With the additions of INF Addison Russell and OF Billy McKinney to the Cubs organization, MLB Pipeline posted an update to its list of the top 20 prospects in the Cubs’ system. MLB Pipeline’s ranking is not a mid-season list of the best young players in the organization and does not include OF/C Kyle Schwarber.
According to MLB Pipeline, the top three prospects in the Cubs system are Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Addison Russell with Albert Almora and C.J. Edwards rounding out the top five. Billy McKinney was inserted as the ninth best prospect in the Cubs’ system.
Duane Underwood (19) and Jen-Ho Tseng (20) cracked the top 20 when MLB Pipeline updated the Cubs list early last month.
The mid-season player and system rankings are expected to be released in the coming days. Baseball Prospectus’ list of the top 50 prospects in the game posts Monday morning and Baseball America’s went to print Thursday.
The Cubs will be ranked as the best minor league system in the game in Baseball America’s mid-season list and Kris Bryant will take over the top spot in the system. Kris Bryant will be ranked as the second best prospect in the game in BA’s mid-season Top 50 with Addison Russell fifth and Javier Baez two spots behind Russell at number seven.
MLB Pipeline’s current ranking of the top players in the Cubs’ system should see quite a bit of change with the struggles this season of Jeimer Candelario and Christian Villanueva. The two third basemen were demoted after struggling early in the season. Kyle Schwarber should be ranked within the top 10 and both Duane Underwood and Jen-Ho Tseng should find their way back on the list.
OF Eloy Jimenez and SS Gleyber Torres are off to good starts in their professional career.
The 17-year old Eloy Jimenez is 6-for-14 in four games for the AZL Cubs with two doubles, a triple and a home run (.429/.429/.929/1.357). And the 17-year old Gleyber Torres is 13-for-40 in 10 games with the AZL Cubs that includes a triple, a home run and as many walks (8) as strikeouts (8). Torres has a .325/.429/.450 line with a .879 OPS.
Mike Olt and Neil Ramirez were on MLB Pipeline’s pre-season ranking of the Cubs system.
MLB.com’s Top 20 Cubs Prospects
- Javier Baez, INF
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Addison Russell, INF
- Albert Almora, OF
- C.J. Edwards, RHP
- Jorge Soler, OF
- Arismendy Alcantara, INF/OF
- Pierce Johnson, RHP
- Billy McKinney, OF
- Arodys Vizcaino, RHP
- Jeimer Candelario, 3B
- Dan Vogelbach, 1B
- Christian Villanueva, 3B
- Eloy Jimenez, OF
- Paul Blackburn, RHP
- Kyle Hendricks, RHP
- Corey Black, RHP
- Jacob Hannemann, OF
- Tyler Skulina, RHP
- Gleyber Torres, SS
- MLB.com’s Pre-Season Top 25 Cubs Prospects
- MLB.com’s Ranking of the Cubs Top Prospects – April 2014
- MLB Pipeline Updated Cubs Top 20 Prospect List – June 2014