Despite the Cubs lack of catching talent generally, they have gotten some nice performances from behind the plate this season. Rafael Lopez was the guy with the brightest future in the upper minors, and last night he apparently left Tennessee for his first Iowa call up (Tennessee manager Buddy Bailey confirmed via Smokies on the Radio). Lopez does well behind the plate as well as at the plate, so his promotion is both deserved and welcome. It keeps him on track for a possible major league future as a backup one day.
But Lopez isn’t the only catcher playing well this season. The Incredible Hitting Catchers of Kane County, a troupe consisting of Ben Carhart, Will Remillard, and Cael Brockmeyer, have provided most of the offensive muscle for the Cougars all season. Like Lopez they have all drawn plenty of praise in the Daily this spring.
One guy I have left lacking in accolades is minor league veteran catcher Charles Cutler. Cutler, who turns 28 in July, is in his fifth straight Double A season. So far it has been a very good season. Cutler’s season line reads .316/.422/.421 with walk rate of 12% and a strikeout rate of 12% over 117 trips to the plate. This left hander has primarily served as the backup to Lopez for the Smokies this season, and in that role he has fared quite well.
He is not a guy we should be adding to top prospect lists or should be monitoring as a major league candidate (though that OBP makes me think he could have a future as a backup if his glove is good enough to warrant that), but he still deserves a lot of credit as a key cog in the Smokies lineup.
Cutler hit cleanup behind Bryant last night, and finished with two more hits. All in all, pretty nice for a guy the Cubs grabbed in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft.
Scores From Yesterday
Iowa – One run did not cut it as the Cubs lost 4-1.
Tennessee – A late rally closed the gap, but the Smokies were too far behind when it began. The final was 10-5.
Daytona – Three runs proved to be enough in this 3-1 Daytona win.
Kane County – Unearned runs allowed in the fifth cost the Cougars in this 5-3 loss.
Performances of Note
Other News