Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 6-26-26

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Scheduled Games (Central Time):

Iowa vs. Buffalo, 7:08 pm
Knoxville at Birmingham, 7:00 pm
South Bend vs. Quad Cities, 6:05 pm
Myrtle Beach at Salem, 5:35 pm
ACL Cubs at ACL Rockies, 8:00 pm
DSL Cubs Blue vs. DSL Rangers Blue, 10:00 am
DSL Cubs Red at DSL Blue Jays Blue, 10:00 am

Probable Starters:

Iowa: LHP Ty Blach (37.1 IP, 6.75 ERA, 6.05 FIP, 23 K, 14 BB)
Knoxville: RHP Jace Beck (45.2 IP, 3.15 ERA, 3.34 FIP, 74 K, 23 BB)
South Bend: RHP Naz Mulé (25.1 IP, 3.55 ERA, 4.77 FIP, 34 K, 18 BB)
Myrtle Beach: LHP Pierce Coppola 32 IP, 3.66 ERA, 3.09 FIP, 45 K, 18 BB)

[Bertz]

Jace Beck is shoving early, Mule was not as fortunate 

Edited Saturday at 12:41 AM by Bertz

[Jason Ross]

24 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Jace Beck is shoving early, Mule was not as fortunate 

With the amount of injuries we are facing, this is how I feel anytime anyone has a good outing. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

39 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Jace Beck is shoving early, Mule was not as fortunate 

Naz got screwed with a walk to the first batter (should have been strike 3) and 2 batters later, gave up a 3-run HR. At least he didn’t give up any more runs.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Liam Hendriks starting for the ACL Cubs

[Bertz]

12 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

With the amount of injuries we are facing, this is how I feel anytime anyone has a good outing. 

I just looked it up and he's already at a career high in innings because the Mets shoved him into relief way too early.

I'd start eying him for the early season Ben Brown role ASAP.  Give him a stopover in Iowa of course but if he keeps doing this he should be a big leaguer in weeks not months.

[Bertz]

3 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Naz got screwed with a walk to the first batter (should have been strike 3) and 2 batters later, gave up a 3-run HR. At least he didn’t give up any more runs.

Good to know

Honestly given the quality of his stuff I look at walks allowed as almost as important as runs.  2 in 16 batters isn't good, but it's not bad.  And that's before this context.  He's also a guy that has run out of steam and gotten wild at the end of a lot of outings, but tonight he had a rough first and then hunkered down and pitched well until he hit his pitch count.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[NorthsideAvenger]

36 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

With the amount of injuries we are facing, this is how I feel anytime anyone has a good outing. 

I have fond memories and high blood pressure because of the last Beck in a Cubs bullpen.

[Jason Ross]

21 minutes ago, Bertz said:

I just looked it up and he's already at a career high in innings because the Mets shoved him into relief way too early.

I'd start eying him for the early season Ben Brown role ASAP.  Give him a stopover in Iowa of course but if he keeps doing this he should be a big leaguer in weeks not months.

Absolutely. The offense is clearly good. I know they only scored one on the Miz but they gave him more fits than anyone has. 

If this team can find a competent pitching staff they can remain in this till the bitter bitter end. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Jace Beck should be in the majors.

Hit 98 in the 5th.

[We Got The Whole 9]

We're overdue for some random breakout like this

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

42 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Jace Beck should be in the majors.

Hit 98 in the 5th.

Certainly over Jayden Murray

[Bertz]

21 minutes ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Certainly over Jayden Murray

21 whiffs in his three innings here...keep him firmly parked in low leverage for a while but I am feeling it

[Bertz]

Alcantara with yet another big game 🥱

Long has gotten really hot recently, good to see.  I kind of wonder if his elbow injury in ST contributed any to his early season struggles?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

2 hours ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Jace Beck should be in the majors.

Hit 98 in the 5th.

 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

2 hours ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Liam Hendriks starting for the ACL Cubs

Aaron Bummer followed him

[Bertz]

It's not especially necessary to arbitrary endpoints Jace Beck's season, but since 5/19

10 games, 3 starts, 31 IP, 55 (!!) K's, 14 BB, 2 dongs, 1.17 ERA

And probably most notable, not only has he not regressed as he's gotten stretched out (last time was his forst time seeing the 3rd time throughthe order), he's gotten better

[Jason Ross]

12 hours ago, Bertz said:

Alcantara with yet another big game 🥱

Long has gotten really hot recently, good to see.  I kind of wonder if his elbow injury in ST contributed any to his early season struggles?

Could have. His biggest issue seems to be a regression in batted ball quality.

[JBears79]

I'm really at the point where I would like to see one of the young guys come up for some spot starts. I like Assad, I like Rea but I feel like the rotation really needs an injection of excitement. Maybe a young guy could do that.

[Jason Ross]

35 minutes ago, JBears79 said:

I'm really at the point where I would like to see one of the young guys come up for some spot starts. I like Assad, I like Rea but I feel like the rotation really needs an injection of excitement. Maybe a young guy could do that.

Beck deserves a fast track to some innings, probably Kipp too, but there isn't anyone exciting to take starts. Unless you think Will Sanders is exciting (I do not. He's fine or whatever, but his best case outcome is probably like Colin Rea) there isn't anyone else. 

[craig]

I often read you guys referencing Kipp.  What's the source of interest in that?  He'll turn 27 in a few months; he's never had an ERA below 4, and has yet to pitch an inning in AAA.  Southern League was huge pitcher-friendly league last year, I think, but he was still a 4.22 ERA.  His HR-rate is nothing special, his WHIP has never been notably good.  So, I've always kinda just assumed he was an average minor-league roster-fill pitcher who wasn't actually a big-league prospect.  He's supposed to have an interesting breaking ball, yes?  But that hasn't dominated AA or A hitters, had huge K numbers, or kept the HR's off.  

So, could you give me the argument for why you think he might have potential to someday pitch effectively in the majors?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[Bertz]

9 minutes ago, craig said:

I often read you guys referencing Kipp.  What's the source of interest in that?  He'll turn 27 in a few months; he's never had an ERA below 4, and has yet to pitch an inning in AAA.  Southern League was huge pitcher-friendly league last year, I think, but he was still a 4.22 ERA.  His HR-rate is nothing special, his WHIP has never been notably good.  So, I've always kinda just assumed he was an average minor-league roster-fill pitcher who wasn't actually a big-league prospect.  He's supposed to have an interesting breaking ball, yes?  But that hasn't dominated AA or A hitters, had huge K numbers, or kept the HR's off.  

So, could you give me the argument for why you think he might have potential to someday pitch effectively in the majors?

"Plus breaking ball and a lot of average to go with it" is a pretty standard scouting report for a quality middle reliever.

Plus he's got a strikeout rate a hair under 25% at AA, and has done that in the rotation, so I reject the premise that he hasn't had big K numbers.

[Jason Ross]

34 minutes ago, craig said:

I often read you guys referencing Kipp.  What's the source of interest in that?  He'll turn 27 in a few months; he's never had an ERA below 4, and has yet to pitch an inning in AAA.  Southern League was huge pitcher-friendly league last year, I think, but he was still a 4.22 ERA.  His HR-rate is nothing special, his WHIP has never been notably good.  So, I've always kinda just assumed he was an average minor-league roster-fill pitcher who wasn't actually a big-league prospect.  He's supposed to have an interesting breaking ball, yes?  But that hasn't dominated AA or A hitters, had huge K numbers, or kept the HR's off.  

So, could you give me the argument for why you think he might have potential to someday pitch effectively in the majors?

He has one very good pitch and a fastball that is good enough. He adds in some extension with his size. And he's a pretty gnarly competitor, for any of the intangible stuff. 

He probably isn't a starting pitcher, but there's a pretty easy pathway to a 7th inning arm and I see no reason to ignore or throw that away. Especially in a system that is lacking pitchers on MLB'd doorstop...Kipp stands out.