The Cubs Top Prospects: 11-15

Baseball Prospectus Senior Prospect Writer Chris Crawford and our very own Mauricio Rubio (also a member of the BP Prospect Staff) team up to give us a deeper look at the Cubs minor-league system.

Back in November, we released our Cubs top ten list, a system we rated as the top in all of baseball. With the advent of the new local sites, we’ve decided to extend out some of these lists by a few extra names, giving you a fuller idea of what is in the system. There’s a lot of front-loaded talent with the Cubs, but looking at names 11-15, you can see that there’s a solid list of players occupying the back half of the list as well.

Here are the best Cubs prospects, numbers 11-15.

11. Jen Ho Tseng, RHP

Potential grades: 55 Fastball, 50+ Curveball, 55 Change, 55 Control/Command

Tseng came over from Taiwan and was a part of the Cubs aggressive international haul that included Eloy Jimenez and Gleyber Torres. He was impressive in his full season debut in 2014 as he showcased why the Cubs were so comfortable in giving him an aggressive assignment. At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Tseng has a thick build that’s maxed out projection wise. The legs and base are sturdy, and he has a body that looks like it can withstand the rigors of starting. His fastball and curve combination both have solid-average potential, and he’s developing a feel for a changeup which could turn into a solid-average offering as well. He can touch 95 on the gun, but the pitch works better in the 91-93 range where it has solid-average movement and plus command.

Tseng’s curveball command can come and go, but it’s an offering that has plus 10-4 movement. The righty has an advanced feel for pitching and his ability to hit his spots is rare for a pitcher his age. There’s not a lot of growth potential here, for Tseng it’s going to be all about refining his command and getting a solid feel for the changeup. He can be a no. 3 starter, but the most realistic projection is that he settles into a high 4 role.  –Mauricio Rubio

12. C.J. Edwards, RHP

Potential grades: 65 fastball, 60 Curve, 45 Change, 45 Control/Command

Edwards is a recent addition to the bullpen in Tennessee, which could mean that the Cubs have plans to use the lanky Edwards in a relief role this season. He’s dealt with shoulder problems in the past and he has a skinny build that doesn’t look like it can start.

In the 2015 AFL All-Star game, Edwards came on in relief and used a power reliever arsenal: a fastball that hit 95 and a power curve that will induce a lot of swings and misses in short bursts. Edwards has a quick, major-league quality arm, so even though it’s likely that he can’t start, he still has a future as a high-leverage reliever at the major-league level. –Mauricio Rubio

13. Duane Underwood, RHP

Potential grades: 65 Fastball, 55 Curveball, 50 Change, 50 Control/Command

There’s a lot of separation between Underwood’s current ability and what the arm teases, but there is real tangible talent here. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Underwood has a sturdy, starter frame. He also has a really fast arm whip, resulting in a fastball that can hit the upper 90s, a changeup that flashes promise, and a hammer curveball when it’s on. “When it’s on” has been the operative term when discussing Underwood as he can lose his release point and look completely lost and ugly on the mound. There’s a ton of risk with the profile, he’s yet to complete a level above A ball, and conditioning has been an issue in the past. However, he showed up in 2014 with better command than he’s shown in the past and better overall mechanics.

Underwood has a long way to go. The profile is starting to pull itself together, but there is still a lot of abstraction here. Of all the arms in the Cubs system, this is the one that you can dream big on. –Mauricio Rubio

14. Eloy Jimenez, OF

Potential grades: 50 Hit, 60 Power, 50 Speed, 55 Glove, 60 Arm

The Cubs gave Jimenez $2.8 million in the summer of 2013, and was considered by most to be one of—if not the—top international bats on the market. While he was far from dominant in his time in the instructional league this summer, there were certainly enough flashes of brilliance to understand why the Cubs are so high on the right-handed hitting outfielder.

Jimenez is still filling out his 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, and because of his quick wrists and above-average bat speed, there’s reason to believe there’ll be plus power in a few years. He’s not just a power hitter though, as Jimenez has good feel for the barrel. The swing can get long and pitch recognition is not a strength yet, so there’s quite a bit of swing and miss here which limits the hit tool right now. He’s a solid-average runner with a strong throwing arm, so he should be a competent defender in right field as well.

He’s light years away from contributing, but Jimenez has as much potential in his bat as any prospect in the system after the “big two.” –Christopher Crawford

15. Justin Steele, LHP

Potential grades: 60 Fastball, 55 Curve, 50 Change, 50 Control/Command

The Cubs went as pitching heavy as any club in the 2014 draft, and outside of Carson Sands, Steele has as much upside as any hurler from that group.

Steele’s current fastball generally sits 89-91 mph, but there’s projection left in his frame, and with his arm strength there’s reason to believe the fastball will be plus in the coming seasons. His best off-speed pitch is a curveball that has solid depth and will show two-planes of break, but needs to add some velocity to become a true “out” pitch. Steele will also show a solid-average change, but needs to work on the arm speed to add speed and play up its effectiveness. He repeats his delivery well and has athleticism, though some believe he might be ticketed for the bullpen because the command is presently well below average.

Right now, Steele projects to be a mid-rotation arm, but if the velocity uptick comes, there’s a chance he becomes a top of the rotation guy; just not one who will move quickly—unless the command takes a significant jump in the coming seasons. –Christopher Crawford