Last week, I was surprised to hear Eugene Emeralds’ TV Broadcaster Matt Dompe say that Cubs’ first round pick Alex Lange would be going ten innings this year for Eugene. The main reason was that Lange had already thrown 124.1 IP for LSU this spring. I thought for sure Lange would go the Thomas Hatch route this […]
Author: Todd Johnson
Is Michael Rucker a “Guy” Going Forward?
On Monday afternoon, pitcher Michael Rucker was placed on MLB.com’s Cubs Top 30 Prospect List at number 29, and the simple reason is that Rucker is having one of the best seasons in 2017 by a Cubs pitching prospect. The Cubs selected Rucker in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. With his inclusion […]
Prospect Profile: Brandon Hughes and His Athleticism Are a Big Surprise
As the Eugene Emeralds’ playoff push continues this weekend, a bright spot for the Cubs’ Short Season Class A team has been the play of switch-hitting outfielder Brandon Hughes. A 2017 16th round pick out of Michigan State, Hughes is currently hitting .395 in just 12 games. Hughes is one of the few position players […]
With Eloy Gone, Does Jose Albertos Take Over the Top Prospect Spot?
With Thursday’s trade of Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease, top talent in the Cubs’ farm system is now at a considerably lower rung. After this year’s draft, it seemed the Cubs would be on the cusp of rebuilding a system that produced eight of the Cubs’ current position players since 2014. The trade did not level […]
Prospect Profile: Miguel Amaya Has the Defensive Goods Already
When Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and Jason McLeod first took over the Cubs organization at the end of 2011, the minor league system was pretty barren, especially of catchers. But in the last five years, the Cubs have produced two catchers for the major league club in Willson Contreras and Victor Caratini, and there is […]
Game 82 Recap: Cubs 6, Reds 2
What you need to know: The season is halfway over. I do not know whether to be excited by that or humbled at the results. At 40-41 heading into the game, the Cubs have underwhelmed the masses with poor starting pitching, shoddy defense, and a lack of offense with runners in scoring position. Can it […]
Trent Giambrone: Just Being Trent Is Getting Results
One of the most exciting parts of the minor league season is when the new draft picks begin to play. Last year, Trent Giambrone from Delta State burst onto the scene with the Eugene Emeralds. He played all four infield positions and hit .292 with four home runs and 22 RBI in 51 games. His […]
Thomas Hatch – What Are the Keys to His Dominant Run?
I first saw Thomas Hatch pitch for Oklahoma State in the College World Series (CWS) in 2016. He pitched a complete game against the University of California-Santa Barbara and I really liked what I saw that game. He struck out seven but got a lot of ground ball outs using a three pitch repertoire of a […]
Cubs Draft Loads Up with 27 Arms and Some Toolsy Position Players
Transparency has been an essential trait of Cubs management for the past five years. Director of Scouting Jason McLeod pronounced their strategy for this year’s draft last week when he said that the Cubs were going to target pitching throughout the draft. In addition, McLeod wanted his scouts to focus more on performance than upon physical […]
Game 62 Recap: Cubs 7, Rockies 5
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Heading into the game, I did some online shopping for some pitchforks, lanterns, and clubs in case the Cubs lost. Not surprisingly, Amazon.com had the best deals. I thought $35 was pretty reasonable for a pitchfork. The problem soon became that Amazon did not have same day shipping for what I […]