Who's the Worst Franchise in Baseball? Not Us!

Keith Law from ESPN announced his 2009 organizational farm system rankings (ESPN Insider password required) this week, and the minor league system of your Washington Nationals ranked 29th out of 30 MLB franchises, ahead of the Houston Astros. This is awesome! What a coup for the Nats.

So what does this 29th place ranking mean? A number of things, actually:

#1) "The Plan" is working

A lot of people were down on Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden for the so-called "Plan" to allow the major league team to stink for a few years while the franchise focused on replenshing its stable of minor league prospects. Those people are wiping egg off their faces today. When the Nationals first came to Washington DC, their farm system was widely viewed as the worst in baseball. Today -- a mere four years later -- it's now the second-worst in baseball. Deal with that, haters.

#2) We didn't really need Aaron Crow after all

Nationals critics were angry last summer when the team failed to sign their #1 draft pick Aaron Crow. The Nats were the only team not to sign their first round pick. Is it possible that Jim Bowden knew something that all you idiots didn't? Sure looks that way now! Bowden knew he was sitting on a 29th place farm system, and thus didn't need to cave in to the ridiculous demands of the top-ranked right-handed pitcher in last year's draft. Who caves in to demands like that? Teams with a last place farm system, that's who. Next year, when Aaron Crow winds up drafted by the Houston Astros he's going to be crying, "Boo hoo! Why am I in such a bad farm system!", and Nats fans everywhere are going to be like, "Because you didn't sign with a 29th ranked farm system when you had the chance, loser!"

#3) The Nationals are going to be climbing out of the cellar real soon

Many people were upset by the Nationals losing 102 games last year and finishing with the worst record in baseball. That's right, we were 30th out of 30. But not for long! If these prospects all pan out, the Nationals are just a few years away from being the 29th best team in the major leagues. How is that going to feel? Awesome! And then all those people who dropped their season tickets this year are going to be so angry that they gave up on this team. What a bunch of fair weather fans.

#4) We don't need to cave in to the salary demands of Adam Dunn or anyone else

Tom Boswell of the Washington Post says the Nationals will have to pay extra for free agent talent like Adam Dunn, because "the worst teams always pay a premium". Well, maybe the Nationals would have fallen into that category five years ago, but not anymore. If Mr. Dunn wants a few million dollars extra to play for a bad team, then he can go talk to the Astros. If he wants to play for a team that is only two or three years away from surrounding him with middling Major League talent, then he can gladly accept market rate to come to Washington. Otherwise, who needs him? Not the Nats. Not when Mr. Nick Johnson is only a few weeks away from being able to hit off a tee.

#5) It was a mistake for Major League Baseball to put a team in Houston

It's hard to admit this, because we all thought Houston was going to be a great baseball town, but MLB owners never should have put a franchise in Houston. The Astros have been given every opportunity including a new stadium, and they respond with a 30th ranked farm system? That's an insult to their own fans and to baseball fans everywhere. Hopefully, before the Astros are contracted, they can learn a few lessons from the Nationals management about how to put a franchise on a strong and long-term path to success.

#6) It's time to celebrate

Sure, we may be a couple more years away from reaping the ample bounty of our 29th ranked farm system, but Nats fans should go ahead and celebrate. All together now!