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5 underrated prospects - Ezequiel Pagan
After spending all of 2022 in Myrtle Beach, Ezequiel Pagan put up solid numbers as an outfielder, slashing .292/.366/.443/125 wRC+ with 11 HRs, 68 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases in 104 games. That mark was good enough to send him to High-A South Bend to start the 23 campaign, where he has been nothing short of impressive thus far through 47 games and 205 plate appearances.
This season, Pagan is slashing .328/.385/.425/134 wRC+. His BABIP of .381 is much higher than last year's mark of .317. He is currently enjoying the best offensive stretch of his young career. Being drafted in 2018 at the age of 17, Pagan will have all of this year and next year before the Cubs will have to worry about deciding his 40-man roster status due to rule 5 draft eligibility.
If he keeps hitting for high contact and average, he will soon force the front office to promote him to a higher level. Further improvements could be focusing on slightly better numbers defensively, where he currently owns a .957 FPCT (3% below MLB average) between all three outfield spots this year.