Keith Law recently released his top-10 lists for every team in baseball. He took an in-depth look at the NL East, where only the Mets (6th) have a system ranked in the upper-third of baseball. The Braves are ranked 22nd, but that really isn't an issue given all of the young talent they've graduated to the big leagues in recent years.
Here is Law's top-10 list:
1. Lucas Sims, RHP (40)
2. C. Bethancourt, C (90)
3. Jose Peraza, SS (99)
4. Mauricio Cabrera, RHP
5. Wes Parsons, RHP
6. Jason Hursh, RHP
7. Victor Caratini, C/3B
8. J.R. Graham, RHP
9. Tommy La Stella, 2B
10. Ian Thomas, LHP
Sims being the No. 1 prospect isn't a surprise at all, and it seems like 2014 could really be a breakout season for him as he emerges into one of the game's top pitching prospects. The thing that immediately stuck out was J.R. Graham falling all the way to eighth on Law's list. Here was his take:
The fallen
J.R. Graham, a top-100 prospect a year ago, blew out his shoulder and made just eight starts on the year. He was already a risk to have to go to the pen due to his lack of size -- he's listed at 5-foot-10 -- and that just became much more likely, assuming his stuff comes most of the way back after the decision to rehab his injury rather than undergo major surgery.
Law also picked Mauricio Cabrera as one of his breakout candidates in the National League despite just missing the top-100.