Dodgers reality brings out pointed message from prized ex-Cubs pitching prospect

The newest rivalry in baseball is brewing between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, though not for any on-field reasons.

Pete Crow-Armstrong instigated some back-and-forth jabs by dissing the Dodgers' casual fanbase. In that same interview, the Chicago center fielder made it clear that he expects his team to dethrone the Dodgers and win the World Series in 2026, setting the stage for a rebuttal from the two-time defending champs.

That retort has come, albeit from an unlikely source. Former Cubs pitching prospect Jackson Ferris — who was shipped to Los Angeles alongside fellow top prospect Zyhir Hope in exchange for Michael Busch and Yency Almonte — took a swipe at his old organization, telling the L.A. Times that getting sent to the Dodgers was "a breath of fresh air."

Jackson Ferris continues trend of former Cubs prospects complaining about organization

“It was cool to see how different things were [after the trade]," Ferris said at spring camp. "The Cubs [are] a great organization, good minor league system and everything, [but] it was crazy to see how different the Cubs are from the Dodgers. The Dodgers are just as good, if not better, at everything in the minor leagues and in the big leagues."

It's not uncommon for players to heap praise upon their new teams while simultaneously airing some grievances about the organization that traded them. Heck, Owen Caissie did it just a few weeks ago after he was shipped to the Miami Marlins in the Edward Cabrera deal. And it's not crazy to defend the idea that the Dodgers, who have won 12 of the last 13 NL West titles, are the best-run franchise in the sport.

But it's clear that Ferris wasn't just lauding his new(ish) digs; this was a pointed complaint about the Cubs, who admittedly have failed to develop top prospects into quality major leaguers in recent years. Crow-Armstrong's emergence as a star last year was a huge win, but that doesn't excuse the struggles displayed by guys like Matt Shaw, Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, Brennen Davis, and Cristian Hernandez.

Meanwhile, Ferris (and Hope) have developed into a bona fide top-100 prospect under the Dodgers' watch. The Cubs' second-round pick in 2022 twirled a 3.86 ERA in 126 innings in Double-A last year, continuing his ascendance as one of the better left-handed pitching prospects in all of the minor leagues.

For what it's worth, the Cubs and Dodgers will have a chance to settle their newfound beef on the field come April 24-26, when the former travels to Los Angeles for a highly anticipated early-season series.