From bat-to-ball ability to speed, arm strength and defensive feel, the Cubs' farm system features prospects flashing loud tools that should give them a chance to impact games at the highest level.
Here’s a look at the Cubs prospects with the best individual tools in the system:
COMPLETE CUBS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Hit: 60 -- Moisés Ballesteros, C (No. 1/MLB No. 55)
It's the bat that's driven Ballesteros' rise since he was a standout signing of the 2021 international class, helping him reach full-season ball at age 18, Triple-A at 20 and the Majors in 2025 at 21. He's a career .289 hitter with a career .371 on-base percentage in the Minors with a pretty left-handed swing that boasts emerging power and strong bat-to-ball skills, though a tendency to swing at pitches out of the strike zone has limited his walk totals in the past.
Honorable mention: SS/2B Jefferson Rojas
Power: 55 -- Kevin Alcántara, OF (No. 4)
The 6-foot-6 outfielder uses athleticism and natural power to produce impressive bat speed and exit velocities, displaying 30-homer upside. Issues making consistent contact, though, have limited his home run totals throughout his career. There probably will always be some swing-and-miss in his game, but there is no doubting Alcántara can drive the ball out of any ballpark.
Honorable mention: 1B Jonathon Long
Run: 70 -- Brett Bateman, OF (No. 19)
Bateman’s standout tool is his game-changing speed, the bedrock of his prospect ceiling. Offensively, his plus-plus wheels enable him to beat out infield hits, steal bases and stretch singles into doubles. Defensively, they motor him around the outfield, allowing him to cover immense distances and take away would-be hits. He's stolen 49 bases in 63 tries over the past two seasons.
Honorable mention: Alcántara
Arm: 70 -- Owen Ayers, C (No. 23)
The Arizona Fall League's breakout player of the year in 2025, Ayers earned the distinction due to his offensive performance in the desert. But he's a weapon behind the plate defensively too, largely because of his plus-plus arm strength and a quick release that regularly recorded sub-1.85-second pop times in the AFL.
Honorable mention: 1B/3B Cole Mathis
Field: 60 -- Alcántara, OF
Alcántara's athleticism and speed should enable him to remain in center field, where he pairs good instincts with a strong arm.
Honorable mention: OF Kane Kepley
Fastball: 65 -- Jaxon Wiggins, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 58)
Wiggins features an elite fastball. It can sit 96-97 mph deep into games and reach triple digits at times. He can manipulate it to feature tough carry and armside run at times and can straighten it out at other times, creating multiple looks with one pitch. It's the foundation of a high-octane arsenal that helped Wiggins emerge as the Cubs' top pitching prospect in '25, when he posted a 2.19 ERA across 78 innings over the top three levels of the Minors.
Honorable mention: RHP Brandon Birdsell
Curveball: 60 -- Grant Kipp, RHP (No. 17)
Kipp’s curveball stands out in the Cubs’ system with sharp, late-breaking action that consistently clocks spin rates upward of 3,000 rpm. He throws the pitch in the low 80s and can manipulate its grip and shape to fit different situations, making that hammer the right-hander's best weapon as he climbs the ranks.
Honorable mention: LHP Drew Gray
Changeup: 60 -- Dominick Reid, RHP (No. 16)
The 22-year-old righty's best pitch is also the top changeup in the system. It's an 82-84 mph fader that sinks under the bats of opposing hitters. Reid can command it so well, he throws it nearly as much as his fastball. The '25 third-rounder generated exactly half of his 112 strikeouts via the changeup last season, the most of any Division I pitcher.
Honorable mention: Wiggins
Slider: 60 -- Wiggins
Wiggins also generates whiffs using a mid-80s slider that breaks on two planes and features so much depth that he can have trouble commanding it at times. But other times, it moves so much that it makes opposing hitters look bad as they flail at it in the dirt or out of the strike zone. It's a strikeout pitch for a strikeout pitcher who generated 11.2 K/9 in '25.
Honorable mention: Birdsell
Control: 55 -- Birdsell (No. 8)
Birdsell’s defining strength is his advanced command and control. He issued only 2.33 BB/9 over his first 243 professional innings. Utilizing an unusual arm slot that makes it difficult for hitters to pick up the ball out of his hand, he routinely finding the strike zone with all four of his pitches. His ability to command each offering and minimize walks elevates his entire arsenal and prospect ceiling.
Honorable mention: Jostin Florentino, RHP