3 sleeper Chicago Cubs prospects nobody is talking about ahead of Opening Day

2. Yahil Melendez

Jumping down 14 spots from Wiggins finds one of his 2023 draftmates, Yahil Melendez, who gives plenty of reason to be intrigued as well. Taken in the seventh round out of Puerto Rico at just 17 years old, the left-handed swinging shortstop turned down several college scholarships, including one at Texas' Rice University, to join the Cubs fresh out of high school. That may have been a worthwhile choice as he started to show what he was capable of last year in Rookie Ball.

In 218 plate appearances at the ACL, Melendez posted a perfectly solid .268/.394/.425 with three home runs, 13 doubles, and three triples with 11 stolen bases in an offense-heavy league. A strikeout rate over 28 percent kept him from being a more consistent hitter, but at just 18, that's already a respectable start. Moreover, with a 6-foot-3 frame, he has a lot of room to grow into even more power as he spends time in the minors. He's already received some praise for his loud contact, and his raw power has been rated with a future value of 50.

There are many more questions to be asked about Melendez than Wiggins. The biggest thing he'll have to address in the coming years is his strikeout rate, considering he has a noted problem both with chasing outside the zone and swinging through pitches in the zone, leading to a contact rate of only 63.3 percent.

After splitting time at shortstop and third base last season, there are also concerns about where his final defensive home will be. Nonetheless, he has the look of a prospect that, while not close to the majors, has a lot of promise and could pop with some time and growth. 2025 will be his biggest test yet as he likely takes on Low-A for the first time.