Final 2014 Rankings of Chicago Cubs' Top 10 Prospects
The Chicago Cubs entered the 2014 season with a very strong farm system and somehow ended the year with an even stronger one. Several key prospects have found their way to the major leagues this season, but a lot of top-level talent still remains in the farm system.
For the sake of argument, no player that has been called up by the team this season will be included as a top prospect, even though a few late call-ups and September call-ups like Jorge Soler and Arodys Vizcaino would've made this list. Based on their performance this season and how they project in the future, here are the Cubs' top 10 prospects to end the 2014 season.
10. 3B Jeimer Candelario
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2014 Numbers (A, A+):
| HR | RBI | R | SB | BA | OBP |
| 11 | 63 | 56 | 0 | .223 | .288 |
Jeimer Candelario always gets lost in the shuffle since there are so many elite infielders in the Cubs farm system, but he's still a pretty good player in his own right. He had a very rough 2014 but still showed he can hit for a bit of power. He's quite a ways off from the big leagues still, so there's a chance the team could trade him if he develops further.
He's not going to capture any headlines with all of the other infielders garnering attention for the Cubs, but if he develops into a trade asset and ends up helping the Cubs acquire an ace, he could be just as valuable.
9. C Victor Caratini
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2014 Numbers (A):
| HR | RBI | R | SB | BA | OBP |
| 5 | 55 | 49 | 1 | .277 | .346 |
Acquired from the Braves at the trade deadline this season, Victor Caratini gives the Cubs some much-needed depth at catcher in the minor leagues. He's not incredible at any one thing, but he can hit for a decent average and drive runners in when they're there for him to do so.
Caratini doesn't possess elite power but will drive the gaps consistently. If the incumbent Welington Castillo can't put it together in the next year or so, expect the team to try to fill the position with a veteran free agent or a promising prospect like Caratini.
8. 1B Dan Vogelbach
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2014 Numbers (A, A+):
| HR | RBI | R | SB | BA | OBP |
| 19 | 76 | 68 | 5 | .284 | .375 |
Dan Vogelbach is the Cubs' biggest trade bait right now, so they need him to keep performing at a high level. He's an on-base machine, getting on base 37.5 percent of the time. The reason he's trade bait is because he's pretty stuck to first base and the Cubs already have Rizzo there at the big league level.
When and if the Cubs feel it's necessary to deal for a front-line starting pitcher, expect Vogelbach to be part of the deal. His plus power, ability to drive in runs and proficiency with getting on base make him a valuable trade asset for any team looking to acquire prospects.
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7. RHP Pierce Johnson
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2014 Numbers (A, AA):
| W | L | ERA | WHIP | BB | K |
| 5 | 5 | 2.54 | 1.179 | 57 | 99 |
Like other top pitching prospect C.J. Edwards, Pierce Johnson got off to a slow start this season mostly due to injury. While he only started 19 games this year, he still continued to put up impressive numbers. He will have to cut down on his walks, but with a sub-3.00 ERA, Johnson is clearly close to being major league ready.
Give him a little time in Triple-A next season and see what he's got. As long as he stays healthy and keeps shutting opposing offenses down, he could get the call mid-to-late in the season and be able to make as much of an impact as Kyle Hendricks has this season.
6. LF Billy McKinney
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2014 Numbers (A+):
| HR | RBI | R | SB | BA | OBP |
| 11 | 69 | 72 | 6 | .264 | .354 |
Billy McKinney, the forgotten piece of the Jeff Samardzija trade from earlier this year, is very similar to Dan Vogelbach, another top prospect in the Cubs organization. They both show great approaches at the plate at very young ages and that should be exciting for Cubs fans.
At barely 20 years old, McKinney has already played two seasons of professional baseball and could potentially start next season at Double-A Tennessee.
Notice that his on-base percentage is 90 points higher than his average. That's the kind of player this relatively undisciplined Cubs team needs at the major league level. That's not likely to happen for McKinney until at least 2016.
5. C/OF Kyle Schwarber
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2014 Numbers (A-, A, A+):
| HR | RBI | R | SB | BA | OBP |
| 18 | 53 | 55 | 5 | .344 | .428 |
The team's first-round pick in 2014 is looking like another Kris Bryant coming up through the system. He doesn't have the same elite hitting skills that Bryant does, but he's tearing up minor league pitching the same way Bryant did in his first partial professional season.
After dominating every level of A-ball this season, it would make sense to start Kyle Schwarber in Double-A next season with a chance for a promotion to Triple-A at some point. Knowing how patient the Cubs front office likes to be with their top prospects, it's not likely Schwarber will join the big league squad until the 2016 season.
4. RHP C.J. Edwards
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2014 Numbers (Rk, AA):
| W | L | ERA | WHIP | BB | K |
| 1 | 2 | 2.35 | 1.062 | 25 | 54 |
C.J. Edwards put up some impressive stats again this season, but he only started in 12 games due to injuries. Until he builds upon his lanky 6'2" 155-lb. frame, he's going to keep getting hurt. A body that small can't take the punishment it takes to pitch every fifth day in the big leagues.
Next season is going to be a big one for Edwards, who needs to show he can stay healthy while also dominating competition. As long as he builds on his frame, stays healthy and continues to execute his pitches the way he has the past two seasons, he should be set to join the Cubs in 2016.
3. CF Albert Almora
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2014 Numbers (A+, AA):
| HR | RBI | R | SB | BA | OBP |
| 9 | 60 | 75 | 6 | .270 | .291 |
Albert Almora finally got healthy this season but struggled early on. Then, as Jorge Soler got hot, so did he. He's still going to have to improve his approach at the plate; a .291 OBP isn't going to be acceptable at the major league level. At the beginning of his career, he was looking like a No. 2 hitter, but now he's looking better suited for the seven hole.
Still, Almora's leadership skills are what really impress the Cubs. Of course, if he doesn't perform, that won't mean much, but it can make up for slight lapses in performance. With Rizzo developing as the team's leader, a strong clubhouse atmosphere could be forming as Almora arrives.
2. SS Addison Russell
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2014 Numbers (A+, AA):
| HR | RBI | R | SB | BA | OBP |
| 13 | 45 | 39 | 6 | .295 | .350 |
Even though a torn hamstring early in the season slowed down Addison Russell's development, he still showed off the array of skills, including a rare mix of power and average, he possesses in the 68 games he played in 2014. He's the smoothest fielding shortstop the team has in the system, so if he develops correctly, he could end up bumping Starlin Castro somewhere else on the field.
Still, Russell has a lot of work to do. It would make sense for him to start the season at Triple-A and go from there. If he dominates competition there, he could be on the major league team by the end of next season. More likely is that he will spend the entire season in Triple-A and begin the 2016 season with the Cubs.
1. 3B Kris Bryant
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2014 Numbers (AA and AAA):
| HR | RBI | R | SB | BA | OBP |
| 43 | 110 | 118 | 15 | .325 | .438 |
Not only is Kris Bryant the best prospect in the Cubs system, he's the best prospect in all of baseball. The numbers speak for themselves. In his first year in professional baseball, Bryant was right at the top of every major offensive statistical category.
In order to push his arbitration eligibility a year later, the team will likely wait for about a month in the 2015 season to call him up, but the wait for him to arrive at Wrigley Field is almost over. The Cubs like their prospects to take their lumps in the minor leagues before seeing major league pitching, but it seems like Bryant is determined not to take any lumps at any level.
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