Chicago Cubs farm system stands alone in latest MLB Pipeline rankings

Before the 2024 season, the Chicago Cubs led every club in the number of prospects appearing on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects List with seven. The outlet has updated its list a little over a month into the season and the Cubs now somehow have even more representation on this list, while also leading the NL Central in wins.

The players on the list appeared as follows:

• 15. Pete Crow-Armstrong (Previously: 16)
• 19. Cade Horton (Previously: 26)
• 37. Owen Caissie (Previously: 47)
• 44. Matt Shaw (Previously: 54)
• 54. Kevin Alcantara (Previously: 65)
• 61. James Triantos (Previously: 73)
• 94. Moises Ballesteros (Previously: N/A)
• 98. Jefferson Rojas (Previously: N/A)

Cubs system continues to churn out impressive depth at every level

The player that was on the list previously and no longer appears is Michael Busch because he’s exhausted prospect eligibility on his way to a potential Rookie of the Year campaign for the big league club. The former Dodgers farmhand carries a 121 OPS+ into this week's series against Atlanta, a major improvement in production from the first base position for the Cubs.

Pete Crow-Armstrong is obviously in the majors right now and will likely fall off of this list by the next time it comes up, but there’s still plenty to like here. We’ve argued that Cade Horton could not only alleviate the need to trade for a starter at the deadline, he could also slot into an outside-of-the-box way to solve the Cubs’ bullpen conundrum. 

Owen Caissie, Matt Shaw and Moises Ballesteros have all been on our Prospect of the Week lists at some point this season, and Ballesteros actually received the distinct honor of being named the most likely player in the Cubs’ system to be their top prospect in 2026. 

Kevin Alcantara and James Triantos have also been exceptional this season and in Double-A Tennessee they actually had a game in which both players hit two home runs each. Finally, Jefferson Rojas is one of just 20 teenagers on the list and has as much upside as anyone in the entire system.

Beyond these eight players, there is still plenty to look forward to in the system such as recent IFA signing Fernando Cruz, the Hernandez brothers who are tearing it up in Low-A Myrtle Beach right now and a two-way standout making his return from injury. 

The present is fantastic at Wrigley right now, but the future may be even brighter.