Chicago Cubs preliminary prospect grade breakdown

I am hard at work on the Chicago Cubs Top 20 prospects for 2018 list.

The Cubs system has thinned at the top thanks to graduations and trades and clearly does not have the impact potential of a year ago. There is an obvious lack of A/A-/B+ talent.

That said, the Cubs strike me as having a larger-than-normal number of Grade C type players, some of them with the potential to improve considerably, meaning that there is some depth here. This could look much better a year from now.

The current grade distribution:

Grade A: Zero
Grade A-: Zero
Grade B+ Zero
Grade B: Six
Grade B-: Five
Grade C+: 24
Grade C: A whole bunch, 40 or more

There’s some play along the B-/C+ line but this is close to final. My goal is to have the write-ups finished Friday afternoon.

The names

Cory Abbott, RHP
Aramis Ademan, SS
Luis Aquino, RHP
Tyler Alamo, C
Jose Albertos, RHP
Adbert Alzolay, RHP
Miguel Amaya, C
Pedro Araujo, RHP
Javier Assad, RHP
Luis Ayala, OF
Yasiel Balaguert, 1B-OF
Jhonny Bethencourt, 2B
Corey Black, RHP
David Bote, 2B
Craig Brooks, RHP
Charcer Burks, OF
Jesus Camargo, RHP
Matt Carasiti, RHP
Victor Caratini, C-1B
Trevor Clifton, RHP
Michael Cruz, C
Taylor Davis, C
Oscar De La Cruz, RHP
Jeremiah Estrada, RHP
Emilio Ferrebus, RHP
Austin Filiere, 3B
Wladimir Galindo, INF
Yapson Gomez, LHP
Jacob Hannemann, OF
Thomas Hatch, RHP
Ben Hecht, RHP
Chad Hockin, RHP
Bryan Hudson, LHP
Fernando Kelli, OF
Ryan Kellogg, LHP
Alex Lange, RHP
Erick Leal, RHP
Brendon Little, LHP
Vimael Machin, 2B
Mark Malave, RHP
Dillon Maples, RHP
Eddy Martinez, OF
Dakota Mekkes, RHP
Tyson Miller, RHP
Alec Mills, RHP
Kevonte Mitchell, OF
Andruw Monasterio, INF
Erling Moreno, RHP
James Norwood, RHP
Jose Paulino, LHP
Yeiler Peguero, 2B
Stephen Perakslis, RHP
James Pugliese, RHP
Bijan Rademacher, OF
Ian Rice, C
Duncan Robinson, RHP
Manuel Rodriguez, RHP
Jhon Romero, RHP
Randy Rosario, LHP
Michael Rucker, RHP
Carlos Sepulveda, 2B
Zack Short, SS
Chris Singleton, OF
Justin Steele, LHP
Jake Steffens, RHP
Jake Stinnett, RHP
Jen-Ho Tseng, RHP
Keegan Thompson, RHP
Daury Torrez, RHP
Erich Uelmen, RHP
Duane Underwood, RHP
Austin Upshaw, INF
Nelson Velazquez, OF
Jason Vosler, 3B
D.J. Wilson, OF
Chesny Young, OF-INF
Mark Zagunis, OF
Rob Zastryzny, LHP