MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo released his mid-season list of the top 100 prospects in the game on Friday. The top three prospects in the Cubs’ system ended up in the top 30 on Mayo’s list while two newcomers to the Cubs’ organization also cracked the top 100.
Javier Baez (11), Albert Almora (25), Jorge Soler (30), Kris Bryant (40) and Mike Olt (63) made Mayo’s list and it would not be going out on a limb by saying that Arismendy Alcantara will crack the top 100 on several off-season lists this winter.
The Cubs system is now considered one of the best in baseball. While some, like Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus, thinks the Cubs could have the second best system in the game, Baseball America’s Jim Callis acknowledged on Sunday during Cubs Weekly (720 WGN Radio) with Jordan Bernfield and on Hit & Run (670 the Score) with Barry Rozner and Ben Finfer that the Cubs’ system is at least one of the top five in the game.
To no surprise, Theo Epstein is happy with the additions to the organization over the last month. Epstein said on Friday, “We’re focused on building a healthy productive organization with a robust farm system.” The Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations knows the challenge is now to develop the players, “And make sure they make a positive impact on winning Cubs teams for years to come,” Epstein added.
Jonathan Mayo also updated his top 20 prospects lists for all 30 big league teams. Here is how Mayo thinks the Cubs’ systems stacks up after the midway point of the season.
MLB.com’s Midseason Top 20 Cubs Prospects for 2013
- Javier Baez, SS
- Albert Almora, CF
- Jorge Soler, OF
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Mike Olt, 3B
- Arodys Vizcaino, RHP
- Pierce Johnson, RHP
- Arismendy Alcantara, IF
- Junior Lake, OF/IF
- Matt Szczur, OF
- Dan Vogelbach, 1B
- C.J. Edwards, RHP
- Brett Jackson, OF
- Christian Villanueva, 3B
- Jae-Hoon Ha, OF
- Jeimer Candelario, 3B
- Paul Blackburn, RHP
- Duane Underwood, RHP
- Gioskar Amaya, 2B
- Alberto Cabrera, RHP
The front office has added inventory to a system that was considered rather thin prior to the 2011 draft. Tim Wilken set up the Theo Epstein regime with a solid draft class that netted such players as Javier Baez, Dan Vogelbach, Shawon Dunston Jr., Dillon Maples, James Pugliese and Rock Shoulders in June of 2011. The Theo Epstein–Jed Hoyer front office has added 11 of the players that MLB.com thinks are among the top 20 prospects in the system over the last 21 months.