Cubs Minor Leagues Hot or Not: Has Matt Shaw Turned a Corner?

[Jason Ross]

The Chicago Cubs farm system finished their last week in April. Moises Ballesteros can't stop hitting, Matt Shaw finally showed an improved swing. But how did the system fair overall? Is it hot? Or was it not?

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The minor leagues are in full swing, and the Cubs system is off to a pretty fun start. Each team may not be winning their division, but most of the Cubs' best prospects remain strong. In fact, the Cubs are playing well enough at their highest levels that players such as Moises Ballesteros don't even have a realistic path to playing time, unless and until injuries happen. If you're the type who likes to follow the youngsters, this has been a fun year to follow the guys at the top of the lists—as well as dive a little deeper into the sleeper categories.

Full System Rating: 🤷‍♂️
Kind of a weird week, all things considered. Shaw walked a lot, but made weak contact. Nazier Mule and JP Wheat struck out a lot of guys, but walked a lot of them, too. For every Ballesteros going off or Ivan Brethowr continuing his good run, you find a Pedro Ramirez, who struggled. It's not a bad week, but not a good week. That's not a complaint; I think the year has been very good to Cubs prospects (despite the records). It's just that there have been some high standards set, and I don't think enough of the system got there this week.

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Iowa Cubs, Triple-A (2-3)
Up next: vs Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays)

🔥 Moises Ballesteros, C/1b - 218 wRC+, 8.7 K%, 13 BB%, 2 XBH: I don't want to get too carried away but this is some kind of a heater he's on. He hit .500 this week, is walking more than he's striking out and is just on cruise control. I know that the feeling will be "well bring him up", but I just don't think there's a spot yet. Regardless, he's doing everything and more with the I-Cubs. 

🔥 Cade Horton, SP - 4 2/3 IP, 5 K, 1 BB, 0 ER, 0 R: Unlike Ballesteros, I think Horton is getting close to a callup with the Cubs. He's not there yet, but his pitch count is up over 75; he induced 11 whiffs; and he's looking overpowering right now. With Ben Brown struggling to stick the landing in the starting rotation, Horton could be used as a possible replacement as soon as mid-May—if he continues on his current path.

🥶 Matt Shaw, INF - 110 wRC+, 4.3 K%, 13 BB%, 2 XBH: The line may not reflect the rating, but hear me out. Shaw has been walking well and controlling the zone, but his quality of contact has been pretty weak. The good news is that, on Sunday, he had a double and a home run and looked far better. I think he's just a bit off, mechanically. If he can use Sunday as a springboard, he'll be back in Chicago sooner rather than later.

🥶 Christian Franklin, OF - -70 wRC+, 22.2 K%, 11.1 BB%: Ugh... literally the same week I dove deep and wrote glowingly on the outfielder (which you can read here), Franklin goes hitless. Thanks, Christian, really making me look credible! For real, though, it was a bit of a wonky week weather-wise, and these things happen. I won't hold it against them, and my beliefs ring true on him still.

👨‍⚕️ James Triantos, INF: I'm going to add an update on Triantos this week. The Cubs infielder is one of the few off to a rough start to his 2025 year. Sporting a 42 wRC+, he's struggling at the plate. Beyond the brutal time offensively, the last time he played a game was the 17th. Since then, he's been sidelined with a tight leg. Hopefully, he makes it back soon.

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Knoxville Smokies, Double-A (2-4)
Up next: vs Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angels Angels) 

🥶 Pedro Ramirez, INF - -7 wRC+, 18.5 K%, 3.5 BB%: Not a great week for the diminutive infielder. He's been red-hot to start the season, so it's a forgivable offense to not have the ball bounce your way here and there. He's someone who's going to have to hit to stay relevant, but blips happen for everyone. 

🤷‍♂️ BJ Murray, 3b/1b - 119 wRC+, 23.1 K%, 30.8 BB%, 1 XBH: I'm going to give him a bit of a push here. The approach and the walks were good, but it was very walk-heavy. For someone whose biggest struggle last year was quality of contact, I'm going to be watching that in Double A. Murray is one of two reliable offensive forces in Knoxville right now. Not a bad week, but not a great week, either. 

🥶 Sam Armstrong, SP - 5 IP, 2 K, 1 BB, 4 R, 4 ER: Armstrong had some helium entering the year, but so far, he hasn't been as good in Knoxville. The K% has crept up over 20% on the year, but Sunday's start saw only two punchouts. He's not getting ground balls like he used to, so there may be a bit of a philosophy change under the hood to keep an eye out for? 

🔥 Will Sanders, SP - 5 K, 0 BB, 0 ER: Sanders doesn't have the top-end stuff that would make you think there's a real dude here, but he keeps succeeding. His K% is over 20%, he's not walking anyone, and he's getting a lot of ground balls. I do think this is the profile of someone who can be a back-end rotational arm, so while the ceiling isn't spectacular, the floor is fairly high.

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South Bend Cubs, High-A (2-4)
Up next: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins)

🥶 Jefferson Rojas, SS - 47 wRC+, 9.5 K%, 14.3 BB%, 1 2b: Rojas missed most of the spring with a hamstring issue, so him getting off to a cold start is not shocking. The hope is that the Cubs' youngster will heat up shortly. The approach has been good, but contact quality needs to get better. 

🔥 Ivan Brethowr, OF - 163 wRC+, 20 K%, 25 BB%, 1 HR: I'm going to keep hyping this kid, because he keeps hitting. The strikeouts are controlled, and when pitchers come inside, he can absolutely turn on pitches. There's a real athleticism behind him, so this isn't a plodding 6-foot-6 guy. I think he'll end up in Knoxville come midseason.

🥶 Cristian Hernandez, INF - 59 wRC+, 22.2 K%, 3.7 BB%, 1 HR, 1 2b: The power was good, but the rest of the week was not. I'd love to see more early Hernandez, rather than the more recent Hernandez. Slumps come and go, so hopefully this is more of a phase than anything. 

🔥Jaxon Wiggins, SP - 4 IP, 7 K, 2 BB, 0 ER: Wiggins looks really good right now. He's striking out over a third of the hitters he's faced and the walks are getting fewer and farther between, though they remain his major bugaboo. Six of his 10 walks came in his first 7 innings, while he's only walked four in his last nine. If he can continue to be even adequate at limiting the walks, the number of strikeouts he can create will cancel out the control issues.

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Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Low-A (2-4)
Up next: Carlina Mudcats (Milwaukee Brewers)

🤷‍♂️ Nazier Mule, SP - 5 1/3 IP, 7 K, 4 BB, 2 R, 2 ER: The strikeouts are good, the walks... less good. This was shades of last year's Mule, with the new-and-improved 2025 version mixed in. I'd love to keep the strikeouts up with the walks down. I do think he's tracking toward a South Bend promotion this season. 

🤷‍♂️ Cole Mathis, 1b/DH - 95 wRC+, 15.4 K%, 7.7 BB%, 1 HR, 2 2b: The power production and the approach was good, but I think he's getting a bit unlucky. The .211 BABIP doesn't match up with how hard he appears to be hitting the ball. I'd like to see him get on a bit of a heater and blast through Myrtle Beach sooner rather than later, however, based on draft pedigree. 

🤷‍♂️ JP Wheat, SP - 5 IP, 6 K, 5 BB, 1 R, 1 ER: Wheat's stuff is impressive, but his control is clearly a work in progress. Wheat started off the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings with walks. His stuff is strong enough that he can work through it, but there will eventually come a time when that is no longer the case. As of now, I'm excited that the stuff is here as he works back from Tommy John surgery, but it will need to improve.

🥶 Alexey Lumpuy, OF - 43 wRC+, 27.8 K%, 11.1 BB%, 1 3b: Every time I catch Myrtle Beach play, Lumpuy stands out, even in his not-great moments. There's a bit of electricity in him. Then, I look at the line and shudder. I really want to see him do a bit better. Hopefully, he can figure it out a bit more.

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Who do you think had a good week? Who did I forget? Let us know in the comment section below!

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