The Cubs’ deadline shopping spree changed the big-league picture without ripping apart the farm system, and that’s the real story here. Chicago went out and checked off nearly every need on the roster, landing Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Ryan Zeferjahn, Braxton Garrett and Tyrone Taylor, while only parting with Jefferson Rojas. That kind of aggressive upgrade usually leaves a system thinner than a fastball in the ninth, but Jed Hoyer and the front office managed to keep most of the prospect core together.
That doesn’t mean the cupboard stayed completely untouched. Moises Ballesteros, who started the year as a top-100 prospect before his bat cooled after a scorching first month, is gone.
So is highly regarded pitching talent Mason McGwire. Even so, the Cubs still protected the bulk of their high-end talent and gave the major league club the help it needed right now.
The biggest takeaway from the updated rankings is how much outfield talent is stacked near the top. Three of the top four prospects are outfielders, and four of the top seven fit that same profile.
Josiah Hartshorn sits at No. 1 after a breakout season across multiple levels, and Kane Kepley has pushed his way into the conversation with 52 steals in 96 games and a recent promotion to Double-A. The thought of Kepley and PCA covering Wrigley Field together is enough to get any Cubs fan leaning forward.
There’s also plenty of position-player juice elsewhere. Owen Ayers, the catcher at No. 3, is being framed as the story of the system in 2026, with real hope he can become part of the catching equation as soon as next season. Ethan Conrad checks in at No. 4, and next year looms large for him after he didn’t make his pro debut until a year after being drafted 17th overall in 2025.
The pitching side is thinner, but not empty. Jaxon Wiggins is the most interesting arm in the group, and also the one carrying the biggest health question.
He hasn’t even reached 80 innings in a season, whether in college or as a pro, so there’s still a lot he has to prove before he can be treated like a true impact piece. Cade Townsend, the first-round pick in 2026, gives the system another high-upside arm, while Kaleb Wing has mid-rotation potential but has only made nine starts this season.
The back half of the list is where the uncertainty really starts to show. Caden Sorrell brings legitimate left-handed power, but the swing-and-miss concerns are real.
Myles Bailey is coming off a season-ending ankle injury and still offers 65-grade power at first base. James Triantos, a seasoned utility prospect, could even be on the trade block this offseason.
That’s the shape of this Cubs system right now: talent, especially among position players, but plenty left to be proven. The big question is durability, particularly for the arms. Next year will tell a lot about how this group holds up as it moves deeper into the upper minors, and whether this system starts to earn a place among the game’s best.
In Other News...
Jameson Taillons Toronto Debut May Change How Cubs Fans View His Exit
Jameson Taillons first few weeks with Toronto have already taken an unfortunate turn, and it has the kind of ripple effect Cubs fans will notice. After being designated for assignment by Chicago, the veteran right-hander made his second start for the Blue Jays and was trying to settle in with his new club, building on a previous outing that at least offered a cleaner look at what he could still provide.
Instead, the evening ended early with concern after Taillon left with right forearm discomfort, and the Blue Jays now hope the issue is nothing serious. An MRI is next, and until there is a clearer answer, Toronto has a situation to sort through while Chicagos part in Taillons departure starts to look a little different in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Fans Just Got A Painful Kris Bryant Trade Reminder
The Kris Bryant trade is still producing little reminders for Cubs fans, and Caleb Kilian is the latest one. Once one of the more notable pieces Chicago got back in that deal, Kilian has continued to battle his way through the professional grind, with injuries interrupting his progress and uneven results following him from stop to stop. Now with Philadelphia, he had been trying to carve out a role after being brought in as organizational depth, the kind of move that only matters more when a team needs someone to step in and hold things together.
Kilians recent run has not gone smoothly, and the latest setback adds another chapter to a career that has already included a shoulder strain in 2024. For the Cubs, it is less about his current club than the lingering reminder of how long the Bryant trade has echoed through the roster shuffle that followed. Chicago fans know the deal was always going to be judged by the pieces it produced, and every new injury or stalled opportunity on Kilians side keeps that conversation hanging around a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Nearly Changed Their Rotation With One Deadline Pitching Push
The Cubs were active enough at the deadline to keep poking around the pitching market even after the Blue Jays had already landed Jose Soriano from the Angels. Chicago checked in with Toronto about the possibility of turning Soriano around in another deal, part of a broader stretch of conversations that also involved the Angels and led to separate trades for other pieces. It was the kind of deadline maneuvering that suggested the Cubs were willing to keep testing the market if it meant finding another arm for their rotation.
Toronto, though, did not move Soriano again, even with multiple clubs circling and Minnesota ultimately getting the furthest in those talks. The Cubs also came up short on Reid Detmers, leaving them to walk away from deadline discussions without the extra starter they had at least explored adding. For a team trying to thread the needle between short-term help and longer-term value, it was a reminder that not every pitching search ends with a fit. [Read more 🡒]