2025 In-Season Cubs Top Prospect Lists Updates

[We Got The Whole 9]

3 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

 

Gave up just 1 hit last night but walked 5. I wonder if the ump had a bad day or if he was wild. Either way hes been phenomenal since 5/28 - 1.35 ERA 2.88 FIP and an absurd .162 OBA in 60 IP. Just 1 HR allowed and that was on 6/5. His start prior to this was the only one he allowed more than 1 run. Really dominant stretch.

[Outshined_One]

The Cubs have an oddly intriguing group of SP prospects behind the Sanders/Gallagher/Mule tier. Schlaffer, Noland, and Kipp were discussed, but don't sleep on Nick Dean, Jostin Florentino, Evan Aschenbeck, Brooks Caple, and Sam Armstrong.

Some of those guys won't ever see the majors, but there's enough depth to merit keeping an eye on everyone.

[Post Count Padder]

Carter Trice, Tyler Schlaffler and (I think) Connor Noland join Pipeline's top 30 after the trades of Cruz, de la Cruz and Gallagher.

[PackLandVA]

On 7/31/2025 at 8:24 AM, Outshined_One said:

The Cubs have an oddly intriguing group of SP prospects behind the Sanders/Gallagher/Mule tier. Schlaffer, Noland, and Kipp were discussed, but don't sleep on Nick Dean, Jostin Florentino, Evan Aschenbeck, Brooks Caple, and Sam Armstrong.

Some of those guys won't ever see the majors, but there's enough depth to merit keeping an eye on everyone.

Sent to the Twins in trade for Castro.

[Outshined_One]

6 minutes ago, PackLandVA said:

Sent to the Twins in trade for Castro.

Check the time/date for posting! Gallagher was also listed, so yeah, apparently I should get a job in Minnesota? 🤷‍♂️

[PackLandVA]

Wasn't being critical, and I know you posted well before the trade.  Just pointing out that of those listed, Armstrong was traded (since he's really not a well-known prospect at this point).

Edited August 2, 2025 by PackLandVA

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Pipeline re-ranked their top 30s: https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/cubs/

1. Owen Caissie
2. Moisés Ballesteros
3. Jefferson Rojas
4. Jaxon Wiggins
5. Kevin Alcántara
6. Ethan Conrad
7. Jonathon Long
8. Pedro Ramírez
9. Brandon Birdsell
10. James Triantos
11. Cristian Hernández
12. Kane Kepley
13. Kaleb Wing
14. Juan Cabada
15. Josiah Hartshorn
16. Juan Tomás
17. Cole Mathis
18. Dominick Reid
19. Grant Kipp
20. Kade Snell
21. Brett Bateman
22. Connor Noland
23. Will Sanders
24. Ángel Cepeda
25. Jack Neely
26. Nazier Mulé
27. Drew Gray
28. Ty Southisene
29. Eli Lovich
30. Tyler Schlaffer

[CaliforniaRaisin]

And the Cubs in their top 100:

[Outshined_One]

15 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Pipeline re-ranked their top 30s: https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/cubs/

4. Jaxon Wiggins
9. Brandon Birdsell
13. Kaleb Wing
18. Dominick Reid
19. Grant Kipp
22. Connor Noland
23. Will Sanders
25. Jack Neely
26. Nazier Mulé
27. Drew Gray
30. Tyler Schlaffer

Pitchers only.

I get that trades depleted those ranks, but still, yikes.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

20 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

Pitchers only.

I get that trades depleted those ranks, but still, yikes.

Double yikes on Kaleb Wing immediatley jumping to barely behind Birdsell.

[Bertz]

54 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

Pitchers only.

I get that trades depleted those ranks, but still, yikes.

Jed badly needs to do a reverse Michael Busch trade this winter. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

6 hours ago, Bertz said:

Jed badly needs to do a reverse Michael Busch trade this winter. 

It's not quite a reverse Busch but Caissie for Snelling.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

7 hours ago, Outshined_One said:

Pitchers only.

I get that trades depleted those ranks, but still, yikes.

Yeah, they've traded away Ferris, Johnson and Gallagher but I think they really have shied away from the higher ceiling early draft picks that seemed so interesting earlier under Kantrovitz (Gray, Horton, Ferris, Mulé, Wiggins). Sure, some have stagnated or busted but with pitcher attrition, you need more swings to get hit.

[CubinNY]

9 hours ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

It's not quite a reverse Busch but Caissie for Snelling.

Caissie for Bubba Chandler? The Pirates don't seem to want him. 

[Bertz]

8 hours ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

It's not quite a reverse Busch but Caissie for Snelling.

Honestly I'm pretty okay getting talent further out.  As much as the prospect situation has soured, I'm not worried about immediate MLB depth for next year.

Brown/Assad/Wicks are going to have options and aren't going to be expected to be part of the rotation heading into ST.  Wiggins probably opens the season at Iowa and isn't on too dissimilar of a timeline to Horton this year.  Steele's due back in June-ish.  I don't want to totally ignore Noland and Sanders either.  It's not attrition proof, but nothing ever is.

I'd assume like the Busch trade you'd get a premium on value for sacrificing proximity, and I think this is a rare opportunity to do that outside of a rebuild setting. 

[muntjack]

Thomas White is the one I would target. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

4 minutes ago, muntjack said:

Thomas White is the one I would target. 

I don't see that being feasible - he's universally a top 25 prospect.

[Tryptamine]

Good god, look at the Brewers. The Cub organization just doesn't do anything better than they do.

#5) Jesus Made

#16) Luis Pena

#53) Cooper Pratt

#65) Jefferson Quero

#90) Logan Henderson

After losing Misiorowski this year and a top 10 prospect in the game at the start of '24 in Jackson Chourio.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

3 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Good god, look at the Brewers. The Cub organization just doesn't do anything better than they do.

#5) Jesus Made

#16) Luis Pena

#53) Cooper Pratt

#65) Jefferson Quero

#90) Logan Henderson

After losing Misiorowski this year and a top 10 prospect in the game at the start of '24 in Jackson Chourio.

Their Latin American program has really come on the last couple of years (possibly the best in baseball since 2020-21). The capper is that none of Made ($950k), Peña ($800k) nor Quero ($200k) got a 7-figure bonus (and even Chourio only got $1.8 million, which would be outside the top 15 bonuses his IFA year).

[mul21]

6 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Good god, look at the Brewers. The Cub organization just doesn't do anything better than they do.

#5) Jesus Made

#16) Luis Pena

#53) Cooper Pratt

#65) Jefferson Quero

#90) Logan Henderson

After losing Misiorowski this year and a top 10 prospect in the game at the start of '24 in Jackson Chourio.

How many extra picks do them and the Cardinals get that the Cubs never even have a chance at (the answer is 5 picks in the top 34 since 2017)? That extra bonus pool adds so much flexibility in how a team runs their draft.

But also, they have a total of 2 first round/competitive balance picks on their roster that have been drafted since 2015.

[Tryptamine]

9 minutes ago, mul21 said:

How many extra picks do them and the Cardinals get that the Cubs never even have a chance at (the answer is 5 picks in the top 34 since 2017)? That extra bonus pool adds so much flexibility in how a team runs their draft.

But also, they have a total of 2 first round/competitive balance picks on their roster that have been drafted since 2015.

The thing that stands out to me is that they're getting big time impact prospects. A top 10 prospect in 2024, arguably #1, a top 10 prospect in 2025 with another just outside the top 10. I don' t think the Cubs have had a top 10 prospect since the Bryant/Baez/Russell era. They've been close with PCA and Davis, and Eloy+Gleyber did get there, but not as Cubs.

[mul21]

Just now, Tryptamine said:

The thing that stands out to me is that they're getting big time impact prospects. A top 10 prospect in 2024, arguably #1, a top 10 prospect in 2025 with another just outside the top 10. I don' t think the Cubs have had a top 10 prospect since the Bryant/Baez/Russell era. They've been close with PCA and Davis, and Eloy+Gleyber did get there, but not as Cubs.

Again, bonus pool money is a key factor here.  Pena was their 3rd highest international bonus in 2024 and got $900K, Pratt was a 5th round pick they were able to overslot (by triple) because of their oversized bonus pool.  All those little things matter and they've hit on a couple international lottery tickets, where I will say the Cubs have largely failed on for a long time now.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

20 minutes ago, mul21 said:

How many extra picks do them and the Cardinals get that the Cubs never even have a chance at (the answer is 5 picks in the top 34 since 2017)? That extra bonus pool adds so much flexibility in how a team runs their draft.

But also, they have a total of 2 first round/competitive balance picks on their roster that have been drafted since 2015.

The Cubs have to flex their financial muscle in the majors because that's their only advantage (an admittedly big one) in division.

** Admittedly the Cardinals were able to get more pool space from the draft lottery this year. The Brewers traded away a competitive balance pick or else would have had even more bonus space.

[JBears79]

4 minutes ago, mul21 said:

Again, bonus pool money is a key factor here.  Pena was their 3rd highest international bonus in 2024 and got $900K, Pratt was a 5th round pick they were able to overslot (by triple) because of their oversized bonus pool.  All those little things matter and they've hit on a couple international lottery tickets, where I will say the Cubs have largely failed on for a long time now.

Who was the last international pick the Cubs signed and developed that turned into a good player? Contreras? Mo Baller and Rojas both look food right now I guess

Edited August 12, 2025 by JBears79
update