MiLB.com’s Prospect Projections series shifted to the NL Central Division. Sam Dykstra took a look at the players that could have an impact in the Cubs’ division during the upcoming season and Major League projections for the teams’ top prospects. Dykstra is basing his series on Steamer600 projections from FanGraphs. Dykstra explained, “Steamer600 takes previous performance, age, level and other factors into account and projects stats for any given player over a full Major League season” … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 06/22/15
As the first half of the minor league season closed, all teams are now in play as both the Northwest League and the Arizona Rookie League opened this weekend. The first half concluded with Myrtle Beach the Carolina League South Division Champions on the strength of pitchers Josh Conway and Daury Torrez. First round draft pick Ian Happ has made a splash for Eugene by cracking two home runs in the first three games he has played in. And while Tennessee fell out of playoff contention, a buzz … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 06/17/15
Big offensive performances marked the beginning of the week as Arismendy Alcantara had a two home run game for Iowa, while rookie Jose Rojas also hit two in the same game in Venezuela. In Myrtle Beach, Jacob Rogers came close to a cycle as they closed in on a playoff spot. And Duane Underwood Jr. dominated on the mound again. Rafael Mejia belted a home run for the first place DSL Cubs, and pitcher Ryan Williams dazzled batters for Tennessee to keep their slim playoff hopes … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 06/15/15
It was a “system sweep” on Sunday as all of the Cubs’ affiliates came away victorious. South Bend used a 5-for-5 performance by shortstop Gleyber Torres, while All-Star Jonathan Martinez tossed a two-hitter for Myrtle Beach. Tennessee had a second successful rehab start by Jacob Turner, and Iowa received another good outing from Dallas Beeler. But that is not all, as youngsters Pedro Silverio and Andres Bonalde had excellent starts in the Dominican and Venezuelan leagues. With all of the … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 06/01/15
The Cubs’ minor league system ended the month of May with a mixed bag as South Bend saw the blossoming of Yasiel Balaguert. Myrtle Beach have their own emerging stars in Jeimer Candelario and Chesny Young, while Willson Contreras is stepping into the spotlight in Tennessee. And a few of old hands, namely Arismendy Alcantara, Matt Szczur and Javier Baez, led the way for Iowa. The Cubs also welcomed another affiliate, as the Dominican Summer League began play on Saturday. To see more on who … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 05/29/15
It was thrilling end of the week for the Cubs affiliates as Andrew Ely of South Bend experienced the pure adrenalin of an inside-the-park home run. Both Kyle Schwarber of Tennessee and Matt Szczur of Iowa had the exhilaration of a walk-off win. And Myrtle Beach had a doubleheader sweep thanks to the pitching of Jonathan Martinez and Daury Torrez. So now that you are all excited, take a look at Down on the Farm Report for more thrills. Low Class-A – South Bend Cubs (20-28) South Bend is in … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 05/25/15
Happy Memorial Day! The aces were wild in South Bend, Myrtle Beach, and Tennessee as pitchers Ryan Williams, Duane Underwood, and Frank Batista each pitched gems while the SB Cubs and the Pelicans also received excellent performances from Jeremy Null and Paul Blackburn. Meanwhile, Iowa used the big fly to take three in a row from Tacoma as Arismendy Alcantara, Javier Baez, and Rubi Silva all hit home runs. Including scores for the Venezuelan Summer League, the Down on the Farm Report … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 05/04/15
The needle seems to be pointing up for the Cubs’ affiliates to start the week, as three of the four have reached their 13th win of the season. South Bend is riding the extra base bat of Yasiel Balaguert as Ryan Williams’ ERA keeps getting smaller. Myrtle Beach swept a series on the road behind the pitching of Duane Underwood Jr., Paul Blackburn, and Tyler Skulina. The bat of Kyle Schwarber and the arm of Ivan Pineyro allowed Tennessee to take two out of three from White Sox affiliate … [Read more...]
Cubs Notes from Down on the Farm – 05/03/15
With the first month of the 2015 season over, here is an inside look at how the Cubs’ minor league teams are doing this year. Iowa Cubs Iowa has done the best they can having to cope with both injuries and needs at the Major League level. While it wasn’t a shock to anyone that Kris Bryant is now in the majors, it was expected for INF Addison Russell to last past the Super 2 date in early- to mid-June. With INF Javier Baez back from his personal leave, the infield should be more dynamic with … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 05/01/15
Gleyber Torres and Jeremy Null continue to be the story for the South Bend Cubs as the organization’s Low-A affiliate improved to a game over .500. Torres finished his first month with South Bend with a .352/.446/.423 slash line with a .868 OPS. And Null was a perfect 2-0 in four starts with a 0.79 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP. In 22.2 innings, Null has allowed two runs on 18 hits with no walks and 23 strikeouts. Myrtle Beach’s bullpen held up Wednesday but could not hold a lead in the ninth inning … [Read more...]