Chicago Cubs: Ranking the Top 10 Prospects Ahead of Spring Training

The Chicago Cubs have graduated a ton of talent to the MLB level in recent years, but their minor league pipeline has by no means run dry.

An aggressive approach on the international market, shrewd drafting strategy and an impressive scouting and player development department have all contributed to a consistent stream of homegrown talent making an impact in recent years.

Those traits have also aided the team considerably on the trade market.

The Cubs sent top overall prospect Gleyber Torres and a handful of others to the New York Yankees for closer Aroldis Chapman last summer, and they dealt Dan Vogelbach and Paul Blackburn to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Mike Montgomery.

So what's left in the Cubs system heading into the 2017 season?

Ahead is a look at the team's top 10 prospects for the upcoming year.

10. RHP Thomas Hatch

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

DOB: Sept. 29, 1994 (22 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'1", 200 lbs

Acquired: 2016 draft, third round (104th overall)

2016 Stats (Oklahoma State)

19 GS, 9-3, 2.14 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 33 BB, 112 K, 130.1 IP

Outlook

The Chicago Cubs surrendered their first two selections in last year's draft when they signed Jason Heyward and John Lackey as free agents, leaving pitcher Thomas Hatch as their first overall pick late in the third round.

Here's what Baseball America had to say about the Oklahoma State right-hander prior to the draft:

"

Hatch doesn't have a sit-down strikeout pitch but his 89-94 mph fastball and above-average slider have made him an effective Friday starter...

He's shown excellent durability this year; at one point he strung together three consecutive complete-game shutouts. He's not a potential pro ace, but he's a relatively safe pick as a pitcher with a back-of-rotation or middle-reliever profile.

"

The 22-year-old won Big 12 Pitcher of the Year for a Cowboys team that went 43-22 and reached the College World Series, also earning Third Team All-American honors along the way.

There are some injury concerns with Hatch after he missed the entire 2015 season with a sprained elbow ligament. He was able to rehab the injury as opposed to undergoing surgery, but it's still something the team will need to keep an eye on going forward.

He'll likely begin his pro career in full-season ball with Single-A South Bend after the team opted against tacking any more innings onto what was already a 130.1-inning season.

Whether his future is as a workhorse starter or a two-pitch reliever with late-inning upside remains to be seen, but he should move quickly.

9. OF Donnie Dewees

DOB: Sept. 29, 1993 (23 years old)

Height/Weight: 5'11", 180 lbs

Acquired: 2015 draft, second round (47th overall)

2016 Stats (A/A+)

129 G, 577 PA, .284/.338/.416, 146 H, 25 2B, 14 3B, 5 HR, 73 RBI, 90 R, 31/36 SB

Outlook

After a breakout performance in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2014, Donnie Dewees put up huge numbers en route to First Team All-American and Atlantic Sun Player of the Year honors during his redshirt sophomore season at North Florida.

He hit .422 that spring with 18 home runs and 68 RBI while leading all D-I players in hits (106), runs scored (88), total bases (188) and slugging percentage (.749).

That was enough for the Cubs to make him a second-round pick that spring, giving him a $1.7 million bonus one round after they selected another standout collegiate bat in Ian Happ.

Dewees posted a somewhat mediocre .682 OPS with 20 extra-base hits in 303 plate appearances at Low-A Eugene after signing in 2015, but he saw a significant uptick in his production after making the jump to full-season ball last year.

While the 23-year-old doesn't have any one standout tool, he's solid across the board outside of a relatively weak throwing arm. With good speed and instincts in the outfield, he still has a chance to stick in center field at the highest level.

Here's what MLB.com's Prospect Watch had to say about his offensive game:

"

Dewees has excellent feel for the barrel and should hit for average with his compact left-handed swing and line-drive approach. He's not a big guy, but he does have bat speed and the ball jumps off his bat. If he can control the strike zone as well as he did in college—he fanned just 16 times in 60 games in 2015—he could be a .280 hitter with 15 homers per year.

"

He could be ready for the majors by the second half of the 2018 season, though a lack of a clear path to playing time in Chicago could eventually make him a trade chip.

8. RHP Duane Underwood

Morry Gash/Associated Press

DOB: July 20, 1994 (22 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'2", 210 lbs

Acquired: 2012 draft, second round (67th overall)

2016 Stats (Rk/A/A+/AA)

18 GS, 0-6, 4.32 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 35 BB, 62 K, 73.0 IP

Outlook

Duane Underwood entered last season as the No. 4 overall prospect and top pitching prospect in the Cubs organization, per Baseball America.

After a breakout performance in 2014, he continued to impress as a 20-year-old at the High-A level, going 6-3 with a 2.58 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 73.1 innings of work.

However, he struggled this past season with the jump to Double-A.

Over 13 starts and 58.2 innings, Underwood went 0-5 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.65 WHIP while watching his walk rate spike to 4.8 walks per nine innings.

With an athletic 6'2" frame and a potentially electric three-pitch repertoire that includes a fastball that touches 97 mph with good late life and a changeup-curveball combination that flashes plus, he has the pieces to develop into a front-line starter.

That stuff has rarely resulted in his missing bats, though, as he carries a career rate of 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings into the upcoming season. More than anything, that speaks to the inconsistency of his secondary stuff.

After missing time in 2015 with elbow inflammation and this past season with forearm pain, he might move to the bullpen, especially if his walk rate doesn't rebound in his second go-around in Double-A.

Still, at 22 years old, he has time to live up to his top-prospect billing.

7. 3B Jeimer Candelario

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

DOB: Nov. 24, 1993 (23 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'1", 210 lbs

Acquired: 2010 int. free agent, Dominican Republic ($500,000 bonus)

2016 Stats (AA/AAA)

132 G, 553 PA, .283/.376/.464, 134 H, 39 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 77 RBI, 74 R

Outlook

An advanced approach at the plate and terrific on-base skills have always been the calling cards for Jeimer Candelario, and the rest of his offensive game has begun to catch up to those natural tools.

In his full-season debut as a 19-year-old back in 2013, he slugged 35 doubles and 11 home runs while tallying 68 walks and just 88 strikeouts over 572 plate appearances to emerge as a prospect to watch.

He moved slowly through the system from there, and his prospect status plateaued a bit before a breakout performance in the Arizona Fall League in 2015.

Facing some of the best young talent the league has to offer, Candelario hit .329/.371/.610 with eight doubles and five home runs over 89 plate appearances to re-emerge as one of the club's top prospects.

That carried over to an impressive showing in the upper levels of the minors last year, including a .333/.417/.542 line with 34 extra-base hits in 309 plate appearances with Triple-A Iowa.

Along the way, he earned his first taste of MLB action, going 1-for-11 with two walks and five strikeouts during a brief five-game promotion in early July.

"I think the most important thing was that he saw this and felt this, and I don't think he'll be as impressed with it the next time," manager Joe Maddon told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. "I think he's really talented. I love his swing. We just thought it was wise to get him back out and let him go play."

He has little left to prove in the minors at this point, and while he may not have a clear path to regular playing time, he could compete with Tommy La Stella and Matt Szczur for the final bench spot this spring.

6. OF Mark Zagunis

DOB: Feb. 5, 1993 (23 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'0", 205 lbs

Acquired: 2014 draft, third round (78th overall) 

2016 Stats (AA/AAA)

101 G, 422 PA, .288/.384/.469, 103 H, 25 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 49 RBI, 61 R

Outlook

Mark Zagunis was a .338/.430/.495 hitter with more walks (85) than strikeouts (74) during his three seasons at Virginia Tech, and the Cubs scooped him up in the third round of the 2014 draft—two rounds after taking Kyle Schwarber at No. 4 overall.

Like Schwarber, Zagunis was a catcher in college, and he too has made the move to the outfield since beginning his pro career.

MLB.com referred to him as an "on-base machine" while offering up the following scouting report on his offensive game:

"

...Zagunis' greatest talent is getting on base, which he has continued to demonstrate while rising to Triple-A in 2016. He has the best strike-zone knowledge among Chicago farmhands and repeatedly delivers line drives from gap to gap. His approach and average bat speed limit his power ceiling, but he's driving the ball more this year and could provide 15 homers per season.

"

The 23-year-old has a career .281/.404/.434 line with an impressive 14.5 percent walk rate during his three years in the minors.

His lack of power and overall athleticism limits his ceiling, but his strike-zone recognition and line-drive ability also give him a high floor. He's close to a finished product at this point.

5. RHP Trevor Clifton

DOB: May 11, 1995 (21 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'1", 170 lbs

Acquired: 2013 draft, 12th round (348th overall)

2016 Stats (A+)

23 GS, 7-7, 2.72 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 41 BB, 129 K, 119.0 IP

Outlook

The Cubs have focused on adding pitching talent in the later rounds of the draft in recent years, and the first diamond in the rough to emerge from that strategy has been Tennessee prep Trevor Clifton.

Clifton was ranked as the No. 148 prospect in the 2013 draft by Baseball America, which would have put him in the fifth-round range, but he wound up slipping to the 12th round due to a strong commitment to the University of Kentucky.

An above-slot bonus of $375,000 was enough to sign him away from that commitment, and it looks like that will be money well spent.

The 21-year-old has steadily improved since beginning his pro career, culminating in a breakout season in 2016 that saw him rank among the Carolina League leaders in ERA (2.72, ninth) and strikeouts (129, third) to win the league's Pitcher of the Year award.

That was also enough for him to win the team's Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors.

Clifton has a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and can touch 97, and he backs it with a curveball that has improved considerably and an average changeup.

There's little question his stuff would play up considerably in a relief role, but he'll be given every chance to stick as a starter. So long as he continues to make strides with his overall command, there's no reason he can't reach his ceiling as a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter.

4. RHP Oscar De La Cruz

DOB: March 4, 1995 (21 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'4", 200 lbs

Acquired: 2012 int. free agent, Dominican Republic ($85,000 bonus)

2016 Stats (Rk/A-/A)

9 GS, 1-3, 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 11 BB, 51 K, 39.0 IP

Outlook

Some prospects earn a place among the best in their respective organization based on minor league performance.

The previous two players on this list—Mark Zagunis and Trevor Clifton—are perfect examples of that, as they'll likely never be star-caliber players but have emerged as viable future contributors.

On the other side of the top-prospect conversation are the young, low-level minor leaguers who have tremendous upside but have yet to provide much in the way of on-field results to back up lofty expectations.

That's where right-hander Oscar De La Cruz fits.

"The most physical pitcher in Chicago's system, De La Cruz is bigger than his listed 6'4" and 200 pounds and still has projection remaining," MLB.com's Prospect Watch wrote.

The 21-year-old has 198 professional innings under his belt, but just 81.1 of them have come stateside, and only 27.2 of those are above the Low-A level.

Still, it's easy to get excited about a 2.68 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a 9.1 K/9 rate, as well as the undeniable front-line upside that he possess.

De La Cruz has gotten by mainly on his plus fastball and good overall command to this point, so the continued development of his curveball and changeup will be paramount.

If there's one prospect in the Cubs system who could put together a breakout performance in 2017 and emerge as a top prospect league-wide, he's probably the best bet.

3. 2B/OF Ian Happ

DOB: Aug. 12, 1994 (22 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'0", 205 lbs

Acquired: 2015 draft, first round (ninth overall)

2016 Stats (A+/AA)

134 G, 567 PA, .279/.365/.445, 136 H, 30 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 73 RBI, 72 R, 16/21 SB

Outlook

Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber both rocketed to the majors as former first-round picks and polished college bats who needed little in the way of minor league seasoning.

Ian Happ might not possess quite the same superstar upside as those two, but he's cut from the same cloth.

After raking to the tune of a .369/.492/.672 line with 18 doubles and 14 home runs during his junior season at the University of Cincinnati, Happ was pegged as the No. 24 prospect in his draft class by Baseball America.

That made it something of a surprise when the Cubs grabbed him with the No. 9 pick, but he's quickly shown that he belonged inside the top 10.

"Happ demonstrates balance and bat speed from both sides, though he has been more productive as a left-handed hitter in pro ball. With his deceptive strength, solid speed and baserunning instincts, he has 20-20 upside," wrote MLB.com's Prospect Watch.

Three college bats were taken ahead of Happ in the 2015 draft—Dansby Swanson (1), Alex Bregman (2) and Andrew Benintendi (7)—and all three have already reached the majors and quickly impressed upon doing so.

All signs point to Happ doing the same, and he could get the call at some point during the upcoming season after reaching Double-A last year.

That being said, don't be surprised if he winds up as the centerpiece of a trade for a controllable starting pitcher.

2. RHP Dylan Cease

DOB: Dec. 28, 1995 (21 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'2", 190 lbs

Acquired: 2014 draft, sixth round (169th overall)

2016 Stats (A-)

12 GS, 2-0, 2.22 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 25 BB, 66 K, 44.2 IP

Outlook

It took a well-above-slot bonus of $1.5 million to sign Dylan Cease as a sixth-round pick back in 2014.

The Georgia prep star was a legitimate first-round talent at the start of the spring, but an arm injury brought his senior season to an abrupt halt and eventually required Tommy John surgery.

Still, the Cubs loved his potential enough to pay him like a first-round pick, and a strong return to the mound has quickly made that look like a brilliant move by the front office.

Back in action this past summer, Cease was touching 100 mph on the radar gun and consistently working in the mid-90s with his fastball.

"This guy is throwing lightning bolts out of his arm," VP of scouting and player development Jason McLeod told Tony Andracki of CSN Chicago. "It's really exciting. But we also understand he's only in Low-A this year, so he's far away."

It's not just that blazing fastball that slots him as the team's top overall pitching prospect, though, as he pairs it with a power curve that one club official likened to that of Dwight Gooden, per MLB.com.

Cease still has just 68.2 pro innings under his belt, and the Cubs will no doubt continue to treat the 21-year-old with kid gloves going forward.

He'll make his long-awaited full-season debut with Single-A South Bend in 2017, and even with an inning cap, he could quickly emerge as one of the game's elite pitching prospects if he shows well against better competition.

1. RF Eloy Jimenez

Mark Cunningham/Getty Images

DOB: Nov. 27, 1996 (20 years old)

Height/Weight: 6'4", 205 lbs

Acquired: 2013 int. free agent, Dominican Republic ($2.8M bonus)

2016 Stats (A)

112 G, 464 PA, .329/.369/.532, 142 H, 40 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 81 RBI, 65 R, 8/11 SB

Outlook

It's fair to say that Eloy Jimenez officially arrived in 2016.

The 20-year-old had already carried plenty of name recognition heading into last season, as he was the prize of a busy 2013 international free-agent class, landing a $2.8 million bonus that was part of an $8.2 million bonanza.

"Considered the crown jewel of the class of 2013, Jimenez has one of the best baseball bodies available this year and is considered to be the total package. The teenager has impressed scouts with his intelligence, plus-speed and gap-to-gap power that is expected to improve as he grows into his body," MLB.com wrote while ranking him as the No. 1 international prospect that year.

After he posted a .635 OPS in rookie ball and a .746 OPS with 17 extra-base hits in 250 plate appearances at the Low-A level in 2015, his prospect status had begun to lose a bit of its luster by the time he made his full-season debut last year.

That didn't last long.

By the time the 2016 campaign had come to a close, Jimenez ranked among the Midwest League leaders in OPS (.901, fourth), doubles (40, first), home runs (14, third), RBI (81, second) and total bases (230, second), and he had made a lasting impression during the Futures Game.

Jimenez has legitimate 30-homer upside as he continues to add muscle, and a 20.2 percent strikeout rate at such a young age is a good indication he'll be far more than just a masher.

He may still be a couple of years away, but it's clear Jimenez has as much offensive upside as any prospect in the game.

All minor league stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, while college stats courtesy of TheBaseballCube.com.

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