MLB standings by top-100 prospects: Mariners could rule tomorrow

The easiest way to have sustained success in MLB is to build through the farm system. Having a slew of high-end prospects allows teams to have a cheap young core that can grow together and allow clubs to then spend on whatever weaknesses are on the roster. Spending truckloads of money might work for some big market teams, but for the most part, homegrown talent is an absolute must.

This is why it's incredibly rare to see a deal like the one that sent Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres go down at the trade deadline. Yes, Miller is great, but it's rare to see a potential star get dealt, let alone one of Leo De Vries' caliber.

With how important prospects are to future success, let's see which teams are best set up to compete organically by holding Top-100 prospects.

Note: All rankings courtesy of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospect list.

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MLB standings by top-100 prospects

AL East

Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell all began the year as consensus top 20 prospects in the sport, and even with them graduated from prospect status, the Boston Red Sox have four of MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospects. The best of the bunch, Franklin Arias, is still a ways away from debuting in the majors, but both Payton Tolle and Jhostynxon Garcia are knocking on the door. It would not be surprising to see one or both of those players debut in September at some point, helping the Red Sox make a push for a postseason berth.

AL Central

The Minnesota Twins' present might be as bleak as any team in the sport, but with five top 100 prospects, clearly, their future is bright. One of the five, Eduardo Tait, was acquired in the Jhoan Duran trade and Mick Abel, the other prospect in that deal, has made appearances on top 100 lists before. The Twins are in a rough spot now, but if these prospects develop, they've got a shot of being very good in the future.

AL West

Yes, you read that right - the Seattle Mariners have nine (9) top 100 prospects, three more than any other team. Nearly 10 percent of the list resides in the Mariners organization. What's even scarier about that is that not a single one of these prospects is currently in the majors, and yet, they're just 1.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West. They're really good now, and based on these prospect rankings, they should be really good in the future.

NL East

Just days ago, we saw Nolan McLean, MLB Pipeline's No. 37 prospect, throw 5.1 scoreless innings in his MLB debut. He allowed just two hits, struck out eight, and flashed absurd spin on his breaking pitches. As impressive as he looked, McLean is only the third-best New York Mets prospect of the four that they have on MLB Pipeline's top 100 list according to the ranking. If that ends up being true, watch out for both Carson Benge and Jett Williams.

NL Central

The Cincinnati Reds have the most top 100 prospects in the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers have are just one behind them, and the remaining three teams in the NL Central are on Milwaukee's backs. 23 percent of MLB Pipeline's top 100 list resides in the NL Central, meaning that not only is it one of MLB's best divisions right now, but it should be for a while.

NL West

Yes, the Los Angeles Dodgers do spend (and defer) lots of money, and that's undoubtedly allowed them to dominate the NL West for over a decade now, but they also do a great job of building from within. Having stacked farm systems consistently allows them to either build around their homegrown talent or use high-end prospects in trades. Having a high-end farm system while also spending money is how teams can have sustainable success.