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Chicago Cubs: Was Mark Prior the most hyped prospect in team history?

Looking back at Mark Prior‘s rapid ascent to the big leagues is something that’s actually pretty hard to wrap our minds around given how big of a focus there is on player development in today’s game. But 18 years ago, the Chicago Cubs added the big right-hander to their roster with a mere nine minor league appearances to his credit.

Chicago drafted Prior the previous summer with the second overall pick in the June draft out of USC. He was coming off a dominant run with the Trojans, to say the least. After transferring from another baseball powerhouse in Vanderbilt, he made 37 starts across two campaigns, working to a 2.