The division reports debuted last year. The goal of this article series is to provide a quick overview of all dynasty-relevant information from each division. Each team has multiple minor league levels, each containing plenty of impactful prospects which can feel impossible to keep up with. This article series, which will be updated once per month, will help dynasty managers stay up-to-date on performances, injuries, promotions, and more. New this season is the inclusion of tiers in the rankings. Next to their rank, each prospect is assigned a tier. The tier range is 1-5.
- Tier 1: A potential difference-making dynasty prospect. Somebody who would rank in the top-20ish prospects for dynasty baseball
- Tier 2: A still very good dynasty prospect who holds plenty of value. This prospect would typically rank in the 21-75 range
- Tier 3: A mid-tier prospect who could be valuable but has questions and concerns present in his profile ranking in the 76-150 range
- Tier 4: A prospect who is worth knowing, but is reserved for deeper leagues. This prospect would rank 151-250
- Tier 5: The rest of the prospects fall into Tier 5
The Chicago Cubs have one of the better systems in the game, specifically with proximity prospects, as six of their Top 10 have already reached Triple-A. The team’s top pitching prospect, Cade Horton, made his MLB debut on Saturday, leaving a host of positional players atop the prospect rankings. Here are the top prospects from the Windy City!
Notable Prospect Promotions and News
- One of the Cubs’ top pitching prospects, Brandon Birdsell, underwent elbow surgery on August 27th. The exact type of surgery is not specified, although it’s worth noting that Dr. Keith Meister performed it, meaning it’s likely UCL-related (Tommy John). The 25-year-old was on the IL until June, where he returned and logged 33 2/3 innings before having his procedure. Throughout his career, Birdsell has been rock solid. He’s got a 3.35 ERA in 58 professional starts and has tossed 243 innings combined in his first two seasons (23-24). With the fifth-round pick in 2022 likely to miss all of 2026, Birdsell will be 27 next time he takes the mound in the Cubs organization.
Notable Prospect Performances
- 19-year-old shortstop Angel Cepeda is finishing strong at Class-A, his first full season as a pro. Cepeda had a terrific August, batting .336 with three homers, four doubles, 20 RBI, and five steals in 26 games. It did come with an elevated strikeout rate, something that has plagued the Dominican-born infielder early on in his career. Still, Cepeda is drawing plenty of attention this season, and many are racing him up their rankings as the year closes out. Keep an eye on him early in 2026; he could be in for a breakout and may become a household name sooner rather than later.
- Yennri Rojas posted yet another outstanding month for High-A South Bend, compiling a 2.22 ERA with 27 strikeouts across five starts (28 1/3 IP). He’s now reached a career-high 88 2/3 innings across four levels for Rojas in 2025, including his recent promotion to Double-A. Rojas has flashed outstanding skills at various points this season, but has also struggled with command throughout. In addition, the Cubs have really focused on load management as his innings have gone 9, 10, 20, 16, and 28 despite making at least three appearances in each month. Rojas hasn’t quite reached the strikeout totals you’d like to see, but he’s getting groundballs at a nice clip (45%), and improved command could result in a tick up in Ks.
