The Cubs entered the 2015 season with the top-ranked farm system in baseball, and all they did that year was call up the top-ranked Kris Bryant (who won the NL Rookie of the Year and then the MVP this past season), second-ranked Addison Russell, third-ranked Jorge Soler and fourth-ranked Kyle Schwarber.

Each of their four best prospects became routine parts of their drought-quenching World Series victory one year later in 2016. Bryant was the NL MVP, Russell ranked third on the team in WAR, and Schwarber returned to haunt the Indians after tearing his ACL last April.

Bryant has posted the most wins above replacement in a player’s first two seasons with 13.6, according to Baseball Reference.

Chicago's sixth and eighth prospects from that 2015 list, Billy McKinney and Gleyber Torres, never played for the Cubs, but were a huge part in securing that World Series trophy, as both were included in the trade that brought Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs.

Summary:

Even having lost so much talent to the major league level, the Cubs only dropped to the 20th-ranked farm system. They can’t even have a bottom-third farm system if they tried.

Impact on 2017/Beyond:

This Cubs team is still one of the favorites to win the World Series in 2017. Schwarber should be fully mended and will likely leadoff, with Anthony Rizzo, Bryant, Ben Zobrist and Russell behind him. Albert Almora Jr., who ranked seventh on that 2015 prospect list between Torres and McKinney, will at least share center field duties with Jon Jay this season.