NEWSLETTER
While the big league team was breaking out offensively, a couple of the Chicago Cubs’ top prospects were doing the same at AAA and AA.
Last night’s masher at AAA was, of course, Kris Bryant. Well, actually, a bunch of guy’s killed it, but Bryant hit his first homer of the year, and added a double, a single, and a walk. In one game, his numbers went from a jokey “oh, hey, see, he’s not ready for the big leagues” to a “oh, yeah, he embarrasses AAA pitching.”
The homer:
Silly left fielder. Did you really think you were going to get to that one?
Here’s another look at the shot, with the awesome in-person crowd reaction, which is just about my favorite thing to hear in these kinds of videos:
@KrisBryant_23 HR #1 of 2015 pic.twitter.com/BkgiLdw2ev
— Keating Elrod (@ZombieFerret77) April 12, 2015
At AA, Kyle Schwarber put up a 2-4 night with a homer of his own. This one looks like it would take the laces off the ball:
He obliterated that pitch. What else can you say? Let’s all dream for a moment about that guy making it to the big leagues late this year as a stretch-run reinforcement, because the Cubs are in the race, and then emerging as a part-time catcher in 2016, because his development there was crazy rapid. Ah. That dream feels like a marshmallow blanket.
Addison Russell had just one hit and a walk in that I-Cubs game, but he made the highlight play of the night when he did this:
That’s damn impressive. No, he didn’t get a ton on the throw – he didn’t have to – but he got to the ball and released it so quickly that he still got the out. I mean, he had to range *into the outfield* for that one, and even the runner – Cardinals’ Dean Anna – couldn’t believe he’d just been thrown out.
Maybe Russell eventually adds too much bulk/muscle to stay at shortstop, but, for now, dude is a pure shortstop.
