Fall 2022 Instructs

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Here’s the roster: https://www.thecubreporter.com/09132022/2022-cubs-az-instructional-league-roster

 

And some interesting notes in the comments from Arizona Phil:

 

The twelve DSL guys who got called up for AZ Instructs are: LHSP Carlos Garcia (spent 2022 season on Restricted List but he is one of the Cubs top DSL pitching prospects), RHSP Yoendris Gonzalez, RHSP Eligio Paredes, RHRP Wilber Rodriguez (polished closer prospect), RHSP Freilyn Silverio, C Yoanis Aleksandrov (signed out of Rumania last March), C-1B Carlos Ramos, C-3B Adan Sanchez, SS Alexis Hernandez (Cristian's little brother), 2B Jefferson Rojas, RF Josefrailin Alcantara, and OF Erbin Jaque (Jaque is supposedly the best defensive OF and the fastest player at DSL Cubs, and J. Alcantara has a plus-arm, plus speed, and plus-power).

 

With the exception of Aleksandrov, the DSL players invited to Instructs (plus RHP Kevin Valdez, who was called up to the ACL in late July) are considered to be the Cubs top dozen 2022 DSL prospects, and they will almost certainly be in the U. S. (EXST and ACL) next season.

 

Cubs 2022 draft picks RHP Cade Horton (1st round), LHP Jackson Ferris (2nd round), RHP Nazier Mule (4th round), RHP Brandon Birdsell (5th round), RHP Mason McGwire (8th round), LHP Branden Noriega (11th round), and RHP Luis Rujano (13th round) will be making their pro debuts at instructs.

 

Not attending instructs are RHP Connor Noland (9th round) and RHP Garrett Brown (18th round), who will report to Minor League Camp next March and will make their pro debuts in 2023, RHP (ex-C) Shane Marshall (14th round) will be converted to a full-time pitcher at EXST next sping, and RHP Will Frisch (6th round - March 2022 TJS)) and RHP JP Wheat (16th round) were placed on the ACL Cubs 60-day IL immediately after signing and will (hopefully) make their pro debuts sometime in 2023.

 

The 17 year olds at instructs are OF Josefrailin Alcantara, SS Alexis Hernandez, RHP Nazier Mule (draft pick), 2B Jefferson Rojas, and C-3B Adan Sanchez, and J. Rojas (turned 17 in April) and A. Sanchez (turned 17 in May) are THE youngest (not to mention the two best DSL Cubs position player prospects at instructs).

[TomtheBombadil]

Ooph for Jose Escobar from those DSL teams, wonder what happened there…Pretty excited about that trio (Jefferson Rojas, Adan Sanchez, and Freilyn Silverio). I believe they can rise pretty fast in org rankings, especially especially if Ramirez takes off and there’s immediate reason to take DSL performers more seriously within the Cubs prospectsverse…Definitely will help that Silverio and Sanchez were already introduced to fans by one outlet or another early this year

[Bertz]

 

The two way dream is still alive!

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Arizona Phil[/url]"]Marino Santy, Yoendris Gonzalez, and Eligio Paredes combined to hurl a no-hitter and Alexis Hernandez belted a solo HR over the LF fence and onto Field # 2 to account for game's lone run, as the Cubs "Red Squad" blanked the Cubs "Blue Squad" 1-0 in AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Wednesday morning on Field # 1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

 

The game was pre-planned as a six-inning affair.

 

As things stand right now, the Cubs will be playing only intrasquad games at instructs.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Arizona Phil[/url]"]W-RAT: Carlos Garcia is listed as 6'4 190, but he's more like 6'5 240. He looks like Chandler Jones. He has a three pitch mix of a heavy high spin FB that gets weak contact, a hard SL that breaks sharply to the back foot of a RH hitter, and a CH, and he could be a candidate for a fast run up the pipeline stateside in 2023. Too bad he missed the 2022 season with the PED suspension, but hopefully the year off will be time well spent.

 

The other Cuban pitcher who pitched today (Yoendris Gonzalez) got a half-dozen swings & misses with his 4S FB.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Good news: Cubs pitchers threw 10 shutout innings with 17 strikeouts.

 

Bad news: Cubs hitters couldn’t score over 10 innings and struck out 17 times.

 

Arizona Phil[/url]"]CUBS "BLUE SQUAD" PITCHERS:

1. Nick Hull: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 PO, 1/3 GO/AO, 36 pitches (28 strikes)

2. Michael Arias: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 29 pitches (19 strikes)

 

CUBS "RED SQUAD" PITCHERS:

1. Kevin Valdez: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1/1 GO/AO, 40 pitches (21 strikes)

2. Grant Kipp: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2/2 GO/AO, 27 pitches (18 strikes)

[TomtheBombadil]

^^ Nazier Mule 1/2 on offense

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[TomtheBombadil]

Alls I'm asking of those two respectively is Ian Kinsler and say...Jose Alvarado

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/09242022/mccullough-birdsell-and-scalzo-dominate-riverview

 

Brody McCullough, Brandon Birdsell, and Frankie Scalzo Jr combined to hurl five innings of no run / no hit ball with nine strikeouts, and Parker Chavers walked, stole a base, and drilled an RBI single to account for the lone run in the game, as the Cubs "Blue Squad" blanked the Cubs "Red Squad" 1-0 in AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Saturday morning on Field # 1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/09262022/jaque-fleet-feet-display-riverview

 

Pedro Ramirez saw his first-ever pro game action in CF, as the Cubs are attempting to exploit his power / speed combo all over the diamond. He was mostly a SS in the DSL in 2021, but was moved to 2B in the ACL this season to accommodate Cubs top SS prospect Cristian Hernandez. Ramirez also played some 3B in the ACL.

 

Cubs 2022 4th round pick Nazier Mule once again served as a DH, the second time he has done so in a Cubs AZIL intrasquad game. He singled, stole second, and scored a run in the top of the 5th. Although he has not yet appeared in an AZIL game as a pitcher, he has been throwing bullpen side sessions and metriculating in the Pitch Lab on Camp Days. He also has taken ground balls at SS in infield practice. By all appearances, the Cubs do intend to allow Mule to be a two-way player. He is a very unique five-tool SS / RHP.

[TomtheBombadil]

Riveting! I imagine the Cubs still view Ramirez as a 2B prospect, even the best candidate for 2B of The Future, but figure it's less than ideal for someone to play it straight as a prospect at the position. It's also worth noting that Longenhagen and McDaniel suggested 2B is at the top of the defensive spectrum these days because there's more freedom and tools to be versatile (likely assuming teams aren't willing to move the starting SS - often the best defensive SS on the roster by far - around too much)

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/09272022/cubs-blue-squad-edges-red-squad-riverview

 

Miguel Pabon drilled an RBI double, walked, stole a base, and scored two runs, Anderson Suriel doubled, walked, drove-in two runs, and stole a base, and Rafael Morel doubled and singled and scored two runs, as the Cubs "Blue Squad" eged the Cubs "Red Squad" 6-5 in AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Tuesday moring on Field # 1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

 

Reggie Preciado belted a two-run HR, singled, stole two bases, and scored two runs, and Cristian Hernandez cracked an RBI double, singled, and score a run for the "Red Squad" in a losing cause.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Jackson Ferris on the mound for the first time as a Cub:

 

[Tim]

Jackson Ferris on the mound for the first time as a Cub:

 

He's showing his grip in frame two

[CubinNY]

Jackson Ferris on the mound for the first time as a Cub:

 

He's showing his grip in frame two

That windup kind of screams Tommy John.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/09302022/hull-and-kipp-dominate-riverview

 

Haydn McGeary laced a single and an RBI double, both Nazier Mule and Anderson Suriel doubled and scored, and Nick Hull and Grant Kipp combined to hurl six innings of five-hit shutout ball with no walks and seven strikeouts, as the Cubs "Blue Squad" and the Cubs "Red Squad" played to a 2-2 tie in AZ Instructional League game action Friday morning on Field # 1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

 

Arias had a good line out of the pen (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, 1 WP) and Valdez not so much (1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 1 K, 1 WP).

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/10012022/ballesteros-and-triantos-lead-way-instructs

 

Moises Ballesteros singled twice, drove-in a run and scored another, James Triantos singled and scored and collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly, Cristian Olivo laced an RBI double and scored, and Etrhan Hearn belted an RBI double, leading the Cubs "Red Squad" to a 4-2 victory over the Cubs "Blue Squad" in AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Saturday morning on Field # 5 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

 

…

 

Cubs 2022 8th round draft pick RHP Mason McGwire (son of Mark McGwire) made his pro game debut and threw one inning (17 pitches - nine strikes), allowing one run (it was unearned), no hits, and one walk. He struck out two (one swinging and one looking) with his plus-splitter.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/10042022/bain-gonzalez-shut-door-riverview

 

Ferris and Mulé threw a live BP yesterday. I think it was Mulé’s first live BP this fall/possibly first with the Cubs:

 

Cristian Hernandez and Andy Garriola stroked run-scoring singles to highlight a three-run third and Max Bain and Yoendris Gonzalez combined to hurl four innings of no run / no hit ball, as the Cubs "Red Squad" blanked the Cubs "Blue Squad" 3-0 in AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Tuesday morning on Field # 6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

 

Because Cubs 2nd round pick Jackson Ferris and 4th round pick Nazier Mule threw one inning each of "live" BP on Field # 5 instead of throwing in the game, the intrasquad game was cut-back from what was to have been a five inning contest to a four inning affair.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/10072022/rojas-morel-lead-way-sloan-park

 

Jefferson Rojas belted a two-run HR to cap a three run first inning and drilled an RBI single and stole a base in the sixth, Rafael Morel singled three times, stole a base, scored three runs, and drove-in a run, Pedro Ramirez singled, walked, stole two bases, and scored a run, and SP Nick Hull and three relievers hurled seven innings of one-run ball and struck out ten, as the Cubs "Blue Squad" defeated the Cubs "Red Squad" 6-1 in AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Friday morning at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.

 

Andy Garriola laced a single and a double, stole a base, and scored a run for the "Red Squad" in a losing cause.

 

And in the comments:

 

[TomtheBombadil]

Alls I’m asking out of McGwire is Dan Haren 2.0

 

2nd HR for Rojas @ instructs