NEWSLETTER
Yesterday we took a look the Southern League All Stars featuring seven Tennessee Smokies (not to mention the Pitcher and Player of the Month for May), and today it is the Midwest League’s turn. Their list includes four Cubs, two pitchers and two hitters. Only two hitters. More on that in a bit.
Dylan Cease, assuming he is back on the mound by then (he’s currently on the DL with an ankle issue suffered when covering third base a few weeks back) will join May’s Pitcher of the Month Duncan Robinson in the East Division pitching corp.
In the lineup will be two infielders … and neither of them is Zack Short, which is surprising. Yeiler Peguero and Wladimir Galindo make up the Cubs’ contingent. Peguero is a 19-year-old switch-hitting middle infielder who is probably making the All Star team more for his glove than his bat. His OPS of .666 isn’t bad for a teenager in the Midwest, but it isn’t eye catching either.
Galindo, on the other hand, has a wRC+ of 126; this 20-year-old third baseman has anchored the Cubs’ lineup and is proving to be one of the more exciting young offensive prospects in the system.
The oddity here is that Zack Short has done a fine job playing shortstop for the Cubs and has better offensive stats than either of these guys. He leads the league in walks, is second in BB/K, 11th in wRC+ (highest on the Cubs), and is 13th in the league in steals. His batting average of .243 may not look impressive, but the rest of his resume is very solid. I thought he would be certain to make the All Star roster, but that’s not how things played out.
Triple A: Iowa Cubs
Iowa 5, Oklahoma City 4
A fifth inning insurance run proved key.
Iowa 4, Oklahoma City 0
This was the first shutout of the season for Kelly.
Double A: Tennessee Smokies
Tennessee 3, Birmingham 2
The Smokies got all their runs on just three hits.
Birmingham 3, Tennessee 1
Only three hits for the Smokies in this one as well.
High A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The (first place) Pelicans had the day off.
Low A: South Bend Cubs
Bowling Green 5, South Bend 4
The Cubs could not hold onto their early lead.
Other Notes
