MLB Pipeline ranks Pete Crow-Armstrong as Cubs top prospect

MLB Pipeline has updated its top 100 prospect rankings for teams across baseball. In addition, they have also updated their list of each club’s top 30 prospects. The Chicago Cubs have three guys among the top 100, including Pete Crow-Armstrong (31), Brennen Davis (51) and Kevin Alcantara (91). This now puts Crow-Armstrong at the number one spot on the Cubs prospect list.

This does not come to much of a surprise. The 20-year-old outfielder and 19th overall pick by the Mets in 2020 MLB draft has had himself a very productive year at the plate and in the field between Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend. He also participated in this year’s Futures Game at Dodger Stadium.

PCA’s rise to the top of the Cubs farm.

Crow-Armstong entered Wednesday’s action with a .303/.369/.522 slash with an .891 OPS, 15 home runs and eight triples in 81 games between Low and High-A. He needed some time adjusting in South Bend after his unreal start in Myrtle Beach, but he is up to a .492 slugging and .793 OPS in High-A. It’s only natural to have to go through adjustment periods when being promoted to a new level.

The number one spot was occupied by Davis for some time. Most of his summer was spent recovering from back surgery after playing in only 22 games in Iowa at the start of the year. The back pain he felt took a toll on his production and it hurt his stock a tad. However, Davis recently returned to playing and is rehabbing in the Arizona Complex League. He is still in the top 100 and the second-ranked prospect in the organization.

As for Crow-Armstrong, he will continue to look to build on the great foundation he has established this year. When the Cubs acquired him last summer in the Javier Baez deal, he was injured and had only played in six Low-A games with the New York Mets organization. The scouting reports were there but a notable sample size of him playing professional baseball was not. This is his true first full year playing professional ball. His raw potential is exciting and hopefully his development will go smoothly as time goes on.

Heading into 2023, it would be ideal to see a clearer picture of potential timelines for some of these top prospects to come up to the MLB level. This includes Crow-Armstrong. Right now he is slated for 2024 per MLB.com.