Chicago Cubs have Baseball America's most talented minor league team

The Chicago Cubs are starting 2025 among the better teams in baseball, currently leading the NL Central with a 9-5 record. The offense has been explosive thanks to good baserunning and the addition of Kyle Tucker, leading them to series wins against the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and Oakland Athletics. Yet, while they stack up well against the other Major League competition, their Triple-A counterpart, the Iowa Cubs, is making an even better impression against other minor league opponents.

Baseball America just released its annual list (subscription required) of the most talented teams throughout any level of the minors to see which organizations have the best concentrations of talent. The list is based on the outlet's preseason prospect rankings, which notably had five Cubs among the Top-100. At the very top of the team ranking was Iowa, carried by the usual suspects of Cade Horton (#54), Moises Ballesteros (#62), Owen Caissie (#64), and Kevin Alcantara (#71). They came out ahead of, among others, a stacked Charlotte Knights team with big names like Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery and the Everett AquaSox, which features MLB's #19 prospect Colt Emerson, among other high-ranking players.

Not content with topping one list, the Iowa Cubs were also ranked #1 on MLB.com's list of best minor league teams, ahead of the same two affiliates in swapped places. As we've seen throughout the offseason, there is a lot of love for what the Cubs have cooking in Triple-A, but this is yet another bold reminder of how much talent there is. No other of the Northsiders' affiliates crack either list, which tracks with the extreme concentration of top talent at the highest level of the minors, but it's nonetheless a good sign for the future.

All four of Horton, Ballesteros, Caissie, and Alcantara are threats to make the roster at some point, too, assuming they get hot and/or injuries occur. It's early, but at least two are off to solid starts to the season. In his first outing, Horton nearly touched 98 mph with his fastball while striking out six and walking four in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Aside from a lack of control, it was an impressive showcase, confirming he's healthy. Caissie's spring injury hasn't slowed him down any either, as he's slashing .269/.367/.538 with one homer so far in 30 plate appearances.

The Iowa Cubs are deeper than their top 100 prospects

If the big names weren't enough, the Iowa Cubs have some serious depth that could soon contribute meaningfully as well. James Triantos, who's a top-100 prospect by MLB Pipeline but not BA, also looks to be a key contributor on the roster while making his own case for a promotion at some point. Iowa also has the Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year Brandon Birdsell, the team's #8 prospect by MLB, on its staff with Horton, making for a potent 1-2 punch.

Add in well-rounded position players with upside like Jonathon Long (#13), Benjamin Cowles (#22), and Christian Franklin (#25), and pitchers with eye-catching tools like Jack Neely (#16), and it further illustrates how the team stands out in MiLB. Even though the Cubs' farm system as a whole doesn't rank as the best — BA placed them at 15th and MLB had them at 8th — and we've previously noted the lack of depth, it is always going to be nice to see experts saying the organization's top-level minor league team is outpacing the competition. That wealth of talent may come in handy for a team that's trying to beat projections and may need quality reinforcements as the year goes on.