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5 former top prospects for the Cubs who have fallen from grace
The Chicago Cubs currently boast the 12th-best farm system in the league according to MLB's pre-season rankings. This is the best position the system has been in since 2015 when it was first in baseball thanks to top prospects like Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, and Gleyber Torres in the pipeline. In the time between these two prospect-rich eras of Cubs history, there have been many duds that were once thought to become difference-makers at the big league level. Here are five former top prospects in the Cubs system who fell from grace and did not live up to their expectations.
1. Brailyn Marquez
Dominican Left-handed pitcher Brailyn Marquez was first signed by the Cubs as an international free agent in 2015 when he was 16 years old. Once as high as no. 1 on the Cubs' top prospect list, to say Marquez hasn't lived up to his hype is a wild understatement. For one thing, the guy hasn't appeared in a game since 2020 due to myocarditis brought on by COVID infections and a shoulder surgery that has shelved him since June.
At the height of his minor league climb, Marquez was expected to break a concerning streak of the Cubs being unable to fully develop a big league pitcher. The last time the Cubs system churned out a prominent pitcher was Jeff Samardzija, who debuted way back in 2008. Luckily the Cubs pitching infrastructure has passed Marquez by, and there are many other candidates on the way who can buck the trend. There is still time for the young southpaw to salvage his baseball career though, as the Cubs resigned Marquez to a minor league deal. Still young at 24 years old, and with a fastball that touches triple digits and sweeping breaking stuff to go along, there is still time for Marquez to mount a comeback.
2. Cory Abbott
Drafted by the Cubs in the second round of the 2017 draft, right-handed pitcher Cory Abbott was once projected to be a multi-inning reliever or back-of-the-rotation starter. Things didn't quite work out that way, as Abbott hasn't had a good season since 2019 when he won minor league pitcher of the year for the Cubs with a 3.01 ERA in 26 starts. After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season, Abbott came back in 2021 and looked like a shell of his former self. Thinking he was ready to contribute at the big league level, the Cubs added Abbott to the 40-man roster after 2020 and he was promoted to the majors for the first time in June of 2021.
He struggled mightily not only in his seven big league appearances (6.75 ERA) but also in his triple-A Iowa games. In 19 starts for the Iowa Cubs in 2021, Abbott sported an ugly 5.91 ERA over 96 innings, leading to him being designated for assignment before the 2022 season. Abbott is one of the latest examples of the Cubs being unable to develop pitchers while he was constantly projected to be a big-league starter. Luckily his former teammates Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele bucked the trend with their productive emergence last year. Abbott now pitches in the Washington Nationals organization.
3. Miguel Amaya
One of the Cubs' prized international free agent additions in 2015, Catcher Miguel Amaya used to look like the natural successor to Willson Contreras. However, a handful of injuries have limited Amaya from even making it to Triple-A yet. As recently as 2021, the young catcher was ranked third on the Cubs' top prospect list due to his excellent catching ability. People in the Cubs system routinely salute Amaya's skills behind the plate and his framing. If he can stay healthy and improve his hitting, there is still time for the 24-year-old to make an impact on the big league squad.
4. Jen-Ho Tseng
Right-handed pitcher Jen-Ho Tseng was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Cubs in 2013 and is another example of a failed Cubs pitching prospect. Tseng won the Cubs minor league pitcher of the year award in 2017 after posting a 2.54 ERA over 24 starts. But after making it to triple-A Iowa in 2018, things took a turn for Tseng. In 136 innings pitched, Tseng put up a 6.27 ERA. This was the main reason behind his being designated for assignment in April of 2019 and released by the team the following week. In 2021, Tseng entered the mid-season draft in the Chines Professional Baseball League in Taiwan. He now pitches for the Rakuten Monkeys.
5. Brendon Little
A former 1st round draft pick in 2017, Brendon Little has been struggling to find his footing in the system for a while now. Formerly ranked as the organization's sixth-best prospect, the Cubs were expecting him to at least be a big-league contributor at this point. But the left-handed pitcher put up a less-than-desirable 4.29 ERA last year in 50 innings of relief at Triple-A. At 26 years old, time is running out for Little in the now pitcher-heavy Cubs system. As a southpaw, his talents could be useful at the big-league level if he can find himself again.