Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 4-7-26

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Scheduled Games (Central Time):

Iowa vs. Omaha, 6:38 pm
Knoxville vs. Rocket City, 6:00 pm
South Bend at Peoria, 6:35 pm
Myrtle Beach at Columbia, 6:05 pm

Probable Starters:

Iowa: RHP Connor Noland (4.1 IP, 8.31 ERA, 6.94 FIP, 2 K, 2 BB)
Knoxville: RHP Jake Knapp - pro debut (2025 8th rounder from UNC)
South Bend: RHP Koen Moreno (2025 at South Bend: 12 IP, 2.25 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 15 K, 8 BB)
Myrtle Beach: LHP Victor Zarraga (2025: 42.2 IP, 3.59 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 54 K, 30 BB)

 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

forecast looks good, I think South Bend will actually get to play

[CaliforniaRaisin]

2025 8th rounder Jake Knapp gets the start for AA Knoxville today in his pro debut.

The last Cub to make his pro pitching debut at AA was Mark Prior.

[Bertz]

22 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

2025 8th rounder Jake Knapp gets the start for AA Knoxville today in his pro debut.

The last Cub to make his pro pitching debut at AA was Mark Prior.

Wow.  Curious if this is because he's old and they feel the need to push him or because he's looked good enough this spring to warrant it.

[allen6510w]

4 hours ago, Bertz said:

Wow.  Curious if this is because he's old and they feel the need to push him or because he's looked good enough this spring to warrant it.

I'd guess the latter although his experience/polish is part of the reason.  He will be 26 this summer but has many option years remaining (so no need to push).  With Tyler Schaffer, Evan Aschenbeck, Brody McCullough, and Drew Gray are all opening the year on the DL, at least one pitcher from the Rojas, Knapp, Mule group has to play up.  

[CaliforniaRaisin]

37 minutes ago, allen6510w said:

I'd guess the latter although his experience/polish is part of the reason.  He will be 26 this summer but has many option years remaining (so no need to push).  With Tyler Schaffer, Evan Aschenbeck, Brody McCullough, and Drew Gray are all opening the year on the DL, at least one pitcher from the Rojas, Knapp, Mule group has to play up.  

Schlaffer isn't hurt. He's scheduled to start tomorrow's Knoxville game.

[allen6510w]

Just now, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Schlaffer isn't hurt. He's scheduled to start tomorrow's Knoxville game.

That's good to hear! 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Kane Kepley starts the South Bend season off with a leadoff double to LF. Owen Ayers singles him in a few batters later.

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Seiya has a double and a single so far. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Seiya is 3/3 with 2 doubles and a single. Jefferson Rojas just hit his 2nd HR of the year.

 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

4 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Seiya is 3/3 with 2 doubles and a single. Jefferson Rojas just hit his 2nd HR of the year.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[Bertz]

It's a little thing, but I'm a big fan of an 0/3 from Triantos coming in the form of three pulled fly balls

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Hartshorn with another couple walks and a single. 7:1 walks to strikeouts so far

[Jason Ross]

3 minutes ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Hartshorn with another couple walks and a single. 7:1 walks to strikeouts so far

His plate presence is great. You can see where the Cubs were impressed. His behavior at the plate is not of a prep kid.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Love what im seeing from most of our most exciting prospects so far this year. Rojas looks like hes gonna be in AAA in a couple months. They might need to make room on the MLB team for Alcantara. Hes certainly looking to force the hand. A lot of guys off to really hot starts. Hartshorn is doing horsefeathers we haven't seen in our system from a prep kid in who knows how long. I cant recall anyone hitting the ground running like this. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

The Blue Jay's AA team scored 8 runs in the 2nd inning before they got a hit lmfao

 

Walk, walk, wp, K, SF, walk, walk, walk, HBP, wp, walk, hbp, wp, walk, walk, wp, single 😂 

[Outshined_One]

Hartshorn is doing what I thought Ryan Harvey would do after the Cubs drafted him.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

36 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

Ryan Harvey

Wow, what a callback

[Bertz]

Fun Fact: Jefferson Rojas is still 20 for a few more weeks

Edited April 8 by Bertz
Oops

[CaliforniaRaisin]

5 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Fun Fact: Jefferson Rojas is still 20 for a few more weeks

3rd youngest player in the Southern League. 7th youngest in all of AA.

[JBears79]

Im really curious to see what they do with Rojas. Especially with Horton going down. They have 2nd and 3rd locked up for the foreseeable future, do they cash him in now?

[Bertz]

6 hours ago, JBears79 said:

Im really curious to see what they do with Rojas. Especially with Horton going down. They have 2nd and 3rd locked up for the foreseeable future, do they cash him in now?

Even with Hoerner/Bregman/Swanson locked up I think you can fit two of Shaw/Rojas/Ramirez/Triantos on the roster, especially if you make one of them a full time-ish outfielder.

I think it'd be reasonable to cash Rojas in this summer or fall.  That said given his timeline (probably wont reach AAA til around the deadline) and that his bat seems like it has the juice to be a corner outfielder, I think you don't go into the next few transaction cycles necessarily looking to spend him.