Its playoff time in the minor leagues, and the Daytona Cubs are on the way to the FSL Championship Series. Daytona beat Dunedin in the best of three series and were crowned Florida State League North Division Champs late Wednesday night. Daytona begins the defense of its title Thursday night against Ft. Myers in the opener of the best of five series. Kane County put its best record in the minors to test Wednesday and posted a win with the help of a rehabbing Mike Olt. Boise lost in their … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on Farm Report – 09/02/14
An 829-game minor league regular season ended Monday with three teams from the Cubs’ system making the playoffs: The Daytona Cubs, the Kane County Cougars, and the Boise Hawks. It took the final days of the season before Daytona and Boise could lay claim to the post-season, thanks to the efforts of hot-hitting shortstops Marco Hernandez and Gleyber Torres. Kane County had the best record in the minor leagues as the Cougars received excellent pitching performances in the final days from Tyler … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 08/28/14
It’s getting down to the nitty-gritty as Boise is still fighting for a playoff spot while welcoming its newest addition, shortstop Gleyber Torres. Daytona’s magic number is down to one as the red-hot Bijan Rademacher has carried the D-Cubs of late. Tennessee remains in the hunt with a crucial weekend series on the horizon. The Smokies will be looking for Addison Russell to come back from injury to lead them to the post-season. Meanwhile, Kane County tied a franchise record for wins behind the … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 08/25/14
With one week to go in the minor league season, streaking is what seems to be the trend in the Cubs’ system. Kane County was winners of 13 straight thanks to excellent pitching from Jonathan Martinez, Tyler Ihrig, and Ben Wells. Both Daytona and Kyle Schwarber went on a five game roll, with the first round pick belting six home runs over that span. Boise won three in a row, including the debut of second round pick Jake Stinnett. Meanwhile, Iowa has been going in the opposite direction, losing … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 08/21/14
With time running out in the season, all of the Cubs’ top five minor league teams remain in the hunt for the playoffs. Boise will need some help, but is starting to get some production for Kevin Brown. Kane County is already in, and outfielder Jeffrey Baez is starting to make his presence felt. Daytona got some dramatics from Kyle Schwarber, while Tennessee received excellent pitching from Corey Black, C.J. Edwards, and Pierce Johnson. Meanwhile, Iowa looks like they will have to go down the … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 08/18/14
The playoffs are looming in the minors and both Daytona and Tennessee moved into first place over the weekend. Iowa slipped into second as they continued to lose players to the Major League team. Kane County continued to find new and interesting ways to win games, while Boise looks like it is ready to go on a roll. There are too many details to do an introduction any justice, so you need to open today’s Down on the Farm Report to read how the players and teams performed. … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 08/11/14
It appeared as if many of the minor league teams want to get as much baseball in as they can with the season drawing to a close, as doubleheaders and extra innings dotted the landscape. One of the hottest players in the system is Daytona’s Rock Shoulders, who was 6-for-13 with three home runs over the weekend. Iowa is experiencing a power surge, with Kris Bryant, Mike Olt, Manny Ramirez, Jorge Soler and Elliot Soto all with home runs. Shawon Dunston Jr. continues to be an excellent table-setter … [Read more...]
Cubs Notes from Down on the Farm – 08/09/14
The organization may be nearing a dignified end to the Cubs careers of former first-round outfielders Josh Vitters and Brett Jackson. With space needed on the 40-man roster for rapidly developing prospects, both could be designated for assignment with little to no worries of them being claimed. At this point, Vitters is batting .212 and Jackson .215 for the season. Despite their pedigree, at 24 and 26 years old respectively, even teams with no chance of making the playoffs would have a hard time … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 08/07/14
Iowa moved back into first place behind two excellent pitching performances from Eric Jokisch and Dan Straily and the big bats of Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Mike Olt. Tennessee picked up two wins with Addison Russell staying hot at the plate and Felix Pena delivering a shutout performance. Kane County just keeps putting wins on the board. Shawon Dunston Jr. and Chesny Young led the Cougars offense while Paul Blackburn and Jen-Ho Tseng had good outings. Daytona posted a win while struggling … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 08/04/14
The final month of the minor league season started out on a good note for couple of the Cubs’ affiliates and many of the prospects in the system. C.J. Edwards returned to the Smokies rotation while the newest additions to the system, Victor Caratini and Jonathan Martinez had good debuts with the Cougars and helped their new team win a game. Pierce Johnson took a no-hitter into the sixth inning Sunday before it was broken up by the Reds top pitching prospect, Robert Stephenson. And speaking … [Read more...]