This off-season we set off to write our first book. Changes and challenges arose, so we've pivoted to releasing our top prospect lists & reports through the site and our Patreon. We're excited to finally show you the hard work of our evaluating team the last few months.
Below you'll find the top 10 players in the system with full reports of the top 5. The full rankings and reports on all top 30 prospects per team will be available on our Patreon at the 55-tier ($5 level) as we publish them. If you're into fantasy baseball, this tier also gets you the dynasty show, the FYPD list and the MiLB Daily Sheet in season. We plan to add all the reports to player pages on the site shortly after the season begins.
Top 10 Team Rank at First 5 Reports for Free Below
1. Brennen Davis, OF - 60 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: 1 Pre-Season OFP: 55
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 55 | 50 | 60 | 60 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Tall and lean with room to add upper body strength. Commanding presence. Has already added some weight since signing in 2018 which has helped him to get his raw power. Long levers. Athletic player in all facets of the game. High character.
STRENGTHS Possesses big-time, plus or better bat speed, and the ball explodes off the bat when he barrels it. Got to more of his power in 2021 and has the look of an extra-base machine. Shows an average or better eye in the box when he wants to. Minor league pitchers respect the damage he can do at the plate and is periodically pitched around as a result. Experience in all three outfield positions. Average in centerfield, but has a plus arm and could be above-average in right field with time. Present plus runner who may slow a half-grade if he continues to fill out.
WEAKNESSES Struggled with strikeouts at times during the 2021 season, a result of both his long levers and his overconfidence at the plate. Will need to cut down on his aggressiveness if he wants to maximize his bat-to-ball skills. Not a true threat to steal a base despite his plus foot speed.
SUMMARY Davis is clearly the best prospect in the Cubs’ system. He possesses an all-star ceiling, but he still has work to do. He’s so naturally gifted that he’s yet to truly be tested, and that confidence in his abilities shows up during games. He also has less than 700 career minor league plate appearances, and there’s reason to believe he will stay in Triple-A for the better part of the 2022 minor league season. He has the talent to force a promotion, though.
EVALUATOR Jake Kerns
2. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF - 55 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: 3 (NYM) Pre-Season OFP: 55
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 45 | 60 | 55 | 70 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Slender, athletic build with twitch throughout as well as room for physical projection. Started to add good weight and looked noticeably bigger in big league camp with the Mets. Wiry strength. Should continue to add another 10-15 pounds of good weight. Underwent shoulder surgery (labrum) on his non-throwing shoulder in May and didn’t play after the trade to the Cubs.
STRENGTHS Smooth, whippy stroke with plus bat speed. Generates good torque and gets the barrel on plane. Bat-to-ball skills remain strong. Sprays the ball to all fields and works the gaps. Glove is plus in center thanks to advanced instincts and reads. Had a reputation as one of best prep defenders in the outfield in his draft class and that has held true. Plus-plus speed, with sub 4 seconds home to first. Smart baserunner, projects for 20+ stolen bases in his prime seasons. Arm is above-average with mid-90s velocity on throws from center.
WEAKNESSES Bulked up but his early season injury didn’t allow him to show off his power tool much in Low-A this season. Did hit a few balls up over 100 MPH, but the sample was limited. With his barrel rate and plane I do expect average power production, but the shoulder injury casts a cloud over the power tool for now.
SUMMARY There’s a real chance that he becomes a true five-tool centerfielder with feel to hit, plus-plus speed, excellent defensive chops and average power. Chance to be a productive lead-off hitter with multiple All-Star appearance upside. The Mets sent him to the Cubs for half a season of Javier Baez and Trevor Williams. The shoulder injury hangs over the profile a bit, but he’ll bump to 60 OFP if he comes out of the gates hitting.
EVALUATOR Matt Thompson
3. Cristian Hernandez, SS - 55 OFP
Age: 18 Highest Level: DSL
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 50 | 50 | 55 | 50 | Extreme |
PHYSICAL Good baseball frame. Great athlete who gets touted with a high baseball IQ. There is still room to grow out the frame, which helps project more power in the future.
STRENGTHS Impressive swing from such a young hitter. His ability to keep the bat head in the zone for a long time helps him to capitalize on his feel to hit. His knack for getting the bat to ball kept strikeouts down in his professional debut, but he also walked quite a bit. There is room for potentially plus power in the profile as he grows. Lots of good groundwork has been laid offensively to build from. Already a solid fielder, it’s his arm that stands out. He’s touted with the kind of arm that won’t limit him to any one position on the dirt.
WEAKNESSES Risk to the profile is really the only knock at present. There’s a lot to grow into as his frame fills out. Coming stateside and facing more advanced competition in 2022 may present a challenge. However, he’s more than capable of proving he’s up to the task.
SUMMARY Everything about Hernandez’s game looks mature for his age. The feel to hit is a huge plus. All of his skills outpace his age right now and they still have room to grow. Despite the inherent risk in this profile due to age and raw ability, he is one of the more promising international players in recent memory. He is due to come stateside in 2022 at which point there could be some changes to grades. Right now Hernandez looks like he could make a huge impact down the road, albeit a long way down the road.
EVALUATOR Trevor Hooth
4. Kevin Alcantara, OF - 50 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: CPX
Pre-Season Rank: 9 (NYY) Pre-Season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 | 50 | 55 | 55 | High |
PHYSICAL Tall, skinny frame oozing with physical projection. Athletic player with long-levers. Would be a first round pick in the NBA draft based on size and projection. High ceiling, but needs reps. Has a slightly open stance, holds hands back and has an obnoxious leg kick as his trigger. Rotates very well in swing and uses all fields. Worked on his bat path this summer, and added some natural loft.
STRENGTHS Projectable frame and bat speed combined with his rotational swing and improved bat path lead to significant power potential. His max exit velocity at the complex was “only” 107, but his 90th percentile EV was an impressive 104. He hits the ball hard with regularity. There’s a real chance Alcantara sticks in center, but he should play at the same level as Pete Crow-Armstrong, so he will likely slide over to right, where his above-average arm will play. He’s an above-average runner for now but it will be closer to average or even fringe as he adds weight.
WEAKNESSES There is some swing and miss to his game. The long arms make it difficult to get inside the baseball at times and he can get tied up. Pitch recognition is a hole in his game at the moment and he can struggle to pick up and handle spin. Had a sub 64% contact rate at the Yankees and Cubs complexes, and struggled during instructs against more advanced arms. Power only shows up to the pull-side for now, but that should change.
SUMMARY Alcantara has one of the higher ceilings in the minors, but also a long way to go before he gets there. He needs to refine his hit tool to fully tap into the immense power. Decent chance there’s enough here to be an average to above-average right fielder with even a 40 hit tool.
EVALUATOR Matt Thompson
5. Jordan Wicks, LHP - 50 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: A+
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 17
| Fastball | Curveball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 40 | 45 | 60 | 55 | Low |
| 90-94 mph | 77-78 mph | 83-86 mph | 80-83 mph |
PHYSICAL There’s a lot about Wicks that is MLB ready and that includes his frame. He’s got good size and is at physical maturity. Low effort delivery, high 3/4 arm slot.
STRENGTHS Touted with the best changeup in the 2021 draft class and subsequently one of the best in the professional ranks as well. It’s sold well with arm speed and has a lot of sharp, armside tumble as it approaches the plate. It plays well off of his average fastball, which gets a solid amount of deception on its own. Both his breaking balls have good spin rates, but can be inconsistent in shape. His above average command helps round out his high rotation floor.
WEAKNESSES Both of his breaking balls are usable, his slider is a bit more advanced. It can get cutter-ish at times. More consistency in shape could bump both up at least half a grade. The ingredients are already there, but the seasoning is needed.
SUMMARY Wicks is a very polished southpaw with a devastating changeup and solid command that drives his floor as a future rotation piece. He doesn’t show up with premium velocity, but he fills up the zone and creates deception on both his changeup and fastball. The breaking balls will be assets too, especially the slider. He is primed to move fairly quickly through the minors because he is so advanced. That is what made him a first rounder. His floor and ceiling aren’t too far apart. He is likely a back end rotation arm, maybe a middle of the rotation guy if the breaking balls advance more than expected.
EVALUATOR Trevor Hooth
6. Caleb Kilian, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 25 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 37 (SF) Pre-Season OFP: 35
7. Ed Howard, SS - 50 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: 2 Pre-Season OFP: 55
8. Owen Caissie, OF - 45 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
9. Alexander Vizcaino, RHP - 45 OFP
Age: 25 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
10. Reginald Preciado, SS - 45 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: CPX
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked