CHICAGO -- There is a balancing act playing out with the Cubs right now. The ballclub is very much in win-now mode and has brought in experienced players over the past few years with the goal of trying to make the playoffs. At the same time, Chicago is creating pathways for a pile of highly touted prospects.

The North Siders found lanes for former Top 100 talents like center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and first baseman Michael Busch to seize big league jobs last summer. This year, top prospect Matt Shaw -- one one seven players on Pipeline¡¯s new preseason Top 100 Prospects list from Chicago¡¯s system -- will be given a shot at earning the regular role at third base this spring.

There is a considerable cast that will likely open the year with Triple-A Iowa, waiting for their call as the Cubs aim for a return to the October stage.

¡°We want to win. That¡¯s the ultimate goal,¡± Cubs outfield prospect Owen Caissie said at Cubs Convention earlier this month. ¡°We want to bring a championship back to this city. And I want to do it with my boys. That¡¯s all I really want, is to win. And I feel like we have the core to do it.¡±

Pipeline¡¯s updated Top 100 Prospects rankings ahead of the ¡®25 season including the following from the Cubs¡¯ farm:

No. 19: 3B Matt Shaw
No. 52: RHP Cade Horton
No. 54: OF Owen Caissie
No. 69: C Moises Ballesteros
No. 73: INF James Triantos
No. 90: OF Kevin Alcantara
No. 97: SS Jefferson Rojas

The Cubs lead the National League with seven prospects in the Top 100, and are tied with the Mariners for the most ranked prospects in baseball. The seven Cubs prospects also give the NL Central 23 players in the Top 100, making it the most-represented division in the Major Leagues.

Shaw will have a real opportunity to win a spot on the Cubs¡¯ Opening Day roster this spring, making him an early contender within the NL Rookie of the Year conversation. Horton, Caissie, Ballesteros and Triantos all reached Triple-A last season, while Alc¨¢ntara got his first taste of the big leagues in September. Rojas finished last year with High-A South Bend.

¡°I feel like we have a good, good core group,¡± Horton said during Cubs Convention. ¡°And it¡¯s really cool to watch, because we are so close.¡±

The Cubs¡¯ list of Top 100 prospects arrived to the organization in a variety of ways, too.

Shaw (first round in ¡®23), Horton (first round in 2022) and Triantos (second round in ¡®21) each came via the MLB Draft. Ballesteros (January 2021) and Rojas (January 2022) were international signings out of Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, respectively. Caissie (part of the Yu Darvish deal in December 2020) and Alc¨¢ntara (included in the Anthony Rizzo deal in July 2021) were part of blockbuster trades.

There are three more prospects on the Top 100 list -- third baseman Cam Smith (No. 59 for the Astros), pitcher Jackson Ferris (No. 71 for the Dodgers) and outfielder Zyhir Hope (No. 75 for the Dodgers) -- who were also Cubs Draft picks. Smith was part of the December trade with Houston to reel in star Kyle Tucker, while Ferris and Hope were dealt to L.A. last offseason to bring Busch to Chicago.

¡°In any kind of trade like that,¡± Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said during Cubs Con, ¡°you¡¯re either pulling wins forward or you¡¯re pushing them backwards.¡±

At the moment, the Cubs are focused on pulling wins forward, while working to find ways to begin introducing their pack of Top 100 prospects into the fold.

Caissie and Alc¨¢ntara will offer depth behind the primary outfield of Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Tucker and Crow-Armstrong. Horton is viewed as a starter, but he is open to relieving if it helps him get a ¡°seat on the plane.¡± Like Shaw, Triantos offers a backup plan for multiple infield spots. Ballesteros has the type of bat that could carry him to The Show this summer.

¡°Ultimately,¡± Hoyer said, ¡°when you have prospects, at some point, these guys are going to have to play. You have to give them some rope. If you don¡¯t, it¡¯s just really hard to be a really good organization.¡±