The Chicago Cubs had the baseball world’s attention on Sunday, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 on Sunday Night Baseball, bouncing back from Saturday’s epic collapse to win the series finale at Wrigley Field.
That wasn’t the only big news in the Cubs organization, however, as the team announced that it’s promoting three of its top prospects from Double-A Tennessee to Triple-A Iowa.
The three prospects are Matt Shaw, James Triantos and Kevin Alcantara.
Shaw, 22, is Chicago’s No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline behind Cade Horton. The 13th overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft from the University of Maryland, Shaw has shot up through the minor leagues. The young third baseman excelled at Double-A this year, proving he was ready for the next step by batting .279/.373/.471 with 14 homers, 49 RBI and 25 steals in 85 games.
Triantos, 21, is the Cubs’ No. 4 prospect after the aforementioned duo and Owen Caissie. A second-round pick in 2021 out of high school, Triantos has also progressed smoothly so far. Like Shaw, he opened 2024 in Double-A and thrived there, hitting .300/.345/.437 with 63 runs, 30 extra-base hits and 38 stolen bases in 45 attempts. With his contact skills and speed at second base, he looks like the next Nico Hoerner.
Last but not least, there’s Alcantara. Chicago’s No. 6 prospect, the big outfielder is 22 years old and originally from the Dominican Republic. He started his minor-league career with the New York Yankees in 2019 before joining the Cubs in 2021. He’s had a solid season at Double-A, slashing .272/.342/.409 with nine homers and seven steals.
With all three players moving up to Triple-A, it’s possible one of them gets a cup of coffee in the majors when rosters expand in September. If not, all three appear likely to reach the majors at some point in 2025.
