3 Top Prospects Cubs Fans Can Expect to See in the MLB This Year
By Parker White
The Chicago Cubs don't have the loaded farm system they once did, but there are still some potential gems in the mix who could still see their way to the big leagues once the summer rolls around and the NL Central is on the line. Here are three top prospects Cubs fans can expect to see in MLB this year.
3. RHP Duane Underwood Jr.
The Chicago Cubs drafted Duane Underwood Jr. seven years ago out of high school, and it's taken some time for him to develop. Underwood is at Triple-A starting games, but it hasn't gone that well for him in the early going (5.29 ERA over seven starts), making him an ideal late-summer call-up to pitch out of the Cubs bullpen with his upper-90s fastball and solid curveball.
2. UTIL Trent Giambrone
Trent Giambrone is not the kind of top-tier prospect who will get Cubs fans too excited, but his defensive versatility will give him a good chance of getting called up, especially if there are injuries ahead of him. Giambrone is hitting only .220 with seven home runs and a .762 OPS at Triple-A, but we know how much Joe Maddon loves to move guys all over the diamond, and Giambrone can play all four infield positions and both corner outfield spots.
1. RHP Adbert Alzolay
A utility infielder might not get Cubs fans pumped, but they'll throw a party on the North Side if their top pitching prospect, right-hander Adbert Alzolay, gets the much-anticipated call. The 24-year-old is on the verge of making his Triple-A debut in 2019, and if all goes well, it might not be long until he's pitching in Wrigley in the Cubs rotation. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and can touch 98 mph, and he possesses a wipeout curveball to go along with the heat. Chicago doesn't have the funds to acquire a starter, but they could stay in house and give Alzolay the opportunity.