The Top 20 Chicago Cubs Player Assets of 2025: Part 3 (Nos. 6-10)

You can get a full explanation for the parameters used to develop this list in our introductory post, but the short version is this. We're answering the question: which current players in the organization are most indispensable to fulfilling the vision of building a champion? To rank Cubs players and prospects, I will be accounting for age, contract, controllability, upside, and more.

I’ll remind everyone that, while the 2025 season matters for a Cubs team that should win their division, this ranking is about the future as much as it is the present. Players with advancing age or waning team control won’t get as much love here as they would in a narrower time frame.

Here’s how the list has shaken out so far in Part 1 (16-20) and Part 2 (11-15):

20. Luke Little, RP
19. Jordan Wicks, SP
18. Miguel Amaya, C
17. James Triantos, 2B/3B
16. Kyle Tucker, RF
15. Ian Happ, LF
14. Nico Hoerner, 2B
13. Seiya Suzuki, RF/DH
12. Kevin Alcantara, OF
11. Ben Brown, SP

Without further ado, let’s make our way into the top 10.

10. Dansby Swanson, Shortstop
Opening Day Age: 31
Controlled Through: 2029
Contract Status: Seven Years, $177 Million

At a luxury tax figure that exceeds $25 million for each of the next five seasons, Swanson surely holds a role of outsized importance on this roster, both in terms of cost and position.

Let’s start with the good: Swanson is a World Series champion who has won two Gold Gloves at the most important spot on the infield, and he was worth 18 outs above average (OAA) in 2024 after accruing 20 in both 2022 and 2023. He’s also a very durable shortstop, having played in 147 or more games in four consecutive seasons, including all 162 games in 2022. He’s shown 25-plus home run power in the past, and his OPS hasn’t dipped below .700 since 2018. Swanson is a consistent threat at the plate and an excellent defender in the field, and that should remain true for the duration of his contract.

Now for the bad: Swanson has declined offensively since coming to Chicago, posting a 105 wRC+ in 2023 and 98 wRC+ in 2024 after logging a 116 mark in his final season with the Braves. His batted-ball metrics are also declining, including worsening exit velocity and launch angle numbers. He’ll continue to rack up 4 WAR seasons thanks to his defense and well-rounded profile, but the truth is that in future iterations of these rankings, Swanson’s only place to go is down.

9. Jefferson Rojas, Shortstop
Opening Day Age: 19
Controlled Through: N/A
Contract Status: Minor Leagues

By far the youngest player in these rankings, Rojas is a teenager who had a lot of prospect helium before struggling a bit in 2024.

Playing exclusively at High-A South Bend last year, Rojas slashed .245/.310/.336 (88 wRC+) in 96 games. It was a noticeable dropoff from his impressive Stateside debut in 2023 (113 wRC+), though he did slash his strikeout rate by nearly five points while improving his walk rate. His plate approach is very advanced for a teenager and should only continue to improve as he gets more reps against pitchers in the higher levels of the minor leagues. In case you’re wondering just how highly the Cubs think of him, remember that he pushed Christian Hernandez off of shortstop after arriving in Myrtle Beach in 2023.

Unlike nearly everyone else in this exercise, Rojas has no chance of being a big-league contributor in 2025. His placement here is purely an exercise in faith and excitement, and I’m of the belief that he is the long-term answer at shortstop once Swanson declines or moves on from the organization. (Of course, he could also help the 2025 Cubs by being traded for a needed upgrade at some point.)

8. Michael Busch, First Baseman
Opening Day Age: 27
Controlled Through: 2029
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration

Busch is yet another member of the Cubs’ shockingly vaunted 2029 free-agent-to-be class, though he stands to have the best half-decade before then.

After struggling to make headway with the Dodgers, Busch landed in Chicago as part of the trade that sent pitching prospect Jackson Ferris and outfield dynamo Zyhir Hope to Los Angeles. It wasn’t the most consistent season at the plate, but Busch finished with a .248/.335/.440 slash line (good for a 118 wRC+), with 21 home runs in 496 at-bats. He also supplied fine defense at the cold corner, accruing 2 OAA in 1,132 ⅓ innings in 2024. If he can cut back on his strikeout rate (28.6%) without losing his patience at the plate (11.1% walk rate), he can be a special hitter.

Busch is on the older side for someone so early in their career after breaking out in his age-26 season, but the Cubs have him under wraps for the duration of his prime. After fiddling around with Frank Schwindel and Trey Mancini for a couple of years, the team finally has its Anthony Rizzo replacement.

7. Owen Caissie, Outfielder
Opening Day Age: 22
Controlled Through: 2031 (At Least)
Contract Status: Minor Leagues

I have long been the biggest homer of Caissie in this subsection of Cubs fandom, ranking him as my top prospect in the organization over the likes of Cade Horton, Matt Shaw, and others over the past few seasons. Only Pete Crow-Armstrong ever topped the Canadian slugger in terms of my belief in Cubs outfield prospects.

In 127 games last season, all with Triple-A Iowa, Caissie slashed .278/.375/.473 (121 wRC+) and hit 19 home runs in 549 plate appearances at just 21 years old. His power numbers were down a bit from his usual levels, but his walk rate remained impressive (12.9%) even as he cut down a little on his strikeout rate (31.1% in 2023, 28.4% in 2024). You can see just how impressive his bat is in the clip below; the sound is just different when he connects properly. His pop is his carrying tool, though he’s enough of an athlete that he should be a capable defender and baserunner.

Blocked by the triumvirate of Ian Happ, Crow-Armstrong, and Kyle Tucker in the big leagues—not to mention Seiya Suzuki, Kevin Alcántara, and Alexander Canario—it may be a while before we see the Cubs fully unleash Caissie. When we do, it should be a sight to behold.

6. Shota Imanaga, Starting Pitcher
Opening Day Age: 31
Controlled Through: 2028 (Club Option)
Contract Status: Four Years, $53 Million, kind of

Shota Imanaga is sort of the cut-off point for the top tier for me. Think of him as an honorary member of the top five. If he were a bit younger, he’d have a really strong case to be a few spots higher after a brilliant debut in 2024.

First things first, let’s talk about his bizarre contract. He’s guaranteed $53 million over four years, though he technically can opt out after this season—if the Cubs don’t pick up a fifth-year option worth $17 million for the 2028 season. Assuming they do that, Imanaga is locked in with Chicago through 2028 at a reasonable luxury tax figure, making him one of the most valuable pitchers in the organization.

In his debut Stateside season, Imanaga logged a 2.91 ERA (3.72 FIP) with a league-leading 6.21 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He was an All-Star who finished fifth in Cy Young voting despite it technically being his rookie season, and he got it all done effectively with two dominant pitches (his four-seam fastball and splitter). He limited free passes and induced swings on pitches outside the zone at elite rates last year, and if he can start to limit the damage done on some of his mistake pitches, Imanaga could be a serious contender for a Cy Young Award in the next few seasons.

Check back tomorrow for the next installment, covering our picks for No. 1 through 5!