Kyle Schwarber leaves the top ten lists as he is now beyond the 130 plate appearance threshold for rookies. Ian Happ enters as the next logical choice for inclusion in the top ten. Let’s get into it.
The Week That Was
| Top 10 | ||
| Name | Level | Stats |
| Gleyber Torres | Low-A South Bend | 1-for-12, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO |
| Ian Happ | Low-A South Bend | 5-for-14, 5 RS, 1 HR, 5 RBI |
| Billy McKinney | Double-A Tennessee | 7-Day DL |
| Albert Almora | Double-A Tennessee | 2-for-12, 2 RS, 1 SO |
| Pierce Johnson | Double-A Tennessee | 6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO |
| Dan Vogelbach | Rehab (AZL) | 3-for-9, 4 RS, 6 BB, 1 SO |
| Carson Sands | Short-Season Eugene | 2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO |
| Jen-Ho Tseng | High-A Myrtle Beach | 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO |
| Carl Edwards Jr. | Triple-A Iowa | 7-Day DL |
| The Others | ||
| Name | Level | Stats |
| Javier Baez | Triple-A Iowa | 12-for-18, 4 RS, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO |
| Eloy Jimenez | Short-Season Eugene | 5-for-16, 2 RS, 3 BB, 1 SO |
| Paul Blackburn | High-A Myrtle Beach | 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO |
| Arismendy Alcantara | Triple-A Iowa | 3-for-12, 3 RS, 1 SO |
| Christian Villanueva | Triple-A Iowa | 1-for-18, 1 RS, 4 RBI, 4 SO |
Notes: That’s not a typo, Baez did indeed have that kind of week at the plate; nothing he hit went over the fence and at this point we have a good idea what the profile looks like; it isn’t a question of whether he can hit Triple-A pitching, he’s proved that already; it’s all about MLB adjustments for him and there’s only one way to find out if he can make those … Vogelbach sure looked fine during his rehab assignment; a 6-1 BB-SO ratio is pretty solid, I guess … Tseng put together another solid start and has a 2.80 ERA over his last 10 appearances … Edwards, Jr. could’ve been a contributor to the Major League bullpen but an injury and loss of command have prevented that from happening; it’s about to be top-ten time at Baseball Prospectus and I can’t see a scenario where Edwards sticks on the top ten Cubs list; he doesn’t have the No. 2 ceiling it looked like he might have had, because the profile for innings just isn’t there; Edwards can still carve out a career as a solid bullpen piece, however … Jimenez had a strong showing at the plate and should be ready for a full season assignment next year … Paul Blackburn had a dominant outing this week; again, the OFP is nothing to write home about, but he can be a money saving back of the rotation piece … My boy Villaneuva had a rough week and has been in a rut offensively.
| Teams | ||
| Name | Level | Standings/Notes |
| Eugene Emeralds | Short-Season A | 12-9, 1 GB |
| South Bend Cubs | Low-A | 27-24, 7 GB |
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | High-A | 32-20, First Place |
| Tennessee Smokies | AA | 25-26, 6 GB |
| Iowa Cubs | AAA | 68-56, 7 GB |
What To Watch For
It’s the home stretch for the affiliates and their playoff hopes. Part of me wonders whether the Cubs would be inclined to send Torres to High-A and join the playoff chase to give him a taste of that type of competition.