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The Cubs minor league season is complete and that means its time to hand out 23 awards to our favorite prospects. A list of the awards can be found below but you'll need to check out who each of Greg Huss, Greg Zumach, and Bryan Smith selected for each one.

Hitter of the Year Starting
Pitcher of the Year
Reliever of the Year
Breakout Player of the Year
Comeback Player of the Year
Most Fun to Watch
Most Excited to Watch Next Year
Biggest Surprise
Best MLB Debut Season
Sean Barry Award
Javier Assad Award
Ben Leeper Award
I-80 Road Warrior Award
Hey, Did You Lose My Number Award
Making Up For Lost Time Award
The One That Got Away Award
Best Fastball
Best Breaking Ball
Best Offspeed
Most Power
Best Feel to Hit
Fastest Runner
Best Defense

Topics on this week's Q&A episode with Greg Huss:

• Rumored Arizona Fall League assignments including Kade Snell and Dominick Reid
• A look at this year and next year for Josiah Harthsorn
• Jaxon Wiggins outlook
• Roster decisions for Brody McCullough and Kohl Franklin
• The curious case of Alexey Lumpuy
• The curious case of Jostin Florentino
• What traded prospect will we miss the most?
• Projecting my top 5 prospects for this time next year

We asked for questions and you delivered. Greg Zumach flies solo this week discussing questions about the Cubs minor league prospects and draft.

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Greg Zumach:

- Takeaways from the season as it begins to wind down
- BJ Murray Jr called up to Chicago!
- Josiah Hartshorn makes Cubs prospect history with his 20 homers and 100 RBI
- Angel Cepeda is super critical to the success of the system at shortstop
- Ethan Conrad back to the IL
- Ed Howard released

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Bryan Smith:

• Juan Cabada's hot start in full-season ball
• Ethan Conrad's promotion to High-A South Bend
• Kane Kepley turning it up a notch in Double-A Knoxville
• Angel Cepeda has been terrific when healthy
• Caden Sorrell has shown off a pretty swing and athleticism
• Jaxon Wiggins now working in relief in Triple-A Iowa
• Jackson Brockett might win Cubs MiLB Pitcher of the Year
• Ethan Flanagan is extremely underrated
• Chase Meyer's stuff reminds us of Keegan Thompson
• Yoendris Gonzalez might be the best relief prospect in the system
• Pierce Coppola made his best start of the year

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Iowa Cubs broadcaster Jason Kempf:

• Recapping the Iowa Cubs vs. St. Paul Saints Field of Dreams game experience
• What it was like having Brett Bateman, Jonathon Long, Jace Beck, and Moises Ballesteros all traded off the Iowa roster at the trade deadline
• Notes on players including Owen Ayers, Ethan Hearn, BJ Murray Jr, Kevin Alcantara, Kohl Franklin, and Jaxon Wiggins

Prospects discussed on today's episode with Greg Huss and South Bend Cubs broadcaster Brendan King:

• Josiah Hartshorn
• Kane Kepley
• Jose Escobar
• Angel Cepeda
• Nazier Mule
• Kade Snell
• Kevin Valdez
• Jostin Florentino
• Kohl Franklin
• Ethan Flanagan
• Justin Stransky
• Logan Poteet
• Yoendris Gonzalez
• Brennan Hudson
• Michael Hallquist

The trade deadline has come and gone and the Cubs acquired 5 players to help their Major League squad: Kevin Gausman, Braxton Garrett, Ryan Zeferjahn, Clay Holmes, and Tyrone Taylor.

In this episode, Greg Huss and Greg Zumach review what the trades mean for the Cubs system as a whole and detail the 7 players the team traded away: Jefferson Rojas, Mason McGwire, Jonathon Long, Jace Beck, Brett Bateman, Ty Southisene, and Moises Ballesteros.

In this solo episode, Greg Huss previews the MLB Trade Deadline for the Cubs but from a prospect slant. He uses listener questions to guide conversation and address things like:

• What prospects are untouchable?
• Who will have more trade value this year than next year?
• Is Jaxon Wiggins more likely to be traded following the results of last week's draft?
• Is Jefferson Rojas the most likely top prospects to be traded?
• What about the 40-man roster guys like Matt Shaw, Kevin Alcantara, Pedro Ramirez, and Moises Ballesteros?
• Will the pitcher grouping of Brooks Caple, Will Sanders, Mason McGwire, Pierce Coppola, and Kevin Valdez be picked over?

Greg Huss, Bryan Smith, and Greg Zumach reflect on the Cubs' draft strategy this year and break down how different it is compared to past seasons. Additionally, they provide insights on all 21 of the team's selections in this year's MLB Draft:

1. Cade Townsend, 2. Caden Sorrell, 2C. Myles Bailey, 3. Carson Jasa, 4. Dylan Marionneaux, 5. Dylan Blomker, 6. Isaac Morton, 7. Cole Tryba, 8. Lance Williams, 9. Chase Meyer, 10. Luke Alwood, 11. Ariston Veasey, 12. Brandon Arvidson, 13. Emanuel Hernandez, 14. Corey Nunez, 15. Griffin Naess, 16. Ahston Pocol, 17. Ryan Marton, 18. Luke McGrath, 19. Luke Guth, 20. Brennan Hudson

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Bryan Smith:

• Ethan Conrad and Brody McCullough rehab appearances
• Grant Kipp promoted to Iowa
• Cole Mathis traded to the Mets
• Kaleb Wing leaves his start early
• An in-depth breakdown of 6 catchers in the system: Owen Ayers, Logan Poteet, Ariel Armas, Justin Stransky, Miguel Useche, and Jose Silva

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Greg Zumach:

• News and notes in the system: Jaxon Wiggins return from injury, Knoxville wins the division, Cameron Sisneros traded, Jace Beck is legit, and Ethan Conrad close to a return
• A comprehensive preview of the Cubs 2026 draft including who they might select at 23 and who this year's Josiah Hartshorn might be
• An opportunity to rip into the ridiculous proposal MLB owners put together regarding future MLB Drafts: cutting the number of rounds from 20 to 12, cutting the bonuses given out in half, eliminating high school players from the draft, and plenty more

On this week's episode, Greg Huss and Bryan Smith discuss what everyone else in the world is discussing -- Josiah Hartshorn, Owen Ayers, Jefferson Rojas, and Pedro Ramirez.

Each of the four Cubs prospects have had outrageously impressive seasons so far and the guys answer a few questions:

1.  Who is the 1st half MVP?
2. Who has had the most surprising season?
3. What jump in rankings is most believable?

On a livestream (that operates equally as good in podcast form), Greg Huss is joined by CHGO's Brendan Miller. In addition to a little more MLB Cubs chatter sprinkled into the episode than is typical for this show, the guys discuss some of the breakout performers on the farm this year including Josiah Harthsorn, Jefferson Rojas, Owen Ayers (each of whom had massive weeks), Mason McGwire, and Pierce Coppola. The duo also breaks down how we should feel about the state of the system in comparison to the our thoughts preseason.

On this week's episode with Greg Huss and Bryan Smith, the guys evaluate the start of the year for 15 Cubs prospects and determine whether their hot starts AND cold starts are legit or if they will regress to the mean.

• Hot Bats: Owen Ayers, Cole Mathis, Ty Southisene, Brett Bateman
• Cold Bats: Kade Snell, Ariel Armas, Alexey Lumpuy, Jonathon Long
• Hot Arms: Mason McGwire, Dominick Reid, Marino Santy
• Cold Arms: JP Wheat, Jackson Kirkpatrick, Erian Rodriguez, Nazier Mule

Greg Huss is joined by Iowa Cubs broadcaster Jason Kempf! Topics include:

• What coaches think about Pedro Ramirez's breakout
• Has BJ Murray Jr. been just as impressive as Pedro?
• Why is Jonathon Long struggling so much at the plate?
• How does Kevin Alcantara fit on the MLB roster?
• James Triantos is doing typical James Triantos things
• Is Brett Bateman the (second) most patient hitter in all of baseball?
• An insane revolving door of pitchers on the Iowa roster
• Why veteran pitchers continue to re-sign with the Cubs to play in Des Moines

We all know the top pitching prospect in the Cubs organization is Jaxon Wiggins. But after him, who are the top arms in the system? Greg Huss and Bryan Smith make the case for a handful of arms:

Kaleb Wing, Dominick Reid, Brooks Caple, Brandon Birdsell, Mason McGwire, and Pierce Coppola

Greg Huss is joined by Greg Zumach on this live version of the podcast to talk:

• Brooks Caple and Mason McGwire's mini-breakouts
• Draft approach to catchers
• Is the organization's catching the best it has been in the last decade?
• Untouchable prospects in trades

Greg Huss and Bryan Smith spend the entire episode talking about one player: Pedro Ramirez. The infielder has quickly put himself on the national prospect radar with an unbelievably hot start in Triple-A. The guys talk about how he got to this point in his career, what he's doing so well this season, and how he fits into the Chicago Cubs' plans - both this season and into the future.

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and new voice of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Joey Robertson:

• Joey's career journey to Myrtle Beach
• Hitting prospects Cole Mathis, Josiah Hartshorn, Michael Carico, Jose Escobar, and others
• Pitching prospects Dominick Reid, Mason McGwire, Hayden Frank, and others

This is your prototypical episode with Greg Huss and Bryan Smith. Topics include:

• Josiah Hartshorn popping onto Top 100 radars
• Owen Ayers continues his Arizona Fall League hot streak to the regular season
• Cole Mathis providing he doesn't belong in Myrtle Beach
• Grant Kipp nearly perfect to start the season
• BJ Murray Jr. proving himself at Triple-A
• Pedro Ramirez showing power
• Jace Beck looking like a potential breakout bullpen arm

In this episode, Greg Huss sits down pregame with 3 members of the South Bend Cubs:

• Outfielder Kade Snell talks about his added strength and experience in big league Spring Training games
• Outfielder Kane Kepley breaks down his hair-on-fire play style and what he's learned with each jump in competition level.
• Hitting coach Nate Spears discusses his time in the organization as a player following his involvement in the Corey Patterson trade and how it compares to the impact he makes on players now that he's a coach. He also talks about how the Cubs development team coordinates teaching hitting at the various levels of the system.

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Greg Zumach:

• Affiliate assignments that stand out like Cole Mathis to Myrtle Beach
• Riley Martin's promotion to Chicago and MLB debut
• There seems to be a new pitching development strategy, with almost all of the Cubs' lower level pitchers going multiple innings
• Kevin Alcantara's hot start
• Josiah Hartshorn's impressive pro debut
• James Triantos back on track

Two big-time segments on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Bryan Smith:

The first 40 minutes is spent making the hottest takes this podcast has ever seen (even if that's a very relative statement). From Jefferson Rojas making the bigs this year to Will Sanders' most important pitch and eating crow on Pedro Ramirez, the guys react to the first weekend of I-Cubs games and Spring Training.

The back-end of the show is the guys making their annual predictions for what Cubs prospects make their MLB debut in 2026. Jaxon Wiggins seems like an absolute lock to make it to Chicago, but when will it happen? And three-plus more guys that could make the leap.

Hosts Greg Huss, Bryan Smith, and Greg Zumach once again compete in the yearly nerdy tradition of drafting teams full of Cubs prospects. They each select seven pitchers and twelve position players to fill out their rosters. They begin with the big three of Jaxon Wiggins, Moises Ballesteros, and Jefferson Rojas and finish by going 57 names deep.

Greg Huss is joined by Iowa Cubs broadcaster Jason Kempf to preview the talented I-Cubs roster for 2026. Players mentioned in this episode include:

Jaxon Wiggins, Connor Noland, Will Sanders, Riley Martin, Jack Neely, Jonathon Long, James Triantos Jr., Hayden Cantrelle, Pedro Ramirez, BJ Murray Jr., Kevin Alcantara, Brett Bateman, Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, Ethan Roberts, Luke Little

Greg Huss is joined by South Bend Cubs broadcaster Brendan King as the two preview the 2026 season for two different Cubs affiliates: the High-A South Bend Cubs and Double-A Knoxville Smokies. Players of note:

South Bend: Nazier Mule, Dom Hambley, Koen Moreo, Ethan Flanagan, Jostin Florentino, JP Wheat, Jake Knapp, Pierce Coppola, Tyler Ras, Logan Poteet, Cameron Sisneros, Owen Ayers, Cole Mathis, Ty Southisene, Matt Halbach, Angel Cepeda, Yahil Melendez, Kade Snell, Leonel Espinoza, Kane Kepley, Jose Escobar

Knoxville: Grant Kipp, Nick Dean, Tyler Schlaffer, Erian Rodriguez, Yenrri Rojas, Nick Hull, Evan Taylor, Evan Aschenbeck, Jackson Kirkpatrick, Luis Martinez-Gomez, Jefferson Rojas, Ariel Armas, Edgar Alvarez, Carter Trice, Jordan Nwogu

Myrtle Beach broadcaster Luke Moehle joins host Greg Huss to preview the Pelicans' 2026 campaign. Players of note:

Kevin Camacho, Alfredo Romero, Hayden Frank, Eli Jerzembeck, Dominick Reid, Jairo Diaz, Justin Stransky, Alexis Hernandez, Ludwing Espinoza, Alexey Lumpuy, Eli Lovich, Ethan Conrad, Josiah Hartshorn

In this episode, Greg Huss goes solo on the live stream to dig into many of the nearly 40 prospects that have appeared in Spring Training games so far, with special attention paid to the 10 non-roster invitee prospects invited to Big League camp. Throughout the episode, he answers questions from listeners about some of your favorite prospects!

In this episode, Greg Zumach plays host, asking Greg Huss and Bryan Smith about their brand new Cubs prospect lists. The trio talk about the identical top 5 of Jaxon Wiggins, Moises Ballesteros, Jefferson Rojas, Kevin Alcantara, and Jonathon Long before continuing down their rankings all the way to the 30th best prospect in the system.

Cubs prospect Owen Ayers joins Greg Huss and Bryan Smith to talk about...

• His roundabout journey to pro ball
• Defensive work behind the plate
• An absolute breakout performance in the Arizona Fall League
• Hitting intricacies
• Whether or not players pay attention to prospect rankings

Cubs pitching prospect Jackson Kirkpatrick joins Greg Huss to talk about a number of topics:

• Tread Athletics pro day
• Getting signed
• Developing his pitch mix
• How training is different with the Cubs than with Tread
• What offseason training looks like
• Dynamic of struggling in college vs. struggling as a pro
• Chris Clarke's impact on him

Greg Huss and Bryan Smith break down the recent Cubs trade as they acquired Edward Cabrera from the Marlins for Owen Caissie, Cristian Hernandez, and Edgardo De Leon. The guys break down what the Cubs lost in each player they dealt away and also break down the state of the system post-trade.

In this episode, Greg Huss provides prospect profiles for the clear-cut top 3 prospects in the Cubs organization: Jaxon Wiggins, Moises Ballesteros, and Owen Caissie. He walks through each player's strengths, weaknesses, potential outcomes, and timeline to consistent Major League roles.

Greg Huss is joined by former Cubs prospect and recent draft pick of the Texas Tailgaters from the Banana Ball League, Chris Clarke. He spent six seasons in the Cubs organization and gives the lowdown on what it was like during his time in the system.

- Favorite parts of each affiliate
- Playing with and then playing for Pelicans manager Yovanny Cuevas
- How he completely turned around the Myrtle Beach Pelicans season
- How pitching development has changed during his time in the org
- How pitch counts and innings limits impacted his development
- What it was like being drafted in the MLB Rule 5 Draft
- How he found himself trying out for the Savannah Bananas

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Cubs prospect Hayden Cantrelle:

• An impressive college career
• Starting his own sandlot league during COVID
• Spending time in 4 different organizations
• Playing 6 different positions last years
• The intricacies of switch hitting and how to train
• An impressive performance in Las Vegas
• His take on the ABS challenge system
• Why he started a YouTube channel and why he still does it

Hayden's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@5Guyy

Today, we're joined by Cubs 5th round pick and current prospect Kade Snell. He talks with Greg Huss about...

- Growing up an Auburn fan and committing there to pitch
- Transitioning to a two-way players in junior college
- Transferring into Alabama and becoming captain of their team in a short time
- Draft day experience and who else he was almost selected by
- His insane summer with lots of travel and even more baseball
- Importance of the Strength and Conditioning team
- Limiting strikeouts while adding power
- Why he started stealing bases all the sudden

In this episode with Greg Huss and Greg Zumach, the guys run through nine prospects that might get added to the 40-man roster and protected from the Rule 5 Draft.

Riley Martin
James Triantos
JP Wheat
Brandon Birdsell
Erian Rodriguez
Connor Noland
Cristian Hernandez
Pedro Ramirez
Grant Kipp

They end the show by making their predictions for who will be protected.

Welcome into another edition of the Chicago Cubs Prospects Award Show! This year, Greg Huss, Greg Zumach, and Bryan Smith hand out 20 awards and superlatives. Whether you are looking for the Hitter of the Year or the best fastball in the system, you can find it in this episode!

Greg Huss and Bryan Smith recap the seasons of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Knoxville Smokies, and Iowa Cubs by handing out an MVP, Cy Young, and Most Improved Player award at each of the affiliates that wrapped up or are wrapping up their seasons. Like last week with South Bend, the guys dig into plenty of players, with multiple guys making their case to bring home some hardware.

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss:

• Running through the 7 players reportedly being assigned to the Arizona Fall League
• Recapping the South Bend Cubs season by handing out MVP, Cy Young, and Most Improved Player awards (and the runners-up)
• Now that he has made it to Triple-A, how likely is it we see Jaxon Wiggins in Chicago this season?

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Greg Zumach:

• Kane Kepley's outrageously hot stretch
• Just how impressive is Myrtle Beach's 2nd half?
• Cristian Hernandez stolen bases compared to John Andreoli and Tony Campana
• Brandon Birdsell's elbow surgery
• Who are the prospects we are glad the Cubs didn't trade?
• Comparing Cubs prospect rankings from preseason 2024 to now to explain why the system is down so much

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Iowa Cubs broadcaster Jason Kempf:

• Iowa having a dedicated beat writer
• Biggest differences between working in Single-A vs. Triple-A
• The vibes in the Iowa clubhouse during the trade deadline
• This season's progression of James Triantos and Kevin Alcantara
• Who should win this year's Cubs minor league hitter of the year award? Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, or Jonathon Long?
• The revolving door that is a Triple-A pitching staff
• Similarities between Connor Noland and Will Sanders
• Impact of veteran guys in the clubhouse like Carlos Perez, Dixon Machado, and Caleb Knight

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Bryan Smith:

• Owen Caissie made his MLB debut. What does this stint in the bigs look like?
• Prospects that are most likely to be next up on an MLB Top 100 list
• Listener questions about the pitchers that could help the MLB team next year, lower level pitching prospects, and hitters that could jump up multiple levels in the next year.

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Bryan Smith:

• Ariel Armas is hotter than any hitter in affiliated baseball
• First impressions of Kade Snell in South Bend and Kane Kepley in Myrtle Beach
• Five hot Birds: Ty Southisene, Angel Cepeda, Matt Halbach, Alexey Lumpuy, and Christian Olivo
• What prospects should be promoted to end the season?
• A three-way battle between Owen Caissie, Jonathon Long, and Moises Ballesteros for Cubs minor league hitter of the year

Greg Huss goes solo immediately following the conclusion of the MLB Trade Deadline to react to the Cubs moves from a prospect perspective. He breaks down the four Cubs trades and analyzes the state of the system now that they are complete.

• Christian Franklin and Ronny Cruz for Mike Soroka
• Wilfri de la Cruz for Andrew Kittredge
• Ivan Brethowr for Taylor Rogers
• Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong for Willi Castro

Greg Huss recently updated his Cubs Top 30 Prospects List, and Brendan Miller joins him on this episode to walk through the rankings, starting with Owen Caissie and Moises Ballesteros at the top.

Find the full rankings here: https://outofthevines.wordpress.com/2025/07/17/updating-my-prospect-list-ahead-of-the-mlb-trade-deadline/

Join Greg Huss, Greg Zumach, and Bryan Smith as they run through each and every one of the Cubs' 20 draft picks from the 2025 MLB Draft and what they liked and disliked about the team's draft strategy.

Join Greg Huss and Greg Zumach as they preview the 2025 MLB Draft by first taking a look back on recent drafts the Cubs have completed under Dan Kantrovitz's team. The guys then detail 9 different players the Cubs could select in the first round and a few additional deep cuts for later rounds.

Greg Huss and Bryan Smith walk through 17 players on a midseason all-star team of Cubs prospects and tack on some honorable mentions for good measure. Lots of big names in this episode including Jaxon Wiggins, Owen Caissie, Cristian Hernandez, and Moises Ballesteros.