Mariners Top MiLB Overall Standings, Nationals Bring Up The Rear

Two weeks into the season, we're already getting a sense of where teams are around the minor leagues, as well as organizations.

It's good news for the Mariners, who have the best combined record among minor league teams as well as the best run differential in the minors (the difference between a team's runs scored and runs allowed).

The best team in the minors so far has been Seattle's High-A Everett affiliate. The Mariners club lost two of its first four games but has rolled off eight straight wins since then. The AquaSox have the minors’ best winning percentage (.833) and the minors' best run differential (+57). The team is impressively filled with prospects as well, led by outfielder Julio Rodriguez, shortstop Patrick Frick and a pitching staff of Brandon Williamson, Emerson Hancock, George Kirby and Levi Stoudt.

It's also good news for the Indians, who have four teams with winning records in the minors as well as an MLB team with a winning mark. Low-A Lynchburg is the top performing Indians' farm team. The Hillcats' 9-3 record is tied for third best in the minors and the club's +53 run differential is second best in the minors.

The Yankees (led by Scranton and Tampa's 9-3 starts), Orioles (who have three teams with eight or more wins) and Rangers (led by Down East's 9-3 start) all have a winning percentage over .600 for their four minor league teams.

At the other end of the spectrum, it's been a very rough start for the Cardinals (which do not have a farm team with a winning record) and the Mets (which have an 8-4 St. Lucie team but also three teams with four wins or less).

But the roughest start by far has been that of the Nationals farm teams. Washington's .250 combined winning percentage is significantly worse than anyone else and its -148 run differential is exactly double the next worst team (St. Louis). High-A Wilmington is 6-6, but Washington's other three teams are all far below .500. Double-A Harrisburg is 4-8. Triple-A Rochester is 2-10.

And Low-A Fredericksburg is easily the worst team in the minors over the first two weeks of the season. Fredericksburg is the only team that remains winless (0-12), and its 33 runs scored are fourth worst in the minors (Harrisburg's 29 runs scored are worst). Fredericksburg's 121 runs allowed are easily the worst in the minors so far, and its -88 run differential is also the minors' worst.

To put that in perspective, Fredericksburg is losing by 7.3 runs per game. In the course of the season so far, Fredericksburg has finished six innings with a lead and has been tied for another six innings. It trailed in 96 innings.

25 Players Standing Out To Scouts In 2023 Spring Training

Here are 25 players scouts believe are primed to take a step forward in 2023 based on what evaluators are seeing in spring training.