Pirates farm system ranked third by Baseball America

The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t had much in the way of national recognition in recent days, but the farm system GM Ben Cherington is assembling continues to give us hope for the future.

Baseball America (subscription required) recently released its farm system rankings, and the Buccos are all the way up at number three, thanks to six players appearing in the top 100 at both the BA publication and The Athletic.

The six placers were Oneil Cruz (6), Henry Davis (14), Nick Gonzales (49), Liover Peguero (78), Roansy Contreras (80), and Quinn Priester (88).

Here’s what BA had to say about the Buccos:

After executing consecutive drafts with clockwork precision, the Pirates boast an embarrassment of riches at the top and impressive depth stretching 40 players deep. A balance of positional and pitching talent, close-to-the-majors players, and high-upside youngsters herald a new era approaching in the Steel City.

Quite the kind words from one of the nation’s premiere publications, which should be nothing but good news for both the Bucs fans who’ve been hanging around through the down times and the fair weather fans who’ve been waiting on the sidelines for a rebound.

2023, anyone?