Stock Up, Stock Down for Chicago Cubs' Top 10 Prospects for Week 4

Now a month into the big league season, the Chicago Cubs are sitting at 9-15 and appear to have their work cut out for them if they hope to avoid a last-place finish in the NL Central.

More than ever, Cubs fans will be keeping a close eye on the farm system, as the rebuilding franchise will count on a solid crop of in-house talent to lead the team's return to contention.

Here is an updated look at how the team's top 10 prospects are performing down on the farm, and what direction they are currently trending.

Top prospects according to Baseball America.

*No. 2 prospect Albert Almora and No. 11 prospect Juan Carlos Paniagua will start their season in Short-Season Class-A Boise on June 17, so until then they won't be included.

*No. 4 prospect Arodys Vizcaino is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and will not be included until he returns.

*No. 9 prospect RP Kyuji Fujikawa was not included since he is currently playing at the major league level.

No. 14 Prospect: CF Matt Szczur, Double-A Tennessee

2013 Stats

.293/.368/.415, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 20 R, 8 SB

Player Summary

Matt Szczur committed himself to baseball full time for the first time in his life after being taken in the fifth round of the 2010 draft. He was a two-sport star at Villanova where he also played football.

He posted a .750 OPS and stole 42 bases between High-A and Double-A last season. The 23-year-old could push Brett Jackson on the club's organizational depth chart before too long.

Last Week's Stats

4-for-15, 1 2B, 3 R, 2 SB

Stock

Down

No. 13 Prospect: SP Alberto Cabrera, Double-A Tennessee

2013 Stats

5 GS, 3-1, 3.99 ERA, 11 BB, 26 K, 29.1 IP

Player Summary

After making 25 appearances out of the Cubs' bullpen last season, the hard-throwing Alberto Cabrera is being stretched out as a starter this season in Double-A.

The 24-year-old has steadily improved his strikeout and walk rates throughout his career, and with a mid-90s fastball, plus slider and workable changeup, he has the stuff to be a big league starter if he can continue to progress. 

Last Week's Stats

1 GS, 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 3 BB, 6 K, 6 IP

Stock

Up

No. 12 Prospect: 3B Christian Villanueva, Double-A Tennessee

2013 Stats

.218/.291/.333, 6 2B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 9 R

Player Summary

The Cubs acquired Christian Villanueva from the Rangers at the deadline last year in the deal that shipped Ryan Dempster to Texas.

The 22-year-old was the No. 100 prospect on the Baseball America preseason top-100 entering last season and  hit .279/.353/.427 with 14 home runs in High-A. Third base is such a question mark in Chicago, he could get a late-season shot if he picks up his production.

Last Week's Stats

5-for-19, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R

Stock

Even

No. 10 Prospect: SS Arismendy Alcantara, Double-A Tennessee

2013 Stats

.261/.340/.420, 2 2B, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 13 R, 12 SB

Player Summary

Signed out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year-old, Arismendy Alcantara has moved slowly through the organization and is getting his first action at the Double-A level this season.

He's shown a good mix of power and speed in the early going this season. While his future role on the Cubs' infield remains a question, there is no doubt he has the talent to make a big league impact.

Last Week's Stats

4-for-19, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 4 SB

Stock

Up

No. 8 Prospect: 3B Jeimer Candelario, Low-A Kane County

2013 Stats

.243/.360/.324, 6 2B, 7 RBI, 11 R

Player Summary

Jeimer Candelario is in his first year of full-season ball. The 19-year-old already has a polished approach at the plate and the raw tools to be an impact offensive player.

His future will likely be at second base, as that looks to be his best chance to reach the big leagues as an everyday player, but that all depends on how his power develops in the years ahead.

Last Week's Stats

1-for-15, 1 RBI, 1 R

Stock

Down

No. 7 Prospect: 1B Dan Vogelbach, Low-A Kane County

2013 Stats

.289/.337/.382, 1 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R

Player Summary

At 6'0" and 250 pounds, Dan Vogelbach is an imposing figure in the batter's box and he has some of the best raw power in all of minor league baseball.

He launched 17 home runs and posted a 1.051 OPS over 245 at-bats last season. That power will be his ticket to the big leagues. He may wind up being a trade chip down the line with Anthony Rizzo entrenched at first base, but for now, he's one of the team's most promising young hitters.

Last Week's Stats

3-for-15, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R

Stock

Down

No. 6 Prospect: SP Pierce Johnson, Low-A Kane County

2013 Stats

4 GS, 1-1, 3.50 ERA, 6 BB, 21 K, 18 IP

Player Summary

The Cubs selected Pierce Johnson with the No. 43 pick in last year's draft and while he may not have an ace ceiling, he has a relatively high floor and should be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter who moves quickly through the system.

After getting shelled for six hits and five runs through 2.1 innings in his first start of the season, the right-hander has a 1.15 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 15.2 innings of work over his last three starts.

Last Week's Stats

1 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 BB, 7 K, 5.2 IP

Stock

Up

No. 5 Prospect: CF Brett Jackson, Triple-A Iowa

2013 Stats

.232/.328/.393, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R, 3 SB

Player Summary

A first-round pick in 2009, Brett Jackson was expected to be a staple in center field for the Cubs and a perennial 20/20 threat.

Strikeouts have held him back to this point, as he whiffed 217 times in 527 at-bats between Triple-A and the majors last season. He's already fanned 19 times in 56 at-bats this season.

Last Week's Stats

2-for-14, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R

Stock

Down

No. 3 Prospect: RF Jorge Soler, High-A Daytona

2013 Stats

.276/.354/.431, 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R

Player Summary

Signed to a nine-year, $30 million deal after defecting from Cuba last June, Jorge Soler has the raw offensive tools to be a superstar in the middle of the Cubs' lineup.

He opened the season on a tear, but he's hitting just .171 over his last nine games since returning from a five-game suspension for wielding a bat in a confrontation with the opposing team's dugout.

Last Week's Stats

2-for-21, 1 R

Stock

Down

No. 1 Prospect SS Javier Baez, High-A Daytona

2013 Stats

.263/.291/.526, 6 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 16 R

Player Summary

The Cubs' top prospect and the No. 16 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America, Javier Baez impressed this spring and looks to be on the fast track to the big leagues.

He was impressive last week and it will be interesting to see how aggressively the Cubs promote him if he can string together a few weeks like that in a row.

Last Week's Stats

10-for-23, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R

Stock

Up