Chicago Cubs: Five prospects set to break out in 2015

5. Duane Underwood, RHP

The Cubs drafted Duane Underwood as a fresh-faced 17-year-old in the 2^nd round of the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft. The right handed pitcher had mild success in rookie league and short-season A-ball his first two seasons, before really bursting on to the scene at Low-A last year.

The now 20-year-old Underwood is a big (6-foot-2, 205 pound) right-handed pitcher with electric stuff. In 21 starts and one bullpen appearance in the Midwest League last season, Underwood pitched 100.2 innings with 84 strikeouts and 36 walks. He posted an impressive 2.50 ERA and 1.202 WHIP in his first full professional season.

Underwood has the raw ability to be a great pitcher. His fastball that sits between 94-97 is his best pitch at the moment, but he also features a curveball that shows a ton of potential. Underwood mixes in a changeup at times, but that pitch needs a lot of work before he can make a real push for the big leagues.

The fastball alone is an intriguing pitch, and his curveball has a ton of movement. Underwood clearly has great pure stuff, but the knock on him has always been the lack of control and command. That being said, most pitchers straight out of high school struggle to locate their pitches are in their careers, and Underwood showed a lot of improvement with his control late last season.

The Cubs will likely send Underwood to High-A Myrtle Beach to start the season, where he will pitch in the traditionally pitcher-friendly Carolina League.

Expect Underwood to have a lot of success in the pitcher-friendly league, and if he develops his changeup and keeps his control in order, a call-up to Double-A later in the season is certainly possible.

Underwood will be a very young player at High-A, and if he shows improvement, his stuff could carry him on a fast track as a top prospect and to the big leagues.

4. Eloy Jimenez, OF

The Cubs landed an incredible crop of intriguing young prospects in international free agency in the summer of 2013. They blew past their budget and landed a nice crop of potential future stars.

Eloy Jimenez was considered by most to be the best prospect in that 2013 international free agency class, and the Cubs signed him to a $2.8 million signing bonus as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic.

Jimenez is a potentially dynamic outfielder with good athleticism and strong raw power. Now 18-years-old, Jimenez is listed at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds. While he struggled a bit at the Arizona Rookie League last season, his tools still flashed enormous potential.

He is a smooth fielding outfielder with a strong arm and above-average running speed. At the plate, Jimenez is very inconsistent at his young age. He needs to learn how to work the count better, and there is too much swing and miss to his game.

That being said, when Jimenez does make contact, it is almost always with authority. He has a quick swing that generates a lot of line-drive power, and as he grows up and fills out, more power is expected to come.

Jimenez did struggle last season hitting .227/.268/.367 in 150 at-bats, but it is important to keep in mind that he was a 17-year-old playing in the United States for the very first time. It is very fair to expect a learning curve in this scenario.

Jimenez is a potentially dynamic player who could rocket up the prospect charts with a strong 2015 campaign. Expect him to return to Arizona for the Rookie League to start next season, but if he shows improvement, he could easily be in line for a call-up once the Low-A short season begins.

3. Billy McKinney, OF

Probably best known as the “other guy” in the Cubs mid-season trade with the Oakland Athletics last year where they acquired Addison Russell, Billy McKinney is a talented prospect in his own right.

McKinney was drafted out of high school as a first round pick (24^th overall) by the A’s in the 2013 draft. He is a smooth swinging outfielder, who has played some center field, but is likely best suited as a corner outfielder.

He does not have elite-level speed or power, but McKinney is at least average in both of those departments. His value comes from advanced contact abilities and great strike zone recognition. He also does a great job of pitch recognition, and is a productive hitter with two strikes.

McKinney did struggle a bit in High-A last season hitting .264/.354/.412 with both the Cubs and A’s. However, he did perform better after being traded (.301/.390/.432 in 210 at-bats) and did play in a pitcher-friendly league.

McKinney is a very patient hitter, whose discipline and contact abilities will likely carry him to the big leagues. He will probably start the season at Double-A, where he will be very young for the league at 20-years-old.

While playing with the Cubs’ major league team in Spring Training, McKinney has already had a hot start to his season. With his advanced abilities as a hitter, I expect McKinney to perform well at Double-A, and become a highly ranked prospect as the year goes on.

2. Gleyber Torres, SS

Another prospect who came to the Cubs in the International Free Agent spending binge of 2013 is shortstop Gleyber Torres, who was commonly considered to be a top three prospect in that class.

Torres’ skills are not as obvious as Jimenez’s, but his are much more refined. Torres is a slick-fielding shortstop who has great instincts and makes all of the routine plays. He does not have a ton of range or a very big arm, so a move to second base could be in his future. If that were to happen, Torres would have gold glove caliber upside at second base.

Similarly to McKinney, Torres is a very savvy hitter who has a great control over the strike zone. He is a very patient hitter, which is extremely rare and encouraging for an 18-year-old player.

Unlike Jimenez, Torres made a very smooth transition to the states as a rookie last season. He hit .279/.372/.377 in 183 plate appearances in the Arizona Rookie League before getting called up to short season A-ball at the very end of the season.

Against impressive competition for a 17-year-old player, Torres hit an incredible .393/.469/.786 in seven games at short season. Obviously, a very small sample size, but hitting that well at such an advanced level for his age was extremely impressive.

Torres will likely start the season as the starting shortstop for the South Bend Cubs at the Low-A level. That is an impressive feat itself as an 18-year-old who is just one short year in to his professional career.

Torres may not have the massive upside of some other prospects in the Cubs’ system, but he is an incredibly professional hitter at a premium position. Expect him to rise quickly up the top prospect lists throughout this season.

1. Albert Almora, OF

Mar 7, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Albert Almora (78) scores a run in the ninth inning of a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. The Cubs won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Probably the most known player on this list is Albert Almora, who was drafted out of high school by the Cubs with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft.

Almora is a defense first prospect, who scouts claim could handle center field in the major leagues right now. Despite only having above average speed, Almora uses incredible defensive awareness and instinct in the outfield to give him great range in center field. He also has a fairly strong, and very accurate throwing arm.

To go along with the great defensive skills, Almora is an impressive contact hitter who can make consistent line drive contact. His power skill is average, but there is a little bit of upside there as well.

Almora was considered to be a top prospect by most heading in to last season, but he struggled with the bat in 2014 (.270/.291/.392), causing him to slip down most lists.

The biggest knock on Almora is his lack of patience at the plate. The guy can make contact with pretty much anything, but instead of waiting for a good pitch that he can drive with hard contact, all too often Almora chases a ball that causes him to make weak contact.

He spent most of 2014 in High-A, before getting the call to Double-A late in the season. He will likely start this year at Double-A, with a call to Triple-A certainly possible if he improves his pitch selection.

This is big year for Almora to get back on track. He must learn to sit back and wait for a good pitch to hit, instead of always swinging at “pitcher’s pitches” even though he can make contact on them.

Almora is a smart player, who has shown the ability to make adjustments in the past. I fully expect him to make the necessary adjustments and have a strong season in the minor leagues, which will quickly move him up amongst the best prospects in all of baseball.

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