Cubs Prospect Notes: Who’s Most Ready, State of the Pitchers, Jimenez, PCL Travels, More

One of the constants during the Cubs’ Theo Epstein-Jed Hoyer-Jason McLeod regime has been the flow of elite level prospects performing under the watchful eye of Spring Training on-lookers.

And while much of that talent is now on the big league roster – having just contributed to the 2016 World Series championship club – the waves of talent continue to descend upon Sloan Park.

Here is the latest …

  • What’s next for the Cubs always seems to be a focal point in Spring Training. But after winning a World Series, perspectives can change. Over at The Athletic, Sahadev Sharma identifies a handful of Cubs prospects who will contribute to the Cubs in one way or another – whether it’s on the field or in a trade. There are four hitters (Jeimer Candelario, Ian Happ, Mark Zagunis, Eloy Jimenez) and three pitchers (Duane Underwood, Dylan Cease, Trevor Clifton) to keep an eye on this spring. You’re likely familiar with these names in one way or another and should probably continue to track their progress as the season progresses.
  • [adinserter block=”1″]

  • Candelario and Zagunis are sleepers because they don’t necessarily have the high profiles Happ and Jimenez own, but both have particular skills at the plate that could make them valuable secondary pieces in a trade or help in a pinch at the big league level. Clifton is the kind of pitcher who has continued to work his way up the chain as a late bloomer, who could possibly slot into the Cubs’ rotation one day.
  • Over at CSN Chicago, Patrick Mooney writes that there is a buzz building around outfielder Eloy Jimenez as the next big thing. Part of the international free agent signing haul in 2013 that also netted Gleyber Torres, Jimenez hit .329 with a .901 OPS in 464 PA at South Bend in his age 19 season. Mooney talked to McLeod in the piece, who said his swing reminded him of Kris Bryant’s when he was a freshman at San Diego. High praise, though remember: Jimenez is just 19 years old, making him about the age of a college freshman.
  • And yet, Jimenez isn’t the only prospect worth watching this spring, as once again the Cubs will look and see what they have developing with regards to pitching. The Cubs may have won the World Series last season, but the drive for sustained success could stall if the pitching doesn’t eventually catch up to the hitting. Keeping with CSN, Mooney takes a look at the state of the Cubs’ farm with a focus on pitching. Mooney notes that none of the Cubs’ top four pitching prospects per Baseball America have pitched above Double-A. It’s not as if the Cubs haven’t tried (they have drafted 107 pitchers since 2012) and it’s not as if there isn’t talent (Dylan Cease is a top-100 talent, Duane Underwood also was not too long ago) but the lack of Major League ready (or even upper-Minor League) pitchers underlines the difficulty in finding solutions to the Cubs’ pitching questions after 2017.
  • [adinserter block=”2″]

  • With that being said, Rian Watt of The Athletic writes that the Cubs are widening their scope to pluck pitchers at all levels. Their recent additions of Alec Mills from Kansas City and Eddie Butler from Colorado are just the latest examples of players who could contribute after starting the season in the Minors. Watt talks to Matt Dorey, the team’s director of amateur scouting, who says another pitching-heavy draft is upcoming for an organization that stresses two words: Find Pitching. If the organization continues to add pitching at each level, eventually some quality arms will develop and rise to the top, right? RIGHT?! Right.
  • Using FanGraphs’ Steamer600 projections as a guide, Sam Dykstra writes about the prospects most ready to contribute in the NL Central in 2017. And for the second straight season, Pirates right-handed pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow appears to be on the brink of being a difference-maker in Pittsburgh. It isn’t just the 3.1 WAR projection, but the 222 strikeouts in the allotted 200 innings that would rank ninth among Major League pitchers that is eye-opening. That would beat out projections for Madison Bumgarner and Chris Sale, among others.
  • As for the Cubs, Albert Almora Jr. (who retains prospect status for another 18 MLB at-bats) is listed as the Cubs’ “most ready” prospect, but only projects to a 0.7 WAR in 600 PA. There are three minor league Cubs ahead of him on the list with outfielder Mark Zagunis (1.1), catcher Victor Caratini (1.1) and infielder Jeimer Candelario (0.9) projecting to have a higher WAR than Almora Jr. However, the Wild Card here (as listed by Dykstra) is Ryan Williams – who was the Cubs (and MLB Pipeline’s) Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2015. Dykstra writes that Williams is a strike thrower who limits walks despite a fastball being his only plus pitch. Williams has a Spring Training invite and will be worth watching this spring.
  • [adinserter block=”3″]

  • The Iowa Cubs start the home portion of the Triple-A season on April 11, after a five-game road trip in Oklahoma City to start the year. It will be the first of many road trips the I-Cubs embark on in 2017, as is the custom of the Pacific Coast League, which extends as far north as Tacoma, Wash., as far south as El Paso, Texas, and as far east as Nashville, Tennessee. There isn’t a league that covers more ground than the PCL.
  • And to that end, Benjamin Hill writes that the miles add up for these players, whose teams undergo quite a juggling act when it comes to travel issues. Among the biggest issue, a lack of off-days compared to their Major League counterparts. For example, the Reno Aces have just five off days – not including the All-Star break – to break up their 144-game schedule. Comparatively, the I-Cubs have eight, which isn’t much better.
  • [adinserter block=”5″]

    written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

    more cubs news

    South Side Horror Show (and Campfire Milkshakes), Alzolay and Evolving Relief Roles, and Other Cubs Bullets

    It's going to be a really good year for Horror movies. Late Night with the Devil was good (just saw it the other night). And I've got my eyes on Long Legs, Cuckoo, The First Omen, Immaculate, MaXXXine, In a...

    Two NL Central Pitchers Down: Miley and Montas

    A couple injuries to note among other NL Central contenders, as each of the Brewers and Reds have taken a hit to their rotation. The presumption for now is short-term on each, but I suppose we'll see. First, you have...

    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...

    Latest News

    Philadelphia Eagles 1st Round Mock Draft: Bolstering the Secondary with Strong Cornerback Talent

    The Philadelphia Eagles hold the 22nd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. This Philadelphia Eagles 1st round mock draft has them selecting a position of need instead of adding to a strength. With needs on both sides of the ball,...

    Tennessee Titans Draft Picks: Full List of NFL Draft Selections

    The 2024 NFL Draft will bring plenty of drama as teams like the Tennessee Titans hope to score a future star in the first round. Check out the Titans list of draft picks for 2024. Tennessee Titans 2024 NFL Draft...

    Red Sox vs. Guardians Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    Only one streak will continue when the Boston Red Sox (13-10) (three-game win streak) and the Cleveland Guardians (16-6) (four-game win streak) meet on Tuesday at 6:10 PM ET. The Red Sox have been set as -112 favorites by bookmakers...

    Dodgers vs. Nationals Probable Starting Pitchers – April 23

    The Washington Nationals (10-11) start a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers (13-11) on Tuesday at Nationals Park. First pitch is at 6:45 PM.The Dodgers will look to James Paxton (2-0) against the Nationals and Patrick Corbin (0-3).Dodgers vs....

    Phillies vs. Reds Probable Starting Pitchers – April 23

    The Philadelphia Phillies (15-8) have an opportunity to add to their seven-game winning streak as they visit the Cincinnati Reds (12-10) at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday at 6:40 PM ET.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Phillies...

    Braves vs. Marlins Probable Starting Pitchers – April 23

    The Atlanta Braves (15-6) play at home against the Miami Marlins (6-18) on Tuesday. The matchup is set to start at 7:20 PM ET.The Braves will call on Max Fried (1-0) versus the Marlins and Trevor Rogers (0-2).Braves vs. Marlins...

    Brewers vs. Pirates Probable Starting Pitchers – April 23

    The Milwaukee Brewers (14-7) visit the Pittsburgh Pirates (12-11). The game at PNC Park begins at 6:40 PM ET on Tuesday.The Brewers will give the nod to Wade Miley (0-1) against the Pirates and Bailey Falter (1-1).Brewers vs. Pirates Pitcher...

    Rays vs. Tigers Probable Starting Pitchers – April 23

    The Tampa Bay Rays (12-12) and the Detroit Tigers (13-10) face off in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. First pitch is at 6:50 PM ET at Tropicana Field.The probable starters are Ryan Pepiot (2-2) for the Rays and Kenta Maeda (0-1)...

    Yankees vs. Athletics Probable Starting Pitchers – April 23

    The New York Yankees (15-8) face the Oakland Athletics (9-14) at home at 7:05 PM ET on Tuesday.The Yankees will give the nod to Marcus Stroman (1-1, 2.42 ERA), who is eyeing win No. 2 on the season, and the...

    WATCH: Hurricanes Provide Latest Example That Playoff Hockey Is Just The Greatest

    12 hours later and I'm still scrolling the internet watching replays of Jordan Martinook's game-winner for the Hurricanes last night. The Hurricanes and Islanders game was just another example of why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are so damn awesome. In...

    more cubs news