He has the smooth actions, footwork and athleticism to be an above-average defensive SS while possessing the tools at the plate to hit for average and power.
On the Fall Leagues biggest stage, 14th-ranked @Cubs prospect Caleb Kilian was lights-out.
Max EV in 19? Brennen Davis, OF, 22, AAA The potential plus plus hit-tool is the calling card for Triantos, but he will need to make a bit more impact on the baseball to reach the next echelon in terms of future value. Koen Moreno, Yeison Santana, Ronnier Quintero, Dominic Hambley. Drafted in the 3rd round last summer, Gray is a projectable lefty who blew away rookie league hitters in limited action. Bryce Ball 1B (Double-A): Acquired from the Braves in the Joc Pederson trade, Ball has taken his offensive game to the next level in 2022. Herz has also handed out free passes at a 14% clip, but continues to see his stuff tick up. As Alcantara continues to fill out, he will be able to produce impact with less movement which should make things easier for such a large hitter.
8. 3 starter, but he has a great chance of being a really solid back-of-the-rotation arm who should be able to churn out plenty of quality starts and eat innings.
Alfonso Rivas, 1B/OF, 25, MLB As a result, Pinango surpassed his home run total from the entire 2021 campaign in just 28 games this year.
When the Cubs selected Wicks 21st overall in 2021, even they knew that it was unlikely for the left-handed pitcher to become a frontline arm. James Triantos, 2B/3B, 18, Rookie (ACL) Hes a long way away from the majors, but the sky is the limit for Hernandez.
Daniel Palencia, RHP, 21, Low-A
As a group of prospects to watch, many of these players boast good upside and youth. Solid contact rates through the minors have helped him climb quickly, but now Pinango is getting better at picking his spots to fire those big-time hacks. Age: 19 | Height/Weight: 61, 195 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round (56) 2021 (CHC) | ETA: 2024. Christopher Morel, 3B/OF, 22, AAA Again, trying to project a prospect as raw and early in his development as Hernndez is extremely difficult, however the skillset and ahead-of-his-years polish make the 18-year-old a surefire top-100 prospect and one of the names we are most excited to follow in 2022. If he regains his form, he could move quickly as a reliever as hes already on the 40-man roster. Pinango is a fascinating hitter to watch. Herz was named the 2021 Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year striking out over 40% of batters faced which is almost unheard of. He also generates crazy bat speed, but his pitch selection and bat control are whats holding him back. Triantos is a high probability big leaguer, but a low probability all star. Even with his wiry frame, Alcantara has hit baseballs over 110 miles per hour on several occasions in the early going of 2022, including a 113 MPH homer. Espinoza is an intriguing story. Six of the Cubs twenty draft picks from this summer showed out well enough where they couldnt be ignored. A strike-thrower who has a knack for missing barrels, Kilian should anchor the back of the Cubs rotation for years to come.
Cory Abbott, RHP, 26, MLB
And like Howard, he finished the year strong hitting .317/.336/.462 over his last 149 PAs. In 2021, Hernandez swiped 21 bases in 24 tries in the DSL, for what that is worth, but stolen bases should be a part of his game at any level given his speed and quickness.
The fact that Alcantara has been able to keep his strikeout rate somewhat in check during his first season outside of the Complex League has to be extremely encouraging for the Chicago Cubs brass. 21.
Jordan Nwogu, OF, 22, Low-A Ed Howard SS (High-A): Elite defensive potential and snippets of offensive ability have been overshadowed by injuries and inconsistency for Howard. Thats 21 new prospects added that were top 50 worthy. 44. Pablo Aliendo, C, 20 High-A 1. Big time physical projection and a pretty good feel for the strike zone, Caissie has immense offensive upside, especially in the power department. A Syracuse University grad, Aram hosts the "The Call Up" podcast centered around MLB prospects. However, both concerns are currently still valid. And Herz could exceed scouts expectations as well.
What became abundantly clear rather quickly was the fact that PCA has a bit more to him than many were giving him credit for around the time he was traded straight up for Javier Bez. by who?? The Cubs are on top of what their looking for in their personnel.
After a breakout 2021, injuries and a back surgery in May stifled Davis momentum in the early goings of 2022. Kilian will attack hitters with variations of his fastball which has jumped from low-90s to mid-90s. Contact point up. 49. Early in Davis career, youll also see an armsy swing that doesnt incorporate his lower half very much. He dominated at times in both AA and AAA while being just 21 years old.
27. But they do have a wealth of knowledge gained and passed down over decades. Cristian Hernndez is ahead of his years in a lot of aspects, especially at the plate. Cole Roederer, OF, 22, High-A Last, Chicago is looking for impact players that could help the team reach the World Series. That means pitching fewer innings, which obviously means becoming a reliever.
Took open side video from two Nelson Velazquez home runs: 2018 with @EugeneEmeralds and yesterday with Mesa (credit to @jnorris427). Age: 20 | Height/Weight: 511, 170 | Bat/Throw: L/L | IFA: $400K 2018 (CHC) | ETA: 2024. His two main plus tools (left-handed power and arm strength) are still evident. This is another reason scouts currently project him winding up as a reliever eventually. Despite a powerful and sometimes violent swing, Triantos has an amazing ability to get the barrelhead on time exactly where he wants it. As he increases his wrist and forearm strength, his bat control could take a leap forward.
Most scouts see him eventually coming out of the pen.
While not a devastating out pitch, Wicks utilizes it well thanks to his impressive feel to pitch and savviness in mixing up his secondaries. He saw his FB velocity jump into the mid-90s at points this season with projection remaining.
Triantos best defensive tool is his arm as the former high school pitcher was clocked as high as 96 mph on the bump. Owen Caissie, OF, 19, Low-A His hit tool is his best attribute.
Age: 20 | Height/Weight: 66, 190 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $1M 2018 (NYY) | ETA: 2024. An 8th round pick in 2019, Kilian had a breakout season in the Giants organization seeing a jump in velocity into the mid-90s and an improved cutter to go along with already plus command. The synergy of Hernndezs upper and lower half along with his present feel for the barrel provide plenty of optimism that the Cubs prospect can hit the ground running once he makes his debut stateside.
He was a highly regarded prospect last year. Ben Leeper, RHP, 24, AAA An above-average arm is just the icing on the cake for a guy who should command the outfield as well as anyone in the business once he gets to the big leagues. If he does not slow down too much due to filling out, Alcantara has the ability to stick in center field and be at least an average defender out there. But as Yohendrick moves up and faces more advanced pitching, hell need to get the ball in the air and hit for more power to earn pitchers respect. 15.
3 upside, but his changeup and superb feel to pitch give him a great chance to be a solid No.
Like Howard, his defense is ahead of his bat.
Hernndez swings the bat like a kid who has been in the minor leagues for several years.
Surprised that Bryce Ball isnt in the top 50 but glad he received honorable mention would like to know what he needs to do to crack the top 50 or ideally, top 30 saw him this spring @ cubs minor-league spring training looked good. Age: 21 | Height/Weight: 62, 175 | Bat/Throw: R/L | 8th Round (252), 2019 (CHC) | ETA: 2024. One is he has yet to start hitting. 3. As you may expect with a tall, lanky hitter, theres some swing and miss concerns with Alcantara, but his athleticism helps him control his large frame through his swing. However, when he does get around on middle-in pitches, theres a good chance it is traveling really far, really fast. Crow-Armstrong is a hard-nosed gamer who is doing all of the things we thought he would do pretty well, exceptionally well while doing the things we werent totally sure he was capable of with the bat already. 32. Currently a lanky 66, Alcantara possesses crazy raw power that has yet to be fully realized. 47.
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor He also walked a ton of guys. Just take our word for it, his offensive upside is immense to say the least. Not only is the 23-year-old on pace to shatter his career highs in production, but he is also whiffing at the lowest rate of his career.
The pitch lacks some depth and tends to be a bit slurvy, but when Herz has a good feel for it, it can be a viable third pitch. Despite being drafted as a SS, his most likely position is 2B. Hes still just 21, so its far from over for Ethan, and catchers often take longer to develop, so no one should write him off. Your email address will not be published.
His crossfire delivery certainly aided his success and he was able to amass 5 seasons as an effective major league starter (2 of which were elite). Hell start this season in High-A.
Davis showed up in 2019 looking much more physical and has continuously added strength. He already had one of the best change-ups in the system but had added noticeable velocity and an improved curveball throughout 2019. Andy Weber, SS, 24, AA 6. Now listed at 210 pounds, you can see the physicality making its way into Davis game. Best case scenario, Kilian slides into the Cubs rotation in the 2nd half of this season. 35.
Due to 2020s pandemic and an injury that wiped out Crow-Armstrongs 2021 season, we were left not totally knowing what to expect from the former first-rounder this season. Richard Gallardo, RHP, 20, Low-A 34. Herzs fastball sits 92-95, a good amount of separation velocity wise from his side-spinning changeup at 81-83 mph with plenty of fade. Reginald Preciado, 3B, 18, Rookie (ACL) The walks are concerning, but Herz is a great athlete on the mound who has a chance to put things together in that department. Hes reportedly ready to go, but come April, it will have been 2 1/2 years since he last took the mound in a competitive environment. Brandon Hughes, LHP, 26, AA When I'm not doing that, I'm trying to be the best dad I can be for my 2 daughters and acting in TV shows and commercials in Los Angeles. It took a while, but 2021 was a breakout year for Nelson earning a mid-season promotion from High-A to AA where he dominated slashing .290/.358/.591 in 134 PAs. Age: 20 | Height/Weight: 60, 185 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 1st Round (19), 2020 (CHC) | ETA: 2024. The downside of having such excellent contact ability is that you sometimes fail to wait for a pitch you can drive.
Expect the Cubs to continue to develop Hernndez at shortstop as the youngsters tools evidently translate into plenty of defensive upside. Nelson Velazquez, OF, 23, AA 16. The power/speed combo that Davis possesses along with a good feel to hit evoke some young Matt Kemp memories. 36. Tyler Schlaffer, RHP, 20, Low-A His raw power will become game power. A ton. The main reason many scouts are currently saying Herz will likely wind up a reliever is his extreme crossfire delivery.
Shoulder injuries are scary, and his days as a starter are likely over as a result.
We will learn a lot about Reggie in 2022 as he faces more advanced arms. Zach shocked Cubs fans when, after being drafted in the 16th round as a 5th year college senior, he came in blazing a mid-to-upper 90s FB in his High-A debut. Morels strong arm and versatility are his main assets. Deceptive with stuff that continues to improve, Herz has dominated lower level hitters with a fastball that is difficult to pick up and a plus changeup. Prospects1500 Tiers: 29. 39.
Caissie received an aggressive assignment to High-A for 2022 and has responded well.
The @Cubs have announced Daniel Palencia the organizations minor league pitcher of the month for September!#MBPelicans pic.twitter.com/HbW8RI0PV4, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) October 7, 2021. Acquired along with Alexander Canario at the trade deadline in the Kris Bryant trade, Kilians velocity dipped upon joining the Cubs, but it slowly returned and while pitching in the Arizona Fall League, he perfected the knuckle curve the Cubs have been teaching a lot of their prospects. 31.
Wicks will use his average or better slider to get left-handed hitters out as it features a good amount of sweep and can push towards 3,000 RPMs. 113 mph and literally disappears into the night. The move is simple and the 20-year-old repeats it with ease, which helps him be on time frequently.
If he returns to form, Franklin will be much higher on the mid-season rankings as he has a strong starters profile. Brailyn following 5 innings from RHP Adbert Alzolay with 2-3 innings of his own could make for a dominant duo. Made (pronounced Mah-Day) is yet another lithe, teenage SS prospect in the Cubs organization. The 2022 Cubs system is in a place its not been in during my lifetime.
Off to an excellent start to his professional career, there is plenty to like with Triantos. This delivery is unique and definitely presents the batter with a difficult angle of approach which certainly has aided his success, but it also has raised questions how this repeated action will effect his arm health going forward. Michael McAvene, Jack Patterson Jordan Wicks, LHP, 22, High-A Herz has walked at least three batters in five of his first 12 outings and the Cubs have treaded lightly with him innings wise as he is averaging about three and 2/3 innings per start.
33. One prospect that will definitely have my attention in 2021 is OF Alexander Canario. Kilian may lack the raw stuff to be a No. Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years Though nothing quite jumps of the page stuff-wise, Kilian has an assortment of good pitches that he commands well.
Brailyn Marquez LHP (Double-A): Injuries and bouts with COVID have unfortunately delayed Marquezs 2022 debut, but the electric left-hander is still just 23 years old and is capable of things on the mound that few are.
18. 38. Nelsons obvious increased muscle mass allows for less load to create equal/more power. 22. Luke Little, LHP, 21, ACL (Rookie) 28.
Ismael Mena, CF, 19, ACL (Rookie) Canarios powerful swing has been (unfairly) compared to Gary Sheffields, and hed produced well up until this year. An area where he has surprised a bit more is the pull-side power department.
24. The Chicago Cubs No. Like many prospects with his profile, it all comes down to whether he can hit enough. Hernndezs plus speed translates to twitchy quickness in the field, showing off impressive range and the arm to complement it. 25. Thats not unusual for a prospect so young, and his hit tool and pitch selection are highly rated with a very low K%. Theres no doubting that the Chicago Cubs farm system is vastly improved from where it was in 2021. The best college southpaw in the 2021 draft class, Wicks carved through Big-12 competition with his plus changeup and overall feel to pitch. He hit 6 HRs as a 20-year-old in Low-A and threw out 30.6% of base stealing attempts, but neither number is great.
With his frame and delivery, the likelihood of Herz becoming a workhorse is low, but he certainly could be a 5-6 inning starter (which is becoming the normal in the MLB anyway) for a large portion of his career.
While he currently possesses the ability to stick at SS, many scouts see him moving to 3B.
While that speed may not be realized as much in terms of stolen bases, Alcantaras galloping steps help him close in on balls quickly in the outfield. Herz just turned 21 earlier this month. 41.
The good news for Cubs fans is: Alcantara is ahead of schedule in that regard. He really struggled at the plate last year to the tune of a .176/.271/.321 slash line. That said, it is fair to question how much better things will get for the second round pick. Nelson Velazquez OF (Triple-A): Velazquez caught fire in the latter half of the season last year and carried his momentum into the Arizona Fall League. 4. Greg Deichmann, OF, 26, MLB Exciting defensive potential paired with improvements at the plate have Made as an interesting name to follow.
The influx of talent from several trades, excellent early results from the 2021 draft along with a surprising number of pitchers making unforeseen strides made this list challenging to keep to just 50. Age: 19|Height/Weight: 64, 190|Bat/Throw: L/R|2nd Round (45), 2020 (CHC)|ETA: 2024. The Dominican Republic native really impressed with the effortless power he could generate as a 17-year-old, encouraging the Cubs to shell out $3 million to sign him. A plus runner, Davis has the goods to stick in center field along with an above-average arm which could handle either corner as well. Typically, teenage shortstops with tons of physical projection tend to move from shortstop to another position, however Hernndez continues to get better at shortstop as he matures both physically and mentally. Still refining his swing and growing into his power, Preciados ceiling is enormous, but his pitch selection and recognition are his biggest weaknesses. Average or better defense with 10-15 stolen bases seems like a safe expectation for Pinango. Well find out in AAA this year. Mervis discussed the adjustments he made coming into the year on The Call Up podcast and theres really no doubting that things are working for the 24-year-old. Matt Mervis 1B (Double-A): Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Duke in 2020, Mervis has been one of the best stories in the minor leagues this year.
Christian Franklin, OF, 22, Low-A Cristian Hernandez, SS, 18, Rookie (DSL) 2.
Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 64, 180 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 1st Round (21), 2021 (CHC) | ETA: 2023. It is a bit Lance Lynn-esque the way that Kilian is able to attack hitters with variations of his fastball, but the 25-year-old also has a viable curveball and changeup which he will mix in as well.
Herz being able to throw 180+ innings per season. He should also hit for average or better power. Morels numbers dont jump out to you, but his athleticism on the field and base paths sure does.
Most currently have their system ranked 15th to 23rd overall, but that could change rapidly. Projectable would put it lightly with the 6-foot-6, athletic Alcantara. Like many young outfielders the 22-year-old could improve on his reads in center, but his quickness from his days on the basketball court and recovery speed give him a margin for error.
Brailyn Marquez, LHP, 22, DNP (made MLB debut in 2020) Keep an eye on the Cubs. He didnt exhibit such wildness while at Dallas Baptist University, so theres hope he can return to form. As we are quickly learning, PCA has the ability to impact the baseball more than many expected and an All-Star ceiling is not outlandish. 11.
An average runner with an average arm, Pinango is comfortable in either corner and should be solid defensively. After being drafted out of high school in the 1st round in 2020, Howard sat the rest of the summer during the shutdown. Luis Devers, RHP, 21, Low-A At 64, 185 lbs., Reggie Preciado could be a monster.
Kilians AFL performance was eye-opening, culminating with 6 perfect innings in the championship game.
He didnt hit any better at rookie ball in 2019 either. 1 prospect is now 2-for-2 with two home runs in his Triple-A debut. Wicks is thick, repeats his mechanics well, and could see a slight uptick in velocity. With the elimination of short season leagues last year, the jump in the quality of pitching between rookie ball and Low-A has never been greater. At the same time, its very deep. Coming off of labrum surgery, but posted 170 wRC+ with an OPS of 1.000 across AZL and short szn A ball in 2019. I've been analyzing the Cubs minor league system for over 30 years and commenting on it since 2003. Given the confidence that PCA has in his ability to put bat on ball, he can get a bit swing happy at times. 14.2 IP, 8 H, 5 BB, 20 K with a 1.23 ERA opened the eye of prospect evaluators. The right-hander does a good job of maintaining his arm speed and repeating the same release spot as his fastball, but he is still working to find a consistent feel for the pitch. Alcantara has split time between center field and right field and takes pretty good routes already.
While last year left a bit to be desired offensively, Amayas defensive prowess, quality of contact and patience at the plate give him a solid chance at being a big league backstop. If Herz can even develop his command to average, he could be a solid back-end of the rotation arm, though a lights out southpaw reliever seems like a very probable plan-b. Relievers Ben Leeper, Zach Leigh, Ethan Roberts, Cayne Ueckert and Brandon Hughes along with starter Max Bain all were better than expected (which is a nod to the Cubs revamped pitching development system).
Can he produce against more savvy, veteran pitching? Defensively, Crow-Armstrong has a chance to be a Gold Glover in center field. We agree that Herz had a very good season as a 20 year old. Carraway is strictly a reliever, and in his pro debut in High-A he was very difficult to hit sporting a 34.7% K rate and a .126 BAA. I had fun with this tier. As an 18-year-old, Gray had his FB up to the mid-90s and flashes a plus curve. 50. A lot has changed. An advanced feel to swing the bat and elite defensive potential have PCA making up for lost time this season. Already in AAA at age 22, hes still got time, but he hasnt shown much development in those areas yet. Kohl was poised for a breakout campaign until injuries derailed in the 2021 season. What Should the Chicago Cubs Do With Ian Happ at the Deadline?
His impressive bat to ball skills have instilled plenty of confidence in the Venezuelan to pull the trigger often, but that could be something that catches up with him a bit in the upper levels.
Bat speed, bat speed, and more bat speed. Caissies exit velocities are among the top 20 in all of minor league baseball, and he combines that with advanced pitch selection which enhances his likelihood of succeeding at the upper levels. Taken in the 2nd round (56th overall), Triantos emerged as the steal of the 2021 MLB Draft for the Cubs.
It seemed that the Mets werent even sure of how much upside their 2020 first round pick had given their willingness to part with him for a few months of Javier Bez. The former first-round pick by the Cubs has hardly played more than 100 professional games to this point, so it would be silly to write him off. pic.twitter.com/WNlBwGEDcd, MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) November 21, 2021. He had a similar delivery to Herzs but as a right-hander. Still, Hernndez has yet to make his debut stateside and has plenty to prove once he does. He will miss most, if not all, of 2022. On the base paths, Pinango has good instincts and is an opportunistic base stealer.
Herzs changeup has so much horizontal movement that he is even able to bury it below the barrel of lefties when he has a good feel for it.
Notice the word, currently, though.
However, the strikeout rate will need to drop from 36% for Velazquez to project as an everyday option in the corner outfield. A plus runner with great instincts, PCA makes an impact both on the base paths and in the field with his legs. The outfielder has no problem hitting the ball where its pitched and has shown an easy ability to leave the yard from foul pole to foul pole.
However, he walked only twice over that span. Yonathan Perlaza, Nelson Maldonado, Bryce Ball, Luis Verdugo Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have a high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact (And he will get stronger) pic.twitter.com/sLx473Ewnm. Kilian has more confidence in his sweeping curve at this stage, using it effectively against both lefties and righties. Stay tuned to our MLB prospects podcast The Call Up for discussion on the team Top-10s and interviews with prospects in the Chicago Cubs system and all 29 others.
Results were mixed as he made his return last year, but the Cubs are raving about his future as a starter and solid across the board stuff. Below average exit velocities and a slightly high ground ball rate paint the picture of a bat-to-ball infielder who can sneak some homers out of the yard if he catches one right. You said Dj is projected as a reliever?? 5. Manuel Rodriguez, RHP, 25, MLB 117mph #Giants pic.twitter.com/aPFfYpCVjB. By nature, Alcantara can get long at times with his swing and he has struggled at times to get around on velocity.
Anderson Espinoza, RHP, 23, AA Marquez missed all of 2021, first recovering from Covid and then with a shoulder strain. Velazquez spent the lost 2020 season reworking his swing. Herz will also mix in an average breaking ball in the low 80s to steal strikes and provide a different look. Next to Kilian, hes considered the safest bet to join a future Cubs rotation, perhaps as early as 2023.
Ed Howard, SS, 19, Low-A Pinango has improved in regards to picking his spots to take the bigger swings and by leveraging his advantage counts, he has seen some big results in the power department.
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