Cubs Minor League Daily: Still Slugging

dan vogelbach daytonaAnd then there was one. Now that C.J. Edwards has been shut down so the doctors can investigate some discomfort in his shoulder, there is only of the Cubs Top 5 prospects who is without a recent injury. The Tennessee Smokies have played 21 games so far this season, and Kris Bryant has appeared in 20 of them. He is easily the healthiest of the Cubs best prospects.

And he is continuing to tear up the Southern League. Bryant ranks among the league leaders in home runs, doubles, walk rate, OPS, ISO, SLG, and pretty much every other category you’d expect. Right now he is on a seven game hitting streak during which he has eleven total hits, three of them doubles, and one home run.

I’m not sure how long the Cubs will leave Bryant in Tennessee, but local fans should go see him while they have the chance. He is striking out a little too much for comfort right now, so the Cubs may wait for him to bring that rate down a bit, but that is just about the only flaw to be found in his game. Should the Cubs be so inclined, and I don’t think they will be, he could probably jump directly to the majors. More likely, though, he’ll spend some time in Iowa later this summer working out some final bugs in his game before arriving at Wrigley.

When can we expect that arrival?

After the Cubs are completely out of contention. The last thing the Cubs will want to do is call up Bryant (or Javier Baez for that matter) while the team is struggling early in the season and risk the Chicago press heralding him (or them) as the Saviours of the Franchise, only to pile the blame on them when the Cubs continue to lose. The pressure of carrying the Cubs will be on their shoulders soon enough; the Cubs will be wise to not risk making them carry that load while they are getting acclimated to the majors.

I continue to think that Bryant will be up after the trade deadline (Baez could be up before it, depending on how fast he adjusts to Iowa), but if the Cubs start dealing earlier in the summer, I can’t rule out a somewhat earlier call up.

Scores From Yesterday

Iowa – Iowa opened the road trip with a nice 9-0 win in Colorado Springs.
Tennessee – The Smokies never got their offense going as they lost 3-1.
Daytona – Daytona took an early lead, and it carried them to a 7-3 win.
Kane County – After trailing the entire game, Kane County scored seven times in the eighth inning to pull out the improbable 10-8 win.

Performances of Note

  • [Iowa] Tsuyoshi Wada needed just 55 pitches to breeze through 5 shutout innings. He walked one, allowed 4 hits, and struck out 6. I do not know why he left after throwing just 55 pitches, but as of last night no word of any injuries had come out.
  • [Iowa] Chris Valaika led the Cubs with 4 hits (one double). Josh Vitters (one double) and Christian Villanueva (two doubles) each had two hits.
  • [Iowa] Somewhat overshadowed by Wada’s efficient performance were the 2 no hit innings and 4 strikeouts dealt by Alberto Cabrera.
  • [Tennessee] Stephen Bruno singled and tripled, his first, and was the only Smokie with two hits in the game. Bryant doubled and walked, and Dustin Geiger doubled.
  • [Tennessee] John Andreoli went 0 for 3 with a walk, but this game was a touch more notable in that this was the first time in 2014 he had been caught stealing. Through 19 games he now has 8 steals in 9 chances. He is on pace to steal 59 bases and to get caught 7 times this season.
  • [Daytona] Yao-Lin Wang allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks through 4 innings, but after that Ben Wells, Stephen Perakslis and Arodys Vizcaino combined to put up zeroes for the rest of the game. Vizcaino allowed a walk and two hits in the ninth, but got out of it without any damage thanks to a pair of strikeouts.
  • [Daytona] Dan Vogelbach launched his second home run and broke out of his slump with a 4 for 4 performance that featured him picking up his first Caught Stealing for the season.
  • [Daytona] Albert Almora doubled and finished 2 for 4. He did not walk, but he is riding an 8 game hitting streak. Gioskar Amaya and Marco Hernandez also had 2 hits.
  • [Kane County] Josh Davis did not have a great start (3 IP, 6 R (3 ER), 7 H, 2 K) subbing for Daury Torrez, who’s been bumped to today, but Jose Arias, Tyler Bremer, and Zack Godley were there to keep the game close enough that the offense could stage their rally. Bremer in particular stood out. Over 3 innings he allowed a run on a hit and a walk while striking out 6.
  • [Kane County] Jacob Hannemann and Trey Martin each had 2 hits for the Cougars, and they were the only ones to feature multi hit games. Doubles by Martin and Daniel Lockhart were the only extra base hits.
  • [Kane County] Kane County also walked 8 times against just 3 strikeouts. Any team that puts up ratios like that is going to have plenty of opportunity to win some games.
  • Other News

  • Yes, Javier Baez is striking out about 40% of the time, but there is still no need to worry. Because he missed about ten days with that injury, he only has about 40 plate appearances on the season. For a guy who is historically a little slow to get going when he arrives at a new level, and who has missed time on the DL already, that is not a lot. Don’t panic yet.
  • And don’t get too excited, either. The Iowa Cubs are currently playing in Colorado Spring, home of the third most hitter friendly ballpark in the very hitter friendly Pacific Coast League. If Baez starts launching some of those long fly balls that have been dying on the warning track in Iowa this spring, he could hit a bunch of homers in a hurry. That will not mean he is ready for the majors. A few weeks later, though, he visits New Orleans, the most pitcher friendly park in the league. If he starts bombarding the bleachers with Baezbombs in the Big Easy, then we can start to think about a little irrational excitement. But not yet. And certainly not based on anything that happens in Colorado.
  • Further evidence of the worthlessness of the Loss as a pitching stat: Ivan Pineyro. After allowing 2 runs on 6 hits in 5 innings yesterday, Pineyro was saddled with the loss and is now 0-2 on the season. He also has an ERA of 1.74.
  • How did Kane County rally from behind to score 7 runs in the eighth inning and walk away with a win? Single, single, fly out, hit by pitch, double (2 runs score), single (run scores), walk, double (2 runs score), intentional walk, sac fly (run scores), wild pitch (run scores), walk, line out. That’s how.
  • written by

    Luke Blaize is the Minor League Editor at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @ltblaize.

    more cubs news

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

    Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

    Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

    I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

    Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

    Why Craig Counsell Wanted Miles Mastrobuoni on the Cubs’ Bench

    I don't know why Miles Mastrobuoni bugs some folks, but it's probably heavily-weighted toward his small-sample, bad-batted-ball-luck start last year, and that time he didn't dive while playing in right field. It can be hard to shake initial impressions, I...

    Kinda Sounds Like Craig Counsell May Have a Set Top Three in the Batting Order

    New Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has said, generally, his batting order philosophy is the very simplistic (and very correct): just get your best hitters the most at bats. Sure, there's some play in that to set up good match-ups,...

    Latest News

    How to Watch Celtics vs. Hawks: Live Stream or on TV

    The Atlanta Hawks (33-39) hope to continue a three-game home winning stretch when hosting the Boston Celtics (57-15) on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET.In their last time out, the Celtics lost 120-118 to the Hawks on Monday....

    Rangers vs. Cubs Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Texas Rangers open their season as -120 favorites in a home matchup with the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at 7:35 PM ET, live on ESPN.Nathan Eovaldi will get the ball for Texas while Chicago will counter with Justin Steele.Rangers...

    Dejounte Murray Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Celtics – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    Will Dejounte Murray make four 3-pointers when the Atlanta Hawks face the Boston Celtics on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his prop for the game.Dejounte Murray's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the CelticsDejounte Murray's over/under for three-pointers...

    Bogdan Bogdanovic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Celtics – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, Bogdan Bogdanovic needs to make three from beyond the arc on Thursday, when his Atlanta Hawks meet the Boston Celtics on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET.Bogdan Bogdanovic's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the CelticsBogdan Bogdanovic's over/under...

    Jayson Tatum Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    At 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, it'll be the Boston Celtics versus the Atlanta Hawks, with Jayson Tatum needing three treys to beat his 3-pointer prop.Jayson Tatum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksJayson Tatum's over/under for three-pointers in this game:...

    Jaylen Brown Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Jaylen Brown must make three from beyond the arc on Thursday, when his Boston Celtics play the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET.Jaylen Brown's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksJaylen Brown's over/under for...

    Derrick White Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Derrick White needs to make three from beyond the arc on Thursday, when his Boston Celtics meet the Atlanta Hawks, starting at 7:30 PM ET.Derrick White's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksDerrick White's over/under for...

    BetMGM Promo Code Boosts Your First Bet Up to $1,500 for MLB, NCAA Tourney, and Beyond

    The 2024 baseball season is upon us! But before the first pitch is thrown, why not enhance your MLB betting experience with the BetMGM Promo Code welcome offer. With Opening Day right around the corner, baseball fans are eager to...

    WOW: Minnesota Timberwolves Sale to Alex Rodriguez Falls Through

    The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped a bomb on Thursday morning. According to a statement released by the Timberwolves and Lynx ownership group, the franchise is no longer for sale. A transition of power was thought to be in place over the...

    Los Angeles Chargers Offseason Preview: 2024 Free Agents and Team Needs

    The Los Angeles Chargers enter the offseason with a new era dawning. After a disappointing season, they landed a marquee hire in Jim Harbaugh, fresh off his national championship win with Michigan. Hailed as the top coaching prospect, Harbaugh brings a...

    more cubs news