Every team in the MLB has top prospects that they missed out on and have the one that “could’ve been” a franchise changing player.
The Chicago Cubs are certainly no different as they’ve had their fair share of prospects who have slipped through the grasp of the organization and have gone on elsewhere to succeed.
Since we’re on the subject of talking about it, here are three former Cubs prospects who are now thriving with their new teams.
Jeremiah Estrada, RP, San Diego Padres
Estrada was ranked as the No. 24 prospect in the Cubs’ minor league system during the 2023 season. He made his MLB debut during the 2022 season and appeared in five games for the Cubs, and did solid work.
He compiled an ERA of 3.18 with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The next season didn’t go so great for him, as he appeared in 12 games and finished the year with an ERA of 6.75. That would be his last season in a Cubs uniform, and he is now with the San Diego Padres.
Estrada has turned his career around out west, as he finished the 2024 season with an ERA of 2.95 and 94 strikeouts in 62 appearances and 61 innings pitched.
He is putting together another solid campaign in 2025, with a 2.25 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 16 innings. Estrada has also been extremely vocal about his feelings towards his former team.
Alex Lange, RP, Detroit Tigers
Lange’s last season in the Cubs’ minor league system was 2019, and he was ranked as their No. 12 prospect. He was a part of the package sent to the Detroit Tigers that helped Chicago acquire Nick Castellanos at the 2019 trade deadline.
He made his MLB debut in 2021 and has spent the previous four seasons with the Tigers. His 2023 season was the best of his career, as he collected 26 saves and a 3.68 ERA across 67 appearances.
2024 was not so kind to him. He finished the season with a -0.6 WAR and an ERA of 4.34 in 21 appearances. He is currently recovering from a torn latissimus dorsi tendon and is expected to be worked back into the closer role when he returns.
Brendon Little, RP, Toronto Blue Jays
Not to be confused with Cubs left-hander Luke Little, Brendon Little was the No. 30 prospect in Chicago’s system prior to the 2021 season.
He appeared in one game for the Cubs in 2022 and has spent the last two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had a solid rookie season in 2024 with an ERA of 3.74 across 49 appearances,
2025 has been much of the same, as he currently has an ERA of 2.45 across 17 appearances and 14 2/3 innings pitched. He’s thrown a scoreless outing in four of his last five appearances and is a big reason that the Blue Jays have the seventh-best bullpen ERA in the American League.
Matt Mervis, Christopher Morel, and Hayden Wesneski are all recent former prospects who have enjoyed some success with their new teams but have not reached the ‘thriving’ expectation. Here’s to hoping that not too many more prospects slip through the Cubs’ grasp.