There are two new updated top prospect lists out this week that incorporate the 2024 MLB Draft class.
At Baseball America, the Cubs see a bit of a dip in the top-100 thanks primarily to the addition of several 2024 draftees (top Cubs pick Cam Smith is not going to make these lists just yet), and also some steps back. The six Cubs who made the cut:
35. Cade Horton, RHP
41. Matt Shaw, INF
48. Owen Caissie, OF
53. Jefferson Rojas, SS
68. Moises Ballesteros, C
84. Kevin Alcántara, OF
Until Horton (lat) gets back on the mound, it’s hard to argue with any rankings that have him down in that range. He was trending toward being a top-20 prospect overall, but he’ll have to resume dominating – this time at Triple-A – before the industry consensus sees him that way again. At last check, he was starting to ramp back up in Arizona, but we’ve not yet gotten word of live BP, much less a rehab assignment at the lower-levels.
At The Athletic, Keith Law ranked only the top-60, and the Cubs are still well-represented:
17. Matt Shaw, INF
27. Kevin Alcántara, OF
36. Cade Horton, RHP
54. Moises Ballesteros, C
Law remains the high man on Alcántara, who is absolutely on fire right now, by the way. Conversely, he’s generally been lower on Owen Caissie, hence no appearance here in the top-60.
Meanwhile, Moises Ballesteros draws ever closer to “consensus top-50 prospect,” and consensus top-25 is the next stop from there …