Five Cubs prospects you’ll see at Wrigley Field next season

The Cubs could end up with a wave of homegrown pitching prospects coming to Chicago in 2021.

Kerry Wood debuted for the Cubs in 1998. Carlos Zambrano debuted in 2001. Mark Prior debuted in 2002. If you were a Cubs fan, you couldn’t help but be giddy about the amount of homegrown pitching talent at work in the Cubs rotation and pitching staff in the early days of the millennium.

Fast forward nearly 20 years later and that well has dried up to Saharan levels. It has been well-documented for most of Theo Epstein’s tenure in Chicago, but all that talk and writing hasn’t reversed the truth: the Cubs have not produced very much Major League pitching talent over the past decade. Sure, there were some shrewd trades and free agent signings to bolster and build a great staff over the past six years, but not one major contributor was homegrown.

Despite the dearth of Cubs pitching products of late, that trend may be about to reverse. With several high level prospects knocking on the Wrigley Field doors and a ton of volume down in the lower levels, you’re about to see an explosion of homegrown Cubs pitching talent over the next few years. Some of that will even start this year, as these five guys will be on the Wrigley Field mound in 2021.

Chicago Cubs: Could this guy make his way into the rotation or pen to stay?

After clamoring for his promotion for a large part of the 2020 season, Cubs fans finally got what they wanted when Brailyn Marquez made his big league debut in the last game of the season on September 27 against the White Sox. Sort of, that is.

While the fireballing lefty did indeed make his debut in a Cubs win over their crosstown rivals, Marquez was not sharp despite showcasing many of the tools that had fans drooling over the big southpaw. He gave up five runs and only lasted two innings, but he also hit 99 mph on the radar gun and overpowered and struck out the AL MVP, Jose Abreu, on three pitches.

Marquez will not start 2021 in the rotation or pen at the big league level, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be ready at some point during the season. In fact, with the ability and pitches he brings to the table, the Cubs will almost have to see what he can do again. If we can channel his triple digit fastball and nasty slider, Marquez should be a mainstay on the Cubs staff for the foreseeable future.

Chicago Cubs: An option in the rotation or pen

It feels strange to talk about so many pitchers in a discussion of Cubs prospects, and it’s doubly so because three of the biggest names are all hard throwing lefties who could help the big league club in 2021. After the pair of electric southpaws Marquez and Carraway, there’s also a guy who sits in low 90s as a starter but can also touch 98 mph when needed. Justin Steele.

I’ve written about Steele before, and the same things still apply for the big left-hander. If he can overcome his disappointing 2019 season (that seems eons ago), there’s a chance he can help the Cubs in 2021, probably out of the bullpen. Steele has the stuff and makeup to be a starter, but he probably won’t get that chance right off the bat. He was activated by the big league club in 2020, but never actually saw any time; this should totally change this coming season.

We know from reports coming out of “camp” that guys were doing some solid work in South Bend, working on their tools and honing their craft. If Steele could have done the same things Alzolay did while making the best of a crappy minor league year in 2020, he could be an option for the Cubs in relief right out the chute in Spring Training. If he shows solid command and good stuff, he could be with the big league club most of the year.

Chicago Cubs: Could the Cubs trade Contreras?

The only guy who isn’t a pitcher in my list, Miguel Amaya (and his lack of ability to develop naturally in 2020) might be the biggest question mark coming into Spring Training in a couple months.

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Thought to be headed to Double-ATennessee in 2020, the razed minor league season undoubtedly put a huge crimp in the Cubs plans for Amaya. In turn, it also could have handcuffed them in possible wheeling and dealing with All-Star big league catcher Willson Contreras and even his backup, Victor Caratini. Had Amaya torn up Double-A and moved to Iowa or Chicago, the Cubs may have felt more willing to trade one of their two excellent big league catchers.

Even still, there’s talk that Contreras might be one of the biggest trade chips for the Cubs, so if he goes elsewhere in a trade, Amaya could be pushed a big faster and harder to back up Caratini. If the Cubs go the way of trading Caratini, they’d more than likely get a veteran backup to complement him, thus letting Amaya progress more naturally.

Then again, if the Cubs decide they’re going to hang on to Contreras long term, it could make Amaya disposable. A Top 100 prospect in most prospect lists, a catcher who can hit could fetch something else the Cubs need. One way or the other, it’s a good bet you’ll see Amaya for at least a cup of coffee at some point in the second half of the season.

Chicago Cubs: This guy could be a stud in 2021

If what we witnessed in 2020 was no fluke, the Cubs best pitcher in 2021 might be up for debate. Most would go back and forth between Cy Young runner-up and shoulda-been winner Yu Darvish and the criminally underappreciated Kyle Hendricks. Funny enough, a third guy might be joining their ranks based on his performance.

That third pitcher, who could form a great top three for the Cubs if what we saw was real, is Adbert Alzolay. While Alzolay had been hyped in 2019 (and before) as having killer stuff and being a possible future member of the rotation in the big leagues, his short stint and fade from the spotlight took a little of that shine off. However, he came back to the bigs on August 19th against the Cardinals and put on a show. His innings and starts were erratic until the last week of the season, but there was also talk of Alzolay working on his slider in South Bend.

Fans got to see that work pay off in his last two starts of 2020, as he went nine total innings, only giving up four hits and two runs while striking out 15 against four walks. That’s not a typo- he literally struck out 15 in his last two starts of 2020 in only nine innings. Alzolay should get a shot to crack the rotation out of Spring Training, and if that work on the slider and adjustments are real, Alzolay could have the potential to be just as good as Hendricks and Darvish.

It’s been a while since there was excitement over Cubs pitching prospects, but 2021 could be the year to see multiple guys come up and make a difference.