chicago also drafted Ray Durham and Alex Fernandez during Larry Himes’ stint as the club’s General Manager. Thomas amassed 70.6 WAR over a 19-year career encompassing back-to-back AL MVP awards (1993-94), 521 home runs and a slash line of .301/.419/.555. Ventura collected 6 Gold Gloves at the hot corner while accruing 49.4 WAR in sixteen seasons. Lance “One Dog” Johnson delivered a .304 BA with 39 steals per season as a farmhand for the Redbirds and the Pale Hose, virtually identical to the .299 BA and 34 stolen bases that he averaged in full-time play with the White Sox and Mets over an eight-year span (1990-97).
1989 Chicago White Sox Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Derek Lee | LF | .286 | 11 | 48 | Sam Chavez | 18-6 | 2.23 |
| Lance Johnson | CF | .304 | 0 | 28 | Carlos De La Cruz | 15-7 | 2.55 |
| Todd Trafton | RF | .259 | 12 | 56 | Riley Stephens | 14-7 | 2.12 |
| Frank E. Thomas | DH | .296 | 5 | 41 | Fred Dabney | 11-7 | 2.09 |
| Billy Jo Robidoux | 1B | .317 | 11 | 42 | Jeff Bittiger | 10-6 | 2.00 |
| Cesar Bernhardt | 2B | .300 | 6 | 81 | |||
| Craig Grebeck | SS | .287 | 5 | 80 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Robin Ventura | 3B | .278 | 3 | 67 | Scott Radinsky | 31 | 1.75 |
| Jerry Willard | C | .276 | 7 | 39 | John Hudek | 26 | 2.40 |
| Jose Segura | 17 | 2.30 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Brent Knackert | 12 | 2.94 |
| Rich Amaral | 2B | .285 | 4 | 48 | Jose Ventura | 7-3 | 1.57 |
| Gregory Roth | 3B | .274 | 10 | 55 | |||
| Rodney McCray | OF | .265 | 1 | 34 | |||
| Kinnis Pledger | OF | .266 | 3 | 39 | |||
| Aubrey Waggoner | OF | .228 | 4 | 35 | |||
| Jay Hornacek | C | .254 | 7 | 40 |
Oakland suffered through six straight seasons of sub-.500 ball after dominating the American League with four playoff berths in five campaigns (1988-1992). The Athletics’ farm system featured a future Rookie of the Year (Ben Grieve, 1998) and MVP (Miguel Tejada, 2002) in 1997. Two years later, the Green and Gold led all franchises with a .573 OWPCT, capping a triumphant 12-year run for their minor league operation. Grieve (.350/31/136) annihilated the opposition with Huntsville (AA) and Edmonton (AAA) then slashed 32 two-base hits and launched 21 moon-shots per year through a half-decade with the A’s and Devil Rays (1998-2002). Tejada tallied 51 WAR in 16 seasons and produced a .291 BA with 35 doubles, 24 bombs, 100 ribbies and 94 runs scored annually as a starting shortstop from 1999 to 2010. Excepting 2007, “Miggy” played in at least 156 contests every year during that timeframe. Ramon J. Hernandez compiled a .301 BA with 24 two-baggers, 17 jacks and 104 RBI over two seasons for the Visalia Oaks (A) and Huntsville Stars (AA) in 1997-98. Hernandez set personal-bests with 29 doubles, 23 dingers and 91 ribbies as a member of the Orioles in 2006.
1997 Oakland Athletics Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Brian Lesher | LF | .323 | 21 | 78 | Chris A. Nelson | 12-6 | 4.60 |
| Ryan Christenson | CF | .310 | 17 | 77 | Scott Rivette | 12-10 | 4.31 |
| Ben Grieve | RF | .350 | 31 | 136 | Brett Laxton | 11-5 | 2.99 |
| Mike Coolbaugh | DH | .308 | 30 | 132 | Bill King | 9-7 | 4.19 |
| D.T. Cromer | 1B | .323 | 15 | 121 | Jake O’Dell | 8-5 | 4.54 |
| Scott Sheldon | 2B | .315 | 19 | 77 | |||
| Miguel Tejada | SS | .275 | 22 | 97 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Jason Wood | 3B | .321 | 19 | 87 | Todd Weinberg | 23 | 3.46 |
| Ramon J Hernandez | C | .306 | 19 | 109 | Kevin Gunther | 17 | 3.38 |
| Todd Bussa | 15 | 2.53 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Gary Haught | 11 | 3.96 |
| T.R. Marcinczyk | 1B | .276 | 23 | 91 | Juan Perez | 8 | 2.78 |
| Mark Bellhorn | 2B | .328 | 11 | 46 | |||
| Justin Bowles | OF | .327 | 7 | 51 | |||
| Mario Encarnacion | OF | .297 | 18 | 78 | |||
| Mike Neill | OF | .333 | 14 | 87 | |||
| A.J. Hinch | C | .328 | 24 | 97 |
Coming off the club’s worst record (59-103) since moving to Minnesota in 1961, the Twins bounced back with an 85-win season and a Wild Card berth in 2017. The talent pool from the 2016 minor league roster bodes well for their near-term success, including Gold Glove center fielder Byron Buxton, shortstop Jorge Polanco and starting pitcher Jose Berrios. Buxton (.334/12/77) split a splendid 2013 season between the Cedar Rapids Kernels (A) and the Fort Myers Miracle (A+), legging out 18 three-base hits, nabbing 55 bags and scoring 109 runs. The Gold Glove center fielder tagged 16 taters and swiped 29 bases for the Twinkies in 2017. A teammate of Buxton with the Kernels in ’13, Polanco contributed 32 doubles and 10 triples along with a .308 BA. “Chulo” assumed the starting shortstop job in the Twin Cities in 2017, lacing 30 two-baggers and driving in 74 runs. Berrios fared much better in his sophomore year, posting a 14-8 mark with a 3.89 ERA and a WHIP of 1.229. “La Maquina” aced his minor league assignments, fashioning a record of 49-25 with a 2.77 ERA, 1.075 WHIP and 9.6 K/9.
2016 Minnesota Twins Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Adam Walker | LF | .243 | 27 | 75 | Stephen Gonsalves | 13-5 | 2.06 |
| Edgar Corcino | CF | .273 | 8 | 59 | Felix Jorge | 12-8 | 2.69 |
| Daniel Palka | RF | .254 | 34 | 90 | Jose Berrios | 10-5 | 2.51 |
| LaMonte Wade | DH | .293 | 8 | 51 | Cody Stashak | 10-5 | 2.80 |
| Zander Wiel | 1B | .259 | 19 | 86 | Fernando Romero | 9-3 | 1.89 |
| Luis Arraez | 2B | .347 | 3 | 66 | |||
| Jorge Polanco | SS | .276 | 9 | 39 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Nelson Molina | 3B | .300 | 2 | 43 | T. Hildenberger | 19 | 0.75 |
| Mitch Garver | C | .270 | 12 | 74 | J.T. Chargois | 16 | 1.35 |
| Nick Anderson | 13 | 2.65 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Anthony McIver | 10 | 2.58 |
| Kennys Vargas | 1B | .233 | 15 | 58 | Marcus Walden | 6 | 2.40 |
| Travis Blankenhorn | 2B | .293 | 10 | 41 | |||
| Byron Buxton | OF | .305 | 11 | 24 | |||
| Jaylin Davis | OF | .255 | 16 | 41 | |||
| Niko Goodrum | OF | .275 | 7 | 33 | |||
| A.J. Murray | C | .238 | 10 | 49 |
Best WPCT (Majors) – Worst Overall WPCT (Minors)
| FranchID_Year | OW | OL | OWPCT | ORANK | Y0-RANK | RankDiff | WPCT-Y0 |
| SFG_2000 | 306 | 384 | 0.443 | 29 | 1 | 28 | 0.599 |
| ATL_1998 | 337 | 431 | 0.439 | 29 | 2 | 27 | 0.654 |
| MIN_2010 | 327 | 430 | 0.432 | 30 | 4 | 26 | 0.580 |
| STL_2001 | 298 | 407 | 0.423 | 30 | 4 | 26 | 0.574 |
| MIL_2011 | 355 | 406 | 0.466 | 29 | 3 | 26 | 0.593 |
| DET_1984 | 221 | 294 | 0.429 | 26 | 1 | 25 | 0.642 |
| ATL_1995 | 346 | 417 | 0.453 | 26 | 2 | 24 | 0.625 |
| ATL_1996 | 354 | 407 | 0.465 | 26 | 2 | 24 | 0.593 |
| BAL_1979 | 219 | 271 | 0.447 | 25 | 1 | 24 | 0.642 |
| CHC_1984 | 312 | 398 | 0.439 | 25 | 2 | 23 | 0.596 |
| OAK_1988 | 320 | 384 | 0.455 | 24 | 1 | 23 | 0.642 |
| PIT_1992 | 324 | 382 | 0.459 | 24 | 2 | 22 | 0.593 |
| DET_1987 | 287 | 333 | 0.463 | 23 | 1 | 22 | 0.605 |
| OAK_1973 | 214 | 266 | 0.446 | 24 | 4 | 20 | 0.580 |
| OAK_1974 | 213 | 269 | 0.442 | 24 | 4 | 20 | 0.556 |
| OAK_1972 | 209 | 276 | 0.431 | 23 | 3 | 20 | 0.600 |
| CIN_1970 | 219 | 252 | 0.465 | 22 | 2 | 20 | 0.630 |
| LAD_1965 | 343 | 424 | 0.447 | 19 | 2 | 17 | 0.599 |
| FranchYr | Y0 | Y1 | Y2 | Y3 | Y4 | Y5 | Y6 | Y7 | Y8 | Y9 |
| SFG_2000 | 0.599 | 0.556 | 0.590 | 0.621 | 0.562 | 0.463 | 0.472 | 0.438 | 0.444 | 0.543 |
| ATL_1998 | 0.654 | 0.636 | 0.586 | 0.543 | 0.631 | 0.623 | 0.593 | 0.556 | 0.488 | 0.519 |
| MIN_2010 | 0.580 | 0.389 | 0.407 | 0.407 | 0.432 | 0.512 | 0.364 | 0.525 | ||
| STL_2001 | 0.574 | 0.599 | 0.525 | 0.648 | 0.617 | 0.516 | 0.481 | 0.531 | 0.562 | 0.531 |
| MIL_2011 | 0.593 | 0.512 | 0.457 | 0.506 | 0.420 | 0.451 | 0.531 | |||
| DET_1984 | 0.642 | 0.522 | 0.537 | 0.605 | 0.543 | 0.364 | 0.488 | 0.519 | 0.463 | 0.525 |
| ATL_1995 | 0.625 | 0.593 | 0.623 | 0.654 | 0.636 | 0.586 | 0.543 | 0.631 | 0.623 | 0.593 |
| ATL_1996 | 0.593 | 0.623 | 0.654 | 0.636 | 0.586 | 0.543 | 0.631 | 0.623 | 0.593 | 0.556 |
| BAL_1979 | 0.642 | 0.617 | 0.562 | 0.580 | 0.605 | 0.525 | 0.516 | 0.451 | 0.414 | 0.335 |
| CHC_1984 | 0.596 | 0.478 | 0.438 | 0.472 | 0.475 | 0.574 | 0.475 | 0.481 | 0.481 | 0.519 |
| OAK_1988 | 0.642 | 0.611 | 0.636 | 0.519 | 0.593 | 0.420 | 0.447 | 0.465 | 0.481 | 0.401 |
| PIT_1992 | 0.593 | 0.463 | 0.465 | 0.403 | 0.451 | 0.488 | 0.426 | 0.484 | 0.426 | 0.383 |
| DET_1987 | 0.605 | 0.543 | 0.364 | 0.488 | 0.519 | 0.463 | 0.525 | 0.461 | 0.417 | 0.327 |
| OAK_1973 | 0.580 | 0.556 | 0.605 | 0.540 | 0.391 | 0.426 | 0.333 | 0.512 | 0.587 | 0.420 |
| OAK_1974 | 0.556 | 0.605 | 0.540 | 0.391 | 0.426 | 0.333 | 0.512 | 0.587 | 0.420 | 0.457 |
| OAK_1972 | 0.600 | 0.580 | 0.556 | 0.605 | 0.540 | 0.391 | 0.426 | 0.333 | 0.512 | 0.587 |
| CIN_1970 | 0.630 | 0.488 | 0.617 | 0.611 | 0.605 | 0.667 | 0.630 | 0.543 | 0.571 | 0.559 |
| LAD_1965 | 0.599 | 0.586 | 0.451 | 0.469 | 0.525 | 0.540 | 0.549 | 0.548 | 0.590 | 0.630 |
Observing the opposite end of the spectrum, the above list comprises teams at or near the top of the MLB standings in a given season while their minor league operation grades poorly in OWPCT.
The only team in our survey to finish first in the Majors in winning percentage while the minor league operation ranked last is the 1984 Detroit Tigers. Victorious in 35 of their first 40 contests, the ’84 crew handily seized the World Series after dominating the Junior Circuit. Nearly replicating the feat three years later, the Kitties sustained their winning ways through 1988 before commencing a prolonged period of inferior play as the club finished below .500 fifteen times in seventeen seasons (1989-2005). Mike Henneman recorded 20 saves with a 3.63 ERA in 117 outings for the Tigers’ minor league affiliates. In ten big-league seasons he eclipsed the 20-save mark seven times and furnished a 3.21 career ERA. Chris Hoiles (.310/29/82) established personal-bests in virtually every offensive category in ’93. One of three Detroit farmhands included as “players to be named later” in an August 1988 transaction to acquire Fred Lynn from Baltimore, Hoiles averaged .282 with 15 wallops during his three-year stint in the Tigers’ system.
1984 Detroit Tigers Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Mark S. Smith | LF | .283 | 11 | 98 | Don Heinkel | 11-13 | 3.99 |
| Raul Tovar | CF | .304 | 0 | 42 | Randy O’Neal | 9-10 | 3.57 |
| Nelson Simmons | RF | .307 | 22 | 83 | Rich Monteleone | 12-11 | 4.60 |
| Scott Earl | DH | .251 | 11 | 51 | Jeff M. Robinson | 8-9 | 4.23 |
| Mike Laga | 1B | .265 | 30 | 94 | Roger Erickson | 7-4 | 3.24 |
| Chris Pittaro | 2B | .284 | 11 | 61 | |||
| Doug Baker | SS | .259 | 8 | 30 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| George Foussianes | 3B | .256 | 10 | 58 | Carl Willis | 16 | 3.73 |
| Scotti Madison | C | .273 | 15 | 83 | Ramon Pena | 13 | 3.00 |
| Don Gordon | 8 | 3.36 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | James Scudero | 8 | 3.86 |
| Cary Colbert | 1B | .279 | 9 | 50 | Scott Tabor | 10-4 | 3.03 |
| John Harris | 1B | .303 | 8 | 50 | |||
| Jerry Mack | 2B | .221 | 10 | 36 | |||
| Bruce Fields | OF | .300 | 4 | 38 | |||
| Robert Mills | OF | .299 | 3 | 31 | |||
| Mike Williams | C | .254 | 8 | 55 |
1987 Detroit Tigers Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Bruce Fields | LF | .305 | 3 | 51 | Paul Gibson | 14-7 | 3.47 |
| Bernie Anderson | CF | .318 | 3 | 69 | Darrin Hursey | 11-8 | 3.11 |
| Scott Lusader | RF | .269 | 17 | 80 | Rich Lacko | 9-7 | 2.41 |
| Tim Tolman | DH | .314 | 15 | 63 | Charles Phillips | 8-6 | 3.25 |
| Paul Foster | 1B | .271 | 18 | 93 | Ken L. Williams | 8-6 | 3.20 |
| Pat Austin | 2B | .297 | 3 | 41 | |||
| Pedro Chavez | SS | .317 | 12 | 53 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Doug Strange | 3B | .296 | 14 | 75 | Dave Cooper | 18 | 3.64 |
| Phil Clark | C | .295 | 8 | 79 | Paul Wenson | 12 | 2.81 |
| Dan O’Neill | 10 | 2.57 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Charlie Mitchell | 7 | 2.50 |
| Wes Clements | DH | .277 | 13 | 52 | Bill Laskey | 12-6 | 3.86 |
| Mike Stenhouse | 1B | .280 | 11 | 42 | |||
| Manny Mantrana | 2B | .316 | 4 | 30 | |||
| Torey Lovullo | 3B | .259 | 9 | 48 | |||
| Jeff Hermann | OF | .300 | 9 | 55 | |||
| Chris Hoiles | C | .276 | 13 | 53 |
The 2000 Giants hold the distinction of the largest rank differential in the past 55 years as San Francisco claimed the division title with a 97-win season while the minor league operation finished next-to-last in OWPCT. Merely a handful of prospects panned out including Pedro Feliz, the third baseman who drilled 29 doubles and 18 long balls per year from 2004 to 2009. Sustained by four straight MVP seasons from Barry Bonds, the Giants remained a playoff contender until 2005, when Bonds suffered a knee injury and missed nearly the entire campaign. San Francisco endured sub-.500 ball through 2008 then returned to prominence with 3 World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Ryan Vogelsong debuted with San Francisco in September 2000 after compiling a 3.89 ERA through three minor league seasons. Laboring to a 5.86 ERA through the ’06 campaign before revitalizing his career during a three-year stint in the Japan, Vogelsong thrived in 2011-12 as he averaged 14 wins to complement an ERA of 3.05.
2000 San Francisco Giants Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Carlos Valderrama | LF | .315 | 13 | 81 | Jon Valenti | 13-5 | 3.86 |
| Brett Casper | CF | .243 | 15 | 70 | Kurt Ainsworth | 10-9 | 3.30 |
| Jake Messner | RF | .320 | 19 | 68 | Chad Zerbe | 9-4 | 3.68 |
| Damon Minor | 1B | .290 | 30 | 106 | Jim Lynch | 7-4 | 3.18 |
| Ryan Luther | 2B | .300 | 7 | 48 | Jerome Williams | 7-6 | 2.94 |
| Juan Melo | SS | .295 | 12 | 50 | |||
| Pedro Feliz | 3B | .298 | 33 | 105 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| G. Chiaramonte | C | .255 | 24 | 79 | Todd Ozias | 21 | 3.67 |
| Luke Anderson | 12 | 1.45 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Manny Bermudez | 7 | 2.84 |
| Jeremy Luster | 1B | .282 | 14 | 99 | Ben Weber | 7 | 2.42 |
| Sean McGowan | 1B | .330 | 12 | 118 | Robbie Crabtree | 8 | 3.81 |
| Lance Niekro | 3B | .362 | 5 | 44 | |||
| Tony Torcato | 3B | .327 | 7 | 90 | |||
| Jalal Leach | OF | .379 | 12 | 45 | |||
| Dan Trumble | OF | .321 | 8 | 39 | |||
| Yorvit Torrealba | C | .286 | 4 | 32 |
The Braves maintained a playoff streak from 1991-2005 despite an eight-year stretch with a substandard OWPCT (1994-2001). The nadir occurred in 1998 when the Atlanta farm system posted the second-worst OWPCT among all franchises. Rafael Furcal scored at least 100 runs in four consecutive campaigns (2003-06) and pilfered 31 bags yearly over an eight-year stint (2000-07). The 2000 NL Rookie of the Year stockpiled 96 steals and tallied 96 runs between Macon (A) and Myrtle Beach (A+) in ’99 after nabbing nearly one base per contest in the previous year (60 SB in 66 games). Macon (A) profited from Marcus Giles’ breakout season in ’98 as the second-sacker clubbed 38 two-baggers and 37 round-trippers while hitting .329 with 111 runs scored and 108 RBI. The 2003 All-Star established career-highs in his first season in a starting capacity with 49 doubles, 21 clouts and a .316 BA. Mark DeRosa experienced a four-year stint as a starting super-sub from 2006 to 2009, rapping 30 doubles and 17 long balls per season with a .281 BA after clubbing 21 doubles annually over four campaigns in the upper minors (1998-2001). Bruce Chen (15-8, 3.09) shined as a member of the Greenville (AA) rotation and capped his effort with 4 September starts in ’98. Chen pitched for 11 MLB organizations and composed a winning record over 17 seasons despite a 4.62 ERA. Odalis Perez compiled a 2.95 ERA and struck out 9.8 batters per nine innings as a member of the Atlanta farm system. The southpaw attained All-Star status in 2002 with the Dodgers as he established personal-bests in victories (15), ERA (3.00) and WHIP (0.990).
1998 Atlanta Braves Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Gene Schall | LF | .300 | 22 | 73 | Bruce Chen | 15-8 | 3.09 |
| George Lombard | CF | .308 | 22 | 65 | Ruben Quevedo | 11-5 | 3.24 |
| Jeff Spencer | RF | .261 | 28 | 79 | Micah Bowie | 11-6 | 3.48 |
| Ryan Lehr | 1B | .285 | 13 | 69 | Kevin McGlinchy | 10-9 | 3.34 |
| Marcus Giles | 2B | .329 | 37 | 108 | Rob Bell | 7-9 | 3.28 |
| Mark DeRosa | SS | .267 | 8 | 49 | |||
| Wes Helms | 3B | .275 | 13 | 75 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Steve Torrealba | C | .273 | 10 | 37 | Joe Winkelsas | 22 | 2.33 |
| Will Fleck | 14 | 2.65 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Adam Butler | 14 | 3.60 |
| Rafael Furcal | 2B | .328 | 0 | 23 | Greg Mix | 3-5 | 3.51 |
| Steve Goodell | SS | .296 | 8 | 26 | Odalis Perez | 7-7 | 3.86 |
| Howard Battle | 3B | .330 | 10 | 50 | |||
| Travis Wilson | 3B | .330 | 10 | 52 | |||
| Jerry Salzano | OF | .302 | 7 | 49 | |||
| Jerry Simmons | OF | .275 | 11 | 40 | |||
| Dax Norris | C | .261 | 9 | 47 |
Minnesota eclipsed the .500 mark in 8 of 9 seasons since Ron Gardenhire assumed the managerial reins in 2002. When the minor league system plummeted from the fourth-best OWPCT in 2009 to the worst out of 30 teams one year later, the big league crew followed suit as the Twins posted 90+ losses in four straight seasons (2011-14). Ben Revere, the Twins first-round selection in the 2007 Amateur Draft, scorched the opposition with a .328 BA and 37 steals yearly prior to his promotion to the big leagues in September 2010. “Revy” paced the National League with 184 safeties in 2014, surpassed the .300 plateau in batting average for three successive seasons (2013-15) and averaged 35 steals over a five-year period (2011-15). Trevor Plouffe slammed a career-high 24 wallops in 2012 and ripped 40 doubles two years later. “Special T” socked 28 two-base knocks per year as a Minnesota minor leaguer over a half-decade (2006-2010).
2010 Minnesota Twins Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Ben Revere | LF | .305 | 1 | 23 | Kyle Gibson | 11-6 | 2.96 |
| Aaron Hicks | CF | .279 | 8 | 49 | Dan Osterbrock | 9-9 | 2.65 |
| Angel Morales | RF | .280 | 5 | 55 | Liam Hendriks | 8-4 | 1.74 |
| Joe Benson | DH | .259 | 27 | 62 | Bobby Lanigan | 5-4 | 3.48 |
| Brock Peterson | 1B | .245 | 19 | 57 | Tom Stuifbergen | 6-4 | 2.98 |
| Steve Singleton | 2B | .267 | 7 | 50 | |||
| Trevor Plouffe | SS | .244 | 15 | 49 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Anderson Hidalgo | 3B | .316 | 3 | 28 | Anthony Slama | 17 | 2.20 |
| Danny Rams | C | .238 | 16 | 69 | Kane Holbrooks | 9 | 2.10 |
| Dakota Watts | 8 | 3.10 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Kyle Waldrop | 5-3 | 2.57 |
| Chris Parmelee | 1B | .285 | 8 | 61 | Andrei Lobanov | 3-2 | 2.64 |
| Oswaldo Arcia | OF | .375 | 14 | 51 | |||
| Danny Ortiz | OF | .259 | 11 | 43 | |||
| Lance Ray | OF | .289 | 3 | 33 | |||
| Brandon Roberts | OF | .327 | 3 | 38 | |||
| Jose Morales | C | .264 | 3 | 25 |
St. Louis endured a seven-year stretch in which the minor league operation placed 25th or lower five times. While the Redbirds reached the playoffs six times in seven tries (2000-2006), the farm system finished dead last in OWPCT in 2001. Coco Crisp paced the AL with 49 steals in 2011, swiped at least 20 bags eight times and established career-highs in home runs (22) and runs scored (93) in 2013. Crisp furnished a .306 BA in back-to-back campaigns (2001-02) and made his MLB debut with the Tribe in August 2002 after his inclusion as the “player to be named later” in a deal for Chuck Finley. Bud Smith sizzled throughout a dominant stretch in the upper minors (2000-01), posting a 25-7 record with a 2.46 ERA and a WHIP of 1.170. Smith hurled a no-hitter against the Padres and placed fourth in the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year vote, but his star faded quickly and he was demoted after yielding a 6.94 ERA through 10 starts in his sophomore year. Three-time All-Star Dan Haren manufactured 13 wins per year with a 3.70 ERA and a 1.169 WHIP while starting at least 30 games in 11 straight seasons (2005-2015) after fashioning a 3.16 ERA and a WHIP of 1.130 as a Redbirds farmhand.
2001 St. Louis Cardinals Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Coco Crisp | LF | .306 | 11 | 47 | Jimmy Journell | 15-6 | 2.39 |
| Chris Morris | CF | .294 | 2 | 39 | Kevin Sprague | 10-8 | 3.38 |
| Dee Haynes | RF | .290 | 13 | 72 | Chris Narveson | 7-6 | 2.31 |
| Chris Duncan | 1B | .260 | 16 | 75 | Rick Ankiel | 5-5 | 2.25 |
| Stubby Clapp | 2B | .304 | 5 | 33 | Blake Williams | 4-10 | 2.43 |
| Jutt Hileman | SS | .255 | 9 | 35 | |||
| John Gall | 3B | .311 | 8 | 77 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Keith McDonald | C | .261 | 11 | 42 | Scotty Layfield | 31 | 1.84 |
| Jeremy Lambert | 17 | 3.09 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Mike Crudale | 9 | 3.25 |
| Jesse Roman | 1B | .271 | 3 | 39 | Doug Kohl | 3-5 | 2.08 |
| Bo Hart | 2B | .305 | 5 | 34 | D. Ponce Deleon | 2-5 | 3.45 |
| T.J. Maier | 2B | .279 | 4 | 36 | |||
| Ryan Balfe | OF | .319 | 8 | 37 | |||
| Darrell Whitmore | OF | .277 | 11 | 52 | |||
| Justin Woodrow | OF | .313 | 2 | 21 | |||
| Ryan Hamill | C | .264 | 10 | 45 |
The Brew Crew’s beleaguered farm system ranked in the bottom third in eight of the last ten seasons, placing 28th or 29th among the thirty teams five times since 2011. Milwaukee paced the NL Central with 96 victories, securing the club’s second playoff berth since “Harvey’s Wallbangers” appeared in the 1982 World Series. Khris Davis clobbered 40+ clouts and surpassed the century mark in RBI during back-to-back seasons following a trade to Oakland in February 2016. “Khrush” drilled 26 doubles and 22 dingers for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (A) in 2010, then hit .350 with 21 two-base knocks in only 82 games two years later. Scooter Gennett stunned the baseball community when he rocked 4 home runs against the Cardinals on June 6, 2017. He obliterated his previous career-bests with 27 wallops and 97 ribbies for the Reds in 2017 after producing 30 doubles per year and a .298 BA as a Brewers prospect. Tyler Thornburg emerged as a late-inning weapon in 2016, striking out 90 batters in only 67 frames and saving 13 contests while furnishing an ERA of 2.15 with a 0.990 WHIP. “Thorny” delivered a 2.85 ERA with a 20-10 record spanning two seasons and four affiliates for the Brew Crew (2011-12).
2011 Milwaukee Brewers Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Khris Davis | LF | .280 | 17 | 84 | Mike Fiers | 13-3 | 1.86 |
| Caleb Gindl | CF | .307 | 15 | 60 | Tyler Thornburg | 10-6 | 2.57 |
| Brock Kjeldgaard | RF | .270 | 24 | 76 | Wily Peralta | 11-7 | 3.17 |
| Mat Gamel | 1B | .310 | 28 | 96 | Nick Bucci | 8-11 | 3.84 |
| Scooter Gennett | 2B | .300 | 9 | 51 | Cody Scarpetta | 8-5 | 3.85 |
| Edwin Maysonet | SS | .290 | 3 | 39 | |||
| Taylor Green | 3B | .336 | 22 | 91 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Martin Maldonado | C | .287 | 11 | 59 | Santo Manzanillo | 17 | 1.75 |
| Rob Wooten | 8 | 3.09 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Dan Meadows | 6-4 | 2.68 |
| Erick Almonte | 1B | .303 | 6 | 42 | Eric Marzec | 4-2 | 1.69 |
| T.J. Mittelstaedt | 2B | .293 | 12 | 46 | Robert Hinton | 2-3 | 2.47 |
| Mike Walker | 3B | .274 | 15 | 72 | |||
| Zelous Wheeler | 3B | .272 | 9 | 38 | |||
| Brett Carroll | OF | .281 | 15 | 51 | |||
| Logan Schafer | OF | .315 | 5 | 43 | |||
| Shawn Zarraga | C | .272 | 4 | 35 |
While the Orioles were busy winning 102 games during the regular season before succumbing to the “We Are Family” Pirates in the 1979 World Series, Baltimore’s minor league operation assessed a dismal campaign that culminated with the lowest OWPCT (.447) in franchise history through 2000. Despite a five-year slump on the farm, the O’s maintained their triumphant ways in the AL East through 1985. Cal Ripken Jr. rapped 29 two-base hits and 19 four-baggers per year over a three-year stint in the Baltimore system (1979-1981). The “Iron Man” attained comparable production across two decades in the big leagues, averaging 30 doubles and 22 blasts. Mike Boddicker crafted a 55-38 record with a 3.26 ERA and a 1.183 WHIP in the minors. He finished third in the balloting for 1983 AL Rookie of the Year with a 2.77 ERA to complement a 16-8 record, then earned All-Star status in ’84 while leading the American League with 20 wins and a 2.79 ERA.
1979 Baltimore Orioles Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Vern Thomas | LF | .273 | 14 | 69 | Brooks Carey | 14-9 | 2.81 |
| John Denman | CF | .280 | 7 | 44 | Mike Boddicker | 13-9 | 4.24 |
| Drungo Hazewood | RF | .231 | 21 | 64 | Don Welchel | 10-10 | 3.38 |
| Tom Chism | DH | .312 | 11 | 60 | Nate Snell | 9-9 | 4.09 |
| Dan Logan | 1B | .282 | 21 | 79 | Dave Ford | 6-5 | 3.55 |
| Tom Eaton | 2B | .273 | 0 | 33 | |||
| Bobby Bonner | SS | .291 | 7 | 67 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Cal Ripken Jr. | 3B | .286 | 8 | 62 | Billy Presley | 18 | 1.45 |
| Willie Royster | C | .307 | 4 | 26 | Joe Kerrigan | 11 | 3.51 |
| William Purdy | 7 | 2.82 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | John Flinn | 6-6 | 2.70 |
| John Stefero | 3B | .275 | 8 | 42 | Jeff Schneider | 3-7 | 3.43 |
| Ron Diggle | OF | .255 | 13 | 38 | |||
| Stan Hendrickson | OF | .279 | 4 | 25 | |||
| Mark Jurena | OF | .276 | 5 | 26 | |||
| Dallas Williams | OF | .277 | 12 | 52 | |||
| Dave Huppert | C | .223 | 5 | 37 |
The Chicago Cubs captured the division title in the National League East with 96 victories in 1984, ranking second in the Major Leagues behind the Tigers in winning percentage. Yet the Northsiders’ farm system languished in the midst of a three-year slump (1983-85), bottoming out with a .439 OWPCT in ’84. Over the ensuing decade Chicago only eclipsed the .500 mark twice (1989 and 1993). Future Hall of Fame right-hander Greg Maddux fashioned a 6-2 record with a 2.63 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) for the Pikeville Cubs (Rookie). Jamie Moyer prepared for a quarter-century in the Majors with 30 victories, a 2.43 ERA and a 1.070 WHIP over three seasons in the Chicago farm system. Subsequent to a fine ’82 season with Midland (AA), Joe Carter (.308/36/150) hammered opposing offerings and pilfered 51 bases over the next year and a half as an outfielder on the Iowa Cubs. Billy Hatcher registered a .295 BA with 107 runs, 12 triples and 65 steals over three seasons (1982-84) to merit a cup of coffee with the Cubs in ’84.
1984 Chicago Cubs Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Dan Norman | LF | .284 | 21 | 76 | Steve Engel | 11-7 | 2.68 |
| Billy Hatcher | CF | .276 | 9 | 59 | Johnny Abrego | 10-10 | 2.54 |
| Joe Carter | RF | .310 | 14 | 67 | Jon Perlman | 11-6 | 3.79 |
| Joe Hicks | 1B | .266 | 37 | 90 | Jamie Moyer | 9-3 | 1.89 |
| Gary Jones | 2B | .291 | 6 | 44 | Tim Grachen | 6-12 | 3.39 |
| Dan Rohn | SS | .268 | 8 | 46 | |||
| Tom Lombarski | 3B | .269 | 15 | 47 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Don Werner | C | .283 | 25 | 77 | Brad Blevins | 19 | 3.59 |
| Porfi Altamirano | 17 | 3.03 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Ron Meridith | 8 | 3.17 |
| Jeff Jones | 1B | .304 | 20 | 82 | Greg Bell | 8-1 | 1.80 |
| Trey Brooks | 2B | .261 | 14 | 43 | Jim Phillips | 7-7 | 3.25 |
| Bryan House | 2B | .270 | 6 | 37 | |||
| Rick Hopkins | SS | .272 | 6 | 33 | |||
| Bruce Crabbe | 3B | .307 | 4 | 26 | |||
| Jim Dickerson | OF | .277 | 14 | 64 | |||
| Joe Henderson | C | .260 | 9 | 38 |
Oakland appeared in three consecutive World Series from 1988 to 1990, yielding winning percentages above .600 in each season. The Athletics organizational record dipped below .500 in ’88 before rebounding with a vengeance, compiling twelve straight campaigns with a winning record (1989-2000). Felix Jose garnered a promotion in September 1988 after hitting at a .317 clip with 29 doubles for Tacoma (AAA). The right fielder achieved All-Star status in ’91 when he set personal-bests with a .305 BA and 40 two-base hits. Scott Brosius smacked 39 two-baggers and 23 long balls with Huntsville (AA) in ’90. Brosius (.300/19/98) capped an All-Star season with the 1998 World Series MVP award. Ron Coomer provided a glimpse of his Major League potential as the third-sacker for Modesto (A) in ’88, thumping 23 doubles and 17 big-flies while plating 85 baserunners. Over a five-year stretch with Minnesota (1996-2000), Coomer supplied a .279 BA with 24 two-base hits and 14 jacks.
1988 Oakland Athletics Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Ozzie Canseco | LF | .262 | 15 | 80 | Joe Law | 14-6 | 3.06 |
| Steve Howard | CF | .247 | 17 | 78 | Pat Wernig | 11-6 | 3.02 |
| Felix Jose | RF | .317 | 12 | 83 | Will Schock | 10-11 | 2.87 |
| Ed Jurak | DH | .295 | 7 | 67 | Kevin MacLeod | 9-1 | 2.89 |
| Dann Howitt | 1B | .248 | 18 | 86 | Tony Ariola | 8-3 | 2.63 |
| Lance Blankenship | 2B | .265 | 9 | 52 | |||
| Scott Brosius | SS | .304 | 9 | 58 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Ron Coomer | 3B | .279 | 17 | 85 | Tony Floyd | 17 | 0.94 |
| Russ McGinnis | C | .255 | 4 | 37 | Jim Corsi | 16 | 2.75 |
| Kirk Killingsworth | 10 | 2.74 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Bob Stocker | 10 | 3.86 |
| Tony Arias | 1B | .231 | 16 | 50 | Steve Maye | 7 | 1.68 |
| Angel Martinez | 2B | .301 | 4 | 32 | |||
| Larry Arndt | 3B | .287 | 4 | 45 | |||
| Stan Royer | 3B | .318 | 6 | 48 | |||
| Luis Polonia | OF | .335 | 2 | 27 | |||
| Jorge Brito | C | .217 | 5 | 27 |
Pittsburgh endured twenty consecutive losing seasons (1993-2012) following three straight NL East division titles from 1990 to 1992. The Bucs farm system experienced a nearly parallel collapse, ranking among the bottom half of the OWPCT charts in fourteen successive campaigns (1988-2001). Granted free agency in ’91 after toiling over six years in the Atlanta system, Al L. Martin finally spent an entire season on a Major League roster as Pittsburgh’s primary left fielder in ’93. A versatile threat on the farm with 26 steals and 21 two-baggers per season (1986-1992), Martin contributed his supreme output in ’96 when he established career-highs in batting average (.300), runs scored (101), hits (189), doubles (40), RBI (72) and stolen bases (38). Carlos Garcia stroked 21 two-base knocks and nabbed 22 bags annually as a Bucs farmhand (1987-1992). Garcia compiled a .280 BA with 20 doubles and 15 stolen bases per season during his stint as the Pirates’ starting second baseman (1993-96). A .307 minor league batting average vaulted Kevin Young to the big leagues in ’92, yet he struggled to secure a full-time job until five years later when he returned to Pittsburgh following a singular campaign in Kansas City. “Little Hurt” topped 40 doubles, 25 homers and 100 ribbies in back-to-back seasons (1998-99) and averaged 31 two-baggers and 20 taters as the starting first baseman for the Bucs covering a six-year stretch (1997-2002). Corner infielder Tim Wakefield converted to mound work after scuffling to a .189 BA at Watertown (A-) in 1988. A record of 25-12 with a 3.09 ERA convinced the Pirates’ brass to recall the knuckleballer in July 1992. Wakefield placed third in the 1992 NL Rookie of the Year and the 1995 AL Cy Young balloting while winning 200 games over a career that spanned 19 big-league seasons.
1992 Pittsburgh Pirates Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Al Martin | LF | .305 | 20 | 59 | John Hope | 11-8 | 3.47 |
| Keith Thomas | CF | .280 | 20 | 66 | Tim Wakefield | 10-3 | 3.06 |
| Eddie Zambrano | RF | .284 | 16 | 79 | Rich Robertson | 9-7 | 3.12 |
| Rich Aude | 1B | .283 | 11 | 63 | Dave Doorneweerd | 9-13 | 3.04 |
| Jim Krevokuch | 2B | .292 | 7 | 59 | Rick White | 8-16 | 3.94 |
| Carlos Garcia | SS | .303 | 13 | 70 | |||
| Kevin Young | 3B | .314 | 8 | 65 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Brian Dorsett | C | .289 | 21 | 102 | Blas Minor | 18 | 2.43 |
| Joe Ausanio | 15 | 2.90 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | M. De Los Santos | 12 | 2.25 |
| Jose Tolentino | 1B | .301 | 8 | 34 | David Tellers | 12 | 3.62 |
| Dave Clark | OF | .304 | 11 | 55 | Mike Dalton | 10 | 3.66 |
| Midre Cummings | OF | .305 | 14 | 75 | |||
| Tony Mitchell | OF | .297 | 13 | 47 | |||
| Marty Neff | OF | .275 | 23 | 74 | |||
| Greg Tubbs | OF | .293 | 7 | 42 | |||
| Tom Prince | C | .262 | 9 | 35 |
The Swingin’ A’s captured three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 to 1974 as the minor league operation declined. Oakland’s farm system failed to produce a winning mark in the final decade of Charlie Finley’s ownership (1971-1980). The Big Green Machine ranked worst among all MLB teams in OWPCT during the ’73 and ’74 campaigns after finishing next-to-last in ’72. “Disco” Dan Ford achieved personal-bests in batting average (.290), home runs (21), RBI (101) and runs scored (100) as the Angels won their first division title in 1979. Ford manufactured a .354 BA and a .667 SLG during his second season with the Burlington Bees (A) in ’72. Manny Trillo composed a .306 BA with 26 two-base hits per year in successive seasons with Oakland’s triple-A ball club (1972-73). The four-time All-Star second baseman collected a trio of Gold Glove awards in four campaigns with the Phillies (1979-1982). Phil Garner laced 29 doubles to complement a .330 BA with the Tucson Toros (AAA) in ’74. “Scrap Iron” amassed 26 two-base knocks and 22 stolen bases per year while alternating starting assignments between second and third base over a nine-year stretch (1975-1983). Claudell Washington registered 30+ thefts four times and averaged .279 with 20 steals as a starting outfielder through fifteen seasons (1975-1989). The two-time All-Star batted .330 as an Oakland prospect. Chet Lemon’s .877 fielding percentage in 318 games at the hot corner compelled a position change to center field in ’76 following a trade to the White Sox in June 1975 for Stan Bahnsen. “The Jet” set career-highs with a .318 BA, 86 ribbies and a League-leading 44 doubles in ’79. Mike Norris (22-9, 2.53) fashioned a WHIP of 1.048 and placed runner-up in the 1980 AL Cy Young race. The smooth-fielding hurler delivered an 8-4 record and a 2.21 ERA for the Burlington Bees (A) in 1972 and later collected back-to-back Gold Glove awards (1980-81) as a key member of the Oakland rotation. Mound mate Steve McCatty tallied 14 victories in consecutive campaigns (1980-81) and claimed the ERA title with a 2.33 mark while finishing second in the 1981 AL Cy Young vote. McCatty flourished as a reliever with the Vancouver Canadians (AAA) in ’78, notching 7 wins and 11 saves with a 3.11 ERA in 39 outings but pitched almost exclusively as a starter throughout his 9-year career with the A’s.
1972 Oakland Athletics Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Douglas King | LF | .266 | 14 | 61 | Buddy Copeland | 11-6 | 2.40 |
| Kirk Allison | CF | .281 | 2 | 38 | Bill Kelso | 11-7 | 3.22 |
| Dan Ford | RF | .354 | 18 | 61 | Glenn Abbott | 9-16 | 2.96 |
| Champ Summers | DH | .308 | 10 | 54 | Bill VanBommel | 9-9 | 3.51 |
| Reggie J. Sanders | 1B | .331 | 11 | 50 | Alan Griffin | 7-4 | 2.59 |
| Vic Harris | 2B | .293 | 6 | 37 | |||
| Manny Trillo | SS | .301 | 9 | 53 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Phil Garner | 3B | .262 | 21 | 62 | Mudcat Grant | 16 | 2.38 |
| Gene Dusan | C | .311 | 1 | 39 | Nicholas Parrilla | 10 | 3.39 |
| Robert Wolf | 7-9 | 3.17 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Leon Hooten | 6-8 | 3.10 |
| Keith Lieppman | 1B | .264 | 9 | 62 | Gil Marcano | 5-10 | 3.31 |
| Padgett Cope | 2B | .281 | 1 | 20 | |||
| James Seida | 2B | .266 | 0 | 21 | |||
| James Capehart | OF | .298 | 6 | 39 | |||
| Adrian Garrett | OF | .277 | 12 | 32 | |||
| Bernard Boehmer | C | .278 | 7 | 63 |
1973 Oakland Athletics Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Champ Summers | LF | .333 | 8 | 45 | Glenn Abbott | 18-8 | 3.50 |
| C. Washington | CF | .322 | 13 | 81 | Alan Griffin | 9-10 | 3.67 |
| Dan Ford | RF | .292 | 14 | 70 | Mike Norris | 8-4 | 2.21 |
| Chet Lemon | DH | .309 | 19 | 88 | Dave Hamilton | 8-5 | 3.77 |
| William Hobbs | 1B | .293 | 6 | 37 | Dennis Stegman | 8-6 | 3.57 |
| Manny Trillo | 2B | .312 | 8 | 78 | |||
| Tommy Sandt | SS | .291 | 6 | 59 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Phil Garner | 3B | .289 | 14 | 73 | Gary Waslewski | 13 | 2.20 |
| Tim Hosley | C | .300 | 12 | 47 | Bruce Baranick | 12 | 3.06 |
| Dennis Root | 10 | 3.34 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Steven Smith | 5-4 | 2.78 |
| Jose Morales | DH | .355 | 4 | 50 | Gil Marcano | 7-4 | 2.71 |
| Ronald Wilson | 2B | .300 | 11 | 58 | |||
| Gaylen Pitts | SS | .287 | 5 | 22 | |||
| Derek Bryant | OF | .313 | 0 | 36 | |||
| Jay Johnstone | OF | .347 | 9 | 44 | |||
| Larry Haney | C | .287 | 2 | 44 |
1974 Oakland Athletics Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Gary Woods | LF | .284 | 11 | 59 | Craig Mitchell | 10-6 | 3.43 |
| C. Washington | CF | .361 | 11 | 55 | Steve Staniland | 9-4 | 3.25 |
| Dan Ford | RF | .273 | 12 | 65 | Clarence Harrell | 9-13 | 3.54 |
| Chet Lemon | DH | .290 | 10 | 61 | Gary Williams | 8-7 | 3.14 |
| Keith Lieppman | 1B | .321 | 6 | 44 | Steve McCatty | 8-3 | 3.28 |
| Rich McKinney | 2B | .285 | 7 | 65 | |||
| Robert Argenti | SS | .289 | 1 | 25 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Phil Garner | 3B | .330 | 11 | 51 | John Tronerud | 10 | 2.96 |
| Tim Hosley | C | .285 | 17 | 50 | Mike Barlow | 9 | 2.63 |
| Chris Wibberley | 8 | 2.61 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Randall Taylor | 8 | 3.82 |
| Wayne Gross | 1B | .244 | 14 | 54 | Dennis Myers | 6-4 | 3.93 |
| Ramon Webster | 1B | .301 | 8 | 51 | |||
| Ike Blessitt | OF | .294 | 5 | 39 | |||
| James Capehart | OF | .263 | 13 | 49 | |||
| Champ Summers | OF | .263 | 10 | 59 | |||
| David Nitschke | C | .277 | 2 | 31 |
The Big Red Machine accomplished six playoff appearances in the Seventies, emerging as World Series champions in successive seasons (1975-76). On the farm, the operation faltered momentarily as the Reds’ affiliates combined for the third-worst OWPCT in 1970 before rebounding to the third-best mark in the ensuing year. Milt Wilcox generated 12.4 career WAR, primarily as a member of the Tigers’ rotation from 1977-1984. Ross Grimsley Jr. won 18 games with the Orioles in ’74 and achieved All-Star status as an Expo four years later when he notched 20 victories with personal-bests in ERA (3.05) and WHIP (1.156).
1970 Cincinnati Reds Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Stan Swanson | LF | .283 | 9 | 51 | Milt Wilcox | 12-10 | 2.84 |
| Danny Godby | CF | .273 | 6 | 41 | Ross Grimsley Jr. | 11-8 | 2.73 |
| Elvio Jimenez | RF | .275 | 11 | 51 | Charles Higgins | 11-7 | 3.20 |
| Donald Anderson | 1B | .285 | 7 | 44 | Timothy Grant | 11-7 | 3.45 |
| Mike Lisetski | 2B | .264 | 6 | 40 | Clarence Cooper | 8-11 | 2.62 |
| Frank Duffy | SS | .263 | 7 | 33 | |||
| Kurt Bevacqua | 3B | .261 | 15 | 67 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| William Ferguson | C | .280 | 7 | 51 | Dooley Womack | 14 | 2.19 |
| Larry Gable | 14 | 2.19 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Pat House | 10 | 3.04 |
| Frank Kimball | 1B | .246 | 7 | 31 | Steve Blateric | 8 | 2.72 |
| Ron Theobald | SS | .309 | 0 | 28 | David Hill | 7-2 | 2.57 |
| George Runk | 3B | .290 | 4 | 49 | |||
| Gregg Slape | OF | .244 | 10 | 33 | |||
| Tom Spencer | OF | ,285 | 3 | 50 | |||
| Jay Ward | OF | .243 | 12 | 45 | |||
| Bill Plummer | C | .260 | 7 | 42 |
The Dodgers ranked among the top minor league systems in the Sixties apart from the ’65 season. While Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale led the Blue Crew to a World Series title, the farm system went into a collective tailspin, placing 19th among 20 teams with a .447 OWPCT. Don Sutton mastered the art of pitching during his lone year in the minors, striking out 239 batsmen in 249 innings and fashioning a WHIP of 1.024 between Santa Barbara (A) and Albuquerque (AA). “Black and Decker” supplied 14 victories annually over a 23-year career with a 3.26 ERA, 1.142 WHIP and 65.5 WAR. Jack Billingham accrued 12.1 WAR over 13 seasons, averaging 14 wins with a 3.77 ERA in the Seventies. Bill Singer (14-15, 4.52) yielded mediocre results for Spokane (AAA). “The Singer Throwing Machine” earned a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation in 1967, won 20 games in ’69 and ’73 and retired after 14 seasons with an ERA of 3.39. Los Angeles posted losing records in ’67 and ’68 coinciding with Koufax’ retirement then rallied with ten straight winning records from 1969 to 1978.
1965 Los Angeles Dodgers Affiliates
| LINEUP | POS | BA | HR | RBI | ROTATION | W-L | ERA |
| Jim Fairey | LF | .323 | 20 | 79 | Don Sutton | 23-7 | 2.35 |
| Ken Washington | CF | .284 | 21 | 83 | Joseph Ramirez | 10-7 | 2.57 |
| Raynor Youngdahl | RF | .273 | 22 | 88 | Floyd Murry | 9-8 | 3.18 |
| Tom Hutton | 1B | .294 | 20 | 63 | Michael Pitko | 7-11 | 3.00 |
| Nate Oliver | 2B | .284 | 11 | 44 | Charles Spell | 4-10 | 3.61 |
| Tommy Dean | SS | .268 | 6 | 55 | |||
| Johnny Werhas | 3B | .281 | 20 | 75 | BULLPEN | WLS | ERA |
| Buddy Hollowell | C | .262 | 11 | 63 | Ken Page | 10-4 | 1.69 |
| William Corrigan | 10-9 | 1.93 | |||||
| BENCH | POS | BA | HR | RBI | Jack Billingham | 7-3 | 3.03 |
| Mel Corbo | 1B | .278 | 14 | 68 | Michael Mathwig | 7-4 | 2.96 |
| Clarence Jones | 1B | .281 | 18 | 79 | Robert Proctor | 3-7 | 3.25 |
| Luis Alcaraz | 2B | .268 | 13 | 40 | |||
| Don LeJohn | 3B | .395 | 4 | 38 | |||
| Al Ferrara | OF | .307 | 14 | 33 | |||
| Dick McLaughlin | OF | .307 | 2 | 57 | |||
| Barry Erdos | C | .280 | 10 | 58 |
References and Resources
Retrosheet – Transactions Database
The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at “www.retrosheet.org”.
