Pete Crow-Armstrong remains the top prospect in the Chicago Cubs farm system, but 2022 first-round pick Cade Horton has quickly established himself as the best pitching prospect in the system and one of the top hurlers according to Baseball America’s latest rankings.

The Cubs have three players in Baseball America’s updated top-100 prospects list, which includes two in the top-20 and their 2023 first round pick, Matt Shaw, cracking the list.

Cubs Prospects in Baseball America’s Top-100 (Aug. 10, 2023 Update)

OF – Pete Crow-Armstrong: 13th
RHP – Cade Horton: 18th
IF – Matt Shaw: 90th

You can check out the complete rankings from Baseball America below.

Pete Crow-Armstrong

I mean, this dude is incredible.

Pete Crow-Armstrong was recently promoted to Triple-A and in seven games the left-handed hitter is continuing to show his improved plate discipline at the plate. While PCA has only gone 6-for-27 at the dish, he’s also drawn six walks to give him a healthy .382 OBP in 34 plate appearances with the Iowa Cubs.

The biggest knock against Crow-Armstrong in the beginning of the 2023 season was that he just was not taking enough walks. Fair, heading into the first week of May, the 21-year-old only had two walks in 88 plate appearances. However, since May 9, PCA has a 12.2 BB% with a slash line of .279/.385/.529, slugging 13 home runs, while stealing 20 bases.

Oh and you know, PCA is also considered the best defensive center fielder in the minors as well.

Overall in 2023, Crow-Armstrong has posted an .895 OPS with a 132 wRC+, 16 home runs, 20 doubles, 5 triples, 64 RBI, 74 R and 29 stolen bases in 80 games.

Cade Horton

You would have thought that the Cubs killed a puppy the way some fans reacted to the selection of right-handed pitcher Cade Horton with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Turns out the Cubs scouting department maybe had some detailed knowledge beyond box scores because Horton has looked like a top prospect since he made his pro debut back in April.

Horton began the 2023 season with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Low-A Ball. He was bumped up a level after four dominating starts. Last week, the 21-year-old righty made his debut with the Tennessee Smokies at Double-A after 11 starts in High-A and he was spectacular.

The right-handed starter added one more scoreless inning to his line.

Overall this season, Horton has made 16 starts and in 65.1 innings he’s struck out 92 hitters, walking 16, while holding opponents to a .190 batting average. Horton has a 3.03 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with a 2.88 FIP.

Coming in at No. 18 in the updated Baseball America top-100 list, there are only two pitching prospects ranked ahead of Horton at this moment in Paul Skenes (4th) and Gavin Williams (8th). Horton will soon be the second-ranked pitching prospect in BA’s list, as Williams is about to graduate from prospect status with the Cleveland Guardians.

Matt Shaw

From 2022 first rounder to 2023 first rounder, Matt Shaw is already getting love in top-100 prospects list after being the 13th overall pick back in July. The right-handed hitting infielder played three games in the Arizona Complex League and then he was assigned to the South Bend Cubs at Advanced A-Ball.

Shaw, 21, is 7-for-24, with a couple of extra bases in six games so far with South Bend. That includes a triple in his first at-bat in Advanced A-Ball.

Shaw was originally ranked 95th by Baseball America in their previous update following the draft.