Organization ranking: 4
I've ranked every farm system, as well as the top 100 MLB prospects of 2016. Below, I've ranked at least the top 10 Cubs prospects, plus an overview of the system and any other names of note. I also discuss any prospects who might help the big league club in 2016, prospects whose stock has taken a big hit in the past year and a sleeper prospect (or two) I think can jump into the main top 100 list for 2017.
A few quick notes: (1) Just as in my other prospect files, I use the 20 to 80 grading scale when scouting these prospects; and (2) if the prospect is in my top 100, clicking on his ranking will take you to the page his scouting profile is on.
Non-Insider subscribers: Check out the free Baltimore Orioles top-10 prospects report to see what these entail.
Top 10 prospects (Top 100 rank in parentheses)
1. Gleyber Torres, SS (15)
2. Willson Contreras, C (27)
3. Ian Happ, 2B/CF (47)
4. Billy McKinney, OF (69)
5. Albert Almora, OF (88)
6. Dylan Cease, RHP (91)
7. Eddy Julio Martinez, OF (Just missed)
8. Duane Underwood, RHP
9. Eloy Jimenez, OF
10. Jeimer Candelario, 3B
Overview
The Cubs promoted four stud prospects and it's still a good system. Duane Underwood was hurt for part of the year with elbow soreness, and although he has a fastball that clocks in at up to 94 mph and good spin on his curveball, his off-speed stuff is not consistent start to start so he just hasn't missed bats like he should. His changeup is pretty limited and there's some sense among scouts that he might be a bullpen arm, especially since he has a hard time getting all his pitches together in any one outing.
Eloy Jimenez was their top bonus guy in the same July 2 class that landed them Torres. Jimenez had an impressive year as an 18-year-old in the Northwest League, hitting a quarter of Eugene's home runs for the entire season with a powerful swing but showing enough plate discipline to avoid chasing stuff out of the zone. He's a corner guy, but the hit and power potential here would profile anywhere on the field, as long as he can maintain this selectivity when he moves to full-season ball. Jeimer Candelario had a breakout year at the plate, including a 46-game run in Double-A where he walked more than he struck out, but his defense remains a real problem at third base despite some hard work on his end, and it seems like he'll end up moving to a position where his bat will really have to play up to profile as a regular.
Right-hander Oscar de la Cruz (11) signed for under $100,000 but has turned out to be a steal, a physical starter standing 6-foot-4 who throws 92-95 mph and repeats his arm swing very well, allowing him to pitch with his fastball and throw strikes with it. He has feel to spin a curveball but overall needs to tighten up his offspeed stuff. Lefty Justin Steele (12), signed in the same class that brought in Dylan Cease and lefty Carson Sands (18), is a very athletic two-pitch starter right now, throwing up to 94 mph but sitting down around average, while working on getting better bite on his curveball. He was pretty raw when signed out of Mississippi but has the physical tools to develop into a fourth starter.
Pierce Johnson (15) and Carl Edwards (13) are both clearly bullpen arms at this point, with Edwards ready to help the Cubs right away. Corey Black has quality reliever stuff, but performed much worse when the Cubs moved him to their Double-A bullpen this summer.
D.J. Wilson (14) was the Cubs’ big over-slot signing in 2015. He’s a plus-plus runner who's only 5-foot-9 but makes hard contact, even winning the Cubs' instructional league home run derby. He projects to stay in center with above-average defense but less game power than he shows in batting practice. Right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng (16) has great control and an above-average curveball but no plane on his low-90s fastball. His changeup was worse in 2015 than 2014 but if he can restore it to its previous quality he has a chance to be a back-end starter. Brad Markey (17) is an undersized right-hander but throws in the 91-96 mph range as a starter with a hard slurve and a compact delivery. He's probably a reliever in the end, but with his fastball command I'd let him start in Double-A in 2016 and see how it rolls. Bryan Hudson (18) is a 6-foot-7 lefty from southern Illinois with a good arm and a hammer curveball, sitting in the low 90s with his fastball already but with projection left, but he has no changeup right now and fastball command is still in the future. I could see Mark Zagunis surfacing as a 25th man because of his bat, though he's limited defensively, or Donnie Dewees making it as an extra outfielder due to his speed and ability to put the ball in play. Dewees's ceiling is capped by his lack of power and 20-grade arm.
2016 impact
After incorporating Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber into their lineup last year, the Cubs don't seem to have any room for rookies in 2016, unless someone like Edwards can win a spot in the tight bullpen fight this March.
The fallen
The Cubs took right-hander Jake Stinnett in the second round in 2014 as a senior out of the University of Maryland, but even in the Low-A Midwest League he was awful, fighting his delivery all season and posting a 4.48 ERA at a level he should have dominated.
Sleeper
De la Cruz should go to South Bend this year. Given his command and ability to pitch with his fastball, he could end the year as the system's second-best pitching prospect after Cease.