Can I Interest You in FOUR Top 100 Prospects for the Chicago Cubs?

Those of us who follow prospecting closely – which I suspect is most of you reading this post! – knew this moment was coming. The Chicago Cubs had a great couple years adding significant prospects, and then have had a great developmental season so far this year. An increase in “top 100” Cubs prospects was always coming.

First, it was Pete Crow-Armstrong, who broke out at Low-A and has already been promoted to High-A, getting top 100 love in every re-rank over the past month, joining Brennen Davis and Cristian Hernández on most top 100s.

Now, we can add a fourth Cubs prospect to that kinda arbitrary categorization of “top 100 prospect”: righty Caleb Kilian.

Baseball America did a pretty deep re-rank for the start of June, moving guys significantly and also moving a number of guys in and out. Kilian, whose 25th birthday is today, shows up there at number 100:

Previously a command-oriented pitcher with average stuff, Kilian has added significant velocity since the Cubs acquired him in last year’s Kris Bryant trade. With a fastball that sits at 94 mph and three secondaries he can locate in any part of the strike zone, he projects to be an efficient, durable starter in the middle to back of a rotation.

With the Cubs still content to keep Kilian working at Triple-A Iowa for now (2.06 ERA, 2.95 FIP, but only 9 starts and 36.1 innings for now), he’ll probably climb the prospect ladder a bit more before all is said and done and he fully graduates.

Kilian joins Hernández (holding relatively steady at 85), Crow-Armstrong (who jumps all the way to 48 – told you he would be top 50!), and Davis (who falls to 41 from 13 because of his slow start at Iowa this year and then his back injury, which seems like way too far to drop him, but maybe BA was a little too aggressive having him at 13 before the season in any case).

When the bigger re-ranks come later this summer, it’ll be really interesting to see where the Cubs wind up. They could add another top 100 with the 7th overall pick this year, but that is a reminder that the draft will bump down a lot of others. Will guys like Kevin Alcántara, D.J. Herz (you see his game last night?), James Triantos, Owen Caissie, or others be able to get serious consideration?

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 First Chicago Cubs Lineup of the Year is Here!

*SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

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...

Latest News

Braves vs. Phillies: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Atlanta Braves take on Kyle Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies in their season opener on Friday, with first pitch at 3:05 PM ET.See how to watch the Atlanta-Philadelphia matchup below.When is Braves vs. Phillies and...

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

The New Orleans Pelicans face the Milwaukee Bucks at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this matchup requires only one trifecta from Jonas Valančiūnas.Jonas Valančiūnas' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksJonas Valanciunas' over/under...

Top 25 College Basketball Picks and Best Bets: March 28

The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa State Cyclones hit the court in one of four games on the college basketball slate on Thursday that include a ranked team.How to Bet on Top 25 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Top 25 Games for...

What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

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

The Arizona Diamondbacks start their season as home favorites (-230) in a matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID from Chase Field.Zac Gallen will get the ball for Arizona while Colorado will counter...

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

The Seattle Mariners are moneyline favorites (-154) to begin their season with a home win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Seattle's Luis Castillo gets the start, and he'll go against Boston's Brayan...

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.Cleveland's Shane Bieber and Oakland's Alex Wood have been named the...

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

The Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, and if the Bucks' Damian Lillard drains four 3-pointers, he'll beat his over/under.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers in this...

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

The Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this matchup requires two trifectas from Brook Lopez.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for...

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

On Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, the Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's 3-pointer prop for this clash requires just one trey.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's over/under for three-pointers in this game:...

more cubs news