Alright, so I’ve been digging into the Cubs’ top 30 prospects lately, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride. I started off by checking out what the folks at MLB Pipeline were saying. They just dropped their updated list, and there were some big changes!
First thing I did was scan through their list. Matt Shaw, who plays third base, is now the number one prospect. He bumped pitcher Cade Horton down a spot. Then I went searching for more info on Shaw. Apparently he’s tearing it up in the minors and could be in the majors as soon as 2025. He’s 23 years old and playing at the AAA level. Sounds like a beast!
- Matt Shaw, 3B, AAA
- Kevin Alcantara, CF, MLB
Next, I started looking at some of the other names on the list. James Triantos caught my eye. He’s a 2B/OF, also projected for 2025. Only 21, and he’s already in AAA. Then I saw Jonathon Long‘s name. The dude was drafted just last year and he’s already played in High-A. That’s some serious progress! He’s a first baseman and outfielder, I found some stuff that said he was a three-year starter at Long Beach State. I guess he had good results there.
Some Other Standouts
I spent some time comparing the new list to older ones, and saw that Jefferson Rojas (shortstop) is up to number 11. He’s another one to watch out for, he seems pretty good. I also saw Michael Arias (pitcher) at number 12 and Matt Mervis (first baseman) at number 13.
After that, I took a peek at some fan forums. Some folks were saying Rojas should be higher, and that a couple of other draft picks should be on the list. People seem to be pretty passionate about their prospects! I found out that Cade Horton is actually number 42 on the Top 100 list, which is crazy. He and another pitcher, Birdsell (number 21), won’t be in the Opening Day plans.
Finally, I did a little digging into the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A team. I wanted to know a little about their history, because maybe some of the top prospects will start playing there. Found out that Charlie Root had the most wins in Chicago Cubs history (201 wins!), and Mordecai Brown had 188. It was neat to learn some history while I was looking into the future of the team.
So yeah, that’s basically how I spent my time checking out the Cubs’ top prospects. It’s awesome to see all the young talent coming up through the system. I just followed the names, did some reading, and tried to get a sense of who these guys are. I might not be an expert, but it was fun to try and put the pieces together. I’m excited to see what these guys can do!
