Outside of the usual names like Moises Ballesteros, Jaxon Wiggins, Kevin Alcantara, and Jefferson Rojas, the Chicago Cubs aren’t getting much love for their farm system right now. Recent draftees Ethan Conrad and Kane Kepley have been getting a lot of buzz as well, but it’ll take a full season in the minors to properly evaluate where both stand, not just within the organization, but across all of minor league baseball. This period of transition has seen the Cubs’ rankings drop dramatically in the eyes of just about every major evaluator.

That’s not to say they’re devoid of talent. With the right developments, it’s possible for a prospect or two to pop and improve the outlook of an organization, and the Cubs have a few guys who seemingly have that potential. One name that’s starting to turn heads in particular is 21-year-old switch-hitting third baseman, Pedro Ramirez. Currently the team’s #9 overall prospect according to MLB, he put up numbers in Spring Training that he hasn’t shown since he was in the Arizona Complex League in 2022, batting .367/.432/.633 with a 162 wRC+ in 37 plate appearances.

Ramirez, like Rojas, has gotten a lot of looks this spring, coming off what was a minor breakout season at Double-A last year. He slashed .280/.346/.386, good for a 122 wRC+, though perhaps his greatest achievement was with the glove. After only committing four errors in 570 innings at the hot corner, he dazzled enough to earn an MiLB Gold Glove Award. That’s all without accounting for his natural speed, which helped him steal a by-far high of 28 bases. Considering how young he still is, there’s a real chance he can develop into a well-rounded player with those tools.

With how much he’s been mashing in spring, though, he’s now getting some lofty recognition for his bat specifically. In his Cubs Spring Training report, MLB’s Jim Callis named Ramirez his camp standout for the year, even over the team’s new full-time designated hitter Moises Ballesteros, who’s shown out all month in his own right. He also spoke to the team’s director of player development, Jason Kanzler, who had some very promising praise to heap on the young third baseman. “Pedro’s underlying peripherals are very aggressive for his league and his age,” he said. “He won a Minor League Gold Glove last year, too. You can make the argument that he’s the best pure hitter in the system if you don’t count Ballesteros.”

For sure, Ramirez does a lot right that makes him a good pick for a breakout candidate, including a lot of what helped Ballesteros mash at every level of the minors. He may not have the same power, but he’s consistently limiting strikeouts and making a ton of contact. Last year, his 15.1% strikeout rate marked a career-best in affiliated ball, and it was paired with an elite 15.2% whiff rate. The big question for him is whether he can elevate the ball for more line drives and be more selective with his bat-to-ball skills to limit weak contact.

Pedro Ramirez has positioned himself for a potential Cubs call-up

A lack of pop keeps Ramirez from being a true five-tool prospect, but still, the fact that Kanzler sees him as potentially above guys like Rojas, Kepley, Alcantara, and Jonathon Long with the bat makes up for it a bit. He remains a prospect to watch this season, and he’ll soon get a bit of an extra showcase in the form of the Cubs’ Spring Breakout game this Saturday. There may be a greater calling for him yet, though.

Even though he’s only turning 22 in April, there’s a slim chance he could find himself in Chicago at some point this season. Chances are, something would have to go wrong. Alex Bregman would have to be hurt, and the Cubs would have to need another obvious infielder to take over the utility role when Matt Shaw moves back to the hot corner. That said, it’s a possibility both Ramirez and Craig Counsell are already thinking about. After all, he has extensive experience at both second and short already and has shown at every stop that he can adjust to higher levels of pitching. This could prove to be a big year for his development as he prepares to take that next step in preparation for the majors.