Cubs Have One of the Top Farm Systems of the Decade (But What About Next Year?) and Other Cubs Bullets

Holy crap the story this girl is telling to her friend, rather loudly, at Starbucks across the way from me: some guy hacked her other friend’s Instagram while the two girls were hanging out (at a college, I think), they ended up communicating with him to try to get the account back, that communication in turn mentioned how one of the friends does hair, he asked them to come over to his place and do his hair (they lived in the same area … assuredly not by coincidence) … and the girls went over and did this stranger’s hair. “He seemed really nice, though!” I know I’m an old dad at this point, but that is the start of a horror movie, girls!

Anyway … Bullets:

  • The Cubs have one of the top farm systems in all of baseball, per MLBPipeline! … er, well, of the decade. They’re ranked 4th, behind only the Braves, Astros, and Red Sox: “First-round picks Kris Bryant and Javier Báez and unheralded trade acquisition Kyle Hendricks played major roles when Chicago finally snapped its 108-year World Series title drought in 2016. In addition to Bryant and Báez, the Cubs have cranked out several other notable infielders, including D.J. LeMahieu, Starlin Castro and Gleyber Torres. They’ve had a number of international success stories too, such as Castro, Torres, Willson Contreras, Jorge Soler and Eloy Jiménez.”
  • This is fun, too:
  • https://twitter.com/CubsCentral08/status/1210197278591504386

  • One thing the Cubs did exceptionally well during the decade is that virtually ALL of their tip-top prospects (guys who reached the top 50 or so in consensus rankings) became contributors or better in the big leagues. That may seem like an obvious thing, but it very much does not happen in every org. So that’s a credit, for sure. Where the Cubs lagged, especially coming out of their top farm system years, is in developing surprising prospects up and into top-tier guys and big league contributors, especially on the pitching side.
  • Obviously development infrastructure is where most of the focus the last two years – fundamentally changing the organization’s player development system – has gone, and we tend to think it *is* going to show up next year (I’d argue, and I think Bryan would, too, that it already started to show up this past year). The Cubs will enter into the season with a farm system that virtually every service still has in the bottom 10 in baseball, but I’d bet dollars to donuts it is considered a consensus top half system by this time next year. It might be even way better than that, depending on what the Cubs do with their 2020 Plan
  • More to read on incoming manager David Ross, who is already impressing me in one very important way – he seems very open to the idea that there’s a lot he doesn’t know, and he has to lean on those who do:
  • A completely random set of things that I noticed while – initially – looking at Diamondbacks outfielders, and then clicking around at FanGraphs from there:
  • This is still so awesome, and it marked the birth moment of what would become free agency:
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

    Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

    Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

    I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

    Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

    Latest News

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks open their season as -231 favorites in a home matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen and Colorado's Kyle Freeland have been named the starters for this contest.Diamondbacks...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Seattle Mariners begin their season as -162 favorites in a home tilt against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Luis Castillo starts for Seattle while Brayan Bello is Boston's starter for the contest.Mariners...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Cleveland Guardians start their season as road favorites (-156) in a matchup with the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET, live on NBCS-CA from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Shane Bieber gets the starting nod for Cleveland while Alex Wood...

    Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Damian Lillard must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers...

    Brook Lopez Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Brook Lopez needs to make two from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, starting at 8:00 PM ET.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for three-pointers...

    Giannis Antetokounmpo Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    Will Giannis Antetokounmpo make just a single 3-pointer when the Milwaukee Bucks play the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his over/under for the game.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's...

    CJ McCollum Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, CJ McCollum must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, beginning at 8:00 PM ET.CJ McCollum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksCJ McCollum's over/under for three-pointers in...

    Devils vs. Sabres Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History and Picks – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The bookmakers are expecting a close game between the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres when they clash on Friday at 7:00 PM ET, with the Devils at -115 on the moneyline, and the Sabres at -105.Devils vs. Sabres Favorite,...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Cleveland Guardians (0-0) and the Oakland Athletics (0-0) match up on Thursday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for Opening Day. First pitch is at 10:07 PM ET.The Guardians will give the nod to Shane Bieber versus the Athletics and Alex...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Boston Red Sox (0-0) visit the Seattle Mariners (0-0) in an Opening Day game at 10:10 PM ET on Thursday.The Mariners will give the nod to Luis Castillo against the Red Sox and Brayan Bello.Mariners vs. Red Sox Pitcher...

    more cubs news