The 2016 Minor League season began Thursday afternoon with the Hartford Yard Goats topping the Richmond Flying Squirrels, 5-4, in the Yard Goats' inaugural game. Fans can follow their favorite prospects' progress, tracking them throughout the 2016 season via MLBPipeline.com, Prospect Watch and MiLB.TV.
Of the prospects on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list to start the season, four -- No. 1 Corey Seager (Dodgers), No. 2 Byron Buxton (Twins), No. 14 Steven Matz (Mets) and No. 34 Robert Stephenson (Reds) -- were on Opening Day big league rosters (Buxton graduated from the list after his first game). Four in the Top 100 are in extended spring camp awaiting assignment, one is serving a suspension and five are on the disabled list. The remaining 87 have been assigned to Minor League rosters in full-season leagues that are getting started this week. A complete look at where the Top 100 prospects are starting the season appears at the end of this story.
Where baseball's top prospects are starting the season
Stacked levels
The 2015 season was known as the Year of the Rookie, and it's hard to imagine that this year's crop of prospects will approach that kind of impact. But the breakdown of the Top 100 list shows that there could be a pretty solid pipeline to the big leagues. Of the 87 full-season participants, there are 35 on Triple-A (Pacific Coast and International leagues) rosters, and the return of Jose DeLeon (Dodgers) and Kyle Zimmer (Royals) from the disabled list could push that to 37. Double-A (Eastern, Southern and Texas leagues) is next with 25, while the Class A Advanced level (California, Carolina, Florida State leagues) has 20 of the Top 100. The first full-season rung, Class A (South Atlantic, Midwest) accounts for seven.
Teams on TV
The MiLB.TV package will provide more than 5,000 games streamed live, as well as archived games for on-demand viewing. All 30 clubs have at least one affiliate in the package. With so many Triple-A players in the Top 100, it's a good thing that all 30 Triple-A teams' home games can be watched live.
On Opening Day alone, you can watch No. 13 prospect Blake Snell (Rays) take the mound for Durham against No. 46 Tim Anderson (White Sox) and Charlotte. One of the best one-two punches on any Minor League team is the Rangers' Joey Gallo (No. 8) and Nomar Mazara (No. 17). They should be in Round Rock's lineup against Iowa and the Cubs' dynamic duo of Willson Contreras (No. 49) and Albert Almora (No. 85). Reds top prospects Jesse Winker (No. 33) and Jose Peraza (No. 70) suit up for Louisville in Toledo.
New faces
There are many prospects getting used to a new organization -- those who arrived via trade or are members of the 2015 Draft class making their full-season debuts.
Of those who were traded, no one ranks higher than No. 7 prospect Dansby Swanson. He's also, of course, the No. 1 pick from last year's Draft, making his full-season and organizational debut in the Class A Advanced Carolina League. Fellow Braves acquisition Sean Newcomb (No. 20) heads to the Double-A Southern League for his org debut. Sticking with the Braves theme, No. 55 Aaron Blair came with Swanson in the Shelby Miller deal and will be a part of Triple-A Gwinnett's rotation. The Phillies were also very busy on the trade market and will welcome in Mark Appel (No. 69) when he throws for Lehigh Valley for the first time.
Swanson is far from the only 2015 draftee in the Top 100 making his full-season debut. The No. 2 pick in the Draft, Alex Bregman (Astros), is among the most advanced, with the No. 21 prospect starting 2016 in the Double-A Texas League. No. 37 prospect Carson Fulmer (White Sox) will also start the year in Double-A, in the Southern League. Six others from the Class of 2015 broke camp with full-season clubs. Andrew Benintendi (Red Sox) and Tyler Jay (Twins) will be in the Class A Advanced Florida State League, while Ian Happ (Cubs) will be at the same level, but in the Carolina League. Brendan Rodgers (Rockies) will be in the South Atlantic League, while Astros prospects Kyle Tucker and Daz Cameron will be teammates in the Midwest League.
On the shelf
Two of the five injured Top 100 Prospects are on the Major League disabled list: Colorado's Jon Gray (abdominal) and the Dodgers' Frankie Montas (rib). Austin Meadows (Pirates) will head to the Double-A Eastern League once his orbital bone heals. DeLeon (ankle) will be with Triple-A Oklahoma City and Zimmer (shoulder fatigue) will be join him in the Pacific Coast League with Omaha.
Here is where all of the prospects on the current Top 100 list are beginning the year.
1. Corey Seager, LAD -- Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)
2. Lucas Giolito, WAS -- Harrisburg Senators (AA)
3. Julio Urias, LAD -- Oklahoma City Dodgers (AAA)
4. J.P. Crawford, PHI -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA)
5. Orlando Arcia, MIL -- Colorado Springs Sky Sox (AAA)
6. Yoan Moncada, BOS -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
7. Dansby Swanson, ATL -- Carolina Mudcats (A Adv)
8. Joey Gallo, TEX -- Round Rock Express (AAA)
9. Tyler Glasnow, PIT -- Indianapolis Indians (AAA)
10. Trea Turner, WAS -- Syracuse Chiefs (AAA)
11. Brendan Rodgers, COL -- Asheville Tourists (A)
12. Alex Reyes, STL -- Suspended
13. Blake Snell, TB -- Durham Bulls (AAA)
14. Steven Matz, NYM -- New York Mets (MLB)
15. Lewis Brinson, TEX -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
16. Rafael Devers, BOS -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
17. Nomar Mazara, TEX -- Round Rock Express (AAA)
18. Jose Berrios, MIN -- Rochester Red Wings (AAA)
19. Austin Meadows, PIT -- Altoona Curve (AA) -- DL
20. Sean Newcomb, ATL -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
21. Alex Bregman, HOU -- Corpus Christi Hooks (AA)
22. Franklin Barreto, OAK -- Midland RockHounds (AA)
23. Jose DeLeon, LAD -- Oklahoma City Dodgers (AAA) -- DL
24. Andrew Benintendi, BOS -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
25. Bradley Zimmer, CLE -- Akron RubberDucks (AA)
26. Clint Frazier, CLE -- Akron RubberDucks (AA)
27. Gleyber Torres, CHC -- Myrtle Beach Pelicans (A Adv)
28. Ozhaino Albies, ATL -- Mississippi Braves (AA)
29. Jorge Mateo, NYY -- Tampa Yankees (A Adv)
30. Aaron Judge, NYY -- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA)
31. Brett Phillips, MIL -- Biloxi Shuckers (AA)
32. Jon Gray, COL -- Colorado Rockies (MLB) -- DL
33. Jesse Winker, CIN -- Louisville Bats (AAA)
34. Robert Stephenson, CIN -- Cincinnati Reds (MLB)
35. Dillon Tate, TEX -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
36. Raul Adalberto Mondesi, KC -- Northwest Arkansas Naturals (AA)
37. Carson Fulmer, CWS -- Birmingham Barons (AA)
38. Anderson Espinoza, BOS -- Greenville Drive (A)
39. A.J. Reed, HOU -- Fresno Grizzlies (AAA)
40. Francis Martes, HOU -- Corpus Christi Hooks (AA)
41. Anthony Alford, TOR -- Dunedin Blue Jays (A Adv)
42. Brent Honeywell, TB -- Charlotte Stone Crabs (A Adv)
43. Max Kepler, MIN -- Rochester Red Wings (AAA)
44. Manuel Margot, SD -- El Paso Chihuahuas (AAA)
45. David Dahl, COL -- Hartford Yard Goats (AA)
46. Tim Anderson, CWS -- Charlotte Knights (AAA)
47. Ryan McMahon, COL -- Hartford Yard Goats (AA)
48. Josh Bell, PIT -- Indianapolis Indians (AAA)
49. Willson Contreras, CHC -- Iowa Cubs (AAA)
50. Dominic Smith, NYM -- Binghamton Mets (AA)
51. Jeff Hoffman, COL -- Albuquerque Isotopes (AAA)
52. Michael Fulmer, DET -- Toledo Mud Hens (AAA)
53. Jameson Taillon, PIT -- Indianapolis Indians (AAA)
54. Jake Thompson, PHI -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA)
55. Aaron Blair, ATL -- Gwinnett Braves (AAA)
56. Jorge Lopez, MIL -- Colorado Springs Sky Sox (AAA)
57. Javier Guerra, SD -- Lake Elsinore Storm (A Adv)
58. Gary Sanchez, NYY -- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA)
59. Tyler Jay, MIN -- Fort Myers Miracle (A Adv)
60. Josh Hader, MIL -- Biloxi Shuckers (AA)
61. Grant Holmes, LAD -- Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (A Adv)
62. Victor Robles, WAS -- Hagerstown Suns (A)
63. Nick Williams, PHI -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA)
64. Kyle Zimmer, KC -- Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA) -- DL
65. Cody Reed, CIN -- Louisville Bats (AAA)
66. Braden Shipley, ARI -- Reno Aces (AAA)
67. Sean Manaea, OAK -- Nashville Sounds (AAA)
68. Amir Garrett, CIN -- Pensacola Blue Wahoos (AA)
69. Mark Appel, PHI -- Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA)
70. Jose Peraza, CIN -- Louisville Bats (AAA)
71. Archie Bradley, ARI -- Reno Aces (AAA)
72. Luis Ortiz, TEX -- High Desert Mavericks (A Adv)
73. Kyle Tucker, HOU -- Quad Cities River Bandits (A)
74. Daz Cameron, HOU -- Quad Cities River Bandits (A)
75. Ian Happ, CHC -- Myrtle Beach Pelicans (A Adv)
76. Duane Underwood, CHC -- Extended spring camp
77. Erick Fedde, WAS -- Potomac Nationals (A Adv)
78. Amed Rosario, NYM -- St. Lucie Mets (A Adv)
79. Jack Flaherty, STL -- Palm Beach Cardinals (A Adv)
80. Willy Adames, TB -- Montgomery Biscuits (AA)
81. Christian Arroyo, SF -- Richmond Flying Squirrels (AA)
82. Trent Clark, MIL -- Extended spring camp
83. Cornelius Randolph, PHI -- Lakewood BlueClaws (A)
84. Hunter Harvey, BAL -- Frederick Keys (A Adv)
85. Albert Almora, CHC -- Iowa Cubs (AAA)
86. Gavin Cecchini, NYM -- Las Vegas 51s (AAA)
87. Billy McKinney, CHC -- Tennessee Smokies (AA)
88. Kolby Allard, ATL -- Extended spring camp
89. Forrest Wall, COL -- Modesto Nuts (A Adv)
90. Nick Gordon, MIN -- Fort Myers Miracle (A Adv)
91. Hunter Renfroe, SD -- El Paso Chihuahuas (AAA)
92. Bobby Bradley, CLE -- Lynchburg Hillcats (A Adv)
93. Alex Jackson, SEA -- Extended spring camp
94. Frankie Montas, LAD -- Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) -- DL
95. Jorge Alfaro, PHI -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA)
96. Jorge Polanco, MIN -- Rochester Red Wings (AAA)
97. Reese McGuire, PIT -- Altoona Curve (AA)
98. Roman Quinn, PHI -- Reading Fightin Phils (AA)
99. Matt Olson, OAK -- Nashville Sounds (AAA)
100. Cody Bellinger, LAD -- Tulsa Drillers (AA)