Chicago Cubs Prospects of the Week include a potential September call-up

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.450/.476/.1.100 4 2B, 3 HR, 4 R, 6 RBI

Alexander Canario has been one of the hottest hitters not just in Iowa but in the minor leagues as a whole. Returning from injury this season took its toll on Canario as he spent a couple of weeks knocking the rust off but very few players in this system have the kind of pole-to-pole power that Canario does.

If he has another week like this one next week he could find himself in Chicago when rosters expand due to his favorable contract situation as he is on the 40-man roster while the Cubs' other top outfield prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong is not.

Cubs AAA Pitcher of the Week: RHP Caleb Kilian (26 Years Old)

1 G, 6 IP, 1.50 ERA, 6 H, 0 BB, 1R, 7 K

Kilian has had a couple of shots at pitching in the majors the last two seasons and he hasn’t been spectacular. The lowest low likely came earlier this season after a lopsided loss to the Marlins when David Ross said that Kilian was “not ready”. Right now it appears that the prospect sheen has fallen off of Kilian and he’s been passed by Javier Assad, Hayden Wesneski, Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, and potentially new addition Shane Greene as a potential innings eater when rosters expand.

That being said, this week Kilian had a great start and missed bats in a way that he has struggled to do at the highest levels. If he can continue to do that, then he has a legitimate shot at making the September roster to try to get the bullpen some seriously needed rest as the Cubs make their playoff push.

Cubs AA Hitter of the Week: OF Jordan Nwogu (24 Years Old)

.316/.316/.474 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI

Nwogu wasn’t as dominant this week as he was last week but he continued to ride his hot streak. Through July he was hitting just .176/.262/.338 but he’s completely turned that around with a white-hot August.

For the month of August, he hit .276/.345/.579 with six of his 16 total homers for the season. Drafted out of the University of Michigan, it’s taken Nwogu a little bit of time to get used to professional baseball but if he can finish this season strongly then he could be a valuable bench outfielder or trade piece in the next couple of seasons.

Cubs AA Pitcher of the Week: RHP Cade Horton (22 Years Old)

1 G, 5 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K

Cade Horton has been a beast this entire season. He was a player that many scouts questioned because he had a tremendously hot end to his final season at Oklahoma, but he basically came out of nowhere to do that.

The questions that swirled around him were reasonable. Was that strong finish and the subsequent helium worthy of a top-ten draft pick? The answer has been a very loud, unequivocal YES. Horton was great to start the season at Low-A Myrtle Beach putting together a 1.26 ERA over 14.1 innings. He was solid at High-A South Bend with a 3.83 ERA over 47 innings. However, he’s been spectacular at AA Tennessee with a 1.00 ERA over 18 innings with 21 strikeouts. He could be in Chicago before the end of next season.

Cubs A+ Hitter of the Week: SS Matt Shaw (21 Years Old)

.455/.455/.864 2 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B, 5 R, 6 RBI

This is the last week we can write about Matt Shaw tearing up High-A as he was just called up to AA. However, it can’t be overstated just how much he was tearing up High-A. Since being drafted, Shaw has hit .402/.450/.685 with as many extra-base hits (13) as strikeouts. He’s also stolen nine bases and walked at a decent clip.

Matt Shaw may not be Nolan Schanuel, but that’s not due to a talent discrepancy, it’s due to an organizational difference in mindset. If Matt Shaw found himself in the Los Angeles Angels organization I have no doubt that he’d already be with the major league club and he’d likely be an upgrade over what they're sending out in the infield. Luckily for the Cubs, he’s not with the Angels and much like Horton, he could find himself in Chicago before the end of next season at this rate.

Cubs A+ Pitcher of the Week: RHP Yovanny Cruz (24 Years Old)

2 G, 3.1 IP, 2.70 ERA, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 R, 7 K

Yovanny Cruz was solid this week. The Cubs need as many bullpen pieces as they can get that miss bats and can turn in multiple performances per week and Cruz managed to do both of those things this week. He was second on the team in terms of strikeouts but he faced fewer batters than Connor Noland did and also gave up three fewer runs.

There’s a little to be desired when it comes to Cruz’s frame at a reported 6’0 and 180 pounds, that being said there have been smaller pitchers to be successful in the big leagues. The biggest thing that he has going for him is that he’s now a full-time reliever. He’s played in 13 games this year and started zero. When the Cubs were using him as a starter his career ERA was 3.52 and this season he’s at 1.69. There might be something here for the middle innings moving forward.

Cubs A Hitter of the Week: 3B Brian Kalmer (23 Years Old)

.412/.476/.765 2 HR, 6 R, 8 RBI

It would appear the Cubs drafted very well this season. There were three players in the running for the top hitter at Low-A this week and two of the three were players that the Cubs drafted after the tenth round in Kalmer and Jonathon Long.

Neither player is going to impress in the field with their glove work. That being said, the two of them both had an OPS over 1.000 and double-digit home runs. Kalmer still hasn’t reached 100 at-bats as a professional, but he’s carrying a .352/.422/.659 slash line with seven homers. He is someone that could be in AA Tennessee early in the season next year.

Cubs A Pitcher of the Week: RHP Sam Armstrong (22 Years Old)

1 G, 3 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 5 K

Armstrong is another one of the 2023 draftees that the Cubs found after the tenth round. The college pitcher could be a fast-mover and this week he came away with two victories by pitching in the middle innings which will likely be his role as he continues to develop within the Cubs organization.

The thing that great teams have to do is find talent at every possible opportunity. They’ll never have the compensatory picks that small-market teams like the Rays and Cardinals get. They won’t have the deep pockets that the Mets and Yankees have. So they’ll have to find good players and develop them into better players at every possible turn. Hopefully, that’s what they can do with Armstrong by parlaying this strong week into a strong future.

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Cubs AAA Hitter of the Week: OF Alexander Canario (23 Years Old)