Jason Ross

Two of the hits were weak, but two were over 100mph. I'm worried less about opposite field power and simply seeing the contact quality up. The reality of opposite field power (especially home runs) at the MLB level is that they're far more "myth" than they are "realistic". Very few hitters go the other way with authority because it's hard. In Shaw's last two games he has five PA's with EV's over 90mph, three over 100mph and a 97mph home run That's a really good sign that the mechanics are back. He wasn't doing that earlier in the week, even, as he got to Iowa.

He was pretty bad in a few Triple-A innings. And they're kind of on their own weird 40 man crunch because they're so top heavy. They have a lot of mediocre fodder rolling around their 40, and Cosgrove looked broken to them. I hope he's fixed. He'd be fun.

Cramps. He'll stay in Iowa.

\ Going to have to disagree with you, there. 2023 Cosgrove was a dude. He limits hard contact with a funky delivery. He has a 13 degree arm angle. Just four lefties come in shallower. His pitch shapes were loved by Stuff+ in 2023, with a 112 Stuff+ total. That was the fourteenth best left-handed-reliever in all of baseball. Good Cosgrove does this: If the Cubs get 2023 Cosgrove, he's a great reliever. *If* being the operative.

Being as kind to Chris Flexen as I can; he sucks. He had a 5+ xFIP last year with a 17.4 K% and a 9 BB%. There's no reason we need to dance with that devil. The reality on Horton is this: he's got maybe 120 IP this year. You can either spend those in Iowa, or you can spend them with the Cubs. If he was developing a third pitch, if he had mechanical issues, if there was a control question, or pitch shape issues...I'd say "let him work it in Iowa!" Here's the rub; he has none of that. He's grading out like a stuff+ monster, inducing a good amount of whiff, he's got a developing curveball he's more and more comfortable tossing and he lights up the strike zone. The only hurdle left is: can he go 5 IP? With the amount of strikes he throws, he doesn't need 100 pitches to get through five. He's looking less gassed as the day goes on and he's gone 76 the last three. I truly think he'd have gone over 80 today but he was so damn economical through six that the Cubs just pulled the plug on him going out in the seventh for a single hitter. Yeah, Cade is about ready. I'd say if Shota was down tomorrow on the IL, or any one was, Cade Horton would get the call. I also think he's that good. Since the first game he threw with Myrtle, there was a different kind of dude on the mound I hadn't seen come through the system in a hot minute.

11.66 ERA, 5+ xFIP in limited time in 2024. Was very good in 2023, however.

Cramps. So looks like we dodged a bullet. But yeah, Horton is probably next up.

Entirely unrelated to Shota coming off the mound... Horton through 4IP, 5K, 0BB, 1ER and a whole load of whiffs.

Don't forget the 1st to home run by Big Mo showing off the wheels.

There you go.

Man, perfect pitch by Shota not rewarded.

Meant to post this in here: Heaney changed his arm angle and has really done good against RHH this year. Been worse against lefties. But got busy recording our new pod episode (I did mention it there for proofs sake) Thought the lefties would have some success today. PCA making me look smart. But also he's just good, so I'll credit him.

Cade looks solid tonight. His breaking stuff is *nasty*

Leadoff 2b for Shaw. Hard hit other way. He is staring to look like Shaw again.

Yeah, Turner not playing is notable. I don't think it means they're entirely done with him, but it's probably a sign that the team is cognizant of the data and that there is enough there to suggest it won't be a strict R-L platoon moving forward until Turner does something.

I've used Hoyer's words this winter a lot, but I'll continue to point to them - he was very clear when speaking about Soto about how he viewed that type of a commitment and that it was something that was going to be a long term discussion. Then they acquired Tucker right after; a player who they would have a full year to negotiate with.

Conversely, wouldn't you want to lure a new VP of Baseball OPs in with "oh yeah, we have a top-5 position player in baseball"? (Just spitballing to your last point as a point of discuission) I've been pretty adamant I thought the Cubs would come to the table in good with Tucker at some point. So I'm glad we're hearing this. I think I agree with your first part fully.

The hat itself is fine - the white wall works! What doesn't is the logo on the hat. You can only read CUBS from up close, from any sort of distance it's mush. From far away, the C itself does not necessarily read "CUBS" C so much as it could a Reds-C with the wishboning. It makes it a bit of a mess. It's a word-heavy logo. No other MLB team uses words. Instead, the Cubs should use the rocker-bear. It uses the light blue and pops in the red which ties it all together. It also uses no lettering and words. It's also "faux" back, in that it evokes the old bear logo the Cubs have used in the past giving a connection like the CUBS does (to the CUBS logo they have used with the large C) but without breaking poor design. Not only that, the rocker bear would kill it merch wise. I think it's a cohesive look, and it's fun. It's not a primary hat look by any means, but I don't want the alternate blues to be a primary look. They are already kind of jumping the shark with the guitar pick, so have fun. Rocker-bear-hat makes that a better and more cohesive full-uniform while also pushing it squarely into "ALT" territory where it belongs.

Self confessed uni-nerd here, and you know I love you Matt, but...big no. Not that I don't like the alternates, but for a few reasons, both rooted in MLB uniform tradition and Cub tradition these aren't good enough as primary uniforms, nor are they proper primary uniforms. First, while it's true the Cubs have only truly adopted the pins in the 1950's, it's still nearly 70 years of running that as a primary look. It might not be as unchanged as the Cardinals (though the Cardinals tweaked and messed with the script/cardinal combo from the 20's to the 50's, sometimes ignoring the cardinals all together, other times being more navy heavy than red...etc) but it's been a round for the better part of 100 years as a mainstay. To be fair to the Dodgers, they did not adopt the script+red number until 1952, previously just uysing the script. The Cubs also wore the pinstripes during their WS win. There's something to say about the uniform that breaks the curse and teams tend to keep winning uniforms around. Secondly, one of the uniform traditions in baseball is that the primary uniform be white. I like an alternative color look here or there as a nice change of pace, but white at home should be primary. There are a few other good rules to follow (for example, road uniforms should be city name, not nickname) but white-at-home feels..sacred to me. Lastly, the hat doesn't work. A good hat logo needs no words to tell you who they are. A singular letter is enough. Think of it like this; a good flag doesn't need to say what it's representing as such, the Reds and the Cubs can both have C's on their hats but I know a Cubs C and a Reds C. That the Cubs use a logo on the hat that spells out CUBS is a poor design. It'd be like if the Japanese flag had to write JAPAN on it. (For anyone interested in vexillology, or the study of flags, this is a really amazing Ted Talk on the subject regarding how bad city flags are) They're a cool change of pace and I like them far better as a uniform than the WRIGLEYVILLE drab navy they rocked the previous years, but I think their a novel rarity other than a uniform designed so well that they work as a consistently good advertisement for team at home.

Dave Kaplan: "I'm hearing the Cubs have wrapped their brain around, doesn't mean he'll accept it, wrapped their brain around whatever it costs, we're paying it and they want to keep Tucker...what I'm hearing". This is from his recent pod that dropped today.

I think the natural thing would be is to say "the home run power concerns me" but it's not a massive issue for me currently. I'd love to see him hit more HR's, and I think we're probably talking the profile, of say, 20--25 HR's more than anything. But I think the hitter he most reminds me of is early-career Freddie Freeman. Through age-25, Freeman had hit no more than 23 home runs in any singular season while hitting <20 home runs multiple times. As a first baseman! As he got older the power came more often and he hit more, but those first few years he was still a good hitter regardless. I don't want to say "Moises Ballesteros is Freddie Freeman" but that he does well enough at most things that he can survive in that 18-25 HR range, even if he's a 1b/DH. The bat will probably play. He's currently in the following percentiles in Triple-A: wOBA: 98 xwOBA: 82 Average EV: 81 Max EV: 77 He's hitting it pretty hard. He's not an elite EV monster, but he's probably plenty good enough that it's not a massive concern. As a DH this is a less exciting profile, but probably fine. If he can catch 50-60 games between 1b and DH? He instantly becomes a very strong prospect. It's why we are probably lucky the Cubs are doing well enough that we aren't having to rush him up.

Jack Bauer is being consistently ranked within the top-75 draft eligible players. With his fastball velocity, I think it's likely a team will select him between Comp-A, Second Round and Comp-B and overslot him. Conor Essenburg has a commitment to the University of Kentucky. While Kentucky commits are not the same as a Vandy lock, UK was able to keep second round SS Tyler Bell in school last year even after he was drafted. NIL money is real even for baseball. As of now, I think Essenburg may be selected in the 11th-20th rounds as a sign-and-try but I would guess he ends up in Lexington. As a UK Alumni, that would be a good outcome for the team. Luke Mensik has a commitment to Xavier. This is far less of a lock than an SEC school. Feels like he would be a candidate for an 11th-20th round pick and would be more likely to be bought out of a commitment. Whether or not they stick with an MLB org long term? Best answer I can give is; if anyone knows for sure, they should immediately be hired by an MLB org haha. Prep arms are impossible to forecast - there's a long road to develop and many pitfalls on top of injury. No shade at any of them, it's just that the road to MLB pitching is littered with great players who just couldn't hold up to that standard. It's being the 1% of the 1%. But wish all three the best!

The Chicago Cubs farm system finished their last week in April. Moises Ballesteros can't stop hitting, Matt Shaw finally showed an improved swing. But how did the system fair overall? Is it hot? Or was it not? Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The minor leagues are in full swing, and the Cubs system is off to a pretty fun start. Each team may not be winning their division, but most of the Cubs' best prospects remain strong. In fact, the Cubs are playing well enough at their highest levels that players such as Moises Ballesteros don't even have a realistic path to playing time, unless and until injuries happen. If you're the type who likes to follow the youngsters, this has been a fun year to follow the guys at the top of the lists—as well as dive a little deeper into the sleeper categories. Full System Rating: 🤷‍♂️ Kind of a weird week, all things considered. Shaw walked a lot, but made weak contact. Nazier Mule and JP Wheat struck out a lot of guys, but walked a lot of them, too. For every Ballesteros going off or Ivan Brethowr continuing his good run, you find a Pedro Ramirez, who struggled. It's not a bad week, but not a good week. That's not a complaint; I think the year has been very good to Cubs prospects (despite the records). It's just that there have been some high standards set, and I don't think enough of the system got there this week. Iowa Cubs, Triple-A (2-3) Up next: vs Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays) 🔥 Moises Ballesteros, C/1b - 218 wRC+, 8.7 K%, 13 BB%, 2 XBH: I don't want to get too carried away but this is some kind of a heater he's on. He hit .500 this week, is walking more than he's striking out and is just on cruise control. I know that the feeling will be "well bring him up", but I just don't think there's a spot yet. Regardless, he's doing everything and more with the I-Cubs. 🔥 Cade Horton, SP - 4 2/3 IP, 5 K, 1 BB, 0 ER, 0 R: Unlike Ballesteros, I think Horton is getting close to a callup with the Cubs. He's not there yet, but his pitch count is up over 75; he induced 11 whiffs; and he's looking overpowering right now. With Ben Brown struggling to stick the landing in the starting rotation, Horton could be used as a possible replacement as soon as mid-May—if he continues on his current path. 🥶 Matt Shaw, INF - 110 wRC+, 4.3 K%, 13 BB%, 2 XBH: The line may not reflect the rating, but hear me out. Shaw has been walking well and controlling the zone, but his quality of contact has been pretty weak. The good news is that, on Sunday, he had a double and a home run and looked far better. I think he's just a bit off, mechanically. If he can use Sunday as a springboard, he'll be back in Chicago sooner rather than later. 🥶 Christian Franklin, OF - -70 wRC+, 22.2 K%, 11.1 BB%: Ugh... literally the same week I dove deep and wrote glowingly on the outfielder (which you can read here), Franklin goes hitless. Thanks, Christian, really making me look credible! For real, though, it was a bit of a wonky week weather-wise, and these things happen. I won't hold it against them, and my beliefs ring true on him still. 👨‍⚕️ James Triantos, INF: I'm going to add an update on Triantos this week. The Cubs infielder is one of the few off to a rough start to his 2025 year. Sporting a 42 wRC+, he's struggling at the plate. Beyond the brutal time offensively, the last time he played a game was the 17th. Since then, he's been sidelined with a tight leg. Hopefully, he makes it back soon. Knoxville Smokies, Double-A (2-4) Up next: vs Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angels Angels) 🥶 Pedro Ramirez, INF - -7 wRC+, 18.5 K%, 3.5 BB%: Not a great week for the diminutive infielder. He's been red-hot to start the season, so it's a forgivable offense to not have the ball bounce your way here and there. He's someone who's going to have to hit to stay relevant, but blips happen for everyone. 🤷‍♂️ BJ Murray, 3b/1b - 119 wRC+, 23.1 K%, 30.8 BB%, 1 XBH: I'm going to give him a bit of a push here. The approach and the walks were good, but it was very walk-heavy. For someone whose biggest struggle last year was quality of contact, I'm going to be watching that in Double A. Murray is one of two reliable offensive forces in Knoxville right now. Not a bad week, but not a great week, either. 🥶 Sam Armstrong, SP - 5 IP, 2 K, 1 BB, 4 R, 4 ER: Armstrong had some helium entering the year, but so far, he hasn't been as good in Knoxville. The K% has crept up over 20% on the year, but Sunday's start saw only two punchouts. He's not getting ground balls like he used to, so there may be a bit of a philosophy change under the hood to keep an eye out for? 🔥 Will Sanders, SP - 5 K, 0 BB, 0 ER: Sanders doesn't have the top-end stuff that would make you think there's a real dude here, but he keeps succeeding. His K% is over 20%, he's not walking anyone, and he's getting a lot of ground balls. I do think this is the profile of someone who can be a back-end rotational arm, so while the ceiling isn't spectacular, the floor is fairly high. South Bend Cubs, High-A (2-4) Up next: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins) 🥶 Jefferson Rojas, SS - 47 wRC+, 9.5 K%, 14.3 BB%, 1 2b: Rojas missed most of the spring with a hamstring issue, so him getting off to a cold start is not shocking. The hope is that the Cubs' youngster will heat up shortly. The approach has been good, but contact quality needs to get better. 🔥 Ivan Brethowr, OF - 163 wRC+, 20 K%, 25 BB%, 1 HR: I'm going to keep hyping this kid, because he keeps hitting. The strikeouts are controlled, and when pitchers come inside, he can absolutely turn on pitches. There's a real athleticism behind him, so this isn't a plodding 6-foot-6 guy. I think he'll end up in Knoxville come midseason. 🥶 Cristian Hernandez, INF - 59 wRC+, 22.2 K%, 3.7 BB%, 1 HR, 1 2b: The power was good, but the rest of the week was not. I'd love to see more early Hernandez, rather than the more recent Hernandez. Slumps come and go, so hopefully this is more of a phase than anything. 🔥Jaxon Wiggins, SP - 4 IP, 7 K, 2 BB, 0 ER: Wiggins looks really good right now. He's striking out over a third of the hitters he's faced and the walks are getting fewer and farther between, though they remain his major bugaboo. Six of his 10 walks came in his first 7 innings, while he's only walked four in his last nine. If he can continue to be even adequate at limiting the walks, the number of strikeouts he can create will cancel out the control issues. Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Low-A (2-4) Up next: Carlina Mudcats (Milwaukee Brewers) 🤷‍♂️ Nazier Mule, SP - 5 1/3 IP, 7 K, 4 BB, 2 R, 2 ER: The strikeouts are good, the walks... less good. This was shades of last year's Mule, with the new-and-improved 2025 version mixed in. I'd love to keep the strikeouts up with the walks down. I do think he's tracking toward a South Bend promotion this season. 🤷‍♂️ Cole Mathis, 1b/DH - 95 wRC+, 15.4 K%, 7.7 BB%, 1 HR, 2 2b: The power production and the approach was good, but I think he's getting a bit unlucky. The .211 BABIP doesn't match up with how hard he appears to be hitting the ball. I'd like to see him get on a bit of a heater and blast through Myrtle Beach sooner rather than later, however, based on draft pedigree. 🤷‍♂️ JP Wheat, SP - 5 IP, 6 K, 5 BB, 1 R, 1 ER: Wheat's stuff is impressive, but his control is clearly a work in progress. Wheat started off the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings with walks. His stuff is strong enough that he can work through it, but there will eventually come a time when that is no longer the case. As of now, I'm excited that the stuff is here as he works back from Tommy John surgery, but it will need to improve. 🥶 Alexey Lumpuy, OF - 43 wRC+, 27.8 K%, 11.1 BB%, 1 3b: Every time I catch Myrtle Beach play, Lumpuy stands out, even in his not-great moments. There's a bit of electricity in him. Then, I look at the line and shudder. I really want to see him do a bit better. Hopefully, he can figure it out a bit more. Who do you think had a good week? Who did I forget? Let us know in the comment section below! View full article

You all think I'm joking. I'm currently making 10 new alt accounts designed solely to list Franklin as my #4 prospect in the Cubs system to cook the NSBB community fan votes. (Okay not really, but I'd really like to see Kohl do well. Even if he just is a 7th inning guy; I've always been a fan and I refuse to give up every semblance of hope)