World Baseball Classic Getting Awesome, Stroman’s Start, Mancini’s Clever Move, Relief Prospect Factory, and Other Cubs Bullets

Mar 12, 2023

Woke up this morning to the time changed and snow on the ground. It was very disorienting.

The World Baseball Classic is in full swing now, and the biggest Cubs-related connection yesterday was Marcus Stroman starting Puerto Rico’s opener. Stroman threw 4.2 innings, allowing just two hits (one homer), no walks, and struck out two. He threw 65 pitches, which kinda feels like a lot for March 11, so hey, take it easy Team Puerto Rico manager (it’s Yadi Molina). Then again, Stroman has said before that he feels really good when he’s throwing a lot in March, so maybe it’ll work out all right for him to really hit the ground running come Opening Day. He is in great physical shape, so you might have a little less concern about him wearing down later in the year.

Team USA defeated King George III and the British Empire 6-2 in their opening game of the World Baseball Classic. Kyle Schwarber delivered the big blow, as he always does in these kinds of games it seems. It was a prodigious three-run blast, flying out of the stadium to a badass guitar riff on eagle’s wings:

Kyle Schwarber has homered in the:
✅ World Series
✅ AL Championship Series
✅ NL Championship Series
✅ AL Division Series
✅ NL Division Series
✅ AL Wild Card Game
✅ NL Wild Card Game
✅ World Baseball Classic

It's insane.pic.twitter.com/FWktXZkDxW— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 12, 2023

The full highlights from USA-Britain:

It was definitely a fun event, and exactly what I was looking for from the return of the WBC … except that game kinda got outclassed by the game before it, with Team Venezuela shocking the Super-Duper All-Star Team Dominican Republic. It was intense and thrilling and had that over-the-top sense of excitement:

Turn your sound on. Close your eyes. And just listen. It's beautiful. pic.twitter.com/YZQrU5X5ck
— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) March 12, 2023

HE STRUCK HIM OUT 🔥

José Quijada is HYPED 🇻🇪 pic.twitter.com/sJRrpgR39F
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 12, 2023

BALLGAME!

José Alvarado shuts the door and Venezuela begins the #WorldBaseballClassic 1-0! pic.twitter.com/zRTw9VK7Ki
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 12, 2023

Meanwhile, as I type this, Team Italy is beating Team Netherlands in Pool A, which may seem a random thing to be noting. But if Italy does win, that means all five teams (those two plus Cuba, Chinese-Taipei, and Panama) in the pool finish 2-2, and tiebreakers will have to decide which two teams move on. The tiebreakers get increasingly complex, but if none of them “work,” then it’s just a straight up lottery. The crazy thing? The team that finishes in “fifth place” in the pool gets relegated for the next WBC, and has to play in a qualifier tournament to qualify. That would suck if you landed in that spot just by random draw.

Last WBC bit for now, if you wanted the highlights of Team Puerto Rico winning its opener against Nicaragua:

Sneaky, sneaky, Mr. Mancini. Genius move:

ahahahahaha pic.twitter.com/VEvxVEgnCi
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 11, 2023

The interference rules for baserunners are notoriously laborious, but in this instance, my understanding is that what Mancini did was right on the border of being legal. Forget the “three foot” thing, because that has to do with avoiding a tag. Here, a baserunner is allowed to alter his path to the base as much as he wants … until the defender has the ball and is attempting to make a throw. What you CAN’T do at that point is intentionally interfere with the throw – yes, it’s an umpire judgment call. Here, it’s kinda close, because Mancini was clearly (smartly!) trying to get himself in the way of the throw BEFORE the defender had the ball. But he’s still veering a bit by the time the first baseman is trying to set up his throw, and Mancini pretty clearly impacts the throw. Gut says that if the umpire had called intentional interference, I would’ve said, OK, I guess I can see it. But no call, to me, also looks to be acceptable. I think it’s worth giving it a try, as Mancini did.

As Bryan notes, Cubs relief prospect Cam Sanders looked dominant yesterday, as he’s often looked this spring:

What a loud Spring this has been for Cam Sanders. That ninth was against three left-handed hitters, and he strikes them all out. I love the frontdoor slider he’s been showing vsLHH, and how about shaking off on the last pitch (full count) to go changeup and executing perfectly.— Cubs Prospects – Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) March 11, 2023

Cam Sanders took care of business in the 9th inning today vs. the Dodgers. Here are his last two strikeouts to finish the game. Some of his pitches hit 99mph 🔥#Cubs #NextStartsHere | @WatchMarquee pic.twitter.com/NShVKnEVPJ— Scott Changnon (@ScottyChags) March 12, 2023

I don’t know that Sanders will make the Opening Day bullpen, but the fact that it’s a reasonable conversation right now, given how crowded the mix is, and given that he was only just converted to relief late last year at Triple-A, says a lot about how impressive he is. Time to start doing the mental math on the 40-man roster, because Sanders will need a spot sometime this year when he first comes up. In the meantime, I figure the Cubs will want to see him continue to show success against lefties (that changeup will help big-time), and manage the control. As a reliever last year, his strikeout rate was solid, though not overwhelming (28.1%), and his walk rate was not where it needs to be (13.2%).

Because Hayden Wesneski looked so good again yesterday, paired with the performances by Sanders and Brendon Little, I had the Wesneski trade on the mind. The connection is that the Cubs helped develop Scott Effross into a dominant reliever kinda out of nowhere (tons of credit to him on reinventing himself as a sidearmer), and they turned that into a guy who might now be a mid-rotation starter in the big leagues. The Cubs have SO MANY potential impact relief prospects on the way that you wonder if they can become something of a factory for these guys, and trade some for other pieces when needed. They’ve already become so good at trading reclaimed veteran relievers for prospects at the deadline, and with the Effross deal, they did it with a controllable reliever, too.

Nice play from Dansby Swanson:

written by

Brett Taylor

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

Chicago Cubs

Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

I recently stumbled onto this live cover of Linger by The Cranberries and I can't stop listening to it. Give it a go. I bet you like it. In case you missed it last night, Cody Bellinger exited last night's...

Michael Cerami

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs Org Homer Party: 13 Homers for the Organization

The big league Cubs last night beat the Astros largely on the strength of the long ball, scoring six of their seven runs that way. Cody Bellinger kicked things off with a monster two-run shot, and Mike Tauchman followed with...

Brett Taylor

Apr 24, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Oh, Come On: Cody Bellinger Lifted Mid-Game with an Apparent Injury (UPDATE: X-Rays Negative)

The Cubs cannot catch a break this year, man. They've already dealt with injuries to Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly, Julian Merryweather, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ (did I forget anyone?). And tonight, it seems maybe something...

Michael Cerami

Apr 23, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 7, Astros 2 – April 23, 2024

Well there was one big thing not to like about tonight's game - Cody Bellinger was lifted with a right rib contusion after colliding with the outfield wall - and about a million things that were great. And since we...

Michael Cerami

Apr 23, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Mike Tauchman Did it AGAIN – Second Oppo Homer of the Game!

Nothing like a little insurance late. Mike Tauchman, who already hit his first home run of the season earlier in this game, just hit his second home run in the 8th! Another opposite field blast for Tauchman, who's been hitting...

Michael Cerami

Apr 23, 2024

Chicago Cubs

James Triantos Homers TWICE for the Smokies

It really is a Cubs homer party up and down the system. In Chicago, Cody Bellinger and Mike Tauchman have gone deep. At Myrtle Beach, Christian Hernandez and Jefferson Encarnacion each homered. At South Bend, Yohendrick Pinango homered. And at...

Michael Cerami

Apr 23, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Kevin Alcantara Led Off Tonight’s Game with a Bomb (UPDATE: And Then Did It Again!)

Kevin Alcantara wasted no time giving the Tennessee Smokies the lead on Tuesday night (or maybe he just wanted to be a spiritual part of the homer party going on at Wrigley Field). Facing off against the Rocket City Trash...

Elias Schuster

Apr 23, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Mike Tauchman’s First Homer of the Year Caps Off a 5-Run Cubs Ambush!

I don't like to use "ambush" lightly. But what would you call it when the Cubs put five balls in play over 100 MPH, including a single, a double, and two home runs en route to putting five runs on...

Michael Cerami

Apr 23, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Ian Happ Hit Missed a Homer by a Foot, So Cody Bellinger Launched One into Space to Pick Him UP

Ian Happ was back in the Cubs lineup tonight after missing a few games with a sore hamstring. And in his first at-bat back, he sent one 412 feet to dead-center field for a VERY long double (Statcast says it...

Michael Cerami

Apr 23, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Pre-Gamin’: Astros at Cubs (6:40 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs are back in action tonight for the first of three games against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field. Here's a look at the Cubs lineup for Game 1. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Nico Hoerner, 2B...

Michael Cerami

Apr 23, 2024

NFL

Jacksonville Jaguars 3-Round Mock Draft: Perimeter Help At CB and WR

Jacksonville Jaguars 3-Round Mock Draft— After a disappointing late-season collapse in Jacksonville, the pressure is on. With the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Jaguars have a critical decision to make—bolster their porous defense or find a reliable weapon for...

Ryan Noonan

Apr 24, 2024

NFL

Indianapolis Colts 3-Round Mock Draft: More Elite Athletes for GM Chris Ballard’s Roster

Indianapolis Colts 3-Round Mock Draft - With the 15th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, General Manager Chris Ballard has a chance to address this critical need and propel the Colts back into the AFC playoff picture. Last year's draft class appears promising, and...

Ryan Noonan

Apr 24, 2024

Picks

Brewers vs. Pirates Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

The Milwaukee Brewers (14-8) hope to avoid an upset as -116 favorites when they take on Andrew McCutchen (with homers in two straight contests) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (13-11). First pitch is at 6:40 PM ET Wednesday, live from PNC...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

Picks

Rays vs. Tigers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

The Tampa Bay Rays (12-13) and Detroit Tigers (14-10) meet Wednesday at Tropicana Field, starting at 6:50 PM ET on BSSUN. The Rays are -121 moneyline favorites for the contest, however, the Tigers are favored against the spread of 1.5...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

Picks

Dodgers vs. Nationals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Led by Shohei Ohtani (two-game homer streak), the Los Angeles Dodgers (14-11) are favorites versus the Washington Nationals (10-12) Wednesday at 6:45 PM ET. Bookmakers have named the Dodgers as -186 favorites for the game, which airs on SportsNet LA.Los...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

Picks

Braves vs. Marlins Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

The Miami Marlins (6-19 look to avoid the sweep when they visit the Atlanta Braves (16-6) in the final game of a three-game set. Bookmakers have listed the Braves as -240 favorites, while the Marlins are +198 underdogs to pick...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

Picks

Reds vs. Phillies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

The Cincinnati Reds (13-10) and Philadelphia Phillies (15-9) meet Wednesday at Great American Ball Park, starting at 6:40 PM ET on BSOH. The Reds are -114 moneyline favorites for the contest, however, the Phillies are favored against the spread of...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

Picks

Yankees vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

The New York Yankees (16-8) are set to take on the Oakland Athletics (9-15) Wednesday at 7:05 PM ET, airing on Amazon Prime Video. The Yankees are listed as -228 favorites by oddsmakers, while the underdog Athletics have +187 odds...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

Picks

Cubs vs. Astros Probable Starting Pitchers – April 24

The Houston Astros (7-17) square off against the Chicago Cubs (14-9) on Wednesday at Wrigley Field after a three-game losing streak. The contest starts at 7:40 PM ET.The probable pitchers are Jameson Taillon (1-0) for the Cubs and Spencer Arrighetti...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

Picks

Blue Jays vs. Royals Probable Starting Pitchers – April 24

The Toronto Blue Jays (13-11) visit Kansas City to face the Kansas City Royals (14-10) at 7:40 PM ET on Wednesday.The Blue Jays will give the nod to Yariel Rodriguez and the Royals will counter with Alec Marsh (3-0, 3.22...

Data Skrive

Apr 24, 2024

World Baseball Classic Getting Awesome, Stroman’s Start, Mancini’s Clever Move, Relief Prospect Factory, and Other Cubs Bullets

Read More

more cubs news

Latest News

more cubs news

Most Popular

Most Popular

Latest News

Most Popular

Most Popular