Chicago Cubs face harsh reality via Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list

The Chicago Cubs seem pretty much set for 2026. Roster holes have been filled and questions have been sorted out. The additions of Alex Bregman, Edward Cabrera, and four free agent relievers to restock a depleted bullpen have left fans satisfied that all the heavy lifting ahead of the 2026 season has been done.

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There’s still some fine tuning to be done, though, as the bench (especially at outfield) could be fortified and, as is always the case, there can never be too much pitching.

All in all, barring unforeseen injury or setback, the Cubs will confidently be going to war with the crew they currently have. Time will tell if it’s enough to get them to a championship or even to a deeper playoff run than last season.

But what about the future?

Cubs’ weak showing in Top 100 prospects list

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Baseball America’s recently released list of the Top 100 prospects in the sport doesn’t paint a very positive picture of the team’s future. In total, the Cubs only have two prospects in the top 100– C/DH Moises Ballesteros (no. 36) and RHP Jaxon Wiggins (no. 78).

The lack of Cubs representation shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise, considering the top-heavy status of the team’s farm system and the fact that many of their top prospects have graduated to the majors over the last two seasons (with Ballesteros likely to make the big league squad this season and a possibility of Wiggins doing so at some point in 2026 as well). There’s also the Cabrera trade with the Miami Marlins, which featured former Cubs top prospect Owen Caissie.

Chicago did, however, have three prospects named among Baseball America’s “20 MLB Prospects Who Just Missed The 2026 Top 100” (SS/2B Jefferson Rojas, OF Ethan Conrad, and OF Kane Kepley). OF Kevin Alcantara and 1B Jonathon Long also got at least one vote apiece from the publication’s rankings panel.

The outlook for the future

Still, the Cubs’ dearth of high-level prospects and a thinning out of the previously deep Triple-A class has to be troubling for the big-picture. Some of the draining of the farm system can be traced to trades for Kyle Tucker and Edward Cabrera the last two seasons, which cost the team no. 1 draft pick Cam Smith and projected major league starting right fielder Caissie. At the trade deadline last season they dealt their Nos. 13 and 14 prospects, SS Ronny Cruz and OF Christian Franklin, to the Washington Nationals for swingman Michael Soroka, who was injured and IL-bound just two innings into his Chicago debut.

The scary part for the Cubs is that the lower levels of the organization look to be even thinner in talent than the thinned-out Triple-A level.

But…on the bright side…

Not everything, though, is as “doomy and gloomy” as it may appear to be on paper.

The Cubs are stacked with 20-something talent at the major league level that should be around for years to come, such as Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Cade Horton, Daniel Palencia, Matt Shaw, Miguel Amaya, Cabrera, and Ballesteros. Wiggins, meanwhile, might just be a tweak away from making the big league roster. There’s time to restock the farm system with savvy draft selections and imported prospects via trade.

If they somehow find themselves out of contention this season, it’s a guarantee that they would move at least some of their veteran talent on expiring contracts (like Jameson Taillon and Nico Hoerner) for choice prospects.

But while there’s no need to worry too much about the Cubs’ immediate future right now, the front office does needs to focus on refilling a farm system well that has been pumped almost dry.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-face-harsh-reality-via-baseball-americas-top-100-prospects-list