This is a truncated version that’s only updated through Thursday. Next Monday’s post is going to be extensive with some eyewitness accounts mixed in by yours truly.
The Weekend at a Glance
| Top 10 | ||
| Name | Level | Stats |
| Gleyber Torres | Low-A South Bend | 1-for-7, 1 SO |
| Kyle Schwarber | MLB | MLB |
| Billy McKinney | Double-A Tennessee | 2-for-12, 1 BB, 3 SO |
| Albert Almora, Jr. | Double-A Tennessee | 4-for-18, 3 RBI, 1 BB |
| Pierce Johnson | Double-A Tennessee | 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO |
| Dan Vogelbach | DL | DL |
| Carson Sands | Short-Season Eugene | DNP |
| Jen-Ho Tseng | High-A Myrtle Beach | 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB 6 SO |
| Carl Edwards, Jr. | Triple-A Iowa | 1.0 IP, 0 H, OER, 1 BB, 1 SO |
| The Others | ||
| Name | Level | Stats |
| Javier Baez | Triple-A Iowa Cubs | 5-for-20, 2 HR, 5 SO, 1 BB |
| Jeffrey Baez | Low-A South Bend | 6-for-15, 3 RS, 4 RBI, 2 SO, 1 BB, 1 SB |
| Ian Happ | Low-A South Bend | 4-for-13, 6 SO |
| Arismendy Alcantara | Triple-A Iowa | 5-for-16, 6 RS, 2 BB, 5 SO |
| Christian Villanueva | Triple-A Iowa Cubs | 1-for-14, 1 BB, 2 SO |
Notes: Over his last ten starts Tseng has a 2.95 ERA; he’s pitched 58 innings in that time span and has given up 51 hits with a 37-18 SO-BB ratio; Tseng is physically maxed out so there isn’t much projection left here but he has a solid average curve and a change that can get to average … Check our main site for an updated scouting report on Blackburn; limited projection but he can be a useable backend piece, he’s ok overall … Alcantara had a hot stretch in scoring six runs … For lack of a better term Jeffrey Baez balled the hell out this week; there’s not much above organizational fodder here, as Baez’s approach is poor; I’ve seen him swing at three straight changeups out of the zone so many times … What the Cubs decide to do with Javier Baez, on the other hand, will have a lot of impact on the roster; I can’t see the Cubs trading Addison Russell which means that it comes down to whether the Cubs believe Starlin Castro is their long term shortstop; personally I can see a future that has Baez at third and Russell at short with Kris Bryant in right.
| The Teams | ||
| Name | Level | Standings/Notes |
| Eugene Emeralds | Short-Season A | 4-3, 1 GB |
| South Bend Cubs | Low-A | 19-20, 4 GB |
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | High-A | 23-17, 1.5 GB |
| Tennessee Smokies | Double-A | 18-20, 7 GB |
| Iowa Cubs | Triple-A | 60-51, 7 GB |
What to Watch For
The South Bend Cubs. I’ll be sitting on Torres and Ian Happ over the weekend as they take on the Seattle-affiliated Clinton Lumberjacks. I’ll even catch a Jake Stinnett start, so the weekend update will be very meaty.