Astros have No. 1 ranked farm system

Jun 19, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros first overall draft pick Mark Appel shakes hands with president Reid Ryan during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros first overall draft pick Mark Appel shakes hands with president Reid Ryan during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 19, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros first overall draft pick Mark Appel shakes hands with president Reid Ryan during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros first overall draft pick Mark Appel shakes hands with president Reid Ryan during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports /

The Houston Astros minor league system has been ranked as the best in baseball by ESPN.com’s Keith Law with seven of the top 100 Minor League prospects in MLB.com’s rankings. The Astros are followed by the Minnesota Twins and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Astros minor league clubs experienced a great deal of success in 2013, with all six domestic teams making the postseason, and two winning championships. Over the past two seasons, the combined record of the Astros minor league clubs is tops in baseball.

“We have been focused on developing the best young talent in baseball in the past few years,” General Manager Jef Luhnow said. “Our scouts, coaches, trainers and front office should be proud of the talent we have accumulated. The next step is to turn that into wins for the Houston Astros.”

In addition to the success of the minor league clubs, the Astros top prospects have also been recognized nationally by several outlets. Seven prospects were included in MLB.com’s Top 100 list, including Carlos Correa, Mark Appel, George Springer, Jon Singleton, Lance McCullers Jr., Mike Foltynewicz and Delino DeShields, Jr.