Introducing RosterResource’s MiLB Power Rankings Leaderboard!

RosterResource’s MiLB Power Rankings were first developed in 2015 and have been displayed on the team depth charts ever since. Given that those depth charts feature a section called “Minor Leaguers You Should Know,” it was important that I come up with a formula that would allow me to identify the players having the best statistical seasons, with age and level integral factors.

Having the rankings visible on the depth charts has been a helpful feature, but I have often been asked by readers for a link to a non-existent leaderboard. If you’ve asked me about it, I’m sure I said something to the effect of, “We don’t have one right now. It’s at the top of my wish list. Hopefully in the near future.”

Well, I’m happy to announce that the day has finally arrived. RosterResource’s MiLB Power Rankings Leaderboard is here. And, thanks to Sean Dolinar and Keaton Arneson, it is spectacular.

In my experience, following these rankings can help determine who the fastest-rising prospects will be. For instance, Luis Matos, Andrew Abbott, and Emmet Sheehan were all in the No. 1 spot at various points during the season prior to being promoted to the big leagues.

Want to know who is making a case for a big league call-up? Use the filters to show the top-ranked players in Triple-A from the last seven, 14, or 21 days. The rankings are also a valuable tool as we approach the trade deadline. Since teams aren’t always willing to part with top prospects for a rental, they’ll often trade away lesser-known prospects who are having terrific seasons and, as a result, can be shopped at potential peak value.

In addition to a leaderboard tutorial, I’ll be explaining these rankings in detail in an upcoming episode of The RosterResource Show on Twitch. The exact day and time are TBD, but the video will be added to this article afterwards.

How are the rankings determined?

The formula favors position players who display power, speed, and plate discipline, and pitchers with high strikeout rates and a low ERA and WHIP. It doesn’t overvalue counting stats and it doesn’t undervalue rate stats. And, most important to what makes these rankings unique, the formula gives more points for being at the higher levels and fewer points for being older. So a 21-year-old in Double-A will be ranked much higher than a 23-year-old in High-A even if they have the exact same stats.

I couldn’t tell you exactly how the formula ended up where it ended up other than that, after lots of adjustments, the rankings seemed about right based on the stats that I felt translated best to the player’s potential to reach the big leagues. I wasn’t happy until there was a good balance between batters/pitchers and levels, and there weren’t many examples of me wondering why a certain player was ranked higher or lower than another.

While the balance between batters/pitchers and levels has been consistent throughout the years, I have noticed a recent shift towards it favoring position players and higher-level prospects in 2023. As a result, I will consider adjusting the formula if this trend continues. As of now, it’s the same formula as it was in 2015.

What information is included in the leaderboard?

Every minor leaguer who has appeared in a game during the displayed season (2023, 2022, 2021) can be found on the leaderboard. Here’s a list of what else is included:

• You can filter by Season (2023, 2022, 2021), Team, Time Frame (Last 7 days/14 days/21 days), Hitters/Pitchers, and Level (AAA, AA, A+, A, CPX).
• TEAM shows current team, even for 2022 and 2021. For example, Robert Hassell III is listed with the Nationals in 2021 even though he was with the Padres during that season.
• AGE shows a player’s age as of June 30 of the displayed season.
• POS (position) shows either how I listed them in the offseason — i.e. 3B/1B/LF means they play third base the most, followed by first base and left field — or, in some cases, their position(s) in the current season. I try to make sure those at the top of the rankings have their position accurately listed, but I can’t keep up with thousands of players.
• LEVEL shows current level, although it won’t show a promoted player’s updated level until they have played a game with their new team. For example, Frank Mozzicato is listed in Low-A even though he has been promoted to High-A. Once he makes his debut with High-A Quad Cities, his level will show as A+ the following day.
• PA/IP at each level. This is the default stat view, which allows you to see which levels they’ve played in 2023. PA or IP at multiple levels is common for highly-ranked players, since they’re more likely to have been promoted in-se