Cubs Prospect Notes: Murray, Franklin, Horton, Sanchez, Casey, Alcántara, More

I am getting so itchy for the minor league season. I mean, the big league season, too, obviously. But I love me some Cubs prospects …

  • I also lovvvve hearing from Cubs farm director Jared Banner about who HE sees as an underrated prospect in the Cubs’ system. He offered up two names: infielder B.J. Murray and righty Kohl Franklin. From Marquee:
  • “[Murray] controls the strike zone really well,” Banner told Cole Wright and Jim Deshaies on Marquee Sports Network. “That’s what hitting’s all about — it’s knowing when to swing the bat and when not to. He does a great job of that. It tends to be predictive of future success. So I’m really excited about his season coming up.” …

    “Missed a couple seasons due to COVID and injuries but is back now,” Banner said of Franklin. “Had some ups and downs this past year but now that he’s fully healthy and has a season of pitching under his belt, I think it might be time that he can really take off.”

  • Murray, who got a little time in the AFL straight from High-A, was the Cubs’ 15th rounder in 2021, and raked his way out of Low-A after just 39 games. He took about 10 days to adjust to the promotion, but look at what he did the rest of the way at High-A: .306 .408 .452/144 wRC+. You’ll want to see more power going forward from the switch-hitter in order to keep pitchers and defenses honest, but like Banner said, Murray knows the strike zone. He’s now 23, so you would tentatively expect him to get the bump to Double-A to open the season, though he has only 93 total pro games under his belt so far. It would be a pretty aggressive promotion schedule (and would say a lot about his potential big league future).
  • Franklin, an over-slot high school signing in the 2018 draft, really had some bad luck with the timing of injuries and the pandemic. We just haven’t had much of a chance to see him work, and this past season, when he finally got in a full year, it seemed like he wasn’t ready yet to command his new-found monster stuff. I love that Banner picked him among the pitchers as underrated, because that means the Cubs still see that big-time upside. Franklin has the stuff, the velo, and the body that you look for in a front-of-the-rotation arm, but we’ll need to see him translate it to some results this year (while holding the stuff and mechanics deeper into outings), probably at Double-A Tennessee. Because of the raw ingredients and the makeup, he’s the kind of guy you could see exploding this year and then national folks are like, “Wha? how did this guy put up a 6.88 ERA in High-A last season?”
  • Cade Horton getting in some bullpen work out in Arizona:
  • Now, then, I don’t want to do TOO much (if any) extrapolating from bullpen pairings at Spring Training, because it doesn’t necessarily mean anything. But Ethan Hearn, who is one of the Cubs’ best working-with-pitchers catchers is most likely slated to open the year at High-A South Bend. Any chance we see that as Horton’s initial pro assignment, too?
  • On the one hand, a college first round starter opening professionally at High-A is not all that crazy anymore. On the other hand, Horton BARELY pitched in college because of the pandemic and the timing of his Tommy John surgery. It would therefore also not be crazy for him to start out in extended Spring Training, and then open his pro career at Low-A Myrtle Beach. Then again, the dude was obviously dominating by the time the College World Series rolled around, so there’s no reason to assume he couldn’t be ready for High-A right away. That’d be my guess as we sit here today.
  • Jim Callis has been big on Horton since the run-up to the draft, so it’s not a huge surprise – though a very welcome nod – that he picked Horton as his biggest pick to jump onto the top 100 soon after the season starts:
  • The Cubs would have a lot of guys in the 101 to 150 range if Keith Law ranked that far, so he said in a Q&A.
  • Fun thread of clips on catching prospect Adan Sanchez, whom we were talking up in the last set of notes (there are many more clips in the thread on Twitter):
  • Good to see both of these guys back to doing their thing:
  • Casey, the Cubs’ 9th rounder in 2018, was dommmmminating at High-A in 2021 when he went down with the elbow injury. Because of the long recovery, though, he is now almost 27 and hasn’t pitched yet at Double-A. It’ll be interesting to see what the plan is for him this year – if he’s got the same stuff he had pre-injury, you wonder if the Cubs will move him to the bullpen to try to accelerate him to the big leagues.
  • I love this guy’s attitude and energy, and I also love that he’s focused this offseason on putting on good weight:
  • If you missed it, the Cubs have the 11th best farm system, according to Kiley McDaniel.
  • 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

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Washington State vs. Illinois Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Two hot teams meet when the Washington State Cougars (21-14) host the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-15) on April 1, 2024. The Cougars will put their three-game win streak on the line against the Fighting Illini, who have won three straight.On...

    Villanova vs. Penn State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Villanova Wildcats (21-12) will try to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Penn State Lady Lions (22-12) on April 1, 2024. The Lady Lions have also won three games in a row.In its previous game, Villanova...

    Brewers vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Milwaukee Brewers are moneyline favorites (-110) to begin their season with a road win over the New York Mets on Friday at 1:40 PM ET, live on SNY.Freddy Peralta takes the mound for Milwaukee while Jose Quintana is New...

    Braves vs. Phillies Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) host the Atlanta Braves (0-0) in an Opening Day game at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.The Braves will look to Spencer Strider against the Phillies and Zack Wheeler.Braves vs. Phillies Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen: Friday,...

    Suns vs. Thunder Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The game starts at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The matchup's point total is...

    Brewers vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) begin their 2024 season with a road matchup against the New York Mets (0-0) on Friday, with first pitch at 1:40 PM ET.The Brewers will give the nod to Freddy Peralta versus the Mets and Jose...

    Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

    Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

    Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

    Bulls vs. Nets Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Chicago Bulls (35-38) hit the court against the Brooklyn Nets (28-45) as 5.5-point favorites on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup has an over/under set at 214.5 points.Before you place an informed wager...

    more cubs news