Known for their awesome charts that detail win probabilities and stats like “value wins,” FanGraphs is wrapping up their ranking of all of the organizations in baseball. And while we can’t always nab the high-priced free agent, Indians fans should be glad to see their team in the top five.
Each team has been graded on four different areas of the organization: ownership, front office, major league talent and minor league talent. All of those in the top five have at least an overall grade of an A-. Coming in fourth overall, the Tribe finished with just that. But the biggest bright spot comes in at the front office level.
Front Office: A+
Mark Shapiro and his gang of advisers set the standard for how a front office should operate. The implementation of DiamondView gave them the ability to combine scouting and statistical data into a resource that could be used at all levels of the organization. They’ve established a fundamental system that works from top to bottom, and explore every area that could give them a competitive advantage. They understand how to value talent, where the inefficiencies are, how to build a roster that works together, and how to sustain winning teams through player development. It’s hard to find any chinks in the armor – the Indians front office is what everyone else aspires to be.
Not bad at all. The other grades are as follows:
Ownership: B
Major League Talent: B
Minor League Talent: B+
It is worth mentioning that the three teams ranked above the Indians are all in the AL East: New York Yankees at third, Tampa Bay Rays at second and the Boston Red Sox as tops overall. FanGraphs says that our mid-market payroll is the only thing keeping us from the top tier. That is somewhat contradicted by putting the Rays ahead of us, but that is easily countered by their across-the-board talent. Regardless, the fact that we’re in the AL Central is definitely a plus and here’s hoping that the team can capitalize on their position.
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Organizational Rankings: #4 [FanGraphs]
