Getting to Know C.J. Edwards and Other Bullets

cj edwardsThe Wife and The Kids are getting ready to depart for a short get-away-from-Brett-during-the-Blogathon vacation. A very generous assist – and thanks to The Grandparents for taking them on.

  • As Luke noted this morning in the Minor League Daily, new Cubs pitching prospect C.J. Edwards had himself a debut. Pitching for the first time with the Cubs since he was traded in the Matt Garza deal – and pitching for the first time at High-A – Edwards struck out the first seven batters he faced. He wound up giving up just one hit and one walk over five scoreless innings, striking out eight. Better? He worked most of his magic early off of his fastball alone. If you can see that kind of success with fastball velocity, placement, and movement, you can be a stud, because your other pitches need only be so-so. You never want to let one start tell you too much about a 21-year-old, but when it’s built upon the back of a stellar first half of the season in the Rangers’ organization, my optimism for Edwards is rocketing upward. He could probably stand to gain about 10 to 15 pounds of muscle, but we’ll get there. More on Edwards from MiLB.com here.
  • … and then FanGraphs does a good job of grounding you a little bit on Edwards. Though even that piece is positive, overall. If you wanted to argue that Edwards is the Cubs’ best pitching prospect right now, I wouldn’t think you a total idiot.
  • If you were betting on MLB right now, the NL Central is looking more and more like a safe bet to send three teams to the playoffs. The Diamondbacks are 4.5 games behind the Reds for the second Wild Card, but 2.5 back in the NL West. That figures to be a nice fight, but I don’t see the loser overtaking the Reds or Pirates for a Wild Card spot – and I don’t see either the Reds or Pirates overtaking the Cardinals in the Central. Voodoo magic.
  • A little more background on new Cubs pitching prospect Corey Black, the 21-year-old righty who’ll join Edwards at High-A Daytona. He’ll make his debut there on Thursday.
  • Speaking of Black, Yankees GM Brian Cashman apparently was quite opposed to giving him up in the Alfonso Soriano deal (that tends to be a good sign). We discussed Cashman’s opposition to the Soriano deal this weekend, but he addressed those rumors publicly (see ESPN), saying that it wasn’t that he didn’t want Soriano. He simply thought the Yankees could have gotten a better deal if they’d held out a little longer, despite ownership’s insistence that a deal was needed ASAP. After yesterday’s win, which featured four hits by Soriano, including a homer and the walk-off single, maybe he’s glad the Yankees pulled the trigger when they did.
  • Chris Rusin got a little advice from Greg Maddux when he was a younger pitcher in High-A ball back in 2010.
  • Scott Baker’s next rehab start will come today at Daytona.
  • In case you missed anything from a fairly busy weekend: the Cubs aren’t getting Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez (here), there was a Lukewarm Stove (here), there was more on the Alfonso Soriano deal and prospect Corey Black (here), there was a Jeff Samardzija rumor floating around (here), Luke dug into what’s left to watch in the minor league seasons (here), and there is a new top prospect list out (here).
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Cubs Farm Report | May 16, 2024: Brennan Davis Goes Yard in Iowa Loss

    Brennan Davis' fifth home run of the season was not enough for the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday as they fell to the Syracuse Mets in a rain-shortened affair. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    Javier Assad is the Definition of Pitchability

    Like his rotation-mate Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad has reached the point where, after every single start, you want to say the same thing: wow, that was awesome, this guy is good. It gets a little stale, in an extremely desirable...

    Joe Buck is Returning to the Booth to Call a Cubs-Cardinals Game

    I know that Joe Buck is a polarizing broadcaster. Some people love him. Some people hate him. I also know that he seems to have gone through phases in his career where there were stretches I thought he was mutably...

    Pete Crow-Armstrong Put on a Show, and Continues to Make a Strong Case for Continued Playing Time

    Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show last night, which I mean in the most literal sense. It was more like a performance than a baseball game. Bases-loaded HBP while showing bunt? OK, sure. Running easily to first on a dropped...

    Northwestern Returns to Wrigley Field TWICE This Fall

    Northwestern will be making a return to Wrigley Field not just once this season, but twice! Due to the construction of their brand new football stadium, the Cats will be playing five of their seven home games at its temporary...

    Impressive Fill-In Guys, Bullpen Health, Roberts, Javy, and Other Cubs Bullets

    The Cubs come back home from the Pittsburgh-Atlanta road trip having split it 3-3, and I gotta say, that's a pretty solid outcome when (1) you're facing Jones and Skenes, (2) you're playing three in Atlanta where they'd lost just...

    Brennen Davis Homered Again, Back-to-Back with B.J. Murray Jr. (Whom We Should Discuss)

    Just about as soon as I could talk about how Brennen Davis had homered for the third time in four games, he homered AGAIN, making it four times in five games. And this time, just for fun, B.J. Murray Jr....

    Wake Up and Watch the Cubs Beat the Braves to Salvage the Series

    The Chicago Cubs' bats finally came alive last night in Atlanta, albeit with a little bit of help from Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton. On the other side, Javier Assad was brilliant once again. Good win. Needed win. Enjoy the...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 7, Braves 1 – May 15, 2024

    The Cubs took the lead on the very first pitch of the game and didn't look back. They needed that. I needed that. Offense up and down the lineup. Two extra-base hits for Seiya Suzuki. Three times on base for...

    Curt Casali Has Opted Out of His Cubs Deal and is Already Starting Tonight for the Giants

    There's fast, and then there's Curt Casali fast. Er, well, not his basepath speed, but the speed with which he went from catching at Triple-A Iowa for the Cubs to starting behind the plate tonight for the Giants in San...

    Latest News

    Dodgers vs. Reds Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, May 16, 2024

    The Los Angeles Dodgers (29-16) are set to take on the Cincinnati Reds (18-25) Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, airing on SportsNet LA. The Dodgers are listed as -329 favorites by bookmakers, while the underdog Reds have +269 odds for...

    Anthony Edwards Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Anthony Edwards must make three from beyond the arc on Thursday, when his Minnesota Timberwolves meet the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, tipping off at 8:30 PM...

    Nikola Jokic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Timberwolves – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    At 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Nikola Jokic needing two treys to beat his 3-pointer prop.Nikola Jokic's Three-Pointer Prop...

    Michael Porter Jr. Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Timberwolves – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Michael Porter Jr. needs to make three from downtown on Thursday, when his Denver Nuggets meet the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, beginning at 8:30 PM ET.Michael...

    Jamal Murray Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Timberwolves – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    The Denver Nuggets meet the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this matchup requires two triples from Jamal Murray.Jamal...

    Karl-Anthony Towns Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – Conference Semifinals Game 6, Thursday, May 16, 2024

    At 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets, with Karl-Anthony Towns needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Karl-Anthony Towns' Three-Pointer Prop...

    Top Player Prop Bets for Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Western Conference Semifinals Game 6 on May 16, 2024

    Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards are among the players with prop bets available when the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves meet at Target Center on Thursday (tipping at 8:30 PM ET).How to Watch Timberwolves vs. NuggetsDate: Thursday, May 16,...

    Second Round Tee Times for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club

    Redefine the way you bet live with Rithmm AI Caddie. Dive into a new era of live betting, where every hole and every golfer is an opportunity, thanks to our AI's 1,000 simulations per hole. Discover a smarter path to...

    Dodgers vs. Reds Probable Starting Pitchers – May 16

    The Cincinnati Reds (18-25) kick off a four-game series on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers (29-16). The contest starts at 10:10 PM ET at Dodger Stadium.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Dodgers will send Tyler Glasnow (6-1)...

    Cubs Farm Report | May 16, 2024: Brennan Davis Goes Yard in Iowa Loss

    Brennan Davis' fifth home run of the season was not enough for the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday as they fell to the Syracuse Mets in a rain-shortened affair. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    more cubs news