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

With several Chicago Cubs competing in the World Baseball Classic and the team heading into 2026 with lofty postseason expectations, it's easy to lose track of some of the organization's lesser known prospects.

But there are a handful of exciting Cubs minor league players who could become contributors in 2026. Here are three of them that I am excited to track as we head into perhaps the most exciting Cubs season of the 2020s.

3 underrated Cubs prospects to keep your eye on this year

RHP Jack Neely

Jack Neely has been an intriguing prospect in the Cubs system since they acquired him at the 2024 trade deadline in exchange for big-league reliever Mark Leiter Jr. Although he struggled with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs last year (6.23 ERA in 28 appearances), the 25-year-old has made some noise this spring.

Before he was part of the first round of roster cuts, Neely put together four straight scoreless outings with seven strikeouts, two walks, and no hits allowed. Standing at 6'8 with a powerful fastball-slider combination, Neely has a history of compiling big strikeout numbers. Most notably, he collected a whopping 100 strikeouts during the 2023 season over High-A and Double-A.

Neely has the potential to be a bullpen weapon and a contributor in high-leverage situations. We know he will not begin the year in the majors, but he should be one of the first arms to get the call if/when someone goes down with an injury. Walks have been the main thorn in Neely's side in the past and it remains to be seen if he has worked past that issue. But Daniel Palencia struggled with the same thing before he emerged as a legitimate closer last year, so Neely is a guy that I'm keeping a close eye on early in the season.

LHP Riley Martin

Riley Martin is in a similar vein as Neely, in the fact that they are both high strikeout relievers playing at the Triple-A level who should see time in the Cubs' big-league bullpen this year. The difference is Martin is two years older but still has all of his minor league options left, so we might even see him before Neely this year.

And Martin enjoyed a much more successful season in 2025, logging 63 2/3 innings pitched with a 2.69 ERA and an 80/35 strikeout to walk ratio. Martin has been working his way through the Cubs' system since the team took him 184th overall in the 2021 draft, and this feels like the year where he will finally get a big-league shot.

Like Neely, Martin has also struggled with giving batters free passes (career 14 percent walk rate in the minors). When he gets the call to Chicago, Martin needs to prove he can trust his stuff and throw strikes. He operates with a mid-90s fastball and a power curveball that generates deception. Martin and Neely give the Cubs some solid bullpen depth in the minors who could establish themselves in 2026.

RHP Connor Noland

Connor Noland is a starting pitcher who has logged back-to-back 130+ inning seasons (last year all 27 of his appearances were with Iowa). Noland isn't flashy, as he sports a low velocity fastball and relies on multiple off-speed deliveries. But he's been consistent in his first three seasons as a pro and is a capable arm who can fill out a starting rotation.

While Noland figures to be a lock for Iowa's starting rotation, his path to the majors is pretty murky (at least with the Cubs). The team traded for Edward Cabrera, re-upped their commitment to Colin Rea and brought back Shota Imanaga via the qualifying offer. Javier Assad and Ben Brown are also ahead of Noland on the depth chart, not to mention Justin Steele, who will be returning from his elbow surgery sometime in the first half of 2026.

With all of this in mind, a lot of people would have to get hurt for Noland to get a major league call-up this year. But Noland could be useful at the trade deadline. After the major offseason moves, like trading for Cabrera and signing Alex Bregman, the Cubs proved they are serious about competing this year, and competing teams are always looking to make additions at the trade deadline. Starting pitching is an area of strength for the team right now, so Noland could find himself packaged in a trade if he continues to put up solid numbers in Iowa this season.