5 young Cubs players who have answered the call this year, and 3 who haven't

The Chicago Cubs have tapped into their top-heavy farm system this year, and gotten a mixed bag of production from those young players. That's how it goes with prospects, and young players in general.

Let's look at the mixed bag on the North Side roughly one-third of the way through the 2025 season. Some of these guys could be around for years to come, while others are already off the team for their subpar play.

Answered: Pete Crow-Armstrong

Pete Crow-Armstrong came into 2025 with the starting center field job guaranteed to him, thanks to his elite speed and defense. His bat has always been the main question about his game, but he has far exceeded expectations this year.

Through his first 50 games played, the 23-year-old is among the league leaders in WAR (2.9), home runs (12), extra-base hits (27), and RBI (39). Crow-Armstrong is looking like a mainstay in the Cubs' lineup, and he's potentially on track for a 40-home run season, his first All-Star game appearance, a Gold Glove Award, and maybe even an MVP run.

Crow-Armstrong's historic tear began almost immediately after the Cubs offered him an early contract extension reportedly worth around $75 million. Crow-Armstrong rightfully bet on himself, and it's paying off for him so far.

Not: Luke Little

Once positioned to be a weapon in the Cubs' bullpen, 6'8 lefty Luke Little hasn't been able to stick in the majors. The 24-year-old suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last season that derailed what was looking like a promising campaign.

in 2025, Little got a major-league callup in mid-April that ended in disaster. The big lefty surrendered four walks and allowed the Arizona Diamondbacks to score insurance runs in a game that was within the Cubs' grasp when he took the mound. Little will get another chance as he has been impressive with the Iowa Cubs this year, but he needs to prove that he can have that same edge against MLB hitters.

Answered: Porter Hodge

Porter Hodge's inflated 5.12 ERA is deceiving since 17 of his 21 appearances this year have been scoreless outings. The 24-year-old was one of the team's most reliable relievers and the de facto closer before he was placed on the injured list with an oblique injury in late May. This year has been a successful step in Hodge's development as he hasn't shown signs of regression after his breakout campaign in 2024, where he posted a 1.88 ERA and saved nine games. His injury doesn't appear to be serious so hopefully he can get back on track when he returns.

Not: Jordan Wicks

Jordan Wicks has simply been bad this year. The Cubs called up the former first-round pick in April and he only logged two outings before it was abundantly clear he did not have it. In two innings, Wicks surrendered six hits and three earned runs before immediately getting sent back to Iowa. Things haven't gotten much better at Triple-A, where the 25-year-old owns a 4.91 ERA in eight games (seven starts). For Wicks' sake, he needs to start stringing together quality outings before the Cubs think about giving him another shot. Otherwise, other prospects like Connor Noland will jump ahead of him on the tarting pitching depth chart.

Answered: Cade Horton

Right-hander Cade Horton is an example of a guy who has already surpassed Wicks, earning his MLB debut after dazzling Triple-A with a 1.24 ERA in six starts. Horton has allowed a decent amount of traffic (17 hits) in his first three outings, and he's been stung by the long ball with three home runs given up. But the rookie has shown tenacity beyond his years, and he has fought through the damage in each of his outings to give the team a chance to win. The Cubs did win the first three games he appeared in and he looks positioned to keep his rotation spot if he can work on pitching a bit deeper into games.

Not: Gage Workman

Gage Workman took the biggest fall from grace of any Cubs player this year. After stoking unreal levels of hype in the Cubs' orbit during spring training, where he flashed great defense around the field and posted a 1.092 OPS, the young third baseman quickly flamed out in the big leagues. Workman looked severely outmatched at the plate against big-league starters, managing just three hits over 15 plate appearances, and two of them were while a position player was pitching.

Workman also struggled to play good defense despite it being his trademark tool. The 25-year-old was designated for assignment on April 23, and traded to the White Sox where he found similar struggles. After a stint on the injured list with a flexor strain, Workman was also DFA'd by the South Siders and returned to the Detroit Tigers' organization.

Answered: Daniel Palencia

The Cubs finally have a flame-throwing bullpen arm that can throw strikes thanks to Daniel Palencia. The 25-year-old has floated up-and-down between Triple-A and the majors for the last three seasons, but he is making a statement in 2025 so far. Palencia is routinely pumping 100+ mph fastballs in the strike zone, and he owns a 2.16 ERA with 16 strikeouts through his first 15 games.

Palencia was already getting high-leverage work and he earned five holds before Hodge went to the injured list. With Hodge on the shelf and Ryan Pressly untrustworthy in the ninth inning, Palencia has gotten two save opportunities which game in the series against the Marlins in Miami. Although he technically blew the first game, he was able to get two outs and two strikes on the third hitter before inducing a fly ball that probably should have been caught by Kyle Tucker. The blip aside, Palencia has earned the right to be used in high-leverage spots, and his electric velocity gives the Cubs a fireballer the team hasn't seen since Aroldis Chapman in 2016.

Answered: Matt Shaw

Even though Matt Shaw was sent to Iowa for a month, there are positive signs that he is morphing into a solid major league player. Shaw took the demotion with grace and quickly got to work refining his swing so he could come back as soon as possible to contribute. He returned to the Cubs before their recent series with the Marlins, and he collected five hits and two stolen bases against the fish.

The 23-year-old still has a lot to learn, but he clearly catches on fast. He has already turned himself into a solid defensive third baseman despite coming up as a middle infielder. The guy knows what he has to do and he grinds out his goals until they are accomplished. There's a good chance we see Shaw manning the hot corner for a very long time.