Ethan’s Midseason Cubs Top 30 Prospects

By: Ethan Diamond

Ever since the Cubs sold off their core in 2021, and even as far back as the Yu Darvish trade, the team has completely revamped the farm system with the goal of building a new championship core. Now, just a little over three years later, let’s check in and see where the farm system is at with my Top 30 prospects as of Midseason 2024.

INF Matt Shaw (AAA)

I considered both Shaw and Cade Horton for number one, but with Horton’s injury ending his season, I’ve decided to go with Shaw for my midseason 30. He is certainly going to make it tough on Cubs management this offseason when deciding Nico Hoerner’s future, as I think the only spot that makes sense for Shaw is second base. Nico brings the better defense, but Shaw brings the better bat, which might be more important for the Cubs at this current state of the organization.

RHP Cade Horton (AAA – IL)

Horton losing the rest of his season is disappointing, but I’m at least glad it won’t be a long-term issue. There’s even a chance he could get an opportunity to play in the Arizona Fall League, but the better approach may just be to prepare him for major league time next season. I’m a firm believer that they should take the Justin Steele route to his development next year, letting him get some bullpen work in the majors first before moving him to the rotation in order to manage his innings.

C Moises Ballesteros (AAA)

If it wasn’t for the defensive concerns, Moises Ballesteros would easily be my number one prospect. I’ve been a Moises Ballesteros Truther for years now, and I would love to see him get some action in the big leagues this season. There’s no question his bat is going to be impactful in the bigs, but the Cubs need to pour as many resources as they can into developing Moises into a quality defender behind the plate. His defense has certainly improved, but it needs to continue getting better in order for the team to feel confident that he’s their guy long-term behind the plate.

OF Kevin Alcantara (AAA)

I certainly believe Alcantara is the Right Fielder of the future. His tools are legit, and he has a great argument to be higher on this list. A lot of people overreacted to a very poor start to his season, but outside of that two-week stretch, he has been phenomenal. He already has a 40-Man roster spot, and if Cody Bellinger opts-out this offseason, you could see him fight to be the Opening Day Right Fielder next year. If his tools fully develop, Alcantara could be the answer to the question of who will be the Cubs superstar player.

OF Owen Caissie (AAA)

Caissie’s power is legit. The problem is he still strikes out way too much. His defense is not excellent like PCA or Alcantara, but he could stick at a corner outfield spot (likely Left Field once Ian Happ leaves). Given his trends throughout his career, I don’t know how much better he will get at cutting down his strikeout numbers. But if he’s hitting the baseball onto Sheffield, so be it.

INF/OF James Triantos (AAA)

Triantos is a guy that the Cubs really may not have a spot for. Despite his ability to play multiple positions, he really isn’t a good defender at third, and the middle infield slots already have too much depth. There’s no denying his bat-to-ball skills are some of the best in the organization, but there just may not be a spot for him. He’s likely trade bait going forward, but if a spot opens up in the corner outfield, he may get an opportunity to pounce on it.

INF Cam Smith (Low-A)

The first of three drafted players on my list, Cam Smith was a first round pick for a reason. He produces a lot of high exit velos, and he plays good defense over at third base. He also cut his strikeout percentage by a significant margin with Florida State in 2024 largely thanks to some swing adjustments. Once Isaac Paredes leaves in a few years, that 3rd Base job is likely going to Smith.

INF Jefferson Rojas (High-A)

Rojas has some serious potential as a four to five tool player, but we’re going to have to see it develop more before I can rank him higher on my list. He has showcased good plate discipline in his time in the system, but other aspects of his game (such as power) need to start to show itself more. He is still only 19 and playing in High-A, so I’m not super concerned. Hopefully we’ll get a breakout year next year that vaults him towards the top of this list.

RHP Jaxon Wiggins (High-A)

Wiggins has had a great year in his first season of professional ball. Coming off of Tommy John, he’s gotten his velocity back to normal and has showcased good stuff in both Myrtle Beach and South Bend. He’ll be the number one pitcher in the system when Cade Horton graduates next year, possibly being a Top 100 prospect himself by the time that comes around.

OF Alfonsin Rosario (Low-A)

Rosario has already displayed great exit velocities for his age. The Cubs 6th Round Pick from last year can mash the baseball, but falls into the same trap as Owen Caissie in the sense that he strikes out way too much. When you factor in his above-average fielding and running skills, he should propel up the prospect rankings in the next few years if he is able to develop his hit tool and his plate discipline. He’s one of the biggest sleepers in our organization at the moment, I would buy stock in him now.

INF Fernando Cruz (DSL ROK)

Though he was our biggest international signing in years, I can’t rank Cruz higher until we’ve actually seen him over in the states. At the time of writing, he only has 22 games of DSL action under his belt, and he’s been pretty mediocre. But his potential in all areas of the game land him a spot just outside the Top 10, though we likely won’t even see him until after Dansby Swanson’s contract is done. By then, he should be ready to take over at Short for us.

OF Christian Franklin (AA)

Franklin has enjoyed a great season, though his long-term outlook on this team is kind of bleak given the amount of high-level outfield depth we have. Right now, he is likely a fourth outfielder or trade bait. If some other guys get moved, a spot could open up for Franklin long-term. He’s cut down his strikeout numbers quite a bit since returning from his injury that knocked out his 2022 season. We’ll probably have a better idea of his future roadmap in the organization at this time next year.

INF Crisitan Hernandez (High-A)

Crisitian Hernandez is finally breaking out after being signed as one of the top international prospects in 2021 and drawing comparisons to Alex Rodriguez. After a few years in Myrtle Beach, he finally earned a promotion to South Bend this season after posting a 133 wRC+ across 94 games in Low-A. If he continues to develop well, he could reach the prospect status he once was at back in 2021 and 2022.

LHP Drew Gray (High-A)

Gray returned from Tommy John surgery last year, and is currently pitching in High-A ball. He’s displayed good strikeout stuff, but he has a serious issue with walking batters. He’s been cutting down his walk numbers in recent outings, but he needs to continue with that or else he’ll run the risk of heading to the bullpen, which honestly might not be the worst thing in the world.

RHP Brody McCullough (AA – IL)

McCullough has had his 2024 season marred by injuries, but the 2022 10th Round pick still has shown pretty good potential in his action since getting drafted. The hope is that he can come back next year and get back on track in his development (potentially even reach the majors). Right now I project him as a backend rotation or leverage bullpen arm, similar to a guy like Porter Hodge. We’ll just have to wait and see where he goes from here.

RHP Brandon Birdsell (AAA)

If a starting pitcher goes down long-term, the guy that would probably replace him would be Birdsell. He’s been at AAA for a little while now, and is knocking on the door of a major league callup. He primarily throws two pitches, a Slider and a Four-Seam Fastball, but he also mixes in a Changeup occasionally. He gets a lot of chase and whiffs primarily on his slider, as he doesn’t blow hitters away with his fastball. Long-term, he is probably a 4 or a 5, or even a long-relief bullpen arm depending on who the Cubs want in the rotation.

RHP Will Sanders (High-A)

Sanders brings with him a true starter, four pitch arsenal that he’s had success with this season. I expect him to continue to rise up my rankings in the coming seasons, eventually cementing himself as the number two starting prospect in the system behind Wiggins.

INF Pedro Ramirez (High-A)

Ramirez profiles as a kind of all-around player. He’s a switch hitter who has pretty strong bat-to-ball skills. He isn’t exceptional at anything, but he is good at pretty much everything. He doesn’t have super great power (10-15 homers a year), but he should profile well as a depth option at infield who could work his way into a quality major league starter role.

INF Cole Mathis (ACL ROK – IL)

Mathis was recently announced to be undergoing Tommy John surgery, likely ending his 2024 pro season before it even got started. Mathis is a corner infield, though he would only be able to get work at First Base next year due to his injury. It is more likely that they’ll use him as a DH at the start of next year. Mathis is a great hitter with some pretty strong power, and will focus on improving that area of his game solely heading into next year.

RHP Jack Neely (AAA)

Neely is a big league ready relief arm, there is just no room to add him to the team right now. My guess is he gets called up in September to help out the bullpen, which is bound to have some fatigued arms by that point. Acquired in the trade for Mark Leiter Jr., Neely will be Rule-5 eligible this offseason and will need protection anyways. He brings two strong pitches in his fastball and slider, generating a lot of whiffs and a lot of strikeouts. He could be in the mix to be the closer next year as that spot is currently up for grabs.

INF Alexis Hernandez (Low-A – DL)

The younger brother of 13th ranked Crisitan Hernandez, Alexis has potential if the Cubs can develop his tools. He’s had a quiet year in Myrtle Beach, and currently finds himself on the developmental list. I originally was going to have him higher, but his poor year slipped him down on my rankings. He’ll need to come back strong in order to avoid falling further, perhaps even off the list entirely.

RHP Michael Arias (AAA)

After being transitioned into a reliever role and protected from last year’s Rule-5 Draft, Arias found himself still a year away from making the big leagues. The shortstop turned pitcher has displayed his good strikeout stuff, but needs to start limiting walks to earn a call-up.

INF Angel Cepeda (ACL ROK)

Another toolsy player, Cepeda is still young in his development as he is only 18 years old and in Complex ball. He should head up to Myrtle Beach next year to begin his Pro ball career after impressing in both the DSL last year and the ACL this year. He’s playing at all spots on the infield, and should be a versatile player in the future when he reaches his potential.

INF Luis Vazquez (AAA)

After earning a brief call-up to the bigs this year, Vazquez was just activated off the IL down in Iowa after missing some time. It is really hard to see him carving out a long-term spot on this roster, and may wind up being used as trade bait. He only got a single AB in the majors, and I would like to see more, but it’s hard with Swanson, Hoerner, and Paredes all taking up everyday spots in the bigs.

RHP Nico Zeglin (High-A)

Statistically speaking, Zeglin is going to be in the conversation for Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year. In 20 games, he has posted a 6-0 record with a 1.22 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 51.2 innings pitched. He likely projects as a middle reliever long-term, but his great season earns him a spot on the list.

INF Jonathon Long (AA)

It’s hard to ignore the season Jonny Long is having, as he’s homered 12 times with a .837 OPS across High-A and AA this season. His numbers keep getting better in Tennessee, and it may be time to start thinking of him as a legit prospect. Definitely one to watch for the rest of this year and next year.

RHP Nazier Mule (Low-A)

Mule returned from Tommy John surgery this season, and he turned his focus from a Two-Way Player to pitching only. He’s still building up his velocity, so he’s only going to continue to improve in the coming years. Through 10 Low-A starts, he’s posted a 3.27 ERA in 33 innings, though he has walked more batters than he’s struck out. That is going to need to change as he climbs his way through the minors if he wants to remain as a starter.

OF Brett Bateman (AA)

Bateman is a pure contact-speed hitter with very little power. He recently earned a promotion to AA after posting a 125 wRC+ in High-A across 359 Plate Appearances. Keep in mind, he only homered once in South Bend, going to show how well he was able to make contact, get base hits, and just get on base in general. I project him as a future fourth outfielder, a guy that will pinch hit and run a lot in late game situations.

INF Ronny Cruz (ACL ROK)

Yet another toolsy shortstop, Cruz is the final player from this draft to make my Midseason 30. The Cubs love these types of players, and hope Cruz could develop into a shortstop of the future if the other guys they have don’t work out. He’s only 17 as of the time of writing, and will take years to reach the majors. Being this raw of a player, it will be fun to watch his development across the next few seasons.

INF Eriandys Ramon (Low-A)

All Ramon has done this year is rake. His most recent game at the time of writing, he went 4 for 4 with all four hits being doubles. On the year he has hit .353 with a .985 OPS, and those numbers are even better in his few games at Myrtle Beach as he’s hit .419 with a 1.245 OPS. I’m not sure if this is a fluke run or if he’s legit, but for now let’s enjoy his season and hope he continues to improve and solidify himself as a legit future big-leaguer.

The Next 10: INF Ty Southisene, INF Haydn McGeary, RHP Erian Rodriguez, INF BJ Murray, RHP Frankie Scalzo, INF Benjamin Cowles, INF Ed Howard, INF Derniche Valdez, OF Brennen Davis, RHP Caleb Kilian

Image Credit: Marquee Sports Network