Baseball America puts 2 Cubs in the Top 100 Prospects list

Baseball America announced their annual list of the Top 100 prospects in baseball (sub. req.) and two Cubs prospects, outfielder Brennen Davis and shortstop Cristian Hernandez, were named to the list. Davis was ranked as the 16th-best prospect in the game whereas Hernandez checked in as BA’s 81st-best prosect.

Davis, 22. has done nothing but impress since he was taken in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Basha High School in Arizona. Davis played for three teams in 2021—High-A South Bend, Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa—and he hit a combined .260/.375/.494 with 18 home runs and eight steals.

Davis was the MVP of the 2021 Futures Game after hitting two home runs in the game.

Hernandez was the Cubs’ prize signing in 2020-21 International Free Agent class, scoring a team-record $3 million signing bonus. He made his professional debut at 17 in the Dominican Summer League and put up a line of .285/.398/.424 with five home runs in 47 games. More importantly, he impressed the scouts with his bat speed and contact skills, as well as his overall baseball intelligence and his ability to make adjustments both at the plate and in the field.

Davis is set to start the season in Triple-A Iowa and will be looking to make his major league debut in 2022. Hernandez will play stateside for the first time in 2022, giving Cubs fans their first good look at him.

The Cubs also had two prospects in last year’s Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list. Davis was also on last year’s Top 100, but he was ranked much lower at number 52. Left-handed pitcher Brailyn Marquez was ranked as the 72nd-best prospect going into 2021, but he dropped off the list after missing all of 2021 with COVID-19 and with shoulder soreness.