Stock Up, Stock Down for Chicago Cubs' Top 10 Prospects for Week 19

The Cubs' farm system continues to be a source of hope for the long-suffering fanbase, as it contains one of the best collections of prospects in all of baseball, and Chicago should be legitimate contenders within a couple years as a result.

September will no doubt bring a myriad of call-ups when rosters expand, and a handful of top prospects could be among those who join the big league roster, but for now those players will continue to develop while playing in the minors.

That said, here is an updated look at how the team's top 10 active prospects performed last week, and whether their stock is trending up or down.

Top prospect rankings according to MLB.com Prospect Watch.

*No. 3 prospect RF Jorge Soler (fractured left shin) is currently sidelined and will not be included until he's active. He was hitting .281/.343/.467 with eight homers and 35 RBI at the time of the injury.

*No. 6 prospect SP Arodys Vizcaino (recovering from Tommy John surgery) is currently sidelined and will not be included until he's active.

*No. 9 prospect OF Junior Lake was recently called up to the majors, so he will no longer be included here. He was hitting .295/.341/.462 with four home runs and 18 RBI at the time of the call-up.

*No. 13 prospect CF Brett Jackson was demoted to Double-A upon returning from a strained quad, and is hitting .218/.295/.341 line and 90 strikeouts in 252 at-bats. He won't be included until he at least returns to Triple-A, as it's safe to assume his stock is down while he's demoted.

No. 14 Prospect: 3B Christian Villanueva, Double-A Tennessee

2013 Stats

.262/.313/.454, 31 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, 57 RBI, 49 R

Overview

Acquired from the Rangers in the Ryan Dempster trade last July, Christian Villanueva has looked good in making the jump to Double-A this year, though he still has some developing to do.

Still just 22, he's shown good extra-base power and currently leads the Southern League with 31 doubles. His 189 total bases also rank fourth in the league, and given the fact that he's already on the 40-man roster, there's an outside chance he could see a September call-up. 

Last Week's Stats

5-for-22, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R

Stock

Even

No. 12 Prospect: SP C.J. Edwards, High-A Daytona

2013 Stats

18 GS, 8-2, 1.83 ERA, 34 BB, 122 K, 93.1 IP at Low-A Hickory

3 GS, 0-0, 2.79 ERA, 5 BB, 17 K, 9.2 IP at High-A Daytona

Overview

A 48th-round pick in the 2011 draft, C.J. Edwards has proven to be a steal to this point and looks like he has a chance to wind up being the best player the Cubs received in their deadline deal with the Rangers for Matt Garza.

After dominating at the Low-A level in the Rangers' system, the Cubs moved him to High-A upon acquiring him, and he's held his own in three appearances so far. The 21-year-old won't be rushed to the majors, and he still has to prove himself in the high minors, but he looks like a terrific pickup for an organization short on impact arms.

Last Week's Stats

2 GS, 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 8 K, 2 ND

Stock

Even

No. 11 Prospect: 1B Dan Vogelbach, Low-A Kane County

2013 Stats

.282/.363/.450, 21 2B, 17 HR, 71 RBI, 54 R

Overview 

Dan Vogelbach has some of the best raw power in all of the minors, and he currently ranks as the No. 3 first base prospect in baseball, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.

He may wind up as a trade chip in the long-term with Anthony Rizzo blocking his path at first base, but for now he remains an impressive young prospect who profiles as an elite slugger if he can put it all together. He's still only 20 and, after hitting 17 doubles and 21 home runs last season, he's continued to produce.

Last Week's Stats

6-for-22, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R

Stock

Even

No. 10 Prospect: CF Matt Szczur, Double-A Tennessee

2013 Stats

.282/.352/.371, 22 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 64 R, 21 SB

Overview

A 24-year-old with speed to burn, Matt Szczur has developed into a solid all-around baseball player after being selected in the fifth round of the 2010 draft after serving as a two-sport star at Villanova.

He's currently riding a seven-game hitting streak, and over his last 10 games he's hit .326/.392/.435 along with three extra-base hits and nine runs scored. The future outfield picture is somewhat crowded, but if the team deals David DeJesus through waivers or in the offseason, he could get a crack at the starting center field job next season.

Last Week's Stats

9-for-23, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 6 R, 1 SB

Stock

Up

No. 8 Prospect: 2B/SS Arismendy Alcantara, Double-A Tennessee

2013 Stats

.272/.346/.440, 29 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 59 RBI, 53 R, 26 SB

Overview

No Cubs position player has seen his stock climb more this season than Arismendy Alcantara, who earned a trip to the Futures Game and has shown a good mix of power and speed in his first season at Double-A.

The 21-year-old recently made the move from shortstop to second base, and while he may be a long-shot to crack the big league club out of camp next year, there's a good chance he claims the everyday second base job at some point in 2014 over the light-hitting Darwin Barney.

Last Week's Stats

6-for-15, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB

Stock

Up

No. 7 Prospect: SP Pierce Johnson, High-A Daytona

2013 Stats

13 GS, 5-5, 3.10 ERA, 22 BB, 74 K, 69.2 IP at Low-A Kane County

7 G, 6 GS, 4-1, 2.50 ERA, 15 BB, 34 K, 36 IP at High-A Daytona (Promoted on June 20)

Overview

The first in what has been a number of high-floor college arms the Cubs have acquired since Theo Epstein and company took over, Pierce Johnson was selected with the No. 43 pick in last year's draft.

The right-hander dominated for Low-A Kane County before being promoted in late June, and he's been fantastic of late, going 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA over his last five appearances. He could see a start or two in Double-A to finish out the season and should continue to move quickly through the system.

Last Week's Stats

1 GS, 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K, W

Stock

Up

No. 5 Prospect: 3B Mike Olt, Triple-A Iowa

2013 Stats

.333/.333/.750, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R at Double-A Frisco

.213/.317/.422, 15 2B, 11 HR, 32 RBI, 37 R at Triple-A Round Rock

.125/.188/.234, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R at Triple-A Iowa

Overview

Entering the season, Mike Olt looked like a potential Rookie of the Year candidate for the Rangers if they could find a way to get his bat into the lineup. Last season, he posted a .977 OPS with 28 home runs and 82 RBI in Double-A and made his big league debut down the stretch.

The 24-year-old has struggled with vision issues this season though, and he has posted some sub-par numbers as a result. With plus power and a good eye at the plate, the potential is still there for him to be an impact offensive player, and he was a good player to take a chance on for the Cubs.

Last Week's Stats

2-for-16, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R

Stock

Even

No. 4 Prospect: 3B Kris Bryant, Short-Season Boise

2013 Stats

.167/.143/.333, 1 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 R at AZL Cubs

.354/.415/.692, 8 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 13 R at short-season Boise

Overview

Many expected the Cubs to take a pitcher with the No. 2 pick in this past June's draft, but it's hard to argue with the selection of Kris Bryant after the season he had at the University of San Diego.

He hit .329/.493/.820 with an NCAA-high 31 home runs and 62 RBI in 62 games, out-homering a number of entire teams, and that landed him a $6.7 million signing bonus. He continues to crush short-season pitching and will move as quickly as his bat allows, potentially making his Chicago debut some time in 2015.

Last Week's Stats

9-for-17, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R

Stock 

Up

No. 2 Prospect: CF Albert Almora, Low-A Kane County

2013 Stats

.329/.376/.466, 17 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 39 R

Overview

Ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the game in Baseball America's Midseason Top 50 list, Albert Almora has enjoyed an impressive first full pro season after being taken with the No. 6 pick in last year's draft.

After missing time early with a broken hamate bone, he's been sidelined since August 4 with a groin injury. Nonetheless, he remains a big part of the team's future, and as one of the most advanced high school bats in recent memory he could be in Chicago by the end of the 2015 season.

Last Week's Stats

Did Not Play (groin injury)

Stock

Even

No. 1 Prospect: SS Javier Baez, Double-A Tennessee

2013 Stats

.274/.338/.535, 19 2B, 4 3B, 17 HR, 57 RBI, 59 R, 12 SB at High-A

.267/.327/.570, 8 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 30 RBI, 22 R, 5 SB at Double-A (Promoted on July 6)

Overview

Javier Baez entered the season as the top prospect in the Cubs' system and the No. 16 prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America. He's continued to climb the ranks of the game's elite prospects,  coming in at No. 10 in Baseball America's Midseason Top 50 list.

With 28 home runs, 87 RBI and 17 steals on the season between High-A and Double-A, he looks like a safe bet to win the team's Minor League Player of the Year. He's still somewhat over-aggressive at the plate and likely won't see the majors until late-2014, but all the tools are there for him to be a superstar in the middle of the Cubs' lineup for years to come.

Last Week's Stats

9-for-24, 4 2B, 7 RBI, 4 R

Stock

Up