Jason Ross

The 2025 minor-league season technically kicked off March 28th, but this week was our first where all four full-season affiliates played. Who did well? Who's off to a fast start? Image courtesy of © Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Baseball is back—for the Chicago Cubs, and for all four of their full-season affiliates. There are some familiar top prospects (such as Owen Caissie, Cade Horton and Kevin Alcántara) on whom to keep watch. A few new names have made their debuts, such as recent 2024 draftees. One affiliate even debuted a new name, as the Tennessee Smokies are now the Knoxville Smokies. (In a moment of honesty: this University of Kentucky alumnus is going to have a hard time not gagging typing Knoxville all year.) It was a pretty awesome week, just because all four teams were back in action, even if the weather didn't always cooperate. As in years past, I'm going to take a brief overview of some of the biggest names at each affiliate and highlight some big weeks—and some disappointing ones. Only the Iowa Cubs have played a full week of games, so anyone marked "cold" here isn't supposed to be seen as a major negative, in many cases, it's just two games, so please be kind to them. I'll try to be kind to them, too. As always, this isn't supposed to be comprehensive, but a quick system check. If and when I miss a week you thought was great, let me know in the comments! Iowa Cubs, Triple-A (4-3) Next up: @ Toledo Mudhens (Cleveland Guardians) Iowa battled some nasty weather, which was making its way through the Midwest. Thus, they had to battle some weird scheduling. With a doubleheader on the 3rd, and needing to finish a completed game from Friday on Sunday (as well as their regularly scheduled game), it was not a "normal" week. Regardless, ticking off four wins dating back to a short season against Omaha was pretty successful, and isn't bad by any means. 🔥Cade Horton, SP - 3.1 IP, 6 K, 4 BB, 1 H 0R , 0 ER: He's back and he's healthy. I'd have had him on this list as long as he looked healthy, but he looked much better than when we last saw him with the I-Cubs, too. Hitting just shy of 98 mph on the fastball and grading out with a 109 Stuff+, the righty bullied Triple-A hitters all night. The four walks make it seem like his control was spotty, but Horton's fourth inning saw the righty deal with a pretty good and steady rain, and he struggled for a grip. I won't blame him for that. 🔥 Owen Caissie, OF - 10% BB%, 40% K%, 1 HR, 4 XBH, 144 wRC: I'm willing to overlook the strikeouts, as he missed much of camp coming back from offseason surgery. More importantly, the power is really flashing. With over 10 balls that jumped off the bat at 100 mph or better, the outfielder is finally showing some of that raw power transform into game power. More importantly, most of that was in the air, not on the ground. Keep an eye out, though. Caissie turned his ankle and had to be replaced on Sunday. The hope is that it's minor, but he may miss some time. 🔥 Ben Cowles, INF - 10% BB%, 36.7% K%, 3 XBH, 159 wRC+ : We barely got to see Cowles in 2024 after the trade in which the team acquired him and Jack Neely, as he had a broken wrist. However, a successful Arizona Fall League and a hot start to the season make you excited about the future. He hit the ball hard, clubbing the I-Cubs' first home run of the season. It's still early, but if he can continue looking solid, he would make himself an interesting injury replacement if someone such as Jon Berti or Gage Workman came up lame. 🥶 Caleb Kilian, SP - 2.1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER : There was some optimism this offseason that Kilian had been working with Tyler Zombro and maybe there was something to be unlocked. Alas, his first start of the season didn't show much of that. Kilian still struggled to miss bats and got knocked around. I don't want to write anyone off entirely after one start, but Kilian's time as a starting option feels like it's ending. If Zombro can't fix it, it might be time to go with a full transition to the pen. Knoxville Smokes, Double-A (1-1) Next up: @ Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angels Angels) 🔥 Ethan Hearn, C - 2-4 with 2 singles: Pretty good start for the catcher down in Knoxville! The Smokies don't project to have a massive offensive team, so if the Cubs can catch a little lightning with Hearn behind the plate, all the better. Hearn has occasionally flashed ability, so the hope is that he can begin to put things together this year. It's one game, but he didn't look out of place. 🔥 Pedro Ramirez, INF - 4-9, 1 BB, 1 K : Ramirez has done nothing but hit in his pro career, and he started his time in Double A by continuing that trend. He's not very big, hasn't displayed much power, and defensively is likely more in the "fine" tier, but he just hits. It will be interesting to see what the 21-year-old is capable of. If he can continue to just hit, those other things may begin to matter less as he continues to force the issue. 🥶 Frankie Scalzo Jr, RP - 0 IP, 4 BB, 1 K - Yeesh. I wrote about Scalzo a bit this offseason, and even chatted him up on the latest episode of the North Side Baseball pod—and this is how he repays me? All kidding aside, Scalzo just didn't have it. It's one appearance, so it's ultimately nothing major, but this was unpleasant, as only 15 of 33 pitches were strikes. Get 'em next time, Mustache. 🥶 BJ Murray, 3b - 1-9, 1 BB, 2 K - This isn't a great start for Murray. It's two games, so I'm not reading much into things, but you'd have hoped the drop back to Knoxville could be met with a quick transition. Murray really struggled last year, and if he's going to rediscover that helium, he'll need to hit at Double A. It takes one 3-3 game to completely reverse this, so hopefully he settles in and makes that jump right back to Triple A. South Bend Cubs, High-A (0-3) Next up: vs Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals) 🔥 Cristian Hernandez, INF - 5-14, 1 3B, 2 K : Great week for the Cubs' former IFA prize! It feels a bit like Hernandez has been around forever, but he's only 21, so seeing him get off to a fast start in South Bend is awesome and right on pace. He looked good in spring training, and came back and kept it rolling. He even started a game at second base, so look for the shortstop to see some time around the infield to build some versatility. 🤷‍♂️ Jaxon Wiggins, SP - 3.1 IP, 4 K, 3 BB, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 R: The walks weren't ideal, but the stuff looked really good, so I'll give him a push grade for the week. Wiggins is part of the "next generation" of Cubs' arms, so figuring out the walks would be good. It's early in the season, so maybe it's rust. Stuff-wise, he's right there. 🥶 Reginald Preciado, INF - 1-8, 0 BB, 3 K: I remember being very excited about Preciado coming out of the Darvish trade. With some top-100 hype and hitting from both sides, there was a pretty cool profile there. Sadly, it just hasn't seemed to ever click for the Panamanian. Coming off of a weak season last year in Myrtle Beach, Preciado started poorly again in South Bend. There's always time, but it's never really clicked for him. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (3-0) Next up: vs Carolina Mudcats (Milwaukee Brewers) 🔥 JP Wheat, SP - 4 IP, 4 K, 2 BB, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER: Wheat, a former 16th-round pick, spent most of the 2024 season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. There were reports of Wheat showing up in 2025 camp throwing 100 mph, and he didn't disappoint in his first game. He looked loose and powerful. He's very tall and lanky, so there's considerable whip in the arm. He's 22, and capable of finishing the year as far as Knoxville if things go well. He's a name to file away as a real breakout guy. 🔥 Cole Mathis, 1b/3b - 1-4, 6 BB, 1 K - Mathis shouldn't be here very long. The second-round pick walked an absurd six times, and his plate discipline is just too good for Low-A pitching. He carries himself much older than most 22-year-olds at the plate, and it showed. It's likely he's just here rehabbing his elbow in nicer weather than northern Indiana; he should see South Bend shortly. 🔥 Alexey Lumpuy, OF - 5-15, 1 2B, 4 K, 0 BB - Lumpuy looked pretty solid in his first weekend of Low-A ball. The biggest moment for the outfielder was his 108-mph smash to right field. There's an impressive bat here, and it wouldn't be surprising if he was a breakout candidate this year. The former IFA signing out of Cuba hit well with the DSL Cubs last year and he skipped the Arizona Complex League and extended ST. Keep an eye out here. That wraps up our first week! Who did I miss? Let me know in the comments! View full article

Pressley has seen his fastball average 93.9 mph (entering today). This is identical to last year, where he walked 7.4% of hitters faced. His career walk rate is 7.2%. If we want to blame the increase in walks on stuff decline, then it doesn't really check out on the fastball like you're pointing to, when compared to 2024 or his career walk rate. Now, we can point to his slider as not grading out well this year - that's fair. His slider has always been a Stuff+ monster and this year it's been bad. He's getting less horizontal break on it in 2025 and a significant lack of whiff. Whether this is a dead arm, whether this is age (though the fastball velocity suggests it might not be), or mechanical flaw...I'm unsure. But that's probably the thing to monitor. The walk rate should be alright if he can figure out the slider. But if he cannot figure out the slider, he will be a problem.

Pressely has done this to himself, but I really don't blame that inning on him. - Umpire missed the Diaz PA. Pressly threw three strikes, but got charged with a walk - Induced two potential double plays, a second which ended with Turner not making a play on a somewhat poor Hoerner throw. He's earned little benefit of the doubt, but that inning really wasn't on him. IMB did bring up a good point in his lack of whiffs in that inning. - he had none.

Probably wanted Turner to hit in the ninth as opposed to Workman

Turner. Jeeze, dude.

Good job by Merryweather. Turner helped bail out Kelly. Good job.

Man, Arraez is so annoying.

Do I need to delete this, Caleb?

I'm really digging Thielbar so far. His big ass loopy curve is fun, and he's just been effective

Brown's location in the 4th. He's done.

This should be about it for Brown. You can tell that he just doesn't have the control today and he's just been "putting it in there" the last inning or so.

Yes. They called it a balk, the pitcher then aborted the pitch and that's what caused the wild pitch. But the balk is a dead ball.

Umpire called it no catch. Arraez was thus out at second on the force. This, however, was a clear cut catch (not even a trap). End result was the same but it was such a bad call, too.

Man, that's a blatantly bad call that also ended up, basically, neutral. Baseball is weird.

Kelly crushed LHP last year. My guess it's a playing matches thing. Texas has a LHP going Tuesday as well so Kelly starts today and Tuesday against a lefty and then Amaya goes Monday/Wed.

Chased him in the first. He clearly didn't have it, but have to give some credit to the offense - they gave him zero help and created just enough havoc on their own.

Oh damn. Well now I can't tell if by liking Aloy at #`17 I'm either pulling a "well yeah I'd love it if Ethan Holliday fell to the Cubs" kind of unrealistic thing or I'm getting in on the ground floor of a darling haha

Woah. Hope hes fine. He was *acting* fine but might just be a bit of a front.

Get Crane Kenney and his in-game ad off, please.

First two getting a good look of Pivetta.

1. Congrats Happ 2. Damn he almost got it.

Man, horsefeathers that guy. That was a great PA by Arraez.