Cubs Minor League Daily: Rademacher On A Rare Pace, Candelario Homers

tennessee smokies logoBijan Rademacher is on his way to joining a very short list of players. While his sample sizes are not yet significant, so I’m just talking about his pace, Rademacher is currently on pace to walk more than he strikes out and post an ISO over .200 this season. The list of players who have done that in the Double A Southern League in the past decade is not a long one (min 150 PA):

  • David Cook (2008)
  • Jason Heyward (2009, he was 19 that year)
  • Chris Heisey (2009, actually finished with the same number of each)
  • Robinson Chirinos (2010)
  • Austin Barnes (2014)
  • Cedric Hunter (2014)
  • Max Kepler (2015)
  • [adinserter block=”1″]With the exception of Cook, all of those players have reached the majors. Heyward, of course, is a star. Barnes and Kepler rank among the top ten prospects for their organizations. Chirinos is a former Cubs prospect who went to Tampa as part of the first Garza trade, and then established himself as a solid player with the Rangers.

    That’s not a bad list to join, and that Rademacher is on pace to join it is yet another indicator that we don’t want to over look this guy. I think he could be effective as a left-handed hitting fourth outfielder in the majors one day.

    Triple A: Iowa Cubs
    Completed from the previous day: Iowa 4, New Orleans 1
    Yesterday’s scheduled game: Iowa 5, New Orleans 0
    The below lines are just from regularly scheduled game.

  • Ryan Williams: 5 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 3 K
  • Armando Rivero: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
  • Carl Edwards Jr.: 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
  • John Andreoli: 2 for 2, SB
  • Albert Almora: 1 for 4, 2B
  • Willson Contreras: 2 for 4, SB
  • Kristopher Negron: 2 for 4, 2 2B
  • Double A: Tennessee Smokies
    Tennessee 5, Mobile 4
    Another strong start for Zastryzny. That’s a good sign for the Cubs pitching depth late this season and into next.

  • Rob Zastryzny: 6 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 6 K
  • Corey Black: 1 IP, 1 R, 3 H
  • Jacob Hannemann: 2 for 5, HR
  • Chesny Young: 2 for 4, 2B, BB
  • Jeimer Candelario: 1 for 3, HR, 2 BB
  • Billy McKinney: 2 for 5
  • Mark Zagunis: 1 for 3, 2B, BB
  • Taylor Davis: 3 for 5, 2B
  • Bijan Rademacher: 1 for 1, 2B. Even as a pinch hitter, he still gets his hits.[adinserter block=”2″]
  • High A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans
    Carolina 6, Myrtle Beach 3
    Rain cut this game short, but the Pelicans’ offense hadn’t done anything since the second inning anyway.

  • Erick Leal: 1.2 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 4 BB, 1 K
  • Tyler Ihrig: 4.2 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K
  • Gleyber Torres: 2 for 4
  • Ian Happ: 2 for 3, 2B, BB
  • Jeffrey Baez: 2 for 4, SB. His next steal is his tenth.
  • Low A: South Bend Cubs
    South Bend 7, Fort Wayne 6 in ten innings
    South Bend has been playing some good baseball lately.

  • Kyle Twomey: 5 IP, 6 R, 10 H, 6 K
  • Casey Bloomquist: 4 IP, 3 K
  • James Norwood: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
  • Carlos Sepulveda: 2 for 5
  • Donnie Dewees: 2 for 5
  • Eloy Jimenez: 1 for 3, BB[adinserter block=”3″]
  • Other Notes

  • Trey Martin, the center fielder who last season was the best defensive outfielder in the farm system not named Albert, has been activated from the disabled list and is back with Myrtle Beach. He is one more reason to watch Myrtle Beach when they are on MiLB.tv. I would grade his glove maybe a half a notch below Almora’s, but that still makes him one of the best you’re going to see in the minors this season.
  • Candelario’s homer was his first of the year at Tennessee after a slow start.
  • Paul Blackburn takes his 0.50 ERA to the mound for the Smokies tonight. Unfortunately Mobile is not hooked into the video service, so unless you’re in Alabama you won’t be able to watch one of the better early season stories in action.
  • written by

    Luke Blaize is the Minor League Editor at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @ltblaize.

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