The Chicago Cubs have about a decade invested in turning their farm system into a star-building machine and they’re receiving the accolades they deserve for it.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and his predecessor Theo Epstein worked hard to turn their minors from a feeble endeavor into a well-stocked factory with the kind of positive mindset that produces winning legacies.
And, although that winning legacy has yet to truly emerge, many experts feel it’s just a matter of time before it does. Chicago has gone from being a franchise with one high-end prospect emerging every few years into a system that currently has several potential stars of the future waiting to rush the main stage of the major leagues.
Chicago Cubs Get High Marks For Farm System
Jon Hoefling of USA Today actually ranks the Cubs farm system no. 3 in all of baseball, only behind No. 1 Detroit Tigers and No. 2 Chicago White Sox.
Per Hoefling:
“Top 5 prospects:
INF Matt Shaw
OF Owen Caissie
RHP Cade Horton
C/1B Moises Ballesteros
2B/OF James TriantosWhile the addition of Cody Poteet in the Cody Bellinger trade doesn’t didn’t do much for the Cubs’ farm system, their prospects were already incredible as is.
What’s most exciting though is the fact that each of their top-five prospects as well as others like Kevin Alcantara each have experience in Triple-A, meaning the Cubs have a large wave of young talent headed to Wrigley very soon.”
Maybe Even Better Than Acknowledged?
Some experts actually feel that the Cubs system could very well be ranked higher. They currently have six players in MLB’s Top 100 prospects list– tied for the most in baseball. Most of their high-end prospects, by the way, are in Triple-A, something that means Cubs fans could be seeing them do their thing in Wrigley Field before too long.
And while Double-A and Triple-A are top-heavy with most of the organizational talent, the lower levels of the Cubs system are also well-stocked and well-regarded by experts.
Per MLB.com in their assessment of the Cubs system prior to last season:
“The Cubs haven’t had this much prospect talent since they ranked No. 1 in 2015 with a system that helped them end their 108-year World Series drought the next season. This time around, they have much more pitching depth, which could help them build a longer-term contender. Four of their MLB-high seven Top 100 prospects arrived via trades (Crow-Armstrong, Caissie, Busch, Alcántara), while Horton and Shaw continue to boost their stock since being selected in the first round of the past two Drafts.”
Hoyer and Epstein With The Heavy Lifting
Kudos to Epstein and Hoyer who made some brave trades and shrewd draft picks through the years to stockpile talent and make the fundamental change in a system that was consistently among the worst in baseball.
Hoyer, specifically, has had to make some tough, unpopular decisions in trading away beloved Wrigley stars. His 2021 July sell-off of popular Cubs World Series figures Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez as well as Craig Kimbrel, Joc Pederson, and Andrew Chafin was historic in its boldness. That purge was preceded by the deal in the offseason that sent Yu Darvish to the San Diego Padres for a package that included four quality Padres prospects (among them, Owen Caissie). This was a necessary strategy to re-stock a farm system almost fully depleted at the time, but it wasn’t entirely a popular one.
The fruits of some of those trades are currently on the verge of tries at major league stardom (Pete Crow Armstrong, who came from the New York Mets in the Baez deal, has already earned a starting gig at center field).
The future could be bright in Chicago. At the very least, the farm system is giving them every opportunity to shine.
Follow me on Twitter at @boxing_tribune, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Paul Magno via email at paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com.
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