Top-heavy Cubs farm system leaves team in rebuild mode as it enters first season back in Scruffy City
The Chicago Cubs farm system shot up the ranks last year, from near the bottom in 2022 to becoming a top-10 system in the major leagues in 2024. As we discussed in our preview before last season, this can be attributed to most of the talent acquired during the great dismantling of the core group in Chicago in 2022 seeing time in AA with the Smokies and quickly accelerating to either AAA Iowa or the parent team.
The top-ranked prospect in the Chicago system is Matt Shaw, currently the starting third baseman for the Cubs. In his first full year of pro ball, Shaw swatted 24 home runs and had 80 runs batted in across two levels in 2024 before winning the third base job this spring for the Cubs. Shaw was drafted in the first round of the 2023 amateur draft out of Maryland (No. 13 overall) and quickly ascended the ranks to the friendly confines of Wrigley. Shaw produced for the Smokies during their title run in 2023 and followed that up with half a season in Kodak before predictably getting the call to Iowa.
Another top prospect who spent time in Kodak in 2024 was Cade Horton, the top arm in the Cubs farm system out of the University of Oklahoma. A 2022 first-round draft pick (No. 7 overall), Horton’s time with the Smokies was brief, appearing in only 10 games between 2023 and the start of 2024. He began this season in Iowa but should see considerable time in the North Side this year.
The biggest surprises and keys to the eventual 2024 division champion Smokies last year were slugging catcher/first baseman Moises Ballesteros and second baseman James Triantos, who were lineup mainstays all season long. Both players were sorely missed down a brutal stretch of 10 regular and postseason games against eventual Southern League champion Birmingham. The Smokies lost the best-of-three playoff series in the first round to the Barons, ending the hope of winning back-to-back titles.
As the 2025 season starts, there is a fresh new crop of Smokies to help lead them to the postseason, though the team is not as highly touted as last year’s. The current squad does not boast any protected 40-man roster players, but rest assured there is talent. Look no further than the Cubs No. 18 prospect, Pedro Ramirez, a 21-year-old switch-hitting infielder who absolutely raked at Single-A South Bend last year and who will be exciting to watch this season in downtown Knoxville.
Ed Howard, who has taken longer than most anticipated to reach Double-A, will make his long-awaited debut for the Smokies this season, along with experienced infielders Hayden “The Giant” McGeary and BJ Murray, who were key components in the Smokies dominant 2024 regular season.
Catching looks to be a solid position for the Knoxville club this season, as it boasts the No. 27 organizational prospect: returning player Pablo Aliendo, who contributed 33 RBI last season. Joining him in front of the backstop will be veterans Ethan Hearn and Casey Opitz.
The Cubs have not really drafted and developed a bona fide starting pitcher in the last 10 years sans Dylan Cease, now an ace for the Padres. They took their time with current No. 2 starter Justin Steele, who played with Smokies during the 2018 and 2019 campaigns, but other than those two, the organization has not had much success in drafting or developing pitching.
The Smokies have one key pitcher they are keeping a keen eye on this year: Opening Day starter Will Sanders, drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 major league draft (No. 113 overall). Outside of him, the Smokies only other pitching prospect under 25 years old is Brody McCullough, who is currently on the 60-day injured list. Overall, the pitching staff will be a veteran-laden group that will await the eventual call-up of former Arkansas Razorback Jaxon Wiggins from South Bend later in the summer.
The Cubs have drafted heavy on middle infielders recently, which begs the question: Will these highly touted infielders be dealt to build up the overall pitching health of the organization? The latter is a key component that has been lacking and that might mean the difference between Chicago seriously contending and falling short of expectations.
All of this to say that this should be a fun group of Smokies to watch, as they will be a blend of young players and vets who have experienced recent playoff success in the league. Covenant Health Park, the shiny new digs in downtown Knoxville, should add extra excitement to a squad that hopefully will make a return to the postseason.
Smokies to watch in 2025 (based on the Chicago Cubs top-30 prospects list):
BJ Murray, 3B/1B
Pedro Ramirez, 3B/2B
Haydn McGeary, 1B
Pablo Aliendo, C
Brody McCullough, RHP
Josh Rivera, SS
Top potential future Smokies prospects (currently at lower levels):
Jefferson Rojas, SS/2B
Drew Gray, LHP
Christian Hernandez, SS/2B
Jaxson Wiggins, RHP
Other top MLB prospects in the Southern League:
Edwin Arroyo, SS, Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds), No. 67
Noble Meyer, SS, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins), No. 57
Christian Moore, 2B, Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels), No. 66
Noah Schultz, LFP, Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox), No. 50
Robby Snelling, LFP, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins), No. 36
john@blanknews.com
