Breaking down the top prospects in the Chicago Cubs organization

Chicago Cubs: Christopher Morel, 3B/SS – No.13

Finding a spot for Christopher Morel was difficult, however sliding him in at number 13 in the pipeline feels fitting. Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $800,000 as part of Chicago’s 2015 international class, Morel has shown an ability to continuous improvement.

In his first two seasons with the organization, Morel spent time in Rookie ball. In his first year, 2017, Morel slashed just .220/.332/.359 with an alright .343 wOBA and 105 wRC+, respectively. The next year was even worse for Morel.

The 20-year-old slashed .216/.264/.299 between Rookie ball and Class-A Short Season Eugene. To touch on how bad he was at Eugene, Morel finished with a .177 wOBA and 4 wRC+ in a 25-game span.

It is funny how progress plays out, however. In a surprising turn of fate, Morel suddenly seemed to put it all together in 2019. Moving up the pipeline for some reason, to South Bend, Morel slashed .284/.320/.467 with six home runs, 31 RBI, a .359 wOBA, and 124 wRC+.

Impressively, Morel also lowered his strikeout rate from 31.2 percent while at Eugene to 21.6 percent at South Bend. A shift that nobody expected, Morel showed what he is capable of moving forward.

Like Franklin, Morel has more years to develop into a solid contributor. If 2019 was any sore of sign to come, both Morel and the Cubs should be excited moving into the future. Keep an eye out for Morel in case he follows his encore up with an equally impressive performance.