There weren’t too many people that argued the Cubs top prospects entering this season were Kris Bryant and Addison Russell. Below them were Jorge Soler, Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Kyle Schwarber and C.J.Edwards. It’s been fun to watch these guys at the MLB level, but that takes them off the top prospects list and therefore the BP Midseason top 50 only includes two Cubs: Kyle Schwarber and Gleyber Torres.
Schwarber ranked 8th and Torres ranked 50th. Baez wasn’t eligible, I assume, even though we still consider him a prospect. He was having a really good season in AAA before his injury. Albert Almora had improved somewhat in AA, but the numbers are less than thrilling. CJ Edwards keeps striking guys out after moving to the bullpen, but walks almost twice as many so far.
Kyle Schwarber
The Cubs’ selection of the part-time catcher in the 2014 draft raised some eyebrows, but all Schwarber has done since then is hit. His plus power/hit tool combination shredded the minors, earning him a taste of major-league action in 2015. His work ethic and high baseball IQ give him a chance to become a catch-every-so-often guy, increasing his value substantially as he separates himself from the dreaded corner-only profile. –Mauricio Rubio
Scouting Report: LINK
Gleyber Torres
It’s important to keep things in perspective with young players. Torres’ success in the Midwest League as an 18-year-old is remarkable, but it does not raise his ceiling. It does, however, place him much closer to reaching it than most of his adolescent counterparts. There are questions about his ability to stay at shortstop thanks to his subpar speed, but his actions in the infield should allow him to stay there for the time being. He doesn’t feature enough power to be an impact bat, but there is no questioning his hit tool, which will no doubt carry him to a big league career; we can’t say that about most teenagers. –Jeff Moore
Scouting Report: LINK
If you weren’t already paying attention to Torres, you should start now. He has a 137 wRC+ in Low A is pretty impressive for his age. He’s walked in just over 10% of his plate appearances, but has struckout in just over 20%. Without a lot of power, he’ll have to cut those down or somehow maintain that rate as he moves up the system.
It’s unfortunate some of the other prospects have either struggled or been injured. That being said, the Cubs have seen what Kris Bryant can do and Addison Russell has more than held his own despite his struggles at the plate recently.