Chicago Cubs: After deadline moves, prospects are again the focus

Chicago Cubs Prospects:  Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong

Pete Crow-Armstrong is a phenomenal pickup for the Chicago Cubs moving forward.  Crow-Armstrong was drafted 19th overall in the first round of the 2020 draft right out of high school. Sliding himself into the #6 spot on the Cubs’ prospect rankings upon arrival, it’s easy to see why. He was off to a fantastic start this year in Low-A Southeast, slashing .417/.563/.500 in a small sample size of six games before a torn labrum in his shoulder required season-ending surgery.

When he returns next season, I’m willing to bet he will be in Double-A Tennessee before the year’s up. First round picks straight out of high school are first round picks for a reason; their ceiling is astronomically high. Once healthy it will be extremely exciting to see what this kid can do.

Chicago Cubs Prospects:  Pitcher Bailey Horn

The left-hander was taken in the fifth and final round of last summer’s shortened MLB draft by the White Sox following a standout season at Auburn. In 2020,  Horn put up a 3-1 record with a 2.08 ERA in 17 innings pitched with a remarkable 14 strikeouts per nine innings. Had he had a chance to showcase that more before the 2020 college season was cut short, he would most likely have been drafted higher with a longer run of consistency.

Moving on to Low-A ball with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, the 23-year-old from Waco, TX continued to roll with a 1-2 record and 2.63 ERA over 27 1/3 frames across six games started and a pair of relief appearances, fanning 10.5 per nine. Moving up to High-A for the Winston-Salem Dash, he seems to have lost control a little, pitching to the tune of a 13.09 ERA in only six appearances, four of which were starts but maintaining a 10.6 strikeouts per nine mark.

The struggles have mainly come from a lack of control, walking a batter an inning – evidenced by a 2.091 WHIP in his time in High-A. Given the success he has shown in the past, he’s far from a lost cause. However, being 23 in High-A,, he will have to figure it out as quickly as possible if he wants to see big league action at a reasonable age. The potential, though, is very much there.