NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates were off on Monday, so it’s time to take stock of some recent hot (and not-so-hot) performers inside the Cubs Top 25 prospects down on the farm in today’s Cubs Farm Report.
Cubs Farm Report | May 7, 2024
1. Pete Crow-Armstrong | OF | MLB
It’s been a tough week for PCA. The Cubs’ No. 1 overall prospect has started six games, appeared in seven, and has just three hits to show. He’s slashing just .216/.231/.351 in 13 games with the Cubs this season and has a wRC+ of 62.
2. Cade Horton | RHP | AAA
Horton made his Triple-A debut over the weekend and was good but not great for the Iowa Cubs. Horton allowed two runs on two hits while walking four and striking out six in four innings of work for Iowa. He took the loss in that one.
3. Owen Caissie | OF | AAA
Like most Iowa hitters, Owen Caissie had a quiet week, picking up four hits in six games. One of those hits was a home run, and Caissie had a pair of RBI and six walks last week. Caissie has two home runs and a .870 OPS on the season for Iowa.
4. Matt Shaw | INF | AA
Shaw picked up three hits last week and struck out four times in his 24 trips to the plate. Shaw has been ice cold lately, hitting .132 with no home runs and 15 strikeouts since April 17.
5. Kevin Alcántara | OF | AA
The roller coaster ride continues for Alcántara, with an ice-cold week featuring three hits (a pair of singles and a double) in 19 plate appearances and eight strikeouts. Since his two-homer game on April 23, Alcántara is hitting .171 with 13 strikeouts and no home runs in nine games.
6. James Triantos | 2B | AA
Triantos stayed hot for the Tennessee Smokies this past week, hitting .474 with two doubles, a triple, and six runs scored in his last five games. Triantos is hitting .326 with three home runs, 13 RBI, and seven stolen bases in 24 games with the Smokies this season.
7. Moises Ballesteros | C/1B | AA
Moises Ballesteros has been one of the hottest-hitting prospects on this list, and in the Cubs farm system in general, the big catcher racked up 10 hits in 20 at-bats last week. He’s hitting .353 with three home runs, five doubles, and 14 RBI on the season for Tennessee.
8. Jefferson Rojas | SS | A+
Rojas played in four games last week for the South Bend Cubs and managed only two base hits, although he was putting the ball in play for outs with only one strikeout in that span. He’s hitting .286 with a pair of home runs and 15 RBI on the season.
9. Ben Brown | RHP | MLB
Brown’s lone appearance in the last seven days came on May 2 in a start against the New York Mets. Brown allowed two runs on three hits while walking five and striking out five in four and two third innings of work.
10. Fernando Cruz | SS | ROK
Cruz (a top-five international prospect signing for the Cubs this winter) has yet to make his rookie league debut with the ACL Cubs.
11. Michael Arias | RHP | AA
Arias made two relief appearances for the Smokies last week, allowing two earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out three. He’s 2-0 on the season with a 1.69 ERA in 16 innings of work. He has 18 strikeouts to eight walks for Tennessee.
12. Drew Gray | LHP | A+
Gray allowed no runs on three hits while striking out three and walking one in four innings of work in his lone start last week. He’s sporting an impressive 1.17 ERA with 23 strikeouts in five starts with South Bend this season.
13. BJ Murray | 3B/1B | AAA
It was tough sledding for Murray last week; picking up just one hit in 20 plate appearances. He’s hitting .167 on the season with 37 strikeouts in 30 games with Iowa.
14. Pedro Ramirez | 2B/3B | A+
Ramirez was red-hot last week, picking up 13 hits in 27 at-bats for the South Bend Cubs. He hit two home runs, drove in six in six games, and is hitting .365 on the season. Ramirez was named the MiLB Player of the Week for the Midwest League.
15. Luis Vazquez | SS | AAA
Vazquez had two hits (a pair of doubles) in five games last week. Despite a down week, Vazquez is hitting .304 on the season with three home runs and seven doubles to go along with 12 RBI.
16. Haydn McGeary | 1B | AA
McGeary was one of the hot hitters for the Tennessee Smokies last week with six hits in 15 at-bats. McGeary needed a strong week after a dreadful start to the season that included a .173 batting average in 21 games.
17. Derniche Valdez | SS | ROK
Valdez picked up a triple and a walk in three plate appearances in his lone game with the ACL Cubs last week.
18. Pablo Aliendo | C | AA
Aliendo had two hits in eight at-bats last week, playing in only three Smokies games. He’s hitting .250 in 17 games this season, although he has shown his pop with four home runs, 15 RBI, and a pair of doubles in 52 at-bats.
19. Cristian Hernandez | SS/2B | A
Hernandez hit .400 (8-20) in five games last week for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He’s hitting .337 on the season.
20. Alexis Hernandez | SS | A
Alexis Hernandez was 0-for-15 in five games last week with eight strikeouts. He’s hitting .155 on the season with 35 strikeouts in 94 plate appearances.
21. Jaxon Wiggins | RHP | ROK
Wiggins is yet to pitch for the ACL Cubs this season.
22. Brandon Birdsell | RHP | AA
Birdsell allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits in five and a third innings of work for the Smokies in his lone start last week. He struck out three and walked two in that outing and has a 5.68 ERA in four starts this season with Tennessee.
23. Brody McCullough | RHP | A
In his start last week, McCullough allowed a pair of earned runs on four hits while striking out two and walking on in four innings. He has a 1.69 ERA in three appearances (two starts) this season for Myrtle Bech.
24. Porter Hodge | RHP | AAA
Hodge had a mixed bag of a week for Iowa last week, tossing a scoreless inning on May 2 and then giving up three runs in just one-third of an inning of work the next day. This season, he owns a 3.86 ERA in 11.2 innings of work out of the Iowa bullpen.
25. Josh Rivera | SS | AA
Rivera hit .364 (4-11) in three games last week. He picked up a double and drove in a run for the Smokies in limited action. He’s hitting .228 with two home runs and five RBI in 17 games this season with Tennessee.
