CHICAGO — It’s normal for fans to focus on the top prospects in an organization’s farm system. That’s why much of the hype for the Chicago Cubs’ system is centered on the large number of top-100 prospects, like Matt Shaw, Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros and Kevin Alcántara, who have gathered at Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs will need many of those players to impact the big-league club as soon as next season.
But to really have sustained success, the Cubs need to find big-league talent from all around the MLB Draft. Developing players who might not be impact talent but can help at the highest level is imperative. Here’s a look at five position players in the minor leagues who won’t be making any top-100 lists this winter but could be big-league players down the road.
Christian Franklin, OF
When the Cubs drafted Franklin out of Arkansas in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, they believed they had a raw, high-upside talent but were cautious about their ability to tame his extreme swing-and-miss issues. It seems as though Franklin has figured out that aspect. He has struck out just 20.8 percent of the time this season at Double A.
Franklin started the year slowly (43 wRC+ in his first 16 games) but has taken off since. On the season, he has a 135 wRC+ with a 16.6 percent walk rate, the highest for qualified players in the Southern League.
Franklin’s contact rate is up from when he was drafted, and the organization believes his swing decisions are elite. He also plays above-average defense at all three outfield spots. His power has yet to materialize, an area where they believed he’d be at least average. The hope is he can find some consistency with shifting his weight during his stride and swing and more power will show up.
The Smokies even it up once again with an RBI double from Christian Franklin! @CF13_ #LastYearBestYear #NextStopWrigley pic.twitter.com/83cNXVqG1L
— Tennessee Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) August 22, 2024
With that and either a continued rise in contact or exit velocity, there’s a belief he can be a legit major-league player. Franklin has been out since late August with a mild hip flexor strain.
Jonathon Long, 1B
Long has only 200 plate appearances at Double A, but his 189 wRC+ would lead the Southern League if he qualified. Long also has more walks (35) than strikeouts (33) at the level and a solid .189 ISO, which is among the better power bats in a league that’s seen offense really dip this season.
Long gets to his power with 90th percentile bat speed and enters the zone short and above the ball. That bodes well for a contact and power combination hitter. The Cubs hope that with continued development, Long could be the type of hitter who fits into the five- or six-hole in a big-league lineup.
Brett Bateman, OF
A left-handed outfielder who was picked in the eighth round of the 2023 draft (one round ahead of Long), Bateman received a Mike Tauchman comp from one person in the organization. But Bateman gets better marks for his defense in center with solid arm strength that plays up due to impressive accuracy.
He struggled out of the gate when promoted to Double A in early August, but the Cubs hope that’s the type of thing that will force him to adjust. In his last 15 games with Tennessee, Bateman has a 119 wRC+.
He’s more of a singles hitter who walks a ton (15.6 percent rate at High A and 11.7 percent at Double A) with the type of speed to sneak in some doubles and triples. His calling card will be defense, speed and getting on base.
Alfonsin Rosario, OF
An upside high school draftee from 2023, Rosario has a ton of power but an equal amount of swing-and-miss. It’s a pull-happy, immature approach, and a lot of growth is still needed. But the development staff believes Rosario has the type of baseball smarts that will allow him to make the requisite adjustments to tap into that power.
It’s a delicate balance when working with someone like Rosario. Coaches don’t want to solve for one issue at the expense of a strength. Rosario’s swing tends to work east-west, and that can give him trouble with anything spinning away. But he understands that’s a weakness, and a plan is in place to try to rectify — or at least minimize — the issue.
Rosario is far from a finished product, but the hope is more reps and continued development will give him a chance to be a tremendous power bat at the highest level.
#Cubs No. 30 prospect Alfonsin Rosario clubbed his 12th homer of the season during the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader sweep.@USAFRecruiting #AimHigh pic.twitter.com/quo6ogdCOp
— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) July 23, 2024
Cristian Hernandez
Likely the most well-known name on this list, Hernandez was highly touted as an international signee in 2021. However, big strikeout issues and concerns about his hit tool led him to drop from a top-100 prospect to behind other young shortstops in the Cubs’ system like Jefferson Rojas, Fernando Cruz and even his younger brother, Alexis Hernandez.
Hernandez was humbled by last summer’s struggles when he posted a 77 wRC+ at Low A. But he’s taken strides with his work ethic and came into this season with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Defensively he’s found some consistency, and he has improved incredibly on the basepaths, where he’s viewed as behind only Shaw and James Triantos — two high-IQ base stealers — when it comes to his skill set.
He has also matured significantly at the plate. He needs to improve his fastball contact, which is a focus, as it was exposed at High A (where he ended the season with an 89 wRC+ after posting a 135 wRC+ at Low A this summer). But finally he is heading in the right direction, as he seems to want to prove he’s the guy the Cubs signed over three years ago.
(Photo of Brett Bateman: Lauren Witte / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
