Cubs Trio of Prospects Earn High Praise

It's been quite a performance from three of the Chicago Cubs' top prospects during the Arizona Fall League.

Heading into this coveted event highlighting the best young players across the minor leagues, the Cubs were already considered to have one of the best farm systems in the MLB.

With their top prospects performing at such a high level, that sentiment has only increased.

Keith Law, former MLB executive and now Senior Baseball Writer with The Athletic, wrote about the best players he's seen at the AFL.

A trio of Chicago prospects made his list.

To no surprise, Kevin Alcantara and James Triantos received high praise, but so did outfielder Christian Franklin.

All three of these players are in the Cubs' Top 30 according to MLB Pipeline. Alcantara is listed as No. 4, Triantos is No. 9 and Franklin is No. 30.

The 23-year-old Franklin impressed Law with his defense.

"He’s probably the best defender of the trio, but offers the least with the bat right now, and he’s still very much a dead fastball hitter as he was in college," he wrote.

Infield defense is something that Chicago is looking for moving forward.

Alcantara is viewed as having the highest potential of this group and might be the most talented prospect that the Cubs have.

"He made adjustments even within some at-bats, which is going to be the biggest factor that determines whether he reaches his very high ceiling, because he’s going to end up with 70 power and is a plus runner with a strong arm as well," Law noted.

Triantos has been sensational with the bat during the AFL.

In 13 games, he's hitting .431/.525/.765 with two home runs and 13 RBI.

He leads the AFL in slugging percentage, is second in batting average and on-base percentage and is third in total hits.

What could hold him back is where he plays defensively.

"He’s going to have to find a position, which I assume is why the Cubs have him playing a little center field, since he’s not that strong at second or third and their infield is about to get very crowded," Law wrote about the promising prospect.

This is an excellent sign for Chicago moving forward. They have a loaded farm system that seems poised to have solid MLB careers.