Jamie Cameron

In the latest installment of our 2024 Prospect Previews series, let's tackle the Cubs' fourth-round arm from the 2023 Draft. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo The Cubs drafted righthander Will Sanders out of South Carolina in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound hurler was the 82nd-ranked prospect in the class per the Consensus Board. What can Cubs fans expect from Sanders in 2024? Let’s dig in. The college pitching demographic was a bear market as the 2023 pre-draft process dragged on. After the top of the class (names like Paul Skenes, Rhett Lowder, Chase Dollander, and Hurston Waldrep), there was a promising secondary group comprising names like Cade Kuehler, Brandon Sproat, Juaron Watts-Brown, and Sanders, to name a few. They fell in the pecking order, almost to a man, due to uneven performance, injury concerns, or both. Sanders has a stereotypical workmanlike starting pitchers physique. Tall and strong, he was a top-200 consensus player coming out of high school as a classic projection pitcher. As with many names in 2020, Sanders made it to campus (with a COVID-shortened draft partially to thank) at South Carolina, and saw plenty of improvements in his stuff, despite uneven results. Sanders throws from a three-quarter slot with a high release, his fastball sitting 93-95 mph, but he touched as high as 98 mph in his college career. The pitch has always been a tricky one, as, despite some interesting characteristics, he struggled to generate whiffs with it, commanding it poorly, and it was hit hard in his final year for the Gamecocks. Despite his height and arm length, Sanders has a decently compact arm stroke. He has three secondary offerings, giving himself a solid platform, while none are yet a plus pitch. In college, he favored his curveball over his slider, throwing both for strikes with good downward movement. Sanders also has a changeup which he demonstrates good feel for, with solid depth. Sanders had an uneven 2023 season with South Carolina, albeit in a bloated D1 offensive environment. He managed a 27% strikeout rate, while walking just south of 10% of opposing hitters. Sanders had a home run problem in college, and I’d be surprised if the Cubs didn’t mess with his pitch mix, fitting him for a cutter or two-seamer to help keep hitters off his four-seamer. Sanders didn’t debut after he was selected in the draft. Like many pitchers taken, we await his professional debut in 2024. Sanders has plenty of traits to like as a starter: a solid pitch mix, good velocity and excellent extension. There’s a third or fourth starting pitcher in there somewhere, if the Cubs can solve the fastball problem. As a guy who's already had success in the SEC, he seems like a guy for whom a strong and healthy spring would lead to opening 2024 in High-A South Bend. What did you think of the Will Sanders pick? What are your expectations for him in 2024? View full article

With the 81st pick in the 2023 draft, the Cubs selected Josh Rivera, a shortstop out of Florida. Rivera was the best known senior player in the draft. What can Cubs fans expect from him in 2024? Let's dig in. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo With their third-round selection (the 81st overall pick) in the 2023 MLB draft, the Chicago Cubs selected Josh Rivera, out of the University of Florida. Rivera was the 95th-ranked overall player on our consensus board, and added a senior sign to the Cubs draft haul after the team went over slot to sign Jaxson Wiggins with their second-round compensatory selection. What can Cubs fans expect from Rivera in 2024? Let’s dig in. Scouting and Signing Rivera was one of the best performing seniors in the 2023 draft class, and undoubtedly the most famous, leading the Florida Gators to an amazing run in the 2023 College World Series, where they fell to the national champion LSU Tigers. Rivera took significant strides in every offensive category in his final season with the Gators. He posted a career-best triple slash (.348/.447/.617), and highs in home runs (19) and stolen bases (18), while being one of Florida’s unquestioned on- and off-field leaders. An older prospect at 23, Rivera is a good athlete, at 6-foot-2 and 215 lbs. He doesn’t have the smoothest operation at the plate. It’s an aggressive, longer swing, but Rivera found the barrel much more consistently in his final collegiate season. It remains to be seen if his slightly unbalanced approach will compromise his ability to do damage as a professional. Defensively, Rivera has the potential to stick at shortstop, with solid defensive actions. Despite having less explosiveness than one might want for the position, Rivera has solid range and at least an average arm that should give him a chance to stick it out, at least in the medium term. 2023 Performance and 2024 Outlook After a lightning-quick start in Rookie ball (1.182 OPS in 3 games), Rivera spent his remaining 25 games at High-A South Bend, where he put together a credible .250/.320/.402 line, with a 25.2% strikeout rate and an 8.7% walk rate. Rivera carried a severe platoon split in his miniscule collection of professional games, with a .674 OPS versus right-handed pitching and a whopping .983 versus lefthanders. Rivera’s supplementary numbers will be interesting to track in 2024. He only managed a 66.8% contact rate at High A, a figure that would be concerning, but for the small sample size. We would do well to remember that Rivera played an inordinate amount of baseball in 2023 (70 college games alone), so we should reserve judgment until he gets a longer look. I’d expect Rivera to start 2024 at South Bend. While he may adjust and find success, I’d argue that the contact rate and swing length are orange flags for future professional success. Given their limited resources in bonus pool allocation and picks, the Cubs took their big swing with Wiggins at 68th overall. If nothing else, though, Rivera is the kind of player who should set a good example and build bridges between teammates at whatever level of the minors he attains. What did you think of the Josh Rivera pick? How far do you think he will progress in 2024? Share your thoughts in the comments. View full article

The Cubs and Dodgers made a trade that has balanced out each other's needs. Minnesota native Michael Busch will join a Cubs squad that will offer him significantly more playing time, and the Dodgers acquire a young lefty starter with Jackson Ferris with a high ceiling. In addition, the Cubs acquired reliever Yency Almonte and 2023 Cubs draft pick Zyhir Hope was sent to the Dodgers as well. View full video

Thanks for reading/commenting. I have no skin in the game as a non-Cubs fan, but I am intrigued to see how this goes in 2024. As you say, college performance is a total non-factor for me. The only thing I'm interested in for Wiggins is health in 2024. I'd imagine it takes time to regain the stuff and some command (which was fringy in the first place), but there's little to lose. Sounds like the Cubs think there's potentially more there with some of his pitches too, particularly his curveball.

With the 68th pick in the 2023 draft, the Cubs selected Jaxon Wiggins, a high-risk, high-reward right-handed pitcher out of the University of Arkansas. What should Cubs fans expect in 2024? Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo The Cubs drafted Jaxon Wiggins with the 68th pick in the 2023 draft, with a compensatory pick they acquired when Willson Contreras departed as a free agent. Wiggins is a pitching prospect out of the University of Arkansas and ranked as the 128th-best prospect on our pre-Draft consensus board. Such a ranking is unfair, however, as Wiggins missed the entire 2023 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Out of sight, out of mind. Scouting and Signing The Cubs signed Wiggins away from a return to the Razorbacks for a little over $1.4 million, around $400,000 over slot. This is a high-risk, high-reward pick, a risk made much more palatable by the impressive start Matt Shaw has made to his professional career. An excellent basketball player, Wiggins has athleticism that translates to the mound. At 6’6", 225 pounds, there’s still room for projection in a frame that produced some of the best velocity in college baseball when healthy. Wiggins's arsenal is headlined by his fastball, which operates at 95-97 mph but can touch 99. While the pitch can be a little flat, his velocity gives him plenty of margin for error if he can throw it for strikes on a consistent basis. Wiggins also has an above-average slider with solid two-plane tilt; an average changeup that he didn’t throw a ton; and a curveball that’s newer and that the Cubs' development staff will likely view as an untapped resource. The key for Wiggins, when he returns, will be throwing strikes. In college, he frequently fell behind in counts and lost hitters, walking 43 of them in 66 innings in 2022. Fastball command should be development goal number one when he returns from injury. Regardless, there’s a chance Wiggins moves to the bullpen before long if his strike throwing remains as inconsistent as it was in college. 2023 Performance and 2024 Expectations There isn’t much to say here, given Wiggins’s injury and recovery timeline. For now, a return to full health is the only concern Cubs fans should have. It should be noted that Ty Nichols, the area scout who recommended Wiggins, had a hand in the selection of both Jordan Wicks and Cade Horton, which should inspire some confidence. Much like outcomes in the minor leagues, performance metrics in college baseball should be scrutinized, particularly in light of the recently bloated offensive environment. I’d focus more on the fact that Wiggins struck out 110 hitters in 89 innings than an ERA north of 6.00. Make no mistake, though, the Wiggins pick is a swing for the fences, albeit one on which the Cubs are more likely to connect than most MLB organizations might be. The chance of missing altogether is quite high, but the payoff for a flush connection would be impressive. How you feel about the Wiggins pick, entering 2024? What level do you want to see him reach, as he returns from injury and makes his professional debut? View full article

Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues. In this episode, we break down the ins and outs of the international signing window, which opens on January 15th. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In this episode, Jeremy and Jamie discuss the ins and outs of the international signing window, which opens on January 15th. The fellas discuss the signing rules, bonus pool allocations, rules for trading funds, and the problematic nature of the current setup for international prospects. They talk through top 50 ranked prospects expected to sign with the Twins, Brewers, and Cubs before answering a bunch of listener questions (where are the pitchers?). You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 0:00 Intro 5:00 DTS Giveaway 7:00 Let's go! 8:40 International Signing Period starts on the 15th of the month 13:00 The Money 15:10 Teams can send money out and take money in 18:30 What's wrong with this system? Is there a better way? 23:00 Cubs 28:50 Brewers 32:30 Twins 36:40 Other notes about IFA 40:41 Listener Questions View full article

Whether he's an immediate candidate to take over at the hot corner, a bit more of a project with a versatile role, or excellent trade bait, there's no question the Cubs' first-round pick from 2023 has a big year ahead. Let's take a look. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo Selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Matt Shaw was one of a cluster of outstanding college bats with defensive homes on the dirt. After a professional debut in which he saw three levels of minor-league ball, what can Cubs fans expect from an encore? The prospect preview series will detail the stories of a number of Cubs draft picks from 2023, detailing their signing and skillsets, and setting expectations for 2024. Draft Context The Cubs entered the 2023 draft with no inherent advantages, owners of an $8,962,000 million bonus pool that was good for 19th in baseball. The Cubs only had one selection in the top 50, 13th overall, with a slot allotment of $4,848,000. What they did have, though, was a historically strong draft class from which to draw, making their selection of Matt Shaw look like a slam dunk a few short months later. It’s worth revisiting how the 2023 pool of draftable talent became such an embarrassment of riches. The 2020 draft was shortened to five rounds due to COVID-19. Organizations had limited access to prospects, resulting in an inflated number of prep prospects going to college, with the majority of them draftable in 2023. Add that to a prep class full of excellent up-the-middle prospects, and 2023 looks like the strongest draft class since 2011 (in which 17 of the top 46 picks became MLB All-Stars). Scouting and Signing Shaw and Tommy Troy went into draft day as the two college prospects who most obviously mirrored each other. Both played on the dirt in college. Both prospects are carried by their offensive profile. Both had stellar 2023 college seasons. They were drafted 12th and 13th overall, by Arizona and Chicago, respectively. Shaw managed a .341/.445/.697 line with 24 home runs and 18 stolen bases for a Maryland team that was easily the class of the Big Ten. Shaw’s swing matches his aggressive approach at the plate. It features a variable leg kick that alters based on the count. Despite this quirk, he's consistently short to the ball, driving it consistently with power to all fields. Defensively, Shaw has good lateral speed and defensive actions, but a fringy arm that will likely dictate a future at second base. His offense will profile well at any defensive position on the dirt, however, and his savvy baserunning (37 stolen bases over three collegiate seasons) adds an additional above-average tool. 2023 Performance Any questions about how Shaw’s hit tool would translate from Maryland (where he owned a max exit velocity north of 113 mph) were quickly allayed when Shaw turned pro, as he clubbed his way through three levels in his 38-game debut. The Cubs were aggressive in promoting Shaw, after a 20-game stint at High A in which he posted a 1.082 OPS. He barely slowed down in Tennessee, hitting .292/.329/.523 with 8 extra-base hits and 7 stolen bases in just 15 games. Shaw took just 9 walks in 166 plate appearances after turning pro, so his level of aggression in the box will be important to monitor as he faces increasingly strong pitching. Expectations for 2024 Shaw’s chase rate might catch up to him with an extended look at Double-A pitching. Nonetheless, it’s a high-floor bat that should balance hit and power to provide strong offensive production somewhere on the dirt. Between Shaw’s production for the Terps in 2023, winning the Cape Cod batting championship, and his start in pro ball, the Cubs couldn’t have asked for a better outcome (thus far) from their limited combination of picks and bonus pool money. Shaw offers a Brian Dozier Lite type of profile, and will likely be knocking on the door of top 100 prospect lists (or of the Cubs' clubhouse at Wrigley Field) this spring and summer. What are your expectations for Shaw in 2024? How would you like to see him used, and does his potential affect how you view the Cubs' inactivity in free agency? Join the conversation in the comments. View full article

Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues. In this week we break down the Cubs MiLB system with North Side Baseball Managing Editor, Matt Trueblood. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo After reviewing the Twins system last week, the boys are back to dig into the Cubs farm. JD and Jeremy talk to Matt Trueblood about his journey in baseball content creation and his new role as Managing Editor of North Side Baseball, Brewer Fanatic, and Twins Daily. The fellas then tackle the depth of the Cubs farm system and collective anxiety over a quiet start to the offseason before digging into individual prospects including PCA, Cade Horton, Jackson Ferris, Kevin Alcantara, James Triantos, and many more. You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 0:00 Intro with Matt Trueblood 9:15 Overall state of the Cubs system 17:00 Does the depth of the farm system give them the leeway to turn around and spend big on the top free agent talent? 20:45 How does the current minor league depth work with the current major league talent? 23:00 Pete Crow-Armstrong 28:45 Cade Horton 32:51 The rest of the Top 100 prospects that the Cubs have 37:00 Jackson Ferris 41:50 Arizona Fall League recap 47:30 Which prospects are most likely to be traded? 52:41 Who does Matt want to spotlight as under-the-radar guys? 56:00 Listener questions View full article

Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo The boys are back to recap the slow Winter Meetings. There's a detailed breakdown of the Draft Lottery including winners and losers, revenue sharing comp picks, a summary of first day picks and bonus pools for the Brewers, Cubs, and Twins, and how MLB could make the draft lottery broadcast better. Jeremy and JD also dig into the Rule 5 draft, recapping players gained and lost for each org in the MiLB portion, before ending with some listener questions. You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 0:00 Intro - Winter Meetings, Chourio Extension, Twins lose coach to Red Sox 8:14 Draft Content (Overview, Comp picks) 24:10 Bonus pools 25:00 Twins 25:40 Brewers 26:20 Cubs 27:00 Lots of other draft talk 39:18 Rule 5 Draft 47:50 Listener Questions 55:30 Preview for next week View full article

The Cubs added three pitchers to their 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft. View full video

Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo It's awards season for MLB. Jeremy and JD break down ROY awards in the AL and NL and talk through prospect promotion incentive draft picks, highlighting players from the Brewers, Cubs, and Twins most likely to earn their organization one in 2024. The guys dig into prospects added to 40 man rosters for each org to protect them from Rule 5 selection, talk through the Brewers trading for Oliver Dunn, and highlighting a possible low cost pitching add for the Twins who was a 40-man roster casualty. You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 2:15 Sonny Gray Rejection 7:43 AL/NL Rookie of the Year 13:06 Prospect Promotion Incentive 25:35 Rule 5 Protection Day 30:09 Twins Additions 35:50 Brewers Additions 37:30 Cal Quantrill Pitch Usage 46:08 Cubs Additions 52:30 Questions View full article

Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo The World Series concluded while we were recording. What better time to reflect on each organizations top prospects? As we get ready to enter the offseason, JD and Jeremy break down the Just Baseball Top 100 Prospects list in depth, digging into 2023 numbers for Matt Shaw, Kevin Alcantara, Owen Caissie, Cade Horton, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 0:00 Intro - Halloween, Bremer, AFL 12:28 Top 100 Prospects 17:32 Tyler Black 25:19 Luis Lara 29:32 Matt Shaw 33:30 - Jacob Misiorowski 39:53 - Kevin Alcantara 44:00 - Emmanuel Rodriguez 50:12 - Owen Caissie 54:13 - Brooks Lee 1:00:00 - Jeferson Quero 1:02:58 - Cade Horton 1:07:35 - Pete Crow-Armstrong 1:09:32 - Walker Jenkins 1:13:00 - Jackson Chourio View full article

Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo In our first ever mailbag episode, Jeremy, JD and Theo discuss Kim Ng stepping down as the GM of the Marlins and talk through Twins, Brewers and Cubs prospects in the AFL. Jeremy and JD banter about the new Just Baseball top 100 prospects lists before answering questions on Ben Ross and Jorel Ortega, Noah Miller, which Twins prospects are the most likely candidates to be MLB starters, which position player prospects other organizations would be the most interested in, and under the radar Twins prospects in the lower levels of the system You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 2:25 Kim Ng out as Marlins GM 8:32 AFL Updates 9:10 Twins in the AFL 14:21 Brewers in the AFL 17:09 Cubs in the AFL 21:10 Just Baseball Top 100 Prospects 31:45 (Twins-heavy) Listener Questions 32:22 Ben Ross/Jorel Ortega question 40:01 Upcoming International Free Agency 41:32 Noah Miller question 45:52 Which prospects to send to Driveline? 49:08 Which pitching prospects could be an MLB starter in the next two years? 55:05 Uncertainty in the infield 58:30 Buy/Sell prospects in the future 59:04 Which position players outside the top three would other teams be most interested in 1:02:10 Which prospects outside the Top 20 have a potential to break out in 2024 View full article

Jamie and Jeremy take a look at some rookies who helped out the Cubs in 2023. View full video