Ivan Brethowr has come a long way since he was drafted in the seventh round last summer. Brethowr was a star outfielder at UC Santa Barbara, using his imposing 6"6 frame to hit the lights out of baseballs. There was a problem, however; his swing was just not good. Equal parts long and overly contrived, the concern with the towering giant was whether or not he would ever make enough contact to get to the power. In his first taste of professional baseball, the answer was: he was not, as he struck out 26 times in 95 plate appearances while playing at Low-A. 

Entering the year, Brethowr showed improved mechanics, overhauling his stance. I brought up his mechanical improvements back in February in a game he played during Spring Training, and he's continued to look very good at the plate. The strikeouts remain in check, the walk rate is through the roof, and he's chipping in seven stolen bases to boot. 

There's still a bit to go, however. Despite the size, the exit velocities have been only "alright," he's not getting to the power as often as you'd like. You're hoping that he's still learning a new stance and how to make the best of it, and as he's already shown a quick ability to adapt and accept coaching, it's easy to dream of the outcomes. It's probably not an Aaron Judge ceiling, but we're all winners if the Cubs get anything close to an MLB player out of a seventh-round pick.