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Chicago Cubs Give Out Awesome Awards to Pair of Top Prospects Who Turned Heads in 2024

The Chicago Cubs finished tied for second in the National League Central this season, but the future looks bright thanks to these two.

Brady Farkas

General view of a Chicago Cubs glove, hat and glasses in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds during a spring training game at Sloan Park in 2024.
General view of a Chicago Cubs glove, hat and glasses in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds during a spring training game at Sloan Park in 2024. / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Cubs finished tied for second in the National League Central this season, but the future looks bright thanks to prospects Moises Ballesteros and Brandon Birdsell.

Per the team on social media:

Congratulations to Moisés Ballesteros, the Buck O'Neil Cubs Minor League Player of the Year, and Brandon Birdsell, the Vedie Himsl Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year!

The 20-year-old Ballesteros split the season between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. He hit .289 in total with 19 homers, 78 RBI and a .354 on-base percentage. He played in 124 total games this season. He is currently ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the organization, according to MLB.com. That site has him pegged for a call-up next season.

As for Birdsell, he's a 24-year-old righty who was drafted in 2022 out of Texas Tech. He went 8-9 this past season with a 3.91 ERA, striking out 134 batters in 135.2 innings. He made 26 starts out of 27 appearances. He also split his time between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

MLB.com ranks him as the No. 23 prospect in the organization. He is also projected for a 2025 call-up.

The Cubs put out more information on the awards via a press release on Wednesday:

The Cubs Minor League Player of the Year Award is named after the legendary John “Buck” O’Neil, who spent 33 seasons (1956-88) in the Cubs organization as a scout, coach and instructor.

The Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award is named after A.B. “Vedie” Himsl, a former minor league pitcher whose time with the Cubs spanned 32 seasons through 1985. He joined the organization as a scout, and a year later in 1953 co-authored the final scouting report recommending the signing of Ernie Banks – the first African American to play for the Cubs.

The Cubs tied with the St. Louis Cardinals in the division race, with both teams finishing behind the Milwaukee Brewers. With manager Craig Counsell entering his second season in Chicago, expectations will be high for the Cubs in 2025.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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