The organization with the fourth best record in the Major Leagues also has the fourth best farm system in baseball according to MLB Pipeline.
Jim Callis updated the organizational rankings Friday to reflect the changes that have taken place since the beginning of the season. In-season call-ups and both additions and subtractions at the trade deadline changed farm systems throughout the game.
The Cubs’ system was considered by most tops in baseball before Spring Training. Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber are now producing in the majors and have helped the Cubs to a 66-48 record, the fourth best in the majors, in mid-August.
Jim Callis ranked the Cubs’ system fourth best in baseball behind the Red Sox, Dodgers and Rockies. According to Callis, the Twins, Pirates, Phillies, Astros, Rangers and Yankees round out the top 10.
For now, Kyle Schwarber is considered the No. 1 prospect in the Cubs’ system. Schwarber will soon lose his prospect status but the organization will remain one of the deepest in baseball with projectable, impact talent throughout the organization.
Kyle Schwarber, SS Gleyber Torres, OF Billy McKinney, OF Albert Almora Jr. and OF Ian Happ are considered by most publications the top position player prospects in a system that now features several young arms in the lower levels.
RHP Carl Edwards Jr., RHP Duane Underwood Jr. and RHP Pierce Johnson lead the first wave of pitching in the Cubs’ system according to Callis with RHP Dylan Cease, LHP Carson Sands, LHP Justin Steele and LHP Bryan Hudson being part of a second wave that is currently in A-ball and in the Rookie League.
MLB Pipeline posted a midseason update to the Cubs prospect ranking at the end of July. Here is how the Cubs’ system stacked up …
Cubs Top 30 Prospects – Midseason 2015
Final Ranking for 2014 and Pre-Season 2015 Ranking in Parenthesis (NA – Not Available, NR – Not Ranked)
- Kyle Schwarber, C/OF (6, 5)
- Gleyber Torres, SS (14, 7)
- Billy McKinney, OF (7, 9)
- Carl Edwards Jr., RHP (5, 4)
- Duane Underwood Jr., RHP (19, 8)
- Albert Almora Jr., OF (3, 6)
- Ian Happ, OF/2B (NA, NA)
- Pierce Johnson, RHP (8, 10)
- Donnie Dewees, OF (NA, NA)
- Mark Zagunis, OF (NR, 18)
- Willson Contreras, C (NR, NR)
- Dylan Cease, RHP (NR, 21)
- Dan Vogelbach, 1B (9, 16)
- Eloy Jimenez, OF (12, 12)
- Bryan Hudson, LHP (NA, NA)
- Justin Steele, LHP (NR, 17)
- Jen-Ho Tseng, RHP (13, 11)
- Carson Sands, LHP (18, 14)
- Corey Black, RHP (16, 20)
- Jeimer Candelario, 3B (11, 15)
- Jake Stinnett, RHP (NR, 13)
- Christian Villanueva, 3B/1B (17, 24)
- Victor Caratini, C (10, 19)
- Rob Zastryzny, LHP (NR, 23)
- Darryl Wilson, OF (NA, NA)
- Trevor Clifton, RHP (NR, 29)
- Jacob Hannemann, OF (NR, 22)
- Daury Torrez, RHP (NR, 25)
- Jeremy Null, RHP (NR, NR)
- Ryan Williams, RHP (NR, NR)
• Baseball America’s Midseason Top 10 Cubs Prospects
• The CCO’s Top 20 Cubs Prospects Update
As Theo Epstein said, the Cubs might not have the top system in the game any longer but the organization is considered to be one of the best in the game. MLB Pipeline’s latest ranking just confirms Epstein’s statement.