Surprising Chicago Cubs Prospect Considered Their Best 2023 Draft Pick

The best Chicago Cubs prospect from their 2023 draft class might surprise many fans.

Chicago Cubs hat and glove / David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs have been able to put together one of the best farm systems in all of Major League Baseball after smartly selling off assets during the past few seasons where they knew they weren't going to make the playoffs.

By getting back many star prospects, their pipeline is full of young talent who are looking like potential impact players when they eventually get called up.

One of these players has been thrust into the spotlight considering how dire the Cubs' situation at third base has been, and continues to be.

In 2023, Chicago took Matt Shaw with their 13th overall pick out of Maryland and he is already considered the third-best prospect in their farm system.

Having been promoted to the Double-A level in his first full professional season, fans are hoping he can be a faster riser to get his first Major League experience in the coming year.

However, MLB Pipeline thinks it's the other player from Maryland the Cubs took in that draft class who has been the better player so far.

With their 19th round pick, they selected pitcher Nick Dean, and he has been remarkable.

Across 11 appearances and seven starts, the right-hander has a 1.96 ERA in 46 innings pitched while striking out 49 batters and only walking 10. After starting out with their Single-A affiliate, he has already been promoted to High Single-A where he has only been used as a starter.

He currently isn't ranked inside their Top 30 prospects, but there's a chance he could find himself on that list if he continues to produce.

At 23 years old following four seasons as a starter at Maryland, he is coming in as a much-more polished player than some of the younger arms who were drafted.

That could allow him to rise through their pipeline quickly if he keeps pitching the way he has.