Down the stretch for the 2018 Chicago Cubs, there was one glaring problem with the team: their silent bats. Fans, the front office, the manager, reporters, and every single person watching the team focused on that problem, and with good reason. With the Milwaukee Brewers slowly gaining ground and bludgeoning most teams the lack of […]
Tag: Young Cubs
Young Cubs: The Cubs’ MiLB System Had a Few Surprises in April
Don’t judge the Cubs’ MiLB system on its April won-loss record. Instead, it should always be about development. And for April, several players came up strong like we thought they would. Dakota Mekkes did not allow a run. Alex Lange flashed not one, but two types of curves. Austin Filiere and Jared Young both showed […]
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 […]
Prospect Update: Adbert Alzolay Is Beginning to Figure It Out
One of the bright spots in the Cubs organization this summer has been the pitching performance of Adbert Alzolay. The 22-year-old right-hander from Venezuela has a fastball that has been sitting 95 to 96 most nights. While his secondaries still need work, he is an intriguing starting pitching candidate beyond this year. With an ERA […]
Young Cubs: Cease Your Happ Puns
The big league Cubs are struggling and banged up, and so we’ve seen—sooner than we’d hoped—the callups of Iowa’s most interesting prospects. Jeimer Candelario, Eddie Butler, and Ian Happ all made their 2017 debuts last week, and each immediately afforded the reeling Cubs some much-needed support. Each, perhaps with the exception of Butler, will likely end […]
Young Cubs: Still Going Strong
In the wake of a World Series victory, Cubs fans are clearly more willing to accept a less star-studded minor league system than the one we’ve watched in recent years. Rizzo, Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Soler, Baez, Contreras, and even Almora are gone now, replaced by prospects whose stars shine a bit dimmer, at least in reputation. […]
Oscar de la Cruz Could Be a Giant Arm with One More Pitch
Oscar De la Cruz is a big, big man. Everything about him as a baseball player is just huge. While he is listed at 6’4″ and 200 pounds, those stats might be four or five years old. He’s likely closer to 6’6″ and 220 pounds. When I watch him pitch, his hands are so huge […]
Bijan Rademacher: Talented Enough To Choose
A regular topic of chatter on the website of Collectively Guided Intellectual Peoples—also known as Twitter—is that of position switching: as in, could a given position player pitch effectively, or can a pitcher handle the bat well enough to be a regular position player? We were stunned by the majestic nature of a Jake Arrieta […]
Young Cubs: Call Me (Up) Maybe
With only one week (!) of games remaining, the minor league regular season is suddenly winding down. For the Cubs, it’s been a season of mixed results in the upper minors. Iowa has struggled record-wise, but has continually produced productive players at the major league level. Players like Willson Contreras, Albert Almora, Rob Zastryzny, Carl Edwards […]