Let me tell you, it’s been reaaaaaally hard to get back on the prospecting bandwagon this week after the whole Alexander Canario multiple serious injuries thing, the Brennen Davis possibly-a-setback thing, and then being reminded of Miguel Amaya’s foot injury. I like being happy about Cubs prospects, and it’s been, overall, a very happy year on that front. But man. That trio there just really, really bums me out. I just have to hope for good and strong recoveries, and that each can get in a decent season of development at Triple-A in 2023 (and maybe one of them even touches MLB).
But there are some prospecting items I wanted to share today, starting with a fun reunion:
Trey Lang, now 30, was the Cubs’ 6th round pick back in 2012, the first draft of the Epstein/Hoyer/McLeod era. He pitched in the system for a few years, but did not get past Low-A, and hung them up before the 2015 season. Now nearly eight years later, he’s trying his hand a comeback with the Cubs, having worked to get his pitch mix back to something looking pretty interesting:
Whatever happens in terms of Cubs-related impact, you just love seeing stories like that. The guy wants to give himself another chance, puts in the work, and now he’s back in the organization. And, hey, if the Cubs wind up with an interesting minor league arm out of the deal, all the better. Good luck to Trey Lang.
And now for a different kind of comeback. Lefty Drew Gray was the Cubs’ third round pick out of high school in 2021, and he was immediately getting a ton of helium from those who saw him throw at Instructs that fall (as in, the talk was that the Cubs had stolen him in the third round). But in the build up to spring 2022, his elbow popped. So he had Tommy John surgery, and has been rehabbing since.
Gray, 19, expects to see a big velocity bump next season after working this year on his overall physical health and mechanics (there’s a lot you can do even while rehabbing!). We might see him appear at Low-A Myrtle Beach at some point during the season, but obviously the Cubs are going to be very careful with his return. I think everyone knows the upside potential there is significant in the years ahead.
Fun for this weekend, with Matt Mervis doing some mashing in the AFL Home Run Derby:
Get strong, young man:
If you missed Bryan’s in-person notes from Arizona this weekend:
NEWSLETTER
