Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs Name Their Best Prospects From This Past Season

The Chicago Cubs have named their Prospects of the Year from this past season.

Brad Wakai

Chicago Cubs hat and glove in the dugout
Chicago Cubs hat and glove in the dugout / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
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There is an argument to be made that the Chicago Cubs have the best farm system in all of Major League Baseball.

Not only do they have the most players in MLB Pipeline's top 100 list, but they have multiple prospects who are considered to be franchise cornerstones who can become future stars of the Cubs.

That could come as soon as next year.

Chicago is trying to figure out how to make the playoffs in 2025, and while a lot of the conversations centers around who they might bring in during free agency, there's a chance some of their star prospects turn into the missing pieces on this roster.

One of those players is catcher Moises Ballesteros, and after a season where he vaulted through their pipeline, he was named the Buck O'Neil Cubs Minor League Player of the Year. Brandon Birdsell joined him with a prestigious honor, being named the Vedie Himsl Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Fans are hoping Ballesteros is the answer Chicago is searching for at catcher.

Following a campaign where they had one of the worst offensive outputs from that position, the 20-year-old, who slashed .289/.354/.471 with 19 homers and 78 RBI across 124 games at the Double and Triple-A levels, is seen as someone who could boost their production for a long time.

Birdsell is an unheralded pitching prospect on their farm.

While he does rank 23rd per MLB Pipeline, he is also viewed as only their fifth-best minor league pitcher when hit comes to prospect rankings.

But, there is a chance the 2022 fifth-round pick could be a major factor for the Cubs going forward after he impressed in his second full season of professional baseball.

His 3.91 ERA in Double and Triple-A has him on the doorsteps of earning a role in The Show, and after being named Chicago's minor league Pitcher of the Year, he seems to have a bright future in the organization.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai

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