Chicago Cubs Top 100 Prospects: 25-11

24. Luke Little, LHP, 22, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

I’m a huge Luke Little fan, and I have been since he was drafted. Six-foot-eight, 220-pound left-handed starters don’t come around too often. One thing was immediately clear with Little — he strikes dudes out. Even in his 2021 debut with the ACL Cubs, Little struck out 19 in just 11.0 innings, though that was sort of offset by command issues and giving up six earned runs for a 4.91 ERA.

Then, in 2022, Little came out and torched opposing hitters. It helps that he has a heater that reaches triple digits and consistently sits in the upper 90s. Throw in a slider that can make batters fall down, and you get a guy who screams future MLB impact. In 20 games (19 starts) with Low-A Myrtle Beach, Little produced a 2.91 ERA in 52.2 innings while striking out 14.4 per nine innings. Command continued to be a challenge, but he overpowered opponents consistently.

At the end of the season, Little was promoted to South Bend, and he went out with even more promise than he had already built. Little made four appearances (three starts) in High-A, pitching 13.0 innings and giving up a single earned run. The strikeouts dipped down a bit to a still-great 11.8 SO/9, but he also had a WHIP of just 0.923.

If Little can shore up his command and fine-tune his changeup, he has a shot to stick as a starter. If he winds up in a bullpen role, though, he has closer potential with just his 100 MPH fastball and wicked slider.

MLB ETA: 2025

23. Yohendrick Pinango, OF, 20, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 45 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

I see more promise in Pinango’s power potential than most, but it’s hard to not notice the lefty more than doubling his home run total from 2021 to 2022. He has phenomenal bat speed and profiles as a versatile hitter who can hit anywhere in the lineup. Because of Pinango’s bat-to-ball skills, he could potentially slot in at the top of the order or be a dangerous weapon at the bottom to turn the lineup over.

I also seem to be a bit higher on Pinango’s run tool. However, that will vary depending on how the Cubs develop him. In 2022 with South Bend, Pinango swiped 14 bases, only getting caught once. He also showcased good base-running all around.

As Pinango continues to build up his profile and add strength, he will likely be limited to left field defensively. If that is the case, he will need to reach his potential at the plate to make an impact in the majors. Right now, Pinango projects as a guy who can hit over .260 and give you 15-20 home runs and stolen bases while using all parts of the field. His focus on making contact has stymied his willingness to take walks, but if he improves there, he can be even more dangerous.

MLB ETA: 2025

22. Ed Howard, SS, 20, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 70 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

Howard has dealt with significant injury problems since the Cubs selected him in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Mount Carmel High School in Illinois. As such, he hasn’t really been able to showcase the development you’d like to see out of a 16th overall pick. In the 23 games he did play in 2022 with High-A South Bend, Howard slashed .244/.323/.317 with one double, one triple, and one home run. He also had 11 RBIs and four stolen bases without getting caught on the base paths.

Primarily, Howard’s value comes from his advanced fielding talents. He came into the league as an 18-year-old kid who could probably step into the shortstop position in Triple-A Iowa and succeed defensively. While there has been a learning curve as Howard has started his professional career, he’s a player who can stick at shortstop long term.

Overall, if Howard meets his potential, he’s a bottom-of-the-order bat who gives you plus defense at shortstop. There is certainly a good chance that he can be a .250 hitter or above who collects double-digit home runs. It all depends on how his frame fills out as he continues to develop. It will be interesting to see how he performs when healthy to see if he can possibly jump back up prospect rankings.

MLB ETA: 2026

21. Brailyn Marquez, LHP, 23, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 80 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

Brailyn Marquez has been through some brutal injuries and self-inflicted difficulties with keeping up with his fitness. It has delayed his development to the point that he was non-tendered by the Cubs to free up his spot on the 40-man roster this offseason. The good news is the Cubs and Marquez agreed on a minor-league deal to bring him back to the organization.

From a pure potential standpoint, Marquez could be a top-100 prospect in baseball. He skyrocketed onto the radar in 2018 and even more so in 2019. In that season, Marquez looked like a future ace in the making. His fastball showed plus-plus potential as an upper-90s offering that seems un-hittable at the top of the zone. Add in a frisbee-like slider and a changeup that could disappear into the dirt, and Marquez was being pegged as a top-of-the-rotation starter.

However, Marquez hasn’t pitched since 2020 when he made one appearance with the Cubs. His lack of conditioning has hampered him as he’s rehabbed from injuries, and he continues to have setbacks along the way. If Marquez returns to form when he gets back on the mound, he’ll likely fly up this list. As things stand, I find it hard to put him lower than this based on pure potential alone.

MLB ETA: 2024

20. Nazier Mule, RHP/SS, 18, ROK

Scouting Grades (Pitching): Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

Scouting Grades (Positional): Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 65 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Baseball-Reference

Nazier Mule is a super interesting prospect just oozing with potential. He was just selected in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of high school in New Jersey, where he showed significant ability as a two-way player. It took a bonus of $1 million (slot value was $538,600) to sign him.

Right away, Mule’s fastball stands out as having plus-plus potential. He’s touched triple digits, and he consistently sits in the upper 90s with it. He’s a long athlete at 6-foot-3, and his experience as a shortstop gives him a nice push-off on the mound so he can release the ball closer to the plate.

Beyond the fastball, Mule has a slider that already projects to be an above-average pitch and a serviceable changeup. If he can develop the changeup further and hone his command, Mule has legit starting rotation potential. If not, his fastball/slider combo can still make him a dangerous option out of the bullpen.

As a hitter, Mule has good bat speed, and his strength shows up consistently with his swings. That does lead to him trying to force things a bit while trying to go for power more often than not. He uses the whole field but tends to go pull-side.

In the field, he has shown the ability to handle the left side of the infield competently. His arm, obviously, stands out, and he could also make the shift to left or right field and hold his own. He’s a special athlete; it will be interesting to see how the Cubs develop him.

MLB ETA: 2027

19. Jeremiah Estrada, RHP, 24, MLB Chicago

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

Estrada, a sixth-round pick out of high school in 2017, rocketed onto the radar in 2022. The righty showcased promise in limited appearances with Low-A Myrtle Beach in 2021 when he posted a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings. In that time, Estrada tossed 38 strikeouts against just six walks.

Then, in 2022, Estrada was un-hittable throughout his journey up the minors. He got better at each stop from High-A South Bend through Triple-A Iowa. All in all, Estrada pitched 48.1 innings and posted a 1.30 ERA with 78 strikeouts against 20 walks. His WHIP was only 1.055.

By the time 2022 ended, Estrada had pitched with the Cubs at the major-league level. In a (very) small sample size, he struck out eight in 5.2 innings and had a 3.18 ERA. His fastball stands out as a true plus offering. He’s in the high 90s with it and can pump it into the strike zone. Estrada also has an above-average curveball to pair with a decent changeup and slider. He has all the makings of a high-leverage reliever at the MLB level, and it’s possible he starts the in the big leagues next season.

18. DJ Herz, LHP, 22, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

DJ Herz is a potential monster when it comes to “stuff.” However, he has a lot of work to do in order to be able to place pitches to utilize them in a way that can make him super deadly on the mound. With High-A South Bend, Herz posted a 2.26 ERA in 17 starts. His K/9 was an impressive 14.0, but — even against lesser competition — the walks were an issue. While Herz’s WHIP was just 1.099, his BB/9 was 5.2.

When Herz was promoted to Double-A Tennessee, he was smacked around. There’s no other way to put it. The command issues persisted, leading to a much worse BB/9 of 9.4 and a WHIP of 1.800. Against more advanced hitters, Herz put up an 8.24 ERA in nine starts (31.2 innings). It was clear that he was overwhelmed.

Herz has some nice breaking stuff that plays off of his mid-90s heater. He has a long, cross-fire release that makes him hard to square up, but it also contributes to his inconsistency. If Herz can get more consistent with his mechanics, he has the makings of a legitimate middle-rotation starter. The problem is that — if he doesn’t figure out his delivery — Herz has some serious bust potential. He works hard at it, so the Cubs are hoping for the boom instead.

MLB ETA: 2024

17. Miguel Amaya, C, 23, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 35 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

Amaya has certainly spent time higher on top prospects lists for the Chicago Cubs. Moreover, he spent time as a top-100 prospect in all of baseball, ranking as high as No. 78 by Baseball Prospectus before the 2020 season. However, difficulties with injuries have dulled the shine that once surrounded Amaya.

The biggest plus that has stuck with Amaya is his defense. For the past few years, the scouting report has been that you could put Amaya behind the plate at the MLB level, and he would give you plus defense. Over the course of his MiLB career, Amaya has thrown out 38% of would-be base stealers. If he replicated that success in the majors, he’d be in the top three of all active catchers. In 2021, Amaya threw out 45% of baserunners trying to steal in a small sample size with Double-A Tennessee. That’s similar to the numbers Yadier Molina put up in his minors career.

Amaya’s bat is more than solid, too. In his 28 games with Tennessee after returning from Tommy John surgery in 2022, he slashed .278/.379/.485 with six doubles, one triple, and four home runs. As he continues to work his way back to playing behind the plate, Amaya could find his way to Chicago sooner rather than later.

MLB ETA: 2024

16. Jackson Ferris, LHP, 19, ROK

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

Jackson Ferris was a huge get for the Cubs in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft. The top high-school arm out of IMG Academy, Ferris somehow slipped out of the first round — mostly due to perceived difficulty in signing him away from his collegiate experience. It was a break for the Cubs, as they were able to use some of the money they saved by signing first-round pick Cade Horton to an under-slot deal to offer Ferris a huge $3,005,000 bonus ($1.66 million slot value).

In turn, Ferris signed with the Cubs and immediately became an upper-echelon prospect. The 6-foot-4 left-handed pitcher has a mid-to-high-90s fastball that could sustain in the high 90s as he matures physically. Ferris’s curveball plays off his fastball well, too. It’s close to a 12-6 hook that has been effective against both lefties and righties. The changeup is developing as well and could become a solidly above-average offering.

Ferris has a bit of a funky delivery, but he still seems to do a nice job of commanding his pitches, especially his fastball. With the movement and spin on his off-speed pitches, he projects to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter in the majors. There’s a lot of room for developing the young lefty, so it will be interesting to see how he performs as a professional starting next season.

MLB ETA: 2027

15. Caleb Kilian, RHP, 25, Triple-A Iowa

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

I’m still a huge believer in Caleb Kilian as a major-league starter to be. For the majority of his minor-league career, Kilian was lauded for his command. However, as he moved into the Cubs’ organization, the control started getting shakier. That’s an understandable cause for concern, especially as Kilian seemed to get roughed around in both Triple-A Iowa (4.22 ERA in 26 starts) and even more so in Chicago (10.32 ERA in three starts).

A big reason for Kilian’s drop in performance stemmed from increased walks and misplaced pitches in the zone. His BB/9 with Iowa was 5.0, and Kilian had an almost impressively bad 9.5 BB/9 in the majors. Still, at least part of the command struggles seemed to stem from the Cubs organization working with him to increase his spin rate and velocity. Kilian reaches 98 MPH with his four-seam fastball and 96 with his two-seamer. His slider is kind of a cutter that he is developing into more of a “true” slider, and his curveball can look pretty, too.

Kilian has a repeatable delivery and strong mechanics. He just needs to adjust them as he incorporates throwing harder. Based on his profile and mental makeup, it’s certainly easy to see him making those adjustments and being right on the cusp of returning to the majors. If he figures it out, he offers middle-of-the-rotation potential as a true starting pitcher.

14. Porter Hodge, RHP, 21, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

Baseball-Reference

Porter Hodge is consistent on the bump, and he has some nasty breaking stuff. With all the makeup of a middle-of-the-rotation starter, Hodge has a low-to-mid-90s fastball and a slider that is already a plus pitch if you put him in the majors today. I actually love his curveball almost as much as the slider; he gets some ridiculous swords with both of them.

After Hodge was drafted in the 13th round out of high school in 2019, he’s faced some adversity getting to where he is today. The right-handed pitcher had back surgery in 2020 and dealt with some issues with his conditioning early in his professional career. He changed his diet after last season, dropped 20 pounds, and started dominating in 2022.

With Low-A Myrtle Beach, Hodge made 17 starts, posting a 3.00 ERA, 11.7 K/9, and 5.1 BB/9 in 69.0 innings. As is the case with most pitchers who have crazy movement on their breaking balls, command was still a clear difficulty for Hodge, but he was able to make up for it by constantly making hitters look silly. Only one batter was able to barrel him up for a home run in those 69.0 innings.

Then, Hodge jumped to High-A South Bend and only got better. In eight games (seven starts), Hodge pitched 40.1 innings. He put together an ERA of 2.01, a K/9 of 11.4, and a BB/9 of 3.6. Hodge’s WHIP in High-A was just 1.041.

With the success Hodge found in 2022, it isn’t out of the question for him to start 2023 with Double-A Tennessee. At the very least, if he starts with South Bend, he’ll rise quickly if he replicates or builds on his performance from last season.

MLB ETA: 2025

13. James Triantos, IF, 19, Low-A Myrtle Beach

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

Baseball-Reference

Triantos is a ton of fun to watch in all phases of the game. At the plate, he has a great feel for the strike zone and showcases advanced bat-to-ball skills. In 2022, Triantos slashed .272/.335/.386 with the Pelicans. His run tool may taper out as he builds his strength, but he showed plus speed on the base paths in 2022, swiping 20 bags and only getting caught three times.

Moreover, he started to showcase more power than expected in 2022, smacking 19 doubles, six triples, and seven home runs. He’s likely never going to be a slugger hitting 30-plus home runs a season, but he’s been developing the potential for at least average power, enough to be the difference between being a Nick Madrigal type and being a Nico Hoerner type.

Triantos has the makeup of an above-average fielder who has the arm to stick at third. While he has been on the wrong end of making errors (both in judgment and making literal errors), the traits are all there for the 20-year-old to get it together. Playing with Low-A Myrtle Beach at age 19 certainly offered a challenge in the field, so it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop in 2023. If anything, a shift to second base would be an easy way for Triantos to stay above average defensively.

MLB ETA: 2025

12. Luis Devers, RHP, 22, High-A South Bend

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 60 | Overall: 55

Baseball-Reference

Devers just finished a 2022 season in which he won the Cubs’ MiLB Pitcher of the Year award by dominating hitters with both Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend. In 26 games/22 starts (117.2 innings) between both levels, Devers posted a 1.91 ERA, a K/9 of 9.3 against a BB/9 of just 2.0, and a WHIP of 0.952. Beyond that, Devers was arguably better with South Bend than he was with Myrtle Beach, even though he crushed batters at both levels.

The changeup stands out as a dominant pitch for Devers. He literally has caused batters to throw their bats while striking out against it. For his fastball and curveball, Devers has turned them into solid offerings. The fastball is up to the mid-90s, and his curveball — while not utilized as often — is a solid breaking pitch with a tight spin.

The Chicago Cubs’ system is full of pretty promising pitchers who project to be middle-of-the-rotation types. As such, it is fair to think Devers begins the 2023 season with South Bend again. However, if he continues his dominance, he could move up to Double-A Tennessee soon.

MLB ETA: 2025

11. Ben Brown, RHP, 23, Double-A Tennessee

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55

Baseball-Reference

Brown came over to the Cubs’ organization in the trade that sent David Robertson to the Phillies. The Cubs aggressively promoted him to Double-A Tennessee (he had been with Philadelphia's High-A team). The uptick in competition showed right away as Brown adjusted.

In the month of August — his first with Tennessee — Brown logged a 5.29 ERA in four starts (17.0 innings), letting opposing batters hit .296 and surrendering a WHIP of 1.71. However, Brown’s September showed the promise that Chicago identified when targeting him.

In the final month of the season, Brown made three starts (14.0 innings) that yielded a 2.57 ERA and 13.5 K/9. He still struggled sometimes with his command, letting batters square up on his pitches too often (7.7 H/9). However, he was able to limit hard contact, and he did damage control when batters got on base. His accuracy was essentially pin-point with the Phillies’ High-A team, so it’s not unreasonable to expect that to return as he continues to develop.

At 6-foot-6, Brown packs a power fastball in the upper 90s, a power curveball, and a slider that has some tight whiffle-ball-like spin. He profiles as an impact arm either as a starter or a high-leverage reliever. I’d put my money on Brown succeeding as a middle-of-the-rotation starting pitcher with a floor of a Keegan Thompson-ish role as a multi-inning threat out of the bullpen. Expect him to start the season in the starting rotation with Tennessee.

MLB ETA: 2024

Next up, we’ll dive into prospects 10-4. In that range, I have three pitchers, two outfielders, and two infielders. Can you guess who they are?

As always, If you see anything on this list you disagree or agree with, let me know on Twitter! I’d love to talk about it with you. Otherwise, stay tuned for prospects 10-4 in the Chicago Cubs farm system.