Feature photo of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Owen Caissie by Rich Biesterfeld
As if we needed another reason to dig on what Aram Leighton and the whole Just Baseball team is doing over there, they went and showed off why this Cubs system is among the elites right now.
In a Top 100 ranking that includes reports on all your favorite players, the team that includes Jack McMullen included five Cubs in their midseason update that of course features the newest draft picks.
Be sure to check out the full list at Just Baseball.
Starting at the top, Pete Crow-Armstrong finds himself in a familiar place as a top 10 prospect in all of baseball ranked in the number nine slot. His recent promotion to the highest level of the minors likely helps this ranking a bit and he sits there today as a hitter over five years younger than his average peer in the International League.
Next up is the consensus second-best prospect in the system in Cade Horton, ranked 26th according to Just Baseball. In just over a year, Cade has cemented himself as a top three righty in the minor leagues. His meteoritic rise might be slowed down a bit by an innings limit this year, but we might not have to wait around too long before we see him debut in Chicago next year.
Now comes the doozy. Owen Caissie. We’ve been clamoring for him to be praised as a top 100 prospect by national publications and JB went all-in, slotting him in at 30th! In all honesty, that should come as no surprise considering Aram and team have been higher on ONKC than anyone out there, and that includes the true sickos like me that run a small Cubs prospect blog. Although Owen’s not new to their Top 100, this ranking does put him in uncharted territory among the best of the best in all of baseball.
It might be tough to hold your attention after the bit of Caissie news but it’s terrific to see Kevin Alcántara in another Top 100, slotted in here at 70. His ceiling is among the best in all of baseball and his hot stretch this summer is rewarded more than his cool stretch to begin the year is reprimanded.
Finishing off the Cubs portion of the rankings is their newest first rounder in Matt Shaw. The infielder who has been tearing up South Bend in his first taste of full-season ball lands at 78, which is significantly higher than a typical 13th overall pick typically debuts in rankings.
I can’t recommend enough that you go check out the full article at Just Baseball. I’m really gaining nothing by sending you there besides the fact that I know you all need Cubs prospect content like you need air to breathe.
And if you’re looking for our take on rankings at NSB, you can always check out our work here!
