2024 Fall Instructs

[CaliforniaRaisin]

9/24: https://www.thecubreporter.com/espinal-goes-yard-twice-rockies-riverview

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Ronny Cruz ripped a pinch-hit RBI double down the LF line and into the LF corner to drive-in the lone Cub run.

3B Matt Halbach (Cubs 2024 10th round draft pick - UC San Diego) made his pro game debut, batting clean-up and playing third base for six innings before moving to DH. He went 0-3 at the plate (5-3, L-8, K-swinging), including an inadvertent mega-bat toss on the swinging strikeout that landed somewhere near 1st base on Field #5.  

Michael Carico (on Myrtle Beach 60-day IL since May 20th) saw his first game action in more than four months, serving as a DH and going 0-2 (K-looking, L-9, BB). 
 

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/draft-picks-ifa-inflict-damage-fitch-park

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Cubs 2024 7th round pick Ivan Brethowr (UC - Santa Barbara) drilled a triple and an RBI single, Cubs 2024 8th round pick Edgar Alvarez (Nicholls State) singled twice, walked, and drove-in a run, and Adan Sanchez (Cubs 2022 IFA - Panama - $1.5M bonus) singled, doubled, and scored a run for the Cubs in a losing cause. 

In 21 games combined between bridge and instructs games since the end of the ACL season two months ago, A. Sanchez is hitting 313/365/563 (928 OPS - 250 ISO SLG) with two HR, four doubles, and one triple, with a 6% walk-rate / 31% K-rate, in 52 PA. 

Ronny Cruz and Ty Southisene went 1/2 and 1/3 respectively, each with a single.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/ayers-cruz-double-time-rockies-mesa

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Owen Ayers and Ronny Cruz each drilled a two-run double to highlight a five-run 4th inning, and then the Cubs held-on to edge the Rockies 5-4 in Arizona Instructional League game action Friday morning on Field #1 at the Cubs Sloan Park Complex in Mesa, AZ.  

...

David Bracho: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1 GIDP, 3/4 GO/AO, 50 pitches (31 strikes)

Southisene went 0/2 with a walk, strikeout and stolen base. Lovich went 1/2 with a walk, strikeout, single and stolen base.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Final stats: https://www.thecubreporter.com/2024-cubs-az-instructional-league-acl-continuation-camp-bridge-final-stats

Some good stuff in the comments:

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DAVID BRACHO: 
FB: 91-94
CH: 85-88
CV: 75-78

HAYDEN FRANK: 
FB: 88-91 (T 92 in BRIDGE)
CH: 82-85 
CV: 74-77

LUIS A. REYES: 
FB: 95-98 (sat 97-98 in BRIDGE)
SL/CT: 84-87 
SWEEP: 80-83 

WILME MORA: 
FB: 94-96
SL: 84-87

BRANDEN NORIEGA: 
FB: 91-94 (T 95-96) 
CH: 82
CV: 77 

BRAYDEN RISEDORPH: 
FB: 91-94
CH: 85 
SWEEP: 79-82 

CHARLIE HURLEY:
FB: 88-90 
CH: 82-84
CV: 77-78 

LISANDRO ALMONTE: 
FB: 92-94
SWEEP: 79-82 

FRAIMAN MARTE: 
FB: 94-96 (T 97) 
SL: 81-82  
CV: 77-79 

DOMINIC HAMBLEY: 
FB: 92-93 
SL: 81-82 
CV: 77-78 

BEN JOHNSON: 
FB: 92-93
CH: 85-86
SWEEP: 82-83

ZHIORMAN IMBRIANO: 
FB: 89-91 
CV: 75-79 

ALFREDO ROMERO: 
FB: 92-94
SWEEP: 81-83 

MIGUEL CRUZ: 
FB: 91-94 
SL: 82-84 
CV: 76-78 

MASON McGWIRE:
FB: 95-98 
SL/CT: 90-91
SWEEP: 79-81  

KENYI PEREZ: 
FB: 92-95 (T 96-97)
SL: 85-87 (3,000+ RPM on SL)

WILSON CUNNINGHAM: 
FB: 86-89 
CV: 74-78 

CHRISTIAN GORDON:
FB: 86-89 (T 91)
CH: 83-85  
SL: 82-83 

LUIS MARTINEZ-GOMEZ 
FB: 91-94
SWEEP: 82-83

BRAD DEPPERMANN: 
FB: 93-96
SL/CT: 87-90
CV: 78 

MATHEW PETERS: 
FB: 93-96 
SL: 87 

 

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David Bracho was the youngest pitcher (only teenager) at Cubs Bridge / Instructs and he threw 30% more innings than any other pitcher there. He was also the most-polished, well beyond what you would normally expect from someone that age. Luis Martinez-Gomez is another good SP prospect. (Bracho and LMG are very similar in terms of physical profile and stuff, the main difference being that Bracho is two years younger).    

Among the 2024 draft picks, Evan Aschenbeck, Daniel Avitia, Brooks Caple, Ryan Gallagher, and Thomas Mangus spent instructs in the pitch lab and won't make their game debuts until 2025 (which was a bit disappointing for those of us at the games). so Hayden Frank, Brayden Risedorph, Ben Johnson, Christian Gordon, and NDFA Charlie Hurley were the only ones who pitched in bridge and/or instructs games. Of that group, Risedorph clearly has the best stuff, although Frank has the size and pitch mix that should play well as a SP going forward. (Risedorph could end up in the pen, since he was a Freshman All-American as the closer at Indiana before moving to the Hoosier starting rotation as a sophomore and struggling in that role). 

As far as the high-leverage relievers are concerned, Kenyi Perez's stuff is off the charts, but he has had a lot of difficulty commanding it since signing in 2020. However, he showed MUCH improved command at instructs and dominated college draft picks from other organizations. He was virtually unhittable. BTW, the Cubs need to make sure to place him on the AAA Iowa reserve list pre-Rule 5 Draft, because otherwise he will likely get taken in the AAA Phase and if that happens the Cubs would have no right to re-claim and he'll be gone for good.  

Luis A. Reyes is a monster with a high velo FB and SL combo. His FB velo is already 97-98 and he's only 20 and 6'3 235 with time to grow even bigger. 

LHRP Branden Noriega is a strikeout machine, with a swing & miss CH combined with a FB that gets up into the mid-90's. The problem is he pitches from behind in the count too much, and that will have to be addressed before he gets to the higher levels. 

Mason McGwire has reinvented himself, going from a splitter guy who used a 91-94 MPH FB to get ahead in the count to set-up the split to a power pitcher riding a 95-98 MPH FB combined with a cutter and a sweeper (and no sign of the splitter). 

Fraiman Marte (a second contract player signed by the Cubs after he was released by STL) is another power arm who works in the mid-90's but can touch 97. He has two different breaking balls, so maybe using just one might be a better approach. Like  K. Perez, Marte needs to be placed on the AAA Iowa reserve list pre-Rule 5 Draft so that he isn't available for selection in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft.