NEWSLETTER
An interesting ranking from ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel today, noting as a precursor that he is not especially high on the Chicago Cubs’ farm system.
The ranking is of the 30 MLB organizational “cores,” meaning the sum total of talent the organization has under control for at least the next two full seasons.
I mention the farm system ranking (12th), because the ranking for the overall core is notably higher, which is an implicit compliment of the talent already on the big league roster (as well as the near-term talent in the upper minors). That is to say, if the farm system is a 12 to McDaniel, but the core is higher, then the Cubs are presumably looking better in the immediate future than they are solely on the whole of the farm. I suppose you could take that as a good thing (I do), or you could just be reminded that the farm system arguably took a big step back this year.
In any case, the point is, when considering the top talent in the Cubs’ organization – big league and minor league – the Cubs have the 8th best group in baseball, according to McDaniel:
“8. Chicago Cubs
2023 rank: 16
2022 rank: 22Elite: None
Plus: Dansby Swanson/SS, Justin Steele/LHS, Ian Happ/LF, Nico Hoerner/2B, Shota Imanaga/LHS, Seiya Suzuki/RF, Isaac Paredes/3B
Solid: Pete Crow-Armstrong/CF, Jordan Wicks/LHS, Jameson Taillon/RHS, Michael Busch/1B, Porter Hodge/RHR, Moises Ballesteros/C, Kevin Alcantara/CF, Matt Shaw/3B, Owen Caissie/RF, Miguel Amaya/C, Jefferson Rojas/SS, James Triantos/2B, Cade Horton/RHS, Cam Smith/3B, Javier Assad/RHS, Brandon Birdsell/RHS, Jaxon Wiggins/RHS, Mike Tauchman/RF, Tyson Miller/RHR, Ben Brown/RHS, Luke Little/LHR
The current major league team is almost playoff quality, but it’s the young players who have Chicago in the top 10. Crow-Armstrong and Wicks are two players I think will move up a level with another half a season or so of their current performance. Among the prospects listed, Ballesteros and Caissie are in Triple-A, and Smith had been red-hot since going in the first round of this summer’s draft.
Imanaga’s contract is extremely convoluted but, essentially, if he keeps doing what he’s doing, the Cubs can and will have him under contract through 2028. I expect Cody Bellinger to opt out of his contract this winter, so he wasn’t included here.”
I feel like that’s a pretty fair summation of the organizational core (right down to the large group of “Plus” players, but none in the “Elite” tier), and the ranking is probably right around where I would have them, as well. With 12 playoff teams annually, this seems about right for what we EXPECT the Cubs to do in the next two years, yes? Be in very, very firmly in the playoff hunt in 2025 and 2026? (They freaking better.)
I also like to see the progress in the rankings for the Cubs, from the bottom ten to the middle tier to the top ten, all in successive seasons.
It’s worth checking out the list and the write-ups as a whole, since everything is relative. The Cubs are BY FAR the highest NL Central club on the list, which I find a little surprising. I think you can make a strong argument that the Brewers and Pirates, specifically, could be up near the top ten, even if just outside it. The Reds and Cardinals fare even worse.
You will be wholly unsurprised by the three orgs at the top (Dodgers, Braves, Orioles), as they have such a tremendous collection of controlled big league talent and/or MLB-ready prospects. I can’t argue with any of it.
