The time has come. You’ve sorted through each of our prospect lists this week, noted our tendencies, picked your favorites, and reached the end (sort of). Today, we pool together the lists from both Gregs, Todd, and Rich to create the final boss: our cumulative rankings leading into the 2024 campaign.
In case you need a reminder of what our individual lists look like, you can find Greg Huss’ list here, Rich Biesterfeld’s list here, Todd Johnson’s list here, and Greg Zumach’s list here!
How are these calculated? Simple. We used a point system where the top ranked prospect on each of our lists received 40 points from each of us while the 40th ranked player on each of our lists received 1 point. The output is 40 prospects, ranked based on the total points they received from the NSB trio, and an additional 14 honorable mentions! Enjoy all 40 players, including the highest spot they were ranked among our four individual lists, the lowest they were ranked, and a quote from one of us!
1. Pete Crow-Armstrong
High: 1 | Low: 1
“His floor as an elite defender in centerfield with pop and speed means he provides real MLB value while his offensive game improves.” —Greg Z
2. Cade Horton
High: 1 | Low: 2
“The fact that he’s had this much success (and is still fairly new to being a full-time pitcher) is just flat out amazing.” —Todd
3. Kevin Alcántara
High: 3 | Low: 5
“He is an uber freaky player. The key going forward is him making adjustments and rising to the occasion and challenge. He has the skills to adapt.” —Todd
4. Matt Shaw
High: 3 | Low: 6
“Shaw has the highest floor of any hitter in the Cubs system right now.” —Todd
5. Owen Caissie
High: 4 | Low: 5
“Like it or not, exit velo is the single best indicator of future power production at the Major League level. Caissie’s rates from the 2023 minor league campaign would rank among the best in all of MAJOR League Baseball.” —Greg H
6. Jordan Wicks
High: 6 | Low: 8
“Wicks is set to be the 4th/5th starter out of the gate this year but will need to continue to refine his arsenal and lean into game-planning. If Wicks adds more swing and miss to his arsenal he could become a mid-rotation arm in short-order.” —Greg Z
7. Jefferson Rojas
High: 5 | Low: 11
“There are big believers in Rojas both inside and outside the organization” —Greg Z
8. Moises Ballesteros
High: 6 | Low: 11
“Mo Baller has the best combination of hitting skills in the entire system.” —Greg H
9. Ben Brown
High: 7 | Low: 9
“He tends to get lost in the shuffle, but a full spring to prep and early success at AAA could have him in the major leagues soon.” —Greg Z
10. Jackson Ferris
High: 8 | Low: 13
“He’s throwing three 20s with a fastball touching 20 inches of carry, a slider touching 20 inches of sweep, and a curveball with 20 inches of depth. It’s nasty stuff.” —Greg Z
11. Alexander Canario
High: 10 | Low: 12
“The pop is still no joke post-surgeries and I think he can at least be as good as Seiya Suzuki defensively while holding down back-up CF duties for the next couple seasons.” —Greg H
12. James Triantos
High: 9 | Low: 15
“Next season we can hope to see additional in-game power as Triantos incorporates more selective aggression. He’s another potential breakout performer in 2024.” —Greg Z
13. Matt Mervis
High: 14 | Low: 21
“The building blocks are still there to adjust (especially to upper-level breaking balls). He has the upside of being a quality, everyday first baseman.” —Greg Z
14. Luke Little
High: 12 | Low: 24
“The sweeper generated the 6th highest whiff% in Triple-A last year (56%) among 2,961 different pitch types and when it was put in play for some odd reason, he gave up just a .043 wOBA which was good for 2nd in the same sample size.” —Greg H
T-15. Luis Vázquez
High: 11 | Low: 19
“I wonder how much third base he will play in spring training? He’s got the size and the pop in the bat to play at that position now.” —Todd
T-15. Drew Gray
High: 15 | Low: 17
“Cubs officials were very high on Gray prior to his surgery (and likely still are). I know I am.” —Greg Z
17. Michael Arias
High: 13 | Low: 19
“Dude just oozes talent. I wonder if he’s added some good weight this offseason? Most likely a reliever unless he adds some good muscle to his frame.” —Todd
18. BJ Murray Jr
High: 14 | Low: 25
“He showed more power, demonstrates a balanced attack at the plate, and plays multiple positions.” —Greg Z
19. Pedro Ramirez
High: 19 | Low: 24
“I know the body doesn’t shout that of projection but Pedro deserves a Top 25 slot as long as he continues to produce at the dish.” —Greg H
20. Pablo Aliendo
High: 20 | Low: 26
“Aliendo has put himself squarely in the realm of being a MLB catcher in 2025, but will need to address swing and miss.” —Greg Z
21. Kohl Franklin
High: 15 | Low: 27
“The changeup is still great, the breaking balls are sorting themselves out, and the fastball does enough to make sure the other offerings play.” —Greg H
22. Zyhir Hope
High: 13 | Low: 34
“His power/speed combination paired with incredible athleticism and a sweet swing is enough to become obsessed with a player.” —Greg H
23. Porter Hodge
High: 17 | Low: 33
“Hodge has had an up and down 2023, but he’s still showing flashes of some really quality pitches (unique ones as well according to Baseball America).” —Greg Z
24. Christian Franklin
High: 20 | Low: 30
“His power-speed combination is enthralling, not to mention the defense he can play in the outfield.” —Greg H
25. Brody McCullough
High: 23 | Low: 26
“Brody is one of the best in the system at finding the edges of the strike zone with multiple pitch types, each of which play up because of a combination of VAA and spin rates.” —Greg H
26. Jaxon Wiggins
High: 16 | Low: Outside Top 40
“Huge stuff, significant command issues, possible enormous riser.” —Greg Z
27. Haydn McGeary
High: 20 | Low: 32
“McGeary likely won’t ever make a Top 100 list since it’s so rare for these older DH-likely profiles to do so, but he’s hitting his way up the ladder.” —Greg Z
28. Brandon Birdsell
High: 16 | Low: 34
“Simply put: Brandon Birdsell knows how to pitch.” —Greg H
T-29. Will Sanders
High: 26 | Low: 32
“Ultimately his arsenal needs fine-tuning, but this is a classic case where minor changes in a pitch lab and a healthy season make this feel like a steal.” —Greg Z
T-29. Josh Rivera
High: 21 | Low: Outside Top 40
“I feel perfectly comfortable thinking of him as a shortstop, second baseman, or third baseman long-term.” —Greg H
31. Alexis Hernández
High: 25 | Low: Outside Top 40
“He’s a good shortstop, can hit nukes, and is still just 18 years old.” —Greg H
32. Christopher Paciolla
High: 28 | Low: Outside Top 40
“He’s hit the gym to get stronger, become more athletic, and put himself in a good position to debut as a 20 year old in Myrtle Beach next year.” —Greg H
33. Brennen Davis
High: 28 | Low: Outside Top 40
“Injuries have clouded our projection of Brennen Davis, but he still has the makeup and ability to force his way to the major leagues.” —Greg Z
34. Luis Rujano
High: 32 | Low: Outside Top 40
“The big righty has the body of a starter, the pitch mix of a starter, and gave up two runs or fewer in 17 of his 19 outings in 2023.” —Greg H
35. Cristian Hernández
High: 30 | Low: Outside Top 40
“It’s not always going to look pretty as adjustments happen behind the scenes. He’s showing more patience and that will be vital for him as he advances through the system.” —Greg Z
T-36. Zac Leigh
High: 22 | Low: Outside Top 40
“Despite battling inconsistent usage due to injuries over the past couple years, he still has arguably the best pure stuff in the org.” —Greg H
T-36. Bailey Horn
High: 27 | Low: Outside Top 40
“Lefties with good carry fastballs have value, even if just out of the pen.” —Greg Z
T-38. Derniche Valdez
High: 24 | Low: Outside Top 40
“This is easily my biggest shot in the dark. Could be top 10 a year from now.” —Todd
T-38. Brian Kalmer
High: 33 | Low: Outside Top 40
“He could be one of the biggest risers this spring if the power plays at High-A.” —Todd
40. Nazier Mulé
High: 28 | Low: Outside Top 40
“His development path over the next two years will be extremely intriguing to watch. How much will he play SS and how much will he pitch? Still, he is an exceptional athlete, hence the ranking.” —Todd
Others receiving Top 40 votes: Alfonsin Rosario, Rafael Morel, Koen Moreno, Jonathon Long, Caleb Kilian, Mason McGwire, Walker Powell, Kevin Valdez, Michael Carico, Frankie Scalzo Jr, Angel Cepeda, Cole Roederer, Christian Olivo, Luis Devers