Despite injuries and falling rankings, this forgotten Cubs pitcher boasts a dominant minor league track record and a fastball that can hit 98 mph.
There’s no secret that the Chicago Cubs don’t have the greatest farm system right now.
Both MLB Pipeline and ESPN ranked the Cubs’ farm system toward the bottom of the league entering the 2026 season. That’s not a complete surprise, considering the team has traded away both Cam Smith and Owen Caissie in the span of 13 months.
However, the Cubs have some high-quality prospects still awaiting their Major League debut.
No. 2 prospect Jaxon Wiggins has the potential to be a high-level starter in the big leagues, and No. 5 prospect Jefferson Rojas has the tools to be a stud. Even No. 3 prospect Ethan Conrad could develop nicely for the Cubs.
There is one prospect in particular, though, that many are forgetting about. His name is Brandon Birdsell. Although the right-hander has dropped all the way down to No. 17 on the Cubs’ prospect rankings on MLB Pipeline, he shouldn't be slept on by fans.
Birdsell has dominated at the Minor League level since being selected in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft. In all three Minor League seasons, the Cubs prospect has shown plenty of promise on the mound.
He finished with a 2.77 ERA and 97 strikeouts across 107 ⅓ innings pitched at High-A and Double-A in 2023, had a 3.91 ERA and 134 strikeouts across 135 ⅔ innings pitched at Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, and ended with a 2.94 ERA and 33 strikeouts across 33 ⅔ innings pitched last year.
Now, Birdsell’s 2025 season was unfortunately cut short after undergoing elbow surgery later in the year. That is a major reason MLB Pipeline dropped him from No. 8 overall to No. 17 in the Cubs' farm system.
Injuries have been a problem for the 25-year-old throughout his career. He underwent Tommy John surgery and dealt with a rotator cuff strain in college, and faces another long road to recovery after his recent elbow surgery.
However, Birdsell has the talent to be a good Major League pitcher one day. He was named the Cubs’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2024 and has a career 3.35 ERA and 264 strikeouts across four different Minor League levels.
Although Birdsell will likely miss all of 2026, he is someone Cubs fans should know for the future. He has a mean fastball that can touch 98 mph, has a slider that identifies as a plus secondary pitch, and his results in the Minors speak for themselves.
If he can just stay healthy, the Cubs will have another dominant pitcher they can turn to in the next few years.