Opinions varied throughout the off-season and up to Opening Day about the strength of the Cubs’ system a year after the team graduated Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler to the big leagues. What the Cubs system may lack in impact talent it makes up for in depth. The Cubs have projectable talent at every level of the organization that many evaluators think will play in the majors one day. Theo Epstein maintained even with the promotions that were made last season, … [Read more...]
Ten of Top 175 Players 25-and-Under are Cubs
Baseball Prospectus released a comprehensive list of the best players in baseball 25-and-under. Baseball Prospectus included Major Leaguers and prospects in the ranking. And as would be expected, the Cubs were heavily represented in the list. Few could question the top two players in baseball 25-and-under are Mike Trout (Angels) and Bryce Harper (Nationals). According to Baseball Prospectus, Carlos Correa (Astros), Manny Machado (Orioles), Gerrit Cole (Pirates), Jose Fernandez (Marlins), … [Read more...]
Cubs Weekend Headlines: Hammel and Hendricks Stellar, Defensive Gems, Home Runs and Prospect News
The Cubs were able to get back in the spring win column over the weekend. The Cubs played five games and posted two wins, two losses and a tie. With so much focus at the end of last week on the Cubs win-loss record, Joe Maddon’s team played some of their best ball, at least to this point, of the practice season. Jason Hammel was excellent in Saturday’s win over the White Sox. And Kyle Hendricks was almost as good for four innings in Sunday’s tie at HoHoKam Park. The Cubs offense provided a … [Read more...]
Baseball Prospectus’ Top 10 Cubs Prospects for 2016
Baseball Prospectus released its list of the top 10 prospects in the Cubs system. And as the case with the other major publications, Baseball Prospectus ranked a 19-year old shortstop as the best prospect in the organization. Gleyber Torres is the consensus top prospect in the Cubs’ system. Baseball Prospectus is higher on Eddy Julio Martinez than other publications. And as will be the case with the CCO’s top prospect list, Baseball Prospectus thinks Dylan Cease is the top pitching prospect … [Read more...]
Baseball Prospectus’ Top 101 Includes Six Cubs Prospects
Baseball Prospectus released its ranking of the top 101 prospects in baseball. And for the third straight year, a lot of the young players in the Cubs system landed on the list. Six players from the Cubs system cracked Baseball Prospectus’ Top 101, but not one made it in the top 40. Baseball Prospectus had this to say about the Cubs’ organization, “After graduating Addison Russell, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber in 2015, it would be forgivable if the Cubs system was down a bit this year. … [Read more...]
Baseball Prospectus Ranks Cubs System the Best in the Game
The Cubs completed the sweep Monday when Baseball Prospectus ranked its farm system the best in baseball. Baseball Prospectus released its rankings of the 30 organizations in the game. And the Cubs were ranked No. 1 followed by the Twins, Dodgers, Rangers and Mets. The Cubs system has been viewed as the best in baseball since the mid-season trade with the Oakland A’s due to the best group of hitting prospects that most have ever seen at the same time in one organization. Addison Russell … [Read more...]
Compiling the Cubs Prospect Lists
Prospect lists are interesting to dissect and have become a staple of Baseball’s second season. While focusing on the improvements being made to the big league roster, the prospect rankings provide a glimpse of which players could make an impact at the Major League level in the years to come. Prospect ranking has changed considerably over the last decade. While no one knows who will be the next face of a franchise, a superstar, an average everyday big leaguer or one of the many players that … [Read more...]