Chicago Cubs Prospect Bullets: McNutt, Jackson, Simpson, Vitters, Whitenack, Szczur

How about a bullets post on some of the top prospects in the Chicago Cubs’ system? If the big league team isn’t keeping you excited (and it’s not), at least there are some reasons to be excited when looking around the farm.

  • Top pitching prospect Trey McNutt has shaken off some early blister issues and is putting together another dominant season. He’s got a 2.34 ERA and a 1.183 WHIP in 32.2 innings. He’s only struck out 22, which is quite a ways off from his career K/9 number, but the Ks have been increasing as his blister problem subsides. Cubs catcher Geovany Soto recently got a look at McNutt while rehabbing in Tennessee and said, “[McNutt] was throwing the ball really good, hitting his spots really good. I have a feeling he’s pretty close, he’s gonna be [in the big leagues] soon.”
  • Top positional prospect Brett Jackson finally returned to action yesterday at AA after missing almost three weeks with a jacked-up pinky, which is a relief. He went 0-4 with three Ks, though, so that part kind of sucked.
  • The Cubs’ number one pick last year, pitcher Hayden Simpson, has had a tough start to his professional career. He missed all post-Draft baseball last year with mono, and he hasn’t looked particularly good this year for A-ball Peoria, with reports that his velocity is five or more MPH short of the alleged mid-90s he sported when the Cubs drafted him. More concerning? Farm director Oneri Fleita has ordered that radar guns be removed from the ballparks when Simpson starts.
  • Another former first round pick, AA Tennessee infielder Josh Vitters has had a poor 2011 season (OPS is just .713), but seems to have been snakebitten by some bad BABIP luck. He’s not striking out, which is a good start. And Fleita is optimistic. “[Vitters is] another guy at times who has gotten himself out [on pitches]out of the strike zone. He gets himself out. But the series I saw at Chattanooga, he made them throw him strikes. He hit the ball to right field. When he does that, he’s a tough out.” He’s still just 21, folks.
  • Pitching prospect Robert Whitenack, who came out of nowhere to tear up High A and AA early this season (reportedly, he’s added a few MPH to his fastball and some crispness to his breaking stuff), was placed on the disabled list with the dreaded “strained elbow.” He hasn’t been sent to Chicago for more evaluation, though, so it may not be as serious as it sounds.
  • Matt Szczur, whom the Cubs paid big bucks to sign away from a professional football career in the offseason, is starting to pick up a lot of buzz in scouting communities. A fast, athletic outfielder, Szczur has a .343/.409/.460 line at Peoria with 13 steals against just one caught stealing.
  • 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

    Brewers Pitcher Jakob Junis Taken Off Field in an Ambulance After Being Struck by BP Ball

    A very scary scene in Pittsburgh, where Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jakob Junis, currently on the IL with a shoulder impingement, took a batting practice ball off the neck and went down. Junis was apparently on the ground for a long...

    Nico Hoerner is Back to Being Nico Hoerner

    On April 9, I took an early look at Nico Hoerner's apparently evolving approach at the plate, which featured a lot more patience and a lot more big hacks. Effectively, it seemed like he was trying for a little more...

    MLBits: Spencer Strider Speaks (His and Other Pitcher Arm Injuries), Shohei Ohtani’s Latest Milestone, More

    There's been much debate about pitcher arm injuries lately, much of it sparked by Spencer Strider's season-ending Tommy John surgery, and Strider spoke to the media for the first time since the injury on Friday. Spencer Strider on pitcher arm...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Lefty Pitching Prospect Mitchell Tyranski

    A new signing popped up on the Chicago Cubs' transaction log: lefty Mitchell Tyranski. Tyranski, 26, put up a 3.83 ERA over 42.1 innings at High-A last year in the Dodgers organization, striking out 47 and walking 21. Were you...

    The Cubs Have TWO of the Early Front-Runners for NL Rookie of the Year

    We already dove deep into Shota Imanaga's latest impressive start against the Marlins yesterday. And there's been no shortage of love for Michael Busch this season either. But I do want to take this time to illustrate just how good...

    My Expectations and Realistic Hope for the Cubs VERY Tough Upcoming Schedule

    Even though Sunday ended in a loss for the Chicago Cubs, we did get some good news in the form of positive injury updates. Ian Happ (hamstring) was available off the bench and could be good to go tomorrow, when...

    Aaron Boone Just Got Ejected Despite Saying Literally Nothing

    I know that sometimes there is a history between an umpire and a manager. I know that sometimes a manager can subtly get under the skin of an umpire without doing much that we can see or hear. And I...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 22, 2024: Weekend Wrap

    Let's get caught up on all of the action down on the farm in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report | April 22, 2024 Triple-A Iowa Cubs (13-8) The Cubs were swept in a doubleheader by the Louisville Bats...

    Looking at the Positives, Bellinger and Morel Streaking (in Opposite Directions), and Other Cubs Bullets

    What started as a small convo for the bullets ballooned into a deeper dive on Kyle Hendricks, what's going wrong, and where the Cubs go from here. So if you're looking for the Hendricks discussion, that was earlier today. Despite...

    Latest 2024 MLB Mock Draft Lands the Cubs a Top Prospect Out of Wake Forest

    Baseball America today released its updated (version 2.0) 2024 MLB mock draft. With more of the amateur season taking place, we are starting to see more of the top tier become firmly crystalized with eight names, none of whom are...

    Latest News

    Stars vs. Golden Knights NHL Playoffs First Round Game 2 Prediction: Picks, Live Odds and Moneyline – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The sportsbooks prefer the Dallas Stars at home (-155) over the Vegas Golden Knights (+130) when they face off on Wednesday, April 24 at 9:30 PM ET.Stars vs. Golden Knights Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Stars (-155)Underdog: Golden Knights (+130)Total: 5.5Best Stars...

    Oilers vs. Kings NHL Playoffs First Round Game 2 Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Edmonton Oilers are -180 on the moneyline versus the Los Angeles Kings (+150) on Wednesday, with this matchup being played at Rogers Place in Edmonton.Oilers vs. Kings Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Oilers (-180)Underdog: Kings (+150)Total: 6Best Oilers vs. Kings Promo...

    76ers vs. Knicks Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Philadelphia 76ers are 4-point favorites in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, beginning at 7:30 PM ET on TNT. The Knicks lead the series...

    Magic vs. Cavaliers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Orlando Magic are slight 1-point favorites heading into Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Amway Center on Thursday, tipping off at 7:00 PM ET on NBA. The Cavaliers lead the...

    Bucks vs. Pacers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 2 – Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    The Indiana Pacers are slight 1-point underdogs in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Tuesday, beginning at 8:30 PM ET on NBA. The Bucks are ahead 1-0 in...

    Timberwolves vs. Suns Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 2 – Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    The Minnesota Timberwolves are slight 3-point favorites in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns at Target Center on Tuesday, starting at 7:30 PM ET on TNT. The Timberwolves hold a 1-0 series...

    Mavericks vs. Clippers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 2 – Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    The Los Angeles Clippers bring a 0-1 series record into Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. The Mavericks are favored by 2.5 points in the matchup, which airs on TNT at 10:00 PM ET. The point...

    How to Watch Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks: Live Stream or on TV

    Nolan Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals (10-13) host Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks (11-13) on Tuesday, with first pitch at 7:45 PM ET.Keep reading to find out all the details on how to watch St. Louis square off...

    Hurricanes vs. Islanders NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 Prediction: Picks, Live Odds and Moneyline – Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Carolina Hurricanes are solid favorites (-162) playing at the New York Islanders (+136) on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET.Hurricanes vs. Islanders Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Hurricanes (-162)Underdog: Islanders (+136)Total: 5.5Best Hurricanes vs. Islanders Promo Codes[lasso type="table" id="1"]How to Watch Hurricanes...

    Maple Leafs vs. Bruins NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Toronto Maple Leafs meet the Boston Bruins on April 24 at 7:00 PM ET, and are -112 on the moneyline, with the latter at -108.Maple Leafs vs. Bruins Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Maple Leafs (-112)Underdog: Bruins (-108)Total: 5.5Best Maple Leafs...

    more cubs news