Cubs 2024 prospect depth chart in AAA & AA

[Stratos]

I've compiled a list of which top prospects will likely be starting the year in AAA and AA for 2024.  I added some other depth pieces in AAA that could see playing time on the MLB team this season.  I didn't include pen arms.  This list is to show how much depth the MLB Cubs team will have going into 2024.  It also shows the logjam we have developing in AAA and how many guys will be knocking on the door for MLB playing time over the next season or 2 and jumping on to the 40-man.  This makes a trade pretty likely this offseason. *I might be missing someone, but I think I included all of the most substantial prospects.

Cubs Prospects in upper minors in 2024:

 

AAA:

 

OF - Canario/PCA/Caissie/Davis

1B - Mervis/McGeary/Murray

SS/2B - Vazquez/Strumpf/Bote/Mastrobuoni

3B – Murray/Slaughter/Strumpf/Bote/Mastrobuoni

C - Aliendo

 

SP – Horton, Wicks, Brown

 

AA:

 

OF - Alcantara/Christian Franklin

SS/2B/3B - Shaw/Triantos

1B - Maldonado/Ballesteros

C - Ballesteros

 

2025 Cubs MLB All-Prospect Team:

 

OF – PCA/Caissie/Canario/Davis/Alcantara

1B – Mervis/McGeary/Murray/Ballesteros

SS – Nico/Shaw/Vazquez/Morel

2B – Morel/Shaw/Triantos

3B – Shaw/Morel/Murray/Triantos

C – Amaya/Ballesteros/Aliendo

 

DH - McGeary/Morel/Mervis/Caissie

 

SP - Steele/Horton/Wicks/Brown/Wesneski+Assad

Edited January 3, 2024 by Stratos

[Bertz]

- I would not expect Horton to start at Iowa.  I think both for weather reasons and because I think they are going to want a deep well stocked Iowa pitching staff that will cause some trickle down.  I don't think he'll be at Tenn forever but I would expect timing similar to Ben Brown last year.

- I'd expect at least one, maybe both of Bote/Strumpf to finally get the ax.  With Murray and McGeary coming up and Mastro potentially coming back down there's going to be a squeeze on that Iowa IF

- Aliendo probably has to re-do Tenn, since one of the few things Jed has done this winter is add catchers on MiLB deals

- There are several SPs who seem on the verge of being forced to the pen: Kohl Franklin, Riley Thompson, and Caleb Kilian.  Porter Hodge got moved to the bullpen late last year but not sure if that's totally permanent.  These are guys I could see becoming MLB relevant *very* quickly post conversion 

- He's more on the Christian Franklin level of prospect, but Ezequial Pagan was part of that SB -> Tenn end of season pipeline and is certainly worth paying attention to as well

 

[Jason Ross]

30 minutes ago, Bertz said:

- I would not expect Horton to start at Iowa.  I think both for weather reasons and because I think they are going to want a deep well stocked Iowa pitching staff that will cause some trickle down.  I don't think he'll be at Tenn forever but I would expect timing similar to Ben Brown last year.

- I'd expect at least one, maybe both of Bote/Strumpf to finally get the ax.  With Murray and McGeary coming up and Mastro potentially coming back down there's going to be a squeeze on that Iowa IF

- Aliendo probably has to re-do Tenn, since one of the few things Jed has done this winter is add catchers on MiLB deals

- There are several SPs who seem on the verge of being forced to the pen: Kohl Franklin, Riley Thompson, and Caleb Kilian.  Porter Hodge got moved to the bullpen late last year but not sure if that's totally permanent.  These are guys I could see becoming MLB relevant *very* quickly post conversion 

- He's more on the Christian Franklin level of prospect, but Ezequial Pagan was part of that SB -> Tenn end of season pipeline and is certainly worth paying attention to as well

 

Personally, I expect Horton to start in Iowa. In fact, I'd be disappointed if he didn't. I think the Cubs were a little extra careful with him coming off TJS last year, but a year removed, and with him going to be a Chicago Cub eventually, he'll have to pitch in some colder weather environments. With Ben Brown, I think you can make the argument the Cubs were still interested in watching his fastball development after entering the organization as a new player in July. Horton has been around and doesn't have that kind of weird fastball command concern and the changeup made some really big gains last year. I could see him getting a bit of a late start (say, a week or two?) to conserve innings for later, but I think he's more than ready for Iowa. I have a sneaking suspicion the Cubs do too.