As it has been the case the last few years, the Chicago Cubs farm system again ranks near the top of the pack. MLB Pipeline dropped its updated top 100 list on Friday and Chicago wound up with seven of its prospects making the cut. Those seven players were as follows:
- #19 Matt Shaw
- #52 Cade Horton
- #54 Owen Caissie
- #69 Moises Ballesteros
- #73 James Triantos
- #90 Kevin Alcantara
- #97 Jefferson Rojas
The Cubs and Mariners were tied for the most players in the Top 100 with seven each. Chicago had seven heading into the 2024 season as well, with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch removing themselves from that list after playing full seasons with the big-league club.
Infielder Matt Shaw undoubtedly has the easiest path to graduating the prospect list in 2025, as he will more than likely be the Opening Day third baseman when the Cubs take on the Dodgers in Tokyo in March. Cade Horton would be the next closest to graduating the list as he is expected to take a leap and find himself with the big-league club at some point this season.
Owen Caissie made himself widely known after his 2023 World Baseball Classic performance. While a .231 average with one home run aren't the most impressive stats, he showed he could handle major league pitching, striking out just twice in 13 at-bats and finishing with a .748 OPS. Caissie is a bit blocked in the system as Chicago has Kyle Tucker and Ian Happ roaming the corner outfield spots - but the logjam could clear up in the coming years.
It's called the home run hustle. Owen Caissie drives one to deep center for Team Canada! 💪 #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/aRwFhosAjx
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 12, 2023
Ballesteros is knocking on the door of an MLB call-up and could be up early in the 2025 season if Miguel Amaya comes out of the gate struggling at the plate. The offensive-minded backstop hit .289 at Double-A and Triple-A last season and the entire Cubs organization is excited about the potential of Ballesteros and the type of player he could turn into.
The remaining trio of Triantos, Alcantara and Rojas will all more than likely be traded at some point. With a middle infield of Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner, both Triantos and Rojas are blocked from playing time. The same goes for Alcantara as it will be nearly impossible to find playing time in a stacked Cubs outfield.
Not only can some of these players contribute to the big-league roster as soon as this season, but some of the others could also potentially help the Cubs seal a trade for star caliber players that can make this club much better than the mid-80s win team it's currently projected to be.