Oct 9, 2026 9:22 PM
Right-hander Brooks Caple earns high honors following a dominant breakout campaign, flashing elite whiff rates and command that put him on a fast track toward a 2027 debut.
MLB Pipeline recently awarded the best-hitting prospect and best pitching prospect on every team for the 2026 season.
Josiah Hartshorn was honored as the Chicago Cubs' best-hitting prospect after a memorable first professional season. Hartshorn slashed .284/.407/.518 with 23 home runs, 26 doubles, five triples, 112 RBI, 91 walks, and 17 stolen bases across 125 games at Single-A, High-A, and Double-A this season.
The pitching side wasn’t as clear-cut, but MLB named Brooks Caple the Cubs' best pitching prospect for the 2026 season.
Caple was selected in the ninth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He had an up-and-down first Minor League season in 2025, finishing with a 4.48 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts over 98 ⅓ innings pitched.
He threw the ball well at Single-A Myrtle Beach that season (1.80 ERA over seven starts) before struggling a bit at the Double-A level. Caple had a 5.97 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts in 14 starts (63 ⅓ innings pitched) with the South Bend Cubs.
However, Caple put it all together this year. He finished with a 3.09 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts in 107 ⅔ innings. His numbers at High-A improved from last year (2.49 ERA over five starts), and he was then promoted to Double-A Knoxville in early May.
With the Knoxville Smokies, Caple posted a 3.24 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 86 innings. He had a 3.70 FIP, .285 wOBA, 7.4% walk rate, 34.0% chase rate, 30.7% whiff rate, 81.1% zone-contact rate, 14.2% swinging strike rate, and a 66.1% strike rate.
In his last two starts, Caple threw five innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts against Double-A Biloxi and six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts against Double-A Birmingham in his final outing of the 2026 season.
Caple definitely had a breakthrough Minor League campaign in 2026. His walk rate dropped, his strikeout rate rose, and the results finally showed on the mound. The 24-year-old is well-deserving of this recognition.
Caple could start the 2027 season with the Knoxville Smokies, but he shouldn’t pitch at the Double-A level for long. If he does start the season with the Smokies, he should be promoted sometime in the spring to the Triple-A level.
That would put Caple on track to potentially make his Major League debut sometime later in the 2027 season. The young right-hander definitely showed a ton of potential on the mound this year.
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