Competition is rife in the National League Central with five clubs perpetually jockeying to dethrone one another. A consistent factor in determining who does that? Prospect development. These top performers have a uniquely NL Central bent and it’s no surprise, given that the division accounts for 23 of the Top

There was offense galore to kick off a weekend of Minor League action, with Top 100 prospects Jordan Lawlar, Kevin McGonigle and Co. leading the way. Burgeoning slugger Michael Arroyo continued his power surge, as did Brice Matthews, who came within one extra-base hit of cycling on consecutive days earlier

CHICAGO -- Cade Horton walked off the mound in the sixth inning on Friday afternoon and was greeted by a standing ovation from the Wrigley Field faithful. The Cubs rookie was tasked with taking on Paul Skenes and was up for the assignment, matching zeros with the Pirates' ace in

There was a little bit of everything during a productive full slate of Minor League action. Top 100 prospects Chase Burns and Trey Yesavage made good first impressions at new levels while two of the sport's brightest young stars -- JJ Wetherholt and Braden Montgomery -- came through when their

Summer is near and with it comes some sizzling performances from the Minors' best prospects. Last year’s No. 3 overall Draft pick matched a career high at the plate. A trio of Top 100 teenagers put up big numbers at High-A -- including two who made excellent first impressions with

As the third month of the baseball season begins, the sample sizes for prospects continue to expand. The MLB Pipeline crew is taking the opportunity to dig a little deeper to highlight players who are balling out, but might still be flying under-the-radar. On the latest MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian's Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO – Cubs rookie Matt Shaw rounded first base, watched the baseball bouncing through the right-field grass and then turned to see how close Jon Berti was to scoring. When it was clear the win was in hand Tuesday night, Shaw gave a hard clap and then shook his fists

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. With Jordan off this week, MLB.com’s Ben Weinrib handled this edition. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Outstanding nights in the Minor Leagues came from a wide variety of sources and across almost every level on Wednesday. While Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter racked up a season high in strikeouts at Triple-A, a High-A prospect found the seats not once, not twice, but three times. Meanwhile out

MIAMI -- The Cubs’ No. 2 prospect showed just why he’s so highly touted in a stellar outing Wednesday afternoon at loanDepot park.

CHICAGO -- When the Cubs sent Matt Shaw back to Triple-A Iowa a month ago, the idea was to have him focus on some subtle mechanical adjustments with his stance. It was also with the goal of having the highly touted prospect get back on the kind of offensive roll

Multihit games, walk-off homers and scintillating pitching performances made for a busy Saturday around the Minors. Pittsburgh's first-year pro Konnor Griffin continues to play beyond his years, vaulting up offensive leaderboards in his initial taste of Single-A. Meanwhile, Mets hurler Jonah Tong followed up a perfect outing with even more

The weekend kicked off with a bang, led by baseball's top overall prospect Roman Anthony, who reached base five times. Fellow Top 100 denizens Matt Shaw, Bryce Eldridge, Aidan Miller and Cole Young all produced huge offensive performances, while a Rockies prospect rapped out five hits in a wild extra-inning

Every successive milestone checked off by a brand new big leaguer is a hard-won result of years of hard work. That first Major League hit, home run or strikeout represents not just the achievement of an extraordinary goal but also the countless sacrifices that player had to make on his

Offense led the way on Thursday, but a pair of Top 100 prospects on the mound might have stolen the spotlight. Philadelphia's Andrew Painter accomplished something for the first time in more than two years while Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski continued to make his case for a big league promotion. Not

Matt Shaw finished the game way he started it -- with a long ball. After the Triple-A Iowa Cubs won the opener of a Thursday doubleheader against St. Paul, 8-2, the nightcap was a much tighter ballgame, despite Chicago’s top prospect homering in the I-Cubs' first plate appearance. He delivered

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- Moises Ballesteros was playing video games on Monday night when Triple-A Iowa manager Marty Pevey gave him a call. The highly-touted catching prospect was informed that he was being promoted to the Cubs. Fittingly, Ballesteros was playing MLB The Show when he got the news. “My emotions,” Ballesteros

Moises Ballesteros is one of the most precocious and gifted hitting prospects in the game, yet he also presents something of a development dilemma.

It was an all-or-nothing type of day across Minor League Baseball. By which we mean, the top performers either tagged multiple homers at the plate or racked up big strikeout numbers from the mound. On Mother's Day, this Sunday's top prospect performers brought their "A" games:

NEW YORK -- Two pitches propelled Cade Horton to his status as the Cubs' top pitching prospect -- his 95-plus mph fastball and his wipeout slider. But the one pitch that told the story of his MLB debut wasn't either of those. It was a changeup. But not just any

NEW YORK -- Cade Horton has been performing lately like a pitcher with little left to prove with Triple-A Iowa. With the Major League staff now facing a sudden need, the Cubs will give their top pitching prospect his first test on the big league stage. Horton (MLB Pipeline’s No.

In the last 25 years, the Cubs have originally signed and developed just three homegrown pitchers who became All-Stars for them: Mark Prior, Jeff Samardzija and Justin Steele. The most recent of that trio, Steele, was drafted 11 years ago. Chicago famously ended its 108-year World Series title drought in