Cubs Have A New Top Prospect List And It's Loaded

MLB Pipeline just released their new Top 100 Prospects in baseball and the Top 30 list for every team. Why is this new re-ranking important? First, it reranks the players based on their success this season. The list is the first of which includes the newly signed draft picks from each team. So, how does it look for the Cubs? Pretty dang good!

Top 100 Prospects In The Sport

According to MLB Pipeline, the Cubs have three prospects in the Top 100 of the sport. Pete Crow-Armstrong (31), Brennan Davis (51) and Kevin Alcantara, who makes his debut at #91 on the MLB Pipeline list. A few things stick out here: Crow-Armstrong is rocketing up the charts, and there's a very good chance he starts next season ranked even higher. Brennan Davis, while still in the Top 100, has fallen due to injury. However, if his back issues are in the past, there's a great chance we see him at Wrigley next year. Kevin Alcantara should have every single Cubs fan excited. Acquired in the Anthony Rizzo trade, he is absolutely destroying the ball in the minor leagues. Take a look at this home run of his from just a few days ago:

Top 30 Has A Ton Of New Faces

Immediately when looking at the new Cubs Top 30 from MLB Pipeline, you see four new faces in the Top 10 in Cade Horton(Cubs 1st round draft pick this year), Ben Brown (acquired in the David Robertson trade), Jackson Ferris (Cubs 2nd round draft pick this year) and Alexander Canario (a bit more on him later). It is refreshing as a Cubs fan to see legitimate starting pitching prospects toward the system's top. Having four of them ranked in the Top 10 is a sight Cubs fans have been waiting to see. Here is a detailed look at Horton and Ferris, the new draft picks to make the list. When looking at the hitting prospects who are moving their way up the system, Alexander Canario at #9 and Matt Mervis, who makes his debut at #21, stick out. They are both crushing the ball this year.

What Does This Mean Going Forward?

First and foremost, along with starting pitching, the outfield depth that the Cubs now have in the minor leagues is incredible. With Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ already on the major league roster, and several more studs in the minors, I don't expect the Cubs to focus any of their free agency money on outfielders. Despite the success of Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele, and with Marcus Stroman already in the fold, I still expect the Cubs to try and add a front-line arm this offseason. There are many pitchers the Cubs have who will make an impact; however, when looking at the Top 30, many are still at least a year away. The weakness of the Cubs' minor league system is on the infield. With the exception of Christian Hernandez and James Triantos, there isn't an infielder in the Top 15. Hernandez and Triantos are nowhere close to Wrigley. The Cubs should focus their money this offseason on adding at least one-star infielder to this team. If Willson Contreras leaves, you don't have a clear answer behind the plate either. Miguel Amaya(16) has barely played in two years, and Moises Ballesteros(15) is several years away. Overall, the Chicago Cubs minor league system looks stacked. They have managed to infuse several new talents into the Top 10, and there is depth throughout the system.