Chicago Cubs: A look at farm system strengths amid dire assessments

The Chicago Cubs pulled from their farm system once again this offseason in pursuit of help in the here and now. In the trade to bring over young, team-controlled pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins, they offered up their no. 1 prospect Owen Cassie, as well as two well-regarded infield prospects.

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Last offseason, the Cubs sent off their 2024 no. 1 draft pick Cam Smith in the deal that brought Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.

The loss of high-end young prospects, along with the graduation of recent top-tier Triple-A talent, has left the Cubs’ farm system pretty thin and in a tough spot.

So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the experts and analysts have been dumping on the state of the Cubs organization and their overall standing.

Cubs’ farm system gets grim assessment

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In Baseball America’s recent ranking of MLB farm systems, the Cubs ranked 22nd among the 30 teams. The scary part is that this ranking is actually a more optimistic one than that of ESPN, which has the Cubs organization at no. 25.

There are obvious and logical reasons for this, of course. As mentioned, the Cubs have traded away two high-profile prospects in recent years, as well as a few Top 30 prospects. They’ve also seen guys like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Cade Horton, Daniel Palencia, Miguel Amaya, and Matt Shaw graduate to full-time big league status.

And things are bound to get even worse for the system as current no. 1 prospect Moises Ballesteros is projected to break spring training with the big league squad.

But not everything is doom and gloom when it comes to Chicago’s young talent reserve. There’s still some intriguing talent in the minors.

MLB.com writer Joe Trezza recently looked over the Cubs system and spotlighted the best and brightest prospects in several categories, ranging from overall hitting to various components of pitching.

Hitting, running, fielding, arm

Rated the overall best hitter in the organization is the 22-year-old Ballesteros, who is the Cubs’ top prospect as well as the MLB.com no. 55 prospect in baseball.

The short, pudgy Venezuela native does not look the part of a hitting savant, but he’s excelled with the bat at every level of baseball he’s played, including in his 2025 cups of coffee in the majors, where he hit .298 and sported a .394 OBP in 66 plate appearances.

In the area of power, the 23-year-old Kevin Alcantara is rated the best in the Cubs’ system, despite his general reputation as a more toolsy, athletic three-position outfielder rather than a straight-up power hitter.

Last year in Iowa, Alcantara hit 17 home runs in 379 at bats against a .266 batting average. Although he’s lost some regard among the analysts and has been dropped from most Top 100 prospects lists, there are still many who regard him as a potential top-tier major league talent. According to this listing of prospects, he’s also rated the best overall fielder in the organization.

Middle infielder Jefferson Rojas and first baseman Jonathon Long stand to inherit the top offensive players designation when/if Ballesteros and Alcantara graduate to the major league squad.

When it comes to speed, the Cubs’ no. 19 prospect Brett Bateman gets top honors. The hard-charging outfielder and top-tier contact hitter rates a 70 in the “run” category and has stolen 49 bases in 63 tries over the last couple of seasons. He’s currently at the Double-A level.

A-ball catcher and 2025 Arizona Fall League Breakout Player of the Year Owen Ayers gets the top ranking in the “arm” category. A good offensive prospect, the 24-year-old, according to Trezza, “regularly recorded sub-1.85-second pop times in the AFL.”

Cubs’ minor league pitching

When it comes to pitching, the Cubs get bashed for an apparent dearth of high-end mound prospects, but there’s still some eye-catching talent in the organization.

Top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins (Cubs’ overall no. 2 prospect and no. 58 according to MLB.com) is given props for having the best fastball and slider in the organization. It’s speculated that the 24-year-old could even make his way to the big leagues at some point this coming season.

Brandon Birdsell (No. 8 Cubs prospect), who’s currently recovering from elbow surgery, is rated as having the best control in the Cubs’ system. The 22-year-old Dominick Reid (No. 16 Cubs prospect) is recognized as having the best changeup. The 26-year-old Grant Kipp (No. 17 Cubs prospect) is rated as having the best curveball.

While it can’t be denied that the Cubs farm system has thinned out, it’s not exactly dried out. The fortunate thing is that the major league squad boasts lots of 20-something talent that should be steady at the big league level for awhile as the organization beneath restocks and rebuilds.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-farm-system-top-prospects-2026