Billy Reich

Image courtesy of MB Baseball Academy The Chicago Cubs have dedicated a great amount of time and effort to acquiring players by every means possible. While they’ve made strides in drafting in recent years — selecting players like Cade Horton, Matt Shaw, and Cam Smith in recent drafts — they’ve also been stepping up their game when it comes to international signings. One of their latest signings, Juan Tomas, is emerging as a household name among scouts at the Dominican Summer League. When Juan Tomas was signed by the Chicago Cubs late in the 2024 international signing window, he had flown so under the radar to the point that MLB pipeline hadn’t ranked him in their top-50 draft report. The Cubs ended up grabbing him for a $1,100,000 signing bonus, making him the 26th-highest-paid signee for the year. It’s not often you see a guy go from unranked to the top of the international pool bonus, but it wasn’t that the Cubs were overreaching for a guy just to round out their signings. Tomas was originally slated to go to the Miami Marlins when team ownership decided to turnover and revamp their international scouting department. Tomas and his team had decided that since their connections to the Miami system were gone, they were going to explore the other team possibilities late in the window. While he was navigating this time of uncertainty, Tomas hit a growth spurt, growing into a projectable 6’3”, 175 pound frame at 17 years old that immediately garnered the attention of scouts after he had inked his deal with the Cubs. Seemingly overnight, Juan Tomas turned into the kind of guy that scouts love to refer to as “toolsy teens”—young players who possess all of the physical skills to become a multi-tool star, but lack the maturity, reps, and development to put it all together. It’s the potential that’s rocketed Tomas into the limelight, with some scouts going as far as dropping comparisons to star shortstop Elly De La Cruz. It’s not completely unreasonable either; scouting departments around baseball have praised his starting tool kit, projecting that he has the potential to develop all five tools. Currently, his most favorable skill is his speed, and he projects to be an annual 30 stolen base threat. Hit other tools aren’t far behind though. At just 17, he already has above-average arm strength and fielding abilities, leading most scouts to believe in his ability to stick at shortstop or to develop into an above-average center fielder if needed. Tomas oozes potential, and it’s not hard to see a world in which he develops into a major league shortstop with 30-30 upside. He’s currently a switch hitter (like his De La Cruz comps), but he’s so raw from the right side of the plate that some scouts suggest he should drop his right-handed swing completely and work on developing himself exclusively as a lefty hitter. In his first season of the Dominican Summer League, Tomas has already started turning heads with his speed and plate discipline. He’s struggling with consistency at the plate, not at all uncommon for 17 year olds getting their first taste of pro ball. Through 21 games in the DSL, he’s hitting only .129 with a .226 slugging percentage. Despite his struggles at the plate, he’s still getting on base at a respectable 34.1% clip thanks to his 21 walks, a testament to his advanced plate approach. He’s also managed to notch two doubles, two triples, and five stolen bases to start the year. It’s hard to make judgements on a teenager in their first season of professional baseball, but Tomas is swimming in physical potential—enough to get some scouts to declare that he possesses the highest ceiling of any player in the entire Cubs farm system. Not just amongst their international signings, but in their entire system. He’s still quite a few years away from cracking the majors, but it’s not often a team gets a guy with five-tool potential into their organization. He has a vast gap between his floor and his ceiling, and his likely outcomes are all over the board, but that comes with the potential for immense power and defensive prowess as well. Only time will tell if he can fine tune his skill set, but the international scouting team seems to have just handed Jed Hoyer his next shiny lottery ticket. View full article

Image courtesy of Mandy Coppinger/MiLB.com/South Bend Cubs Jed Hoyer & Co. have done a great job adding depth to the farm via trades, deep drafting, and great development in recent years. One of the hidden gems from the Cubs’ drafting and development teams has been Ryan Gallagher, a 22-year-old command specialist who has been turning heads in the Midwest League. Gallagher is a year removed from putting up a 2.22 ERA at UC Santa Barbara and striking out 9.7 batters per nine innings. He was the ace of the UCSB staff, a school widely regarded for its ability to identify and develop top-tier pitching talent. Gallagher fit the exact type of pitching project that the Cubs have been targeting in recent years — a college arm with high strikeout rates who have just begun to hit their stride after recovering from Tommy John. Just like Cade Horton in 2021 and Jaxon Wiggins in 2023, Gallagher underwent TJ surgery in 2023 and came back to pitch the best season of his collegiate career. Gallagher was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB draft, where he was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 182nd overall pick. He flew under the radar after being drafted, not ranking in the top 30 organizational prospects or the top 250 draft prospects, but has quickly skyrocketed himself up the boards after a stellar pro debut this season. He currently sits 17th in the Cubs' system, gaining traction for his high perceived floor. With just some seasoning on his current arsenal, many scouts now view Gallagher’s floor as a No. 4 starter with the potential to vault higher if he can hone some of his breaking pitches. In his first season in the Cubs system, Gallagher has added 2-3 mph to his 55-grade fastball, now sitting 91-93 and topping out at 95. It’s the movement on the ball that’s helped him get so much swing and miss though; he induces a ton of vertical break on the pitch and has the command to paint the zone at will. As a movement and location guy, he works off the fastball with another 55-grade pitch: his changeup. The highlights of his change are that he’s able to miss bats with above-average movement while also finishing the pitch in the zone which leads to a low walk rate, a skill many young pitchers lack. He also possesses a 50-grade slider, but the pitch can use some work. It currently sits in the low-80s with average movement, but he struggles to land the pitch where he wants. If the development team can work on the pitch shape in the offseason to develop more swing and miss potential with his breaking ball, Gallagher will have unlocked another level to his ceiling. In his debut season at High-A, he’s put all of his skills on display. He boasts a 3.70 ERA and has lowered his walks and increased his strikeouts from college, currently sitting at an 11.1 K/9 and a 2.2 BB/9 through 65 ⅔ innings pitched. Opposing batters are hitting .239 against him and he’s shown that he can keep his strikeout numbers consistent even on days where his fastball isn’t moving as much as he’d want it to—he’s made nine consecutive starts where he pitches at least five innings and strikes out at least six batters. His current career highs are six innings with 12 strikeouts. I currently view Gallagher as the Cubs' second or third best pitching prospect behind Jaxon Wiggins and possibly Brandon Birdsell depending on how he recovers from injury. If Gallagher can stay healthy and add shape to his slider, he’ll be a top 100 prospect by the end of next season—one the Cubs will look to hold on to past the trade deadline. View full article

I think this is a great point, Jason. With pitchers suffering injuries at the rate they are and raw "stuff" being valued more than ever before, having a guy like Sanders in your lengthened rotation to "eat innings" and provide solid rotational depth over the course of a 162 game season is going to be incredibly valuable moving forward. More importantly, the emergence of guys like Sanders is going to be a boon for the organization if they're able to continue to develop these kinds of arms. In recent years the Cubs have spent a lot of time and money scouting and paying for mid-back of the rotation arms. Not having to sign guys like Taillon, Rea, or Smyly is going to pay dividends when they have those type of arms internally and can re-allocate those funds elsewhere.

Image courtesy of © MANDATORY CREDIT: Austin Hough / South Bend Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK The Chicago Cubs have had one of the top ranked farm systems in baseball after accumulating talent over the past few years. After graduating top names such as Pete Crow-Armstrong, Matt Shaw, Miguel Amaya, Michael Busch and Cade Horton, the team turns to the next crop of rising prospects to bolster trades and amass the next critical mass of talent. Jed Hoyer & Co. have done a great job adding depth to the farm via trades, deep drafting, and great development. One of the surprising movers this season has been Will Sanders, a 23 year old holding his own against Triple-A hitters in just his second year of pro ball. Will Sanders was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round with the 113th overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft out of the University of South Carolina. Sanders was a projected first-round pick in 2023 after he put up a 3.43 ERA and a 9.2 K/9 in 81 ⅓ innings for USC, but he ended the season with a foot injury and struggled to regain his form in the 2023 season. At the end of his junior season, Sanders finished with a 5.46 ERA with worse hit and walk rates compared to the previous season which saw him plummet down draft boards. The Cubs took a chance on the righty, seeing above-average potential in his splitter and his elevated strikeout numbers. Sanders has been viewed by many as a sort of “jack of all trades, master of none” pitcher. He has a fastball that touches 97 mph, but the lack of movement on the pitch raises concerns that it won’t be a reliable swing and miss tool in the majors despite garnering more whiffs this season than last. His arsenal contains average complimentary pitches as well; he can throw a 50-grade curveball and slider to keep hitters guessing, but neither of the pitches brings anything particularly special to the table. His best pitch is an above-average splitter that he uses as a changeup against both lefties and righties, and gathers above average swing and miss from both sides of the plate. Sanders had a lot of success this season in Double-A, earning a promotion to Triple-A in just nine starts. It’s easy to see why — he put up a 2.64 ERA and showed a ton of success by limiting walks to keep runners off the basepaths. In his time in Knoxville, Sanders let up just 1.2 walks per nine innings pitched, showcasing control that allowed him to utilize his pitch mix effectively. This forces opposing pitchers to swing at subpar pitches in the zone where Sanders can rely on his defense to make plays for him. While his four-seamer has gotten more swing and miss this season, his success has stemmed from his 6’6” frame that allows for a unique vertical approach angle (VAA) that lets his stuff play up a bit. His bread and butter has been his splitter that he uses as a strikeout tool off of his fastball. Sanders has struggled a little bit since receiving his promotion to Triple-A Iowa, but none of his pitches are falling apart and he’s giving his team a chance to win the game every time he takes the mound, pitching for five or more innings and giving up four or fewer runs in each of his five starts at the level. Sanders reminds me a lot of Jordan Wicks in the way that he relies on control and his changeup to get outs. He has a large arsenal of pitches that can keep hitters on their toes enough to induce weak contact. He’s going to limit free bases, but he’ll suffer from allowing a few more hits than the development staff would like. If he can keep his control and continue to hone the splitter, I view his ceiling as a back-of-the-rotation kind of guy that can eat innings for a staff. That’s not to say that he can’t be a rotational mainstay — as the major league pitching landscape changes, more and more teams are running six-man rotations, and having someone who can reliably get you 5-6 innings and four runs or less can be extremely valuable. It’ll be interesting to see how Sanders can finish off his season at Iowa, and if he’s able to build more shape into his fastball this offseason, his stock will keep rising. View full article

Double-A Tennessee Smokies Season Record: 38-42 Series Opponent: Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels) Series Standing: Split 3-3 July 5: The Smokies fell out of orbit, losing to the Trash Pandas 2-1. Veteran Chris Clarke took the mound and pitched a gem today, going five innings, striking out five, and allowing zero runs on three hits. Clarke has battled injuries last year and into the offseason, but has progressed from pitching in the ACL to making his third appearance in Double-A, notching a 0.00 ERA in two relief appearances and a start. Jake Brentz came in for relief in the sixth and picked up his first blown save of the season, giving up one run in one inning of work - that run being the game winner. Frankie Scalzo Jr. gave up one run in his two innings of work and Mitchell Tyranski continues his dominant run, closing the game out with one inning of no run ball. Tyranski has given up just four runs in 26 appearances for the Smokies this season. Things were quiet on offense with the team racking up just six hits today. BJ Murray went 1-for-4 with a single and Andy Garriola went 1-for-4 with a double, but almost all of the offensive output came from Reivaj Garcia. Garcia went 4-for-4 with the teams only RBI. July 6: The Smokies came back in a big way, knocking the Trash Pandas back to earth with a massive 11-3 victory. Starter Antonio Santos put together his best start of the season, hurling five innings of one run ball. He gave up only one hit - a solo homer - and struck out six. This is Santos’ sixth start of the season, but he sits with a 1.90 ERA and hasn’t let up more than one or two runs in any appearance so far this season. Sam Thoreson gave up two runs in his single inning of relief, but Cayne Ueckert and Zac Leigh combined to close out the game, going three innings of no run ball. The offense went off today, putting up 11 runs on 16 hits. Reivaj Garcia continued his scorching hot streak, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs. BJ Murray joined the club, going an identical 3-for-4 with two RBIs. It was death by a thousand cuts as Jordan Nwogu, Casey Opitz, and Jaylen Palmer all added two hits of their own as well. High-A South Bend Cubs Season Record: 29-52 Series Opponent: Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals) Series Standing: Loss 5-1 July 5: The Cubs drop their fifth in a row to the Chiefs by a score of 2-5. Ryan Gallagher took the mound today and continued to show elite stuff and command, striking out another six batters - making this his ninth start in a row to strike out six or more - but he also let up ten hits and five runs, good for the most runs he’s allowed this season. There’s definitely some luck involved recently as opposing batters have been having an unsustainably high BABIP against Gallagher, but he needs to return to keeping runners off the basepaths if he’s going to continue to be successful moving forward. Jackson Kirkpatrick came in for relief, making his third appearance since being promoted from Low-A. He’s continued his elite pro debut, sitting at 18 appearances and a 0.71 ERA this season. He’ only let up two earned runs all season, both in the same game, and he has yet to let up a run in Double-A so far. Brian Kalmer was the MVP on offense today, notching two of the teams four hits and both of their RBIs. Kalmer doubled in the second, putting the team up 2-0, their last lead of the game. July 6: The Cubs avoided a series sweep by taking the finale from the chiefs by a score of 5-3. Connor Schultz took the mound for South Bend today, putting up a four inning performance where he allowed three runs off of four hits and two homers. He didn’t walk any batters and picked up two strikeouts. Reliever Kenten Ebert picked up his third win of the season after going in for two innings, allowing one hit and no runs. Vince Reiully, Luis Rujano, and Johzan Oquendo combined to notch two holds and a save, pitching three innings and striking out four without allowing a hit. The offense notched five runs on ten hits, with Jefferson Rojas leading the way with a 2-for-4 performance with two RBIs and a double. Rpjas leads the team in both AVG (.281) and OPS (.862). Rojas has an incredibly hot May (.977 OPS) that lead to a huge drop off in June (.752 OPS), but he bounced back quickly at the start of July (.862 OPS). The organization will hope he can finish strong and earn himself a promotion to Double-A heading into the 2026 season. Left fielder Edgar Alvarez logged his fourth home run of the season as well, adding to the Cubs’ lead. Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 36-42 Series Opponent: Charleston RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays) Series Standing: Win 4-1 July 5: The game today was postponed due to inclement weather. July 6: The Pelicans narrowly missed out on sweeping the RiverDogs, dropping the series finale 7-1. High ceiling potential star Nazier Mule took the mound today for the Pelicans and regressed on his previous outings, pitching just two and ⅓ innings while giving up five runs (four of them earned) on three hits and four walks. He struck out four, but the walks clogged the basepaths and led to hits becoming RBIs early and often. Opposing batters are still only hitting .217 against Mule, but he’s getting into trouble giving up too many free base runners. He’s struck out 43 hitters in just 37 innings of work, but he’s also given up 27 walks. He’ll need to work on refining his command this offseason if he hopes to make the jump to High-A next season. Dominic Hambley closed out today's game, going for one inning and striking out two, not letting up a hit. Hambley, the 22 year old righty, is having his best season of his pro career, sitting at a 1.13 ERA through 15 appearances this season. This is a huge improvement over last season where he ended with a 7.58 ERA in Low-A. The Pelicans couldn’t get anything done on offense, logging just four hits to 11 strikeouts. First baseman Owen Ayers drove in the teams only run with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to keep the team from getting shutout. The Pelicans still managed to take four out of five from the RiverDogs and are on fire to start the second half, sitting in first place of the Carolina League South at 11-3. The Pelicans will hope to keep the good times rolling and push for a playoff appearance after a rough start to the season. Notable Promotions / Injury Notes RHP Carlos Rangel assigned to the DSL Cubs Blue from DSL Cubs Red Knoxville Smokies transferred C Haydn McGreary from the 7-Day IL to the 60-Day IL ACL Cubs Transferred RHP Ben Johnson from the 7-Day IL to the 60-Day IL View full article

Image courtesy of © Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Cubs Affiliate Overview (June 28 – June 29) Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Cubs lose series 2-4 Season Record: 41-39 Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies split series 3-3 Season Record: 35-39 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins): Cubs win series 4-2 Season Record: 28-47 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals): Pelicans win series 4-2 Season Record: 32-41 Triple-A Iowa Cubs Season Record: 41-39 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians) Series Standing: Loss 2-4 June 28: The Cubs fell to the Clippers 4-2 on Saturday with a 9th inning rally that came up short. Starter Kenta Maeda took the mound for Iowa and continued to show general improvements compared to the beginning of his Cubs tenure. Maeda went six innings, striking out six, walking two, and allowing three hits - two of which were homers - accumulating three earned runs. It wasn’t his stellar seven-inning shutout last weekend, but a quality start from the veteran righty gave the I-Cubs every chance to win this game. Relievers Luke Little and Gavin Hollowell came in for relief, combining for three innings, four strikeouts, and zero hits. Little continues to shine, allowing just two earned runs and racking up 31 strikeouts since the start of May. The Cubs' offense out-hit the Clippers 8-3, but weren’t able to put many runs on the board despite three extra-base hits and a home run. Dixon Machado, Moises Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcantara all put up a double today, but Alcantara was the only one to walk away with an RBI thanks to his solo home run in the bottom of the 9th. Alcantara continues his recent hot streak, going 2-for-4 today and 14 for his last 31. He’s hitting .306/.383/.486 with an .869 OPS in June, tacking on seven doubles and two homers. This marks a significant improvement over his May totals, where he slashed .233 / .327 / .465. The Cubs’ front office will keep a close eye on Alcantara as we near the trade deadline, deliberating whether an upgrade to the bench will come from outside or within the organization. June 29: The Cubs topple the Clippers 9-3 thanks to an offensive explosion in the sixth inning. Jordan Wicks took the mound for Iowa today, finally looking ramped back up after returning from injury on June 19th. The promising lefty went five innings today, striking out six batters and allowing just three hits and one run. It’s been a frustrating season for Wicks as he’s battled injuries while trying to recapture some of the success that he’s had in the big leagues across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The major league coaching staff was hoping that this season would be a platform year for Wicks, but injuries and inconsistencies have derailed yet another season for the former top prospect. Things seem to be trending in the right direction - Wicks has made three starts this month, allowing one or less run in each of them and striking out 16 batters to just two walks. A late season resurgence for Wicks would be a massive boon to the Major League Club as they struggle with injuries to key rotation pitchers and struggle with depth as both Ben Brown and Colin Rea have struggled. Wicks likely doesn’t have a hope of cracking the rotation, but Major League contributions aren’t out of the picture if he can stay healthy while the Cubs push through September and into October later this year. Things were clicking on offense for the Cubs as well as they put up 12 hits, nine runs, and every player reached base at least once. Kevin Alcantara continued his hot run, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run. Nothing seems to be able to keep Alcantara down as the Jaguar is feeling himself in June. Alcantara put on a show today, but it was Christian Franklin who took center stage. Franklin went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, finishing the weekend going 7-for-14 with a home run. Franklin had a rough start to the season, slashing just .203 / .330 / .351 in April. Since then he’s been a star, posting a .914 OPS in May and a .776 OPS in June. This season has been huge for Franklin as his numbers in Double-A last year were decent but uninspiring. He’s show he can continue to grow and perform against tougher competition in Triple-A this year. Double-A Tennessee Smokies Season Record: 35-39 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox) Series Standing: Split 3-3 June 28: The Smokies strike down the Barons 5-1 on the back of six shutout innings from starter Chris Kachmar. He let up just three hits in the win, striking out an impressive nine batters and walking just two. Kachmar picked up his third win of the season and sits at a respectable 3-5 with a 4.28 ERA. Relievers Nick Hull and A.J. Puckett shined today as well, going back to back to combine for three innings of no run ball. Puckett in particular is quietly having himself a nice season. He currently sits with a 1.96 ERA and hasn’t let up a run in his past eight outings. The offense was hot today as well with seven of nine players in the lineup notching a knock. BJ Murray Jr. continues to show off his game power, putting up an RBI double to tie the game in the third inning. Murray wasn’t the only one shining today, as the 21 year old firecracker Pedro Ramirez added an RBI knock of his own, making this 12 games in a row with at least one hit for the young infielder. Ramirez has been explosive this season, avoiding slumps every month and continuing to hit and hit for power. June was his best month this season as he slashed .313 / .369 / .545 for a .914 OPS. June 29: The Smokies threatened in the ninth but ultimately fell to the Barons 2-1. Starter Sam Armstrong picked up the loss and allowed both of the Barons two runs in the finale today. Armstrong has continued to struggle this year - he finished 2024 in Double-A where he posted a 2.70 ERA through 51 innings, but now sits 2-6 with a 4.67 ERA in 71 innings this year. The Smokies relievers locked down the game from there though, with Zac Leigh, Chris Clarke, Sam Thoresen, and Cayne Ueckert combining to go four innings of no run ball. The pitching staff did a good job of limiting damage, but the squad mustered up only two strikeouts compared to four walks on the day. Things were slow on the offensive side of the ball as the squad struck out 13 times to just seven hits. Two players contributed four of those hits, with Ben Joyce going 2-for-4 and Reivaj Garcia going 2-for-3 with a run. Garcia’s run was from an RBI by Casey Opitz in the bottom of the ninth - the only serious offensive threat of the day. With the winning run at the plate, Felix Stevens would strike out swinging to end the game. High-A South Bend Cubs Season Record: 28-47 Series Opponent: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins) Series Standing: Win 4-2 June 28: The Cubs shucked the Kernels today 5-4. It’s the weekend, meaning every Cubs fan should be seated to watch Ryan Gallagher shove. Today Gallagher tied his worst performance of the season, going six innings and allowing four runs, striking out six batters and walking just one. For those following along at home, this is Gallaghers eighth consecutive start where he’s pitched at least five innings and struck out six or more batters. His ERA in June is up to 4.03, but he’s been within ⅓ of an inning pitched for a quality start in three of those outings. Some of this is to be expected - the Midwest League is a notoriously difficult place to hit for prospects in the cold weather months - so as we’re deeper into the hotter months of June, bats start clicking and starters ERAs start to tick up a notch. The good news is that Gallagher continues to command the strike, consistently racking up high strikeout counts and limiting walks - he hasn’t allowed more than two walks in a game since May 3rd. The team stepped up on offense as well with four of the five runs driven in by Andy Garriola and Cameron Sisneros. Garriola had more volume on the day, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs, but it was young phenom Sisneros who added the style. Down 3-4, Sisneros launched his first home run of the season, a two run bomb that sealed the game for the Smokies 5-4. June 29: The Cubs got popped by the Kernels, dropping the series finale 1-6. Starter Connor Schultz had a short outing, pitching three innings, striking out three and allowing one run on two hits. Evan Taylor came in for long relief and picked up the loss after allowing one run across two innings, but it was Vince Reilly who allowed most of the damage, getting tuned up for three runs in the bottom of the eight. The Cubs didn’t put up much of a fight offensively, putting just one run on the board. The lone run came off of a fielding error. Center fielder Carter Trice did all of the damage himself - he hit a double, stole third base, and then scored at home off of a throwing error. Unfortunately, the Cubs went quiet on offense for the remainder of the game. The biggest standouts were two walks from Garriola and a double from Christian Hernandez. Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 32-41 Series Opponent: Columbia Fireflies (Kansas City Royals) Series Standing: Win 4-2 June 28: The Pelicans were taken down by the Fireflies on Saturday by a score of 3-0. Nazier Mule took the mound to start the game for Myrtle Beach and put up one of his stronger performances of the year, throwing five innings, allowing no earned runs, giving up just three hits and striking out four batters. Mule is one of the prospects in the lower levels of the Cubs’ system that’s just absolutely bursting with high ceiling talent. His season numbers are a little skewed due to a blow up outing right before he hit the IL, but he looked great to start the season and since returning from injury. In the three starts he’s made this month since being activated he’s posted a 0.85 ERA, 12 strikeouts, and just five hits allowed. Mule is young, even for Low-A standards at just 20 years in his second season of pro ball. With all the tools to be successful, the Cubs will hope he can build off of his growth from 2024 and remain healthy for the remainder of the season. Things were pretty silent offensively for both teams as all three runs from the fireflies came unearned. The highlight of action in this game was a sac fly, a throwing error, and a fielder's choice. The Pelicans put up just five hits on the day with two of them coming from center fielder Alexey Lumpuy. Lumpuy went 2-for-4 with a double on the day. June 29: The Pelicans bounced back in a big way, dousing the Fireflies 8-7 in the series finale. Hayden Frank started for Myrtle Beach and got lit up in a big way, surrendering five runs, two home runs, six hits, and three walks in just four innings of work. Frank is having a rough start to his professional career - opponents are batting .320 against him and he’s given up more hits than innings pitched. He sits at 2-3 with a 6.88 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. Reliever Cole Reynolds wasn’t much better, allowing another two runs in just two innings of work, but Dominic Hambley came in to stop the bleeding, going two innings without allowing a single hit or base runner - good for his second win of the season. Closer Brayden Spears looked good as well, pitching a shutout ninth and racking up his fourth save of the season. The offense was rolling today with eight different players logging a hit, and three of them tacking on more than one. DH Owen Ayers went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Matt Halbach went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI of his own. Jose Escobar led the team in hits, going 3-for-5 and driving in a run as well. It was Ayers who was the hero though, as his RBI triple was the game winner in the top of the eighth. Notable Promotions / Injury Notes Myrtle Beach Pelicans placed SS Angel Cepeda on the 7-day injured list. Iowa Cubs activated RHP Gavin Hollowell from the 7-day injured list. Iowa Cubs transferred LHP Brandon Hughes to the Development List. Chicago Cubs sent RHP Michael Fulmer outright to Iowa Cubs. DSL Cubs Red activated RHP Anderson Rivera from the restricted list. DSL Cubs Red activated RHP Yusef Hanania from the restricted list. View full article

Image courtesy of Eli Lovich (@LovichEli) Cubs Affiliate Overview (June 21 – June 22) Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs lose series 2-4 Season Record: 39-35 Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series at Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Smokies lose series 2-4 Season Record: 32-36 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians): Cubs lose series 2-4 Season Record: 23-43 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros): Pelicans win series 4-2 Season Record: 25-39 Triple-A Iowa Cubs Season Record: 39-35 Series Opponent: Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers) Series Standing: loss 2-4 June 21: The Cubs drop their weekend opener against the Sounds 7-4 despite a serviceable start from Connor Noland. Noland threw five innings of four-run ball, giving up seven hits and four walks while only striking out two, putting the Cubs down 4-0 heading into the sixth inning. The Cubs’ offense — despite only generating two hits all game — managed to put a few runs on the board in the sixth inning thanks to the bat of Carlos Perez. After Christian Franklin was hit by a pitch, Moises Ballesteros and Jonathan Long walked to load the bases with two outs. Perez drove in all four with a game tying grand slam to left center field. Kevin Alcantara, Ben Cowles, and Chase Strumpf would combine to walk the bases loaded again, but Darius Hill struck out swinging to end the rally and the Cubs would go hitless for the rest of the game. Luke Little came in to relieve Noland and continued his seemingly never ending hot streak, pitching one inning, allowing no runs, and striking out two. After Nate Pearson’s struggles at Wrigley, all eyes turn to Little as the next man up if the team decides to rotate relievers again and send Pearson back down (EDITOR's NOTE: Pearson was demoted for Michael Fulmer after publishing). With a 1.35 ERA and a long stretch of no run outings, Little hopes to be a strong lefty reliever for the MLB club as we head into the dog days of summer. June 22: Kenta Maeda shines and pitches a gem, but the bats go cold again as the Cubs drop the series finale to the Sounds 1-0. Maeda turned heads and dazzled on Sunday, pitching seven innings of no run ball while allowing only a single hit that came in the bottom of the seventh. Maeda has struggled to start his Cubs career, but it’s impossible to argue with a near no-hit performance. Hopefully he can continue to keep the momentum rolling and put himself in a position to be a viable depth option if the major league team should need it. Porter Hodge came in to relieve Maeda with his fourth appearance in the minors since coming back from injury. Unfortunately for the electric young right hander, he picked up his second loss on the season in as many days after giving up a walk and a hit to let in the game winning run after pitching only ⅔ of an inning. The offense didn’t give Maeda much help, going scoreless while striking out ten times to only six hits. Two of those came from Carlos Perez who continued his hot run. Perez went 2-for-4 in the loss. Double-A Tennessee Smokies Season Record: 32-36 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers) Series Standing: loss 2-4 June 21: The Smokies kick off the weekend with a 4-3 victory over the Shuckers thanks to another stellar outing from starter Grant Kipp. Kipp went six innings, allowing just two runs on three hits and striking out six batters. He’s continued to build on his success this season as he’s given up two or fewer runs in seven of his last eight starts and has racked up 26 strikeouts in his last four outings. On offense, Pedro Ramirez continues to build on his hot streak with a two RBI double in the third to put the Smokies up 2-0. After the Shuckers came back to tie the game, it was Felix Ramirez who delivered the game winning run with a two-run single in the top of the fifth to put the Smokies up 4-2. Center Fielder Jordan Nwogu quietly had himself an impressive game at the bottom of the lineup, going 3-for-4 with a caught stealing. Reliever Tyler Santana picked up the save after allowing one run in the bottom of the ninth to put the crowd on edge. He finished with three innings pitched, giving up just one run and keeping his composure to seal the win. June 22: The Smokies mount a late comeback but ultimately drop the series finale to the Shuckers 2-3. Starter Chris Kachmar picked up a loss and moved to 2-5 despite a decent outing on the mound today. Kachmar finished with five innings pitched, allowing three runs on three hits. All of the damage came on one pitch as he gave up a three run homer in the bottom of the fourth. Zac Leigh, Brad Depperman, and Nick Hull would go on to combine for three innings of no run ball to keep the game close, but the offense wasn’t able to drive enough home. Pedro Ramirez had himself another consecutive hot game, going 2-for-3. He now leads the team in both batting average and OPS, hitting .297 and .764, respectively, but it was Pablo Aliendo and Felix Stevens who drove in the lone runs today. Aliendo scored Pedro Ramirez on a sac fly in the eighth, and Felix Stevens drove in BJ Murray Jr. with a ground out. They’d ultimately fall short, failing to complete the comeback in the ninth. High-A South Bend Cubs Season Record: 23-43 Series Opponent: Lake County Captains (Cleveland Guardians) Series Standing: loss 2-4 June 21: The Cubs fell hard to the Captains 5-10 due to a rough six run ninth inning. It was my favorite day of the week, meaning Ryan Gallagher took the mound and continued to do Ryan Gallagher things. By all accounts it was a rough start for him, as he gave up two home runs and eight hits, but he managed to go for five and ⅔ innings while only allowing three runs and striking out another six batters. That’s now seven consecutive starts where he’s pitched at least five innings and struck out at least six batters. Even with giving up eight hits today, opposing batters are only hitting .214 against him, and he’s tallied up 69 strikeouts to just 14 walks. Most of the damage came from Grayson Moore, who gave up six runs in the ninth inning thanks to four hits and three walks in just ⅓ innings pitched. On offense, leadoff man Carter Trice continues to smash the ball, going 3-for-5 with a home run in today's game. It was his ninth homer of the year and he’s raised his OPS to a team leading .903. Fellow rising star Ivan Brethowr made some noise today as well, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. June 22: The Cubs fell again to the Captains today by an identical score of 5-10. Starter Kenten Egbert continues to struggle, getting through just three and ⅔ innings while giving up six hits, three walks, and three earned runs, but he struck out five as well. Most of the damage came from reliever Joe Nahas, who gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits with two home runs in just one and ⅓ innings between the eighth and ninth to put the game out of reach. The Cubs had some fight in them, putting up five runs in the third inning, but would go shut out the rest of the way. After Rafael Morel scored on a balk, Christian Hernandez delivered a two run homer, driving in Jefferson Rojas, but that would be the last time the Cubs added to the scoreboard. Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 24-37 Series Opponent: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Houston Astros) Series Standing: Pelicans win series 4-2 June 21: The Pelicans walk off the Woodpeckers 2-1 in the tenth inning of a nail biter. Nazier Mule to the mound for Myrtle Beach and continues to ooze raw talent despite his struggles. He pitched 2 ⅔ innings today, giving up two hits, three walks, and an earned run, but also struck out five batters in the limited innings. Mule continues to be an intriguing arm in the lower level of the minors, and the team will continue to focus on his elite stuff and take the control issues with a grain of salt. Things were quiet on offense with Eriandys Ramon driving in a run due to a Woodpecker error. The Woodpeckers would tie the game 1-1 with a steal of home base in the third. The only RBI in the game was from Eli Lovich, who continues to make an impact in his first season in Low-A. He walked it off for the Pelicans with a line drive single in the bottom of the tenth. June 22: The Pelicans took home another nail biter of a win over the Woodpeckers 1-0. It was a quiet game for both teams as the lone run came in the second inning, and the two teams combined for just seven hits and twelve strikeouts. Hayden Frank picked up his second win of the season in today's start, throwing an impressive five innings of one hit ball, giving up just one walk and striking out six. Dominic Hambley and Brayden Spears would each pick up a hold for their three innings of work, and Jackson Kirkpatrick continued to impress, picking up his seventh save and dropping his ERA to 0.84. The 6’7”, 250lb righty has given up a run in just one of his 17 appearances this season. Once again it was Eli Lovich who drove in the winning run — this time it just happened to be himself. He went long in the second inning, good for his first professional home run of his young career. Notable Promotions / Injury Notes Knoxville Smokies transferred RHP Nolan Clenney to the Development List Chicago Cubs recalled RHP Nate Pearson from Iowa Cubs South Bend Cubs released RHP Joe Nahas View full article

Double-A Tennessee Smokies Season Record: 30-32 Series Opponent: Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves) Series Standing: Series win 4-2 June 14: The Smokies played a double header on Saturday, winning both. GAME ONE: The Smokies beat the Clingstones 3-2 in the completion of Friday's rain suspended game. Zac Leigh picked up the win after throwing two and ⅓ innings of shutout ball after play resumed today. While his ERA sits at 7.06, Leigh is 4-1 on the season. Cayne Ueckert and A.J. Pucket combined to get the hold, and Mitchell Tyranski picked up his fifth save of the season. The Smokies offense came to life in the eighth inning to put the team ahead. After a Reivaj Garcia double and a Brett Bateman walk, Pedro Ramirez drove in the winning run with a sac fly to left field. Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the contest, continuing his breakout season in Double-A. He’s currently slashing .279 / .335 / .373, good for a .708 OPS, second best on the team. GAME TWO: Jaxon Wiggins and the Smokies combine for a team no-hitter in a 5-1 rout of the Clingstones on Sunday. Wiggins stole the show for yet another weekend, pitching 5 ⅔ innings, allowing zero hits and setting up the team for a combined no hitter. Wiggins struck out nine batters to tie his career high and walked three, lowering his ERA to 1.92. Wiggins continues to dazzle and impress in Double-A. The Southern league is a notorious regression point for minor league pitchers - they pitch in the Midwest League where they get the benefit of some cold weather and unfriendly hitting conditions, but once they make their way to the South where the ball flies, the hitters are better, and slug is up, a lot of pitchers begin to come back down to earth. Not Wiggins - he’s continued to face great prospects on great teams in hitter friendly parks, and he seems to improve with every single outing. Wiggins couldn’t do it alone though, relievers A.J. Puckett and Sam Armstrong deserve their flowers as well, completing the no hitter with one and ⅓ innings of no hit ball. It wasn’t just pitching, the Smokies had a good game on offense as well, putting up four runs in the fourth inning. Parker Chavers went 1-for-2 with two RBIs, Reivaj Garcia picked up an RBI on a sac fly, and Casey Optiz put in a two-run single to right field. June 15: The Smokies finished off a strong weekend with a 9-2 victory over the Clingstoners. Starter Grant Kipp decided he wasn’t going to be shown up by Wiggins, so he went five and ⅓ innings of no hit ball of his own, striking out eight batters and walking just two. While not quite as impressive as Wiggins, Kipp has racked up 66 strikeouts of his own and sits with a 2.98 ERA this year The Smokies had a day on offense as well with five players notching multi-hit games and eight of the nine players in the lineup smoking one or more hits. Pablo Aliendo takes the star crown today on behalf of his 2-for-5, four RBIs showing, including a two-out grand slam to put his team up 6-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Ethan Hearn joined in on the fun as well, going 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth. High-A South Bend Cubs Season Record: 22-41 Series Opponent: Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego Padres) Series Standing: Cubs win series 5-1 June 14: The Cubs won both games of their double header on Saturday to keep a great week rolling. GAME ONE: The Cubs beat the TinCaps in game one, 3-1. Another weekend, another stellar performance by Ryan Gallagher. It’s almost silly at this point how he continues to string together head turning performances. Today he went 5 ⅔ with eight strikeouts, allowing just one walk and one earned run. Yes, it’s High-A. Yes, he was an advanced college pitcher at UCSB. Yes, the Midwest league is a pitcher friendly environment. But Gallagher has now put together six starts in a row where he’s thrown five or more innings with seven or more strikeouts. He’s only pitched 47 innings but has racked up 63 strikeouts. He’s getting better each month, and after a few low pitch games where he was getting stretched out to start the year, he’s effectively been one of the most electric pitchers in the Cubs’ farm system this season. I’m eager to see how he’ll fare once he gets the call up to the Southern League and starts facing some stiffer competition. The offense was slow today, with the team’s first run coming in due to a balk by the TinCaps pitcher in the fifth. With a tie game going into the seventh, center fielder Carter Trice would bat in two with an RBI single to center. Trice has been another revelation for this Cubs team. After struggling to end the year last year in Low-A, Trice has had a breakout campaign this season with an .898 OPS to lead his team. GAME TWO: The Cubs take game two of the double header over the TinCaps, 4-0. The theme of elite starting pitching performances continues today, as Erian Rodriguez picks up his first win of the season for his complete game shut out. Rodriguez went seven innings, striking out five, and walking just one in his masterclass. Another display of some intriguing arm talent in the lower levels of the minors, Rodriguez was pounding the zone, allowing himself to get through the game on just 84 pitches. The Cubs’ new development strategy of encouraging pitchers to hammer the strike zone and pitch longer into games has been bearing fruit for a lot of young talented arms this season. Rodriguez was able to pitch with a comfortable lead today thanks to center fielder Andy Garriola and his three-run double in the third inning. June 15: The Cubs drop the series finale to the TinCaps 4-5. Starter Kenten Egbert got into some trouble early giving up three runs on three hits in 4 ⅓ innings of work. He struggled to throw in the zone today, with just 55 of his 91 pitches going for strikes and giving up four walks. Reliever Connor Schultz looked good with one and ⅔ innings of relief, picking up four strikeouts while not allowing a hit. Unfortunately, Marino Santos would pick up his first loss and his second blown save, giving up two runs and the lead in the seventh inning. The Cubs tried to hang in the game, initially gaining the lead thanks to a two RBI double off the bat of James Triantos, but couldn’t get another run in the eighth or ninth. Triantos would finish going 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Jefferson Rojas put up the other standout performance, continuing his hot stretch this season going 2-for-4 with an RBI double of his own. Rojas hasn’t missed a beat despite not playing since June 8. Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 24-37 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers) Series Standing: Pelicans win series 4-2 June 14: The Pelicans were rained out on Saturday. June 15: The Pelicans split their double header against the Crawdads on Sunday, losing the first in spectacular fashion, but bouncing back in the series finale that afternoon. GAME ONE: The Pelicans got rocked by the Crawdads by a score of 12-2. Nothing seemed to go right for the Myrtle Beach pitchers today. Starter Jostin Florentino got knocked around for seven hits and four runs in five innings of work, leading to his second loss of the season. Things didn’t go any better for reliever Landon Ginn who ended up going 1 ⅓ innings on the mound, giving up two walks and five earned runs. Ethan Bell came in to right the ship, and whilst the runs weren’t earned, he gave up four walks which led to another three runs on the board for the Crawdads. Things didn’t go much better offensively with the team racking up nine strikeouts and just three hits. Cameron Sisneros continues to prove his rising star status, going 1-for-2 with a walk and being driven in by Matt Halbach's two run homer in the bottom of the fourth. Eli Lovich stays hot as well, going 1-for-3 with a double on the day. GAME TWO: The Pelicans bounced back in game two, beating the Crawdads 4-1. Starter Nazier Mule went 2 ⅔ innings, allowing no runs, but it was reliever Hayden Frank who picked up his first win of the season thanks to 3 ⅓ innings of one run ball in relief. Jackson Kirkpatrick picked up the save, good for his fifth of the year. On offense, Matt Halbech continued to produce, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. It was the Owen Ayers show today though, with the young catcher going 2-for-3 with an RBI triple in the fourth inning. Notable Promotions / Injury Notes Chicago Cubs sent RHP Eli Morgan on a rehab assignment to ACL Cubs Myrtle Beach Pelicans activated RHP Nazier Mule from 7-Day IL RHP Frankie Scalzo Jr. assigned to Knoxville Smokies from Iowa Cubs DSL Cubs Red activated Noel Chirinos from the restricted list DSL Cubs Red activated Wilfran Ortega from the restricted list System Standouts of the Week Hitter: Owen Caissie (Triple-A Iowa) – 2-for-6 with a moon shot home run over the weekend. Pitcher: Erian Rodriguez (Low-A Myrtle Beach) – 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 5 K. Rodriguez hurls his first CGSO for the Pelicans. View full article

On the pitching side, Sam Armstrong picked up his first win of the season, going 5 ⅓ innings pitched with four strikeouts and three earned runs. A.J. Puckett came in to relieve Armstrong and impressed by going 1 ⅔ allowing no runs and picking up his 10th save. June 8: The Smokies dropped the series finale to the Lookouts 3-2 in extras on Sunday. Bats were quiet on both sides today with each team's pitching turning up the heat. The Smokies got on the board early with a Parker Chavers RBI fielders choice in the first inning. Things remained quiet until the fifth, where Eriandys Ramon would hit his first home run of the season to put the team up 2-0. Things were all downhill from there, with reliever Cayne Ueckert blowing the save by allowing a two run home run in the eighth inning. Mitchell Tyranski would come in to try and hold the game in the tenth, and despite not giving up a single hit, a walk and a sac fly was enough for the Lookouts to take the 3-2 lead. The star of the game today goes to Jaxon Wiggins. I’ve been waiting for a double header to push Wiggins to a weekend start so I could get a chance to cover him in action. Wiggins pitched five innings on no run ball, allowing only four hits and striking out an impressive eight batters. He continues his meteoric rise as one of (if not the) best pitching prospect in the Cubs’ system not named Cade Horton. After todays impressive start, Wiggins now sits at a 1.95 ERA with 61 strikeouts in just 50 ⅔ innings pitched. High-A South Bend Cubs Season Record: 17-40 Series Opponent: Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers) Series Standing: Cubs split series 3-3 June 7: The Cubs drop both games of a double header to the Loons by identical scores of 1-2. GAME ONE The first game was a completion of the suspended game on Friday. The Cubs went quiet, collecting just three hits on the day. First baseman Carter Trice scored the team's only run via long ball with a solo shot in the bottom of the first inning. Starter Erian Rodriguez advanced to 0-2 on the season after giving up two runs in four and ⅓ innings pitched today. It wasn’t a bad start for Rodriguez, but it’s hard to avoid the loss as a starter when your team only plates one run. Cubs relievers looked good today, combining for 4 ⅔ innings of no run ball. GAME TWO Game two went the same as game one with the Cubs falling 1-2 and being held to another three hit game. The lone run came off the bat of first baseman Brian Kalmer with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cubs starter Ryan Gallagher continues his rocket ascent to the moon, striking out another seven batters in five innings of work today. Gallagher picked up the loss, but he allowed only two runs on three hits and gave up just one walk in the contest. Similar to Rodriguez yesterday, it’s hard to grab the win when your team scores once. Gallagher was once again displaying his filthy stuff. This is his fifth consecutive start where he’s pitched at least five innings, struck out at least seven batters, and walked two or less. An insanely impressive season from the righty in his first season of pro ball. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cubs get aggressive with his promotions next year. He’s a strikeout machine that limits walks, somewhat of a unicorn in today's game in the minors. June 8: The Cubs win the last game of the series against the Loons in spectacular fashion 11-2. The bats sprung to life, capitalizing on the teams 13 walks to have five different players notch one or more RBIs. The team spread the love today with seven individual players gathering a hit. Andy Garriola took home the MVP today on offense by blasting his team leading eighth home run of the season in the sixth inning. Starting pitcher Kenten Egbert tossed a stellar outing today, putting up his best start of the season. Egbert advances to 2-6 on the season after going five and ⅔ shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk. Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 20-35 Series Opponent: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox) Series Standing: Pelicans drop series 2-4 May 24: The Pelicans were shut out by the Cannon Ballers 4-0 on Saturday. Starter Jostin Florentino made his debut with the Pelicans and picked up his first loss of the season after pitching 4 ⅔ innings and giving two runs on six hits and four walks. Reliever Dominic Hambley came in and impressed, adding another three innings of shutout ball. Hambley has looked great this season. The 22 year old righty has made 10 appearances so far this year, and he’s only let up a run in one of those. Since giving up three runs on May 1st, he’s gone 12 ⅔ innings, giving up zero runs and striking out 14. He’s also walked 12, but he’s been limiting damage with high strikeout stuff. If he can hone in on his command, he has the makings to be an above average reliever as he ascends up the affiliates. Cameron Sisneros continues to shine on offense, going 2-for-4, the Pelicans only multi-hit performance of the day. June 1: The Pelicans lose the series finale in a 5-4 walk off heartbreaker on Sunday. Starter Hayden Frank put up one of his better performances of the year, pitching five innings and giving up just two runs thanks to a bases loaded walk in the fourth and a solo home run in the fifth. The Pelicans got out to an early lead with two runs in the first inning thanks to a Leonel Espinoza RBI double and a Cameron Sisneros RBI Single. The Cannon Ballers tied the game up in the fifth, but an RBI single from Jose Escobar and a wild pitch scored two more for the Pelicans in the sixth. With a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th inning, reliever Brayden Spears put a man on first and second with just one out. Jackson Kirkpatrick came in to try and get out of the jam, but ended up grabbing his third blown save of the season - giving up an RBI single to tie the game and then a wild pitch to let in the game winning run. Cameron Sisneros takes home the offensive MVP again today. He went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and a stolen base. Sisneros played in just 13 games last season at Myrtle Beach and put up underwhelming numbers after being taken in the 14th round of the MLB draft. This season he’s been quietly breaking out. In 32 games so far for the Pelicans, he’s slashing .357 / .455 / .482, good for a .937 OPS. He’s picked up eight doubles and two home runs as well, but most importantly, he’s only struck out twelve times in 112 at bats. All eyes will be on Sisneros as he continues to be breakout candidate for an otherwise underperforming Pelicans team. Notable Promotions / Injury Notes LHP Burl Carraway assigned to ACL Cubs from South Bend Cubs RHP Jostin Florentino assigned to Myrtle Beach Pelicans from ACL Cubs Myrtle Beach Pelicans placed RHP JP Wheat on 7-day IL Myrtle Beach Pelicans released RF Anderson Suriel Iowa Cubs activated RHP Frankie Scalzo Jr. Iowa Cubs placed RHP Gavin Hollowell on the 7-day IL System Standouts of the Week Hitter: Cameron Sisneros (Low-A Myrtle Beach) – 5-for-8 with an RBI over the weekend. Pitcher: Jaxon Wiggins (Double-A Knoxville) – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 8 K. Wiggins continues to make strides amongst the Cubs top organizational pitching prospects View full article

Image courtesy of South Bend Cubs After disappointing finishes to the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer stated that he was building a “critical mass of talent” in the minor leagues, hoping for key contributions and developments from the top of the team's farm system. Fans — frustrated from an extended “retooling” of the Major League roster — became impatient, calling for top names to be acquired in free agency rather than wait for holes to be filled from within. Making a playoff push with rookie and sophomore players is a tall order; development isn’t linear, and catching lightning in a bottle like they did in 2016 is far from a guarantee. The front office finally took major swings for top talent in the offseason, trading for MVP candidate Kyle Tucker and handing out lucrative offers to reliever Tanner Scott and third baseman Alex Bregman that put ownership outside of their comfort zone. Ultimately, working under the budget constraints ownership provided, the deals weren’t lucrative enough, and Hoyer had to pivot to internal options after all. A look around the field showcases all of the young talent that is making an impact at Wrigley Field this season: The Cubs have pre-arbitration players at first base, third base, center field, catcher, and starting pitcher, A mass of talent that fans have been eagerly waiting for. In the past couple of years, Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Miguel Amaya, Ben Brown, Cade Horton, Michael Busch, Porter Hodge, Daniel Palencia and others have made their rookie debuts at Wrigley. These players hold down key positions for a team making a push for the playoffs for the first time in a regular season since finishing with 84 wins in 2019, and showcase a strong scouting and player development system that has taken years to get rolling after Theo Epstein left the farm system devoid of impact talent. While the Cubs have been graduating names familiar to most fans and top prospects have been making their way to the Friendly Confines, it begs the question: who’s next? After the 2016 trade deadline left the team completely devoid of high level prospects, has Hoyer done enough to pile up major league contributors that will provide a floor of success to the team for years to come? Who are the names fans can expect to see headline future top prospect lists? You know Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara, but there’s even more potential in some of the organization's fast-rising stars. Jaxon Wiggins - Starting Pitcher Selected in the supplemental second round of the 2023 draft, Wiggins struggled to keep runs off the board in college, posting a 6.17 ERA through his first two seasons at Arkansas. He missed his third season due to Tommy John surgery, but was selected by the Cubs due to a fastball that sits 96-97 mph, and a wipeout slider that grades amongst the elite in the minors. The issue is that the slider struggled to find the zone with how much break it carries, contributing to a 14.9% walk rate in his first year of pro ball. Last season, Wiggins finished with a 4.37 ERA, pitching just 59 innings and finishing the year in High-A. He kept home runs off the board but struggled with hard hit balls to the gap. This year, Wiggins has made strides forward, cutting down his walk rate and striking out more batters than he ever has. He currently sits in Double-A, where he boasts a 2.06 ERA and has struck out 49 batters in just 39 innings. More importantly, he’s limited opponents to zero or one earned runs in seven of his nine starts this year, and has stretched out his arm to go up to seven innings. Opposing batters are currently hitting a measly .170 against Wiggins so far this season. His walk rate is still higher than the club would want — he's totaled 19 walks in his starts so far this year — but his strikeouts are ticking up, and he has top-of-the-rotation upside if he can continue to increase his ability to find the zone. Ryan Gallagher - Starting Pitcher Ryan Gallagher was selected by the Cubs with the 182nd overall pick in the 2024 draft. It was an unheralded pick — he hasn’t appeared on any top prospect lists, he wasn’t graded in the top 30 organizational prospects entering this season, and he didn’t even garner enough attention to receive a grade in MLB Pipelines draft prospect recap. Yet, Gallagher is having one of the best stretches by a Cubs pitching prospect in recent memory. In the month of May, Gallagher made five appearances, throwing six innings or more in four of them. In 27 innings pitched last month, he posted an impressive 2.33 ERA and struck out an obscene 40 batters, only walking nine. He’s allowing less than one walk and hit per inning pitched, and opposing batters are hitting just .179 against him. Already in High-A in his first year of pro ball, Gallagher has shown his potential to quickly move through the lower levels of the minors, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him reach Double-A by early next season at the latest if he keeps this up. Gallagher's calling card has always been his above-average control and his ability to dot the corners of the strike zone. In college, his fastball left something to be desired, sitting around 89-90 mph. However, he’s already sitting 92 mph this season and is touching up to 94.5. His slider has gained some additional break and he’s been aggressive, getting ahead of counts and generating more swing and miss. He should be a staple on future Cubs prospect lists. Jefferson Rojas - SS/2B The highest ranking prospect on this list has flown mostly under the radar. He owns a 55 FV grade, but has largely been overshadowed by a deep Cubs system. Despite not ranking in MLB’s top 50 international prospects during the 2022 international market, the Cubs signed Jefferson Rojas for $1M, a testament to the belief they have in the young hitter. Rojas has largely flown under most fans’ radars because of his lackluster numbers and the fact that he’s still only reached High-A even though this is his fourth year in the clubs’ system. Most of this can be attributed to the fact that Rojas debuted on the farm at just 18 years old. Common for young hitters, his biggest criticisms were that he lacked power and struggled to lift the ball in the air, leading to a below average .646 OPS last season. Over the offseason, Rojas seems to have bulked up. Listed at 5’11”, 150 lbs, he looks to be up to around 180-190 this season, and it shows. He’s hitting the ball harder than he has in the past, utilizing the entire field and lifting the ball into the air and driving deep into the gaps. In just 38 games this season, he’s almost tied his 2024 totals in doubles and home runs, and has already surpassed his previous total in triples. It’s not just the added muscle that’s contributing to Rojas’ increased power production. He’s squaring up the ball better than he has in the past and has further developed his ability to recognize pitches out of the hand faster. Last month, Rojas put up some of the best numbers in the minors, slashing .337 / .416 / .561, good for a .977 OPS. Rojas is currently ranked as the Cubs #6 overall prospect after some graduations, and #77 on the top 100 according to MLB Pipeline, but he’s lacked a lot of the national attention prospects putting up these types of numbers tend to get. He had a slow 2024 season, and if he can keep pace even close to his May trends, I expect to see Rojas vault up into the top 50 before the end of the season. Cristian Hernandez - SS/2B Hernandez was a highly regarded international prospect, receiving comparisons to Alex Rodriguez and signing with the Cubs for a massive $3M deal in January of 2021. This is his fifth year in the Cubs system, but prior to this season, he’s spent most of his time tumbling down prospect ranking boards across the industry. At the start of 2022, Hernandez ranked as the Cubs’ #2 overall prospect and came in at 92 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list. In 2023, Hernandez was promoted to Low-A Myrtle Beach, his first full season outside of the Arizona Complex League. His season left much to be desired, as he slashed just .223 / .302 / .301 and racked up 118 strikeouts in 106 games. Scouts became concerned with his power potential. After projecting a lot of raw power due to his long levers and 6’2” frame, he only put up four home runs in 385 at bats. He plummeted down the prospect rankings, heading into the 2024 season as the Cubs #24 system prospect. Hernandez went from projecting as an average everyday shortstop in the major leagues to concerns that he may not even be a serviceable backup. Scouts questioned his long swing and not being able to get his upper half and lower half in sync. A plus defender and baserunner, he’ll quickly be on the rise if he can get his bat to catch up. This season, Hernandez seems to finally be starting to put things together at the plate. He’s making better contact than he ever has, lifting the ball in the air at a better pace than he has in previous seasons. The power still hasn’t progressed as well as player development would’ve hoped, but he’s posting the best OPS of his career, .761. He’s walking slightly less than he was last season, but his slug is up 37 points. More importantly, he’s getting hits at a higher pace, batting .289 at High-A. I know batting average has fallen out of favor, but a 28 point increase at a higher level of competition is nothing to scoff at. Hernandez is still putting up highlight-worthy defense at shortstop, and he’s swiped 23 bags in just 43 games so far. If he can continue to square up the ball and improve his contact rates, the player development team hopes he can follow in the mold of someone like Nico Hoerner, adding value on the margins with baserunning and defense. Jonathan Long - 1B/3B/OF Jonathan Long, the Cubs’ ninth-round pick in the 2023 draft has been an above-average hitter in every season at every level of pro ball. The worst portion of Long’s career was his stint last year in High-A where he posted a .763 OPS, hit 10 home runs, 12 doubles, and 41 RBIs in just 68 games. In his pro career, his average slash line is .303 / .403 / .504 with his best successes coming in Double-A and Triple-A. Despite having plus raw and game power, Long has generally sat amongst the lower ranks of the organization's prospects due to his lack of defensive versatility. Listed as a 1B/3B/OF, Long has played below average defense in both left field and at third base, lacking the lateral quickness and route running abilities at both positions. He’s serviceable at first, but as a 5’11” right-handed hitter, his profile is undesirable at the position. It’s hard for players who are viewed as a career DH to make their way to the bigs and stay there, because as soon as their bat starts to lose any production, their value plummets. But Long’s bat hasn’t lost any production — he’s grown and become a better hitter at every level, putting up the best year of his career so far in Triple-A Iowa. He’s been the best all-around hitter in Iowa, hitting .357 with a .995 OPS and nine home runs in 55 games to start this season. Most of Long’s future comes down to whether or not he can find a defensive home. It’s possible to see him on the major league roster if injuries to Happ, Seiya, and Tucker pile up to provide some pop at the bottom of the lineup, but as a pure DH, the Cubs may look to flip him at the deadline if he remains hot. It’ll be interesting to see if Long can end up like Kyle Schwarber or Jorge Soler, or if he ends up topping out at the level of guys like Alexander Canario, Nelson Velazquez, or Matt Mervis. View full article

Image courtesy of Lily Chubb/Noozhawk Photo The affiliates continued to drop this weekend, with all teams losing ground on the standings. The teams have been in a slump lately, with top prospects struggling on both sides of the ball and three of the four affiliates dropping their series this week. After going a combined 8-16 this week, the clubs will look to get things turned around as quickly as they can. Cubs Affiliate Overview (May 31–June 1) Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Syracuse Mets (New York Mets): Cubs drop series 1-5 Season Record: 28-26 Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies win series 4-3 Season Record: 24-26 High-A South Bend Cubs Series at Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs lose series 2–4 Season Record: 14-37 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series vs. Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves): Pelicans drop series 1-4 Season Record: 18-31 Triple-A Iowa Cubs Season Record: 28-26 Series Opponent: Syracuse Mets (New York Mets)Series Standing: Cubs lose 1-5 May 31: The Cubs lost a tough battle to the Syracuse Mets on Saturday, falling 6-4 off the hand of starter Frankie Scalzo Jr. All six of the Mets’ runs came in the first inning off of Scalzo Jr., who’s now increased his ERA to a brutal 14.18. He’s failed to keep runs off of the board in eight of his last ten outings, averaging 1 ⅔ innings pitched and 2.63 earned runs per outing in the month of May. That’s where the struggles ended for the Cubs though, as their bullpen went scoreless for eight innings after a rough ride in the first. The Shuttle Squad ™ was at it again, with familiar names Luke Little, Tyson Miller, Tom Cosgrove, Michael Fulmer, and Ethan Roberts combining to go 8 IP, 8 Ks, 6 H, and 0 ER. I want to put the spotlight back on Luke Little here. With today's performance, the monster lefty is now boasting a 1.29 ERA and 0.71 WHIP with 24 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. He’s given up just four runs this entire season in Triple-A and only one of those came in the month of May. Even more impressively, he’s only walked three batters this month along with 20 of his strikeouts, demonstrating that he’s not just benefitting from his defense behind him, but limiting baserunners at an elite rate. The big league club has largely figured out their bullpen situation with key arms coming in during big moments and trust being built with skipper Craig Counsell, but I would be shocked if we don’t see Luke Little re-emerge as a high-leverage arm this summer at Wrigley Field if he can keep his performance up. On offense, the Cubs tried to claw their way back from the early deficit. They came close, cutting the Mets’ lead to just two in the 6th inning thanks to twin homers from Kevin Alcantara (7) and Ben Cowles (4). Greg Allen went 3-for-3 with two walks, Moises Ballesteros went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, and Owen Caissie went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI of his own. June 1: The Cubs continued their skid on Sunday, dropping yet another game to the Mets, losing by a score of 5-4. Starting pitching continued to struggle with starter Peter Solomon giving up three runs in the third inning, finishing his day going 3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, and 3 Ks. The relief corps kept the game within reach until reliever Nate Pearson came in and picked up his first blown save of the season by giving up a solo home run in the 8th inning. Such a bummer for Pearson, who was coming off a 0.73 ERA and 17 punch outs in May. Reliever Jack Neely came in to try and keep the game in hand in the 9th but ended up picking up the loss after walking two, giving up two hits, and giving up the game winning run, raising his already troublesome ERA to 6.23. The Cubs continued to slug today though, making things interesting. Jonathan Long launched his ninth homer of the season, a solo shot in the third inning to tie the game. Veteran Catcher Carlos Perez knocked a long ball of his own in the bottom of the seventh to give the Cubs the lead. Despite the recent skid, slugging continues to be a boon for this Iowa Cubs team, with five players sporting an OPS over .800. Jonathan Long in particular has been an eye opener this season, raising questions regarding his prospect ranking status across the minors. According to Fangraphs, amongst qualified Triple-A batters, Long current ranks: Batting Average: 2nd, .344 Home Runs: T-11th, 9 RBIs - 9th, 41 Hits - 4th, 65 OPS - 8th, .979 wRC+ - 4th, 154 Long wasn’t a highly touted prospect, he was the 266th overall pick by the Cubs in 2023. He’s not a system top 10 prospect (currently), he’s not in the top 100, scouts have graded him with below average run, hit, and arm tools, and yet he’s continued to play serviceable defense and smash the cover off the ball at every level he’s stopped at. Long is already garnering comparisons to flame out prospect Matt Mervis, a potential AAAA player who lacks the baserunning and contact ability to make it in the majors, but by all accounts has grown into a player that appears to be putting together an above average package of contact and power at the Triple-A level. Keep an eye on midseason prospect lists as they begin to roll out, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Long start to vault up the system. At only 23, Long is bursting with potential. The Cubs may hope he continues to raise his value to become a desired trade piece at the deadline this year, with Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and Michael Busch all vying for playing time at DH. Double-A Tennessee Smokies Season Record: 24-26 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox) Series Standing: Series win 4-3 May 31: The Smokies split a double header against the Barons, taking a win in game one 2-0 and picking up a loss in game two 1-2. The name of the game for the Smokies in game one was pitching. Starter Nick Dean was lights out today, hurling six innings of no-run ball and striking out six. This was Dean’s first start for the Smokies as he was just called up from South Bend after a solid start to the season. He made the most of his start, allowing only three runs and leading his team in the shutout. Reliever A.J. Puckett came in and notched his eighth save of the season, closing the game while striking out one and allowing no hits. Right Fielder Jaylen Palmer was the hero today on offense, going 2-for-2 and driving in both of the teams’ runs with an RBI double in the 2nd and an RBI single in the 4th. First Baseman Pablo Aliendo had the other multi-hit game today. It’s been a rough start to the season for the 24 year old Aliendo, who’s hitting below the Mendoza line so far this season. Hopefully today helps build his confidence, as he went 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs in the win. Game 2: The Cubs were on the receiving end of a low scoring loss in game two, dropping the game 2-1. Starter Antonio Santos continues to be a force in the Smokies’ rotation, going five innings, striking out three, and allowing just one run on three hits in the loss. He kept his team in the game and gave the Smokies a chance to win a game they would ultimately lost in extras. Mitchell Tyranski is the unfortunate bearer of the loss today, giving up the game winning run in the top of the eighth inning. Tyranski has arguably been the Smokies best reliever this season, owning an impressive 0.86 ERA through 21 appearances after the loss. He gave up a one out walk and then an RBI double to put his team behind. Despite his impressive stats this year, Tyranski moves to 1-2 on the season. The Smokies were almost shut out on offense, but I’ll give the spotlight to Corey Joyce. He’s been off to an electric start to the season and had the teams only RBI of the day. Joyce finished by going 1-for-1 with an RBI double. June 1: The Smokies dropped the series finale to the Barons 8-4 on MVP Matt Shaw bobblehead night. Starter Sam Armstrong had a rough first inning before settling in on the bump. Thanks to an untimely error by Shortstop Jaylen Palmer, Armstrong was forced into a jam and couldn’t pull out of it, giving up four runs (three earned) in the first by way of a three run home run.. Things turned around in the 2nd inning however, as Armstrong rallied off four more innings, striking out three and not allowing another run. Ethan Hearn hit his third home run of the season in the third inning to put the Smokies on the board. The team continued to add on in the 7th with an RBI single from Jordan Nwogu and another from Pedro Ramirez to tie the game up 4-4. Things were looking good until the 9th inning where closer Zac Leigh picked up his first loss of the season, giving up three runs. Leigh wasn’t able to find the strike zone. He gave up three walks and hung a ball in the zone, giving up a grand slam to put the game out of reach late. High-A South Bend Cubs Season Record: 14-37 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals) Series Standing: Cubs lose series 2-4 May 31: Ryan Gallagher does it again for the Cubs, boosting his team to a 4-1 win over the River Bandits. Gallagher has become increasingly more exciting to cover and has become must-see weekend pitching in South Bend. After an eclectic 6 IP, 0 ER performance last week, Gallagher came out today and went 6 ⅓ innings, striking out eight River Bandits, giving up just one run without walking a single batter. Gallagher came into the Cubs’ system at the perfect time as the “pitch lab” has been hitting its stride and a philosophy in pitching development has changed how the Cubs do things in the minors. This is Gallagher's first season of pro ball, and he’s already stretched out to over six innings and his stuff has been electric, piling high strikeout game on high strikeout game. He’s my prediction for the teams biggest mover during the midseason prospect re-ranking. He’s just 22 years old and has struck out 48 batters in just 37 innings, building up to long starts and limiting walks to the tune of a 1.08 WHIP. If he can continue to maintain a healthy season, it’ll be all eyes on the rookie to see if he can continue to build on his hot start. Offensive MVP goes to Carter Trice who went 2-for-5 with a two run RBI double in the fifth inning. Jefferson Rojas continues to display his abilities in his breakout season, going 1-for-4 with the teams only other RBI in an otherwise quiet night at the plate for the Cubs. June 1: The Cubs dropped their final game to the River Bandits 3-1. Starting pitching was the showcase again today with starter Kenten Egbert going 6 ⅔ innings pitched, striking out three batters and giving up only three runs. This was one of Egbert's best starts to the season, keeping Bandits scoreless through the first five innings. He ultimately gave up three runs in the 6th, but limited the damage and kept the Cubs in the game. Despite the solid outing, he picked up his sixth loss of the season as his team was unable to give him any run support. Bats were quiet, nearly silent on Sunday, as the Cubs put up just four hits in 30 at bats, striking out nine times at the plate. The team's lone run came at the hands of Jefferson Rojas, who drove in Reivaj Garcia with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning. Catcher Ariel Armas gets a spotlight for putting up two of the Cubs four hits today, going 2-for-4 with a double in the loss. Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 18-31 Series Opponent: Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves) Series Standing: Pelicans drop series 2-4 May 31: The Pelicans dropped both games of their double header, managing to drive in just two runs across both contests. Game One: The Pelicans lost game one 6-2 with starter Alfredo Romero giving up three spots in the third and the fifth. Romero ended the day giving up four walks and seven hits to just three strikeouts, earning himself five runs on the outing. Bats were quiet yet again for the Pelicans, driving in only two runs on four hits in the contest. Catcher Owen Ayers came through with an RBI double in the fourth driving in the teams first run, and then scored off a Yahil Melendez single, making himself partially responsible for both runs on the day. Ayers finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. Game Two: Things didn't go much better for the Pelicans in game two as they dropped to the Greenjackets again 2-0. The team was once again held to just four hits, but this time, three of those four came from Shortstop Angel Cepeda. He wasn’t able to get any runs across the plate, but produced the vast majority of the offense, going 3-for-4 with a stolen base. Things went better on the pitching side of the ball, but it wasn’t enough to boost the team to a win. Kevin Valdez took the mound to start the game and gave up just one run in 3 ⅓ innings pitched. He was a rollercoaster ride, giving up five walks but striking out six batters in his outing. Since the Pelicans couldn’t drive in any runs, Valdez picked up his second loss of the season. Reliever Charlie Hurley looked better, getting help from his team on defense. Hurley closed out the back half of the game, going 3 and ⅔ innings, striking out two and giving up just one hit. June 1: The Pelicans drop the series finale to the Greenjackets 4-1. Things went poorly on both sides of the ball as the team mustered just four hits on the day and starter Hayden Frank gave up three runs on four hits and a walk in just two innings. This is Frank's third loss of the season as his ERA creeps up to 8.29. Cole Reynolds gets the pitching spotlight today. He went three innings of relief, and while he let in a run of his own off of two hits, he mainly pitched well, striking out five batters and walking just one. The best offensive rally the Pelicans managed to muster was an RBI groundout by Jose Escobar in the first inning. Catcher Owen Ayers notched the only extra base hit of the game, going 1-for-4 with a double. Notable Promotions / Injury Notes RHP Ismael Morey assigned to DSL Cubs Red OF Luis Leon assigned to DSL Cubs Red LHP Angel Gonzalez assigned to DSL Cubs Red Iowa Cubs placed 3B James Triantos on the 7-day IL Iowa Cubs activated RHP Peter Solomon from the 7-day IL System Standouts of the Week Hitter: Owen Caissie (Triple-A Iowa) – 3-for-9 with two doubles over the weekend. Pitcher: Ryan Gallagher (High-A South Bend) – 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 8 K. Gallagher continues to string together elite performances on the mound. View full article

Image courtesy of Cristian Hernandez (@c_hernandez_15) The affiliates have been in a slide recently against some tough competition, but we had some strong weekend performances from a couple teams and some standout games for a few fringe top prospects. Cubs Affiliate Overview (May 24–25) Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series at Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Cubs split series 3-3 Season Record: 27-21 Double-A Tennessee Smokies Series at Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers): Smokies drop series 1-5 Season Record: 20-23 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers): Cubs lose series 2–4 Season Record: 12-33 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Pelicans drop series 2-4 Season Record: 17-27 Triple-A Iowa Cubs Season Record: 27-21 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians) Series Standing: Cubs split 3-3 May 24: The Cubs dropped their penultimate matchup this weekend against the Clippers by a score of 5-1. The loss was even worse than the final score would show, with the Cubs managing only five hits on the game and their lone run coming by way of an RBI single in the 7th inning off the bat of Chase Strumpf. Things have been rough for the major league Cubs with their starting rotation suffering long-term injuries to their three best starters from last season (Imanaga, Steele, and Assad). Things got even worse, as starter Jordan Wicks left the game after pitching just ⅓ of an inning with an apparent injury — limping off the field after striking out the first batter of the game. It’s been one thing after another for Wicks; after a promising start to a young career, he’s been largely ineffective in the majors and has been struggling in the minors to the tune of a 4.86 ERA. We don’t have an injury update at this time, but fingers crossed that Wicks finds a way to rebound his health and on the field performance. In Wicks’ absence, Brandon Hughes picks up the loss by letting up two earned runs in ⅔ of an inning pitched, but relievers Jack Neely, Tyson Miller, and Phil Bickford combined for four innings of no-run ball. On the offensive side of the ball, most of the action came from the bottom of the lineup with James Triantos and Greg Allen providing four of the Cubs’ five hits. Triantos went 2-for-4 and Allen went 2-for-4 with a double on the day. Overall, a slow day for the Cubs on both sides of the ball. May 25: The Cubs rebounded in a big way on Sunday with a statement win over the Clippers 9-3. The team went with a bullpen game, and everyone stepped up in a big way. Nate Pearson took the mound first and has continued his dominant May — he pitched for two innings, allowed zero runs, and struck out two batters. He did walk two, but didn’t allow a single hit on the day. Pearson continues to impress this month, posting a 0.87 ERA, three wins, and 13 strikeouts in 10 ⅓ innings pitched. The major league pen has largely straightened itself out with Ryan Brasier being called up, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pearson back in the Friendly Confines in the not-too-distant future. Riley Martin had a stand out performance as well, picking up the win, pitching two innings of no hit ball and striking out four without walking a batter. Martin now has a 1.61 ERA on the season, a 0.90 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts in 22.1 innings pitched. Martin has flown relatively under the radar in recent seasons, but the 2021 draft pick has been turning heads so far this year. Cubs hitters had a field day as well, with five hitters having multi-hit games. No shock here, but Moises Ballesteros continues to rake at this level. Ballesteros had the best performance of the day, going 3-for-4 with a double and a walk. He didn’t drive any runs in, but it’s hard to argue with a .350 AVG and a .901 OPS. Veteran catcher Reese McGuire recently got the call up to join the major league club, raising concerns about how the Cubs’ front office view Ballesteros as a long-term piece. Being skipped over for the call up is likely due to McGuire’s experience game calling in the majors, but Ballesteros has nothing left to prove on offense in the minors, and at a certain point, they’ll need to figure out if he has what it takes behind the dish at the highest level. Other standout performances go to Owen Caissie (3-for-6), Carlos Perez (2-for-3, 3 RBIs), Greg Allen (2-for-5, 2 RBIs), and Hayden Cantrelle (2-for-5, RBI). Double-A Tennessee Smokies Season Record: 20-23 Series Opponent: Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers) Series Standing: Series loss 1-5 May 24: The Smokies were humbled on Saturday with another loss to the Shuckers 5-8. Pitching killed Knoxville, with starter Chris Kachmar giving up five earned runs off of seven hits in five innings. Kachmar has had up and down performances, currently sitting 2-3 on the season with a 4.03 ERA after the rough outing. Reliever Zac Leigh wasn’t any better. He walked three in ⅔ of an inning, giving up three runs on zero hits. Reliever Brad Depperman came in to try and salvage the day, continuing his stellar start to the season by pitching 1 ⅓ innings, striking out two and giving up zero runs. Depperman has now advanced to 14 appearances, 15 ⅔ innings pitched, and an unblemished 0.00 ERA. His stuff isn’t over the top nasty (12 Ks in his 15 innings), but he doesn’t walk many and gives up weak contact, keeping the base paths pretty clean. Depperman has only pitched 130 innings since being drafted by the Cubs in 2019, but he finished last season with a 0.67 ERA and has only built upon that success so far in 2025. Third Baseman Pedro Ramirez made his presence felt by launching a home run in the 3rd and adding an RBI sac fly in the 7th. Center Fielder added a 2-for-5 performance of his own with a double and an RBI. Right Fielder Jordan Nwogu had the last multi-hit performance of the day going 2-for-4. May 25: The Smokies continued their skid against the Shuckers, getting walked off in the series finale 6-7. The Smokies started off hot by putting up three runs in the first inning thanks to a 2 RBI single off the bat of Haydn McGeary, scoring Corey Joyce and BJ Murray Jr. Haydn McGeary added another run to the board with an RBI single in the 4th, and Ethan Hearn hit a two-run home run in the 6th to put the Cubs up 6-1. Unfortunately, that’s where the fun stopped for Smokies, as starter Sam Armstrong imploded in the bottom of the 6th and gave up four runs. Reliever Tyler Santana comes in to salvage the game but quickly gave up the tying run before ending the inning. Reliever Nick Hull did his best to keep the game within reach by hurling two innings of no-hit ball, but AJ Puckett came out and gets walked off after notching just one out. The loss caps off a 1-5 series against the Shuckers that has sent the team into a bit of a skid. They’ll look to bounce back against Birmingham this week. High-A South Bend Cubs Season Record: 12-33 Series Opponent: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers) Series Standing: Cubs lose series 2-3 May 24: The Cubs tame the Timber Rattlers on Saturday with a 6-2 win. Top prospect Jefferson Rojas had himself a day, going 3-for-5 with an RBI, a double, and 2 runs. Rojas continues to shine, hitting .295 with an .862 OPS this season. He’s continued to shine in his “breakout” season. James Triantos has been occupying second base at the Triple-A level, but Rojas has been doing his best to try and force the Cubs’ hand and push his way into a promotion. Speaking of top prospects, Cristian Hernandez had himself a 2-for-4 performance on the day, tagging on an RBI of his own. Hernandez is hitting .274 and has continued to look like a stable presence at the top of the Cubs’ lineup. Rising star Ryan Gallagher had an incredible bounce back performance as well, pitching six innings, letting up zero runs and just two hits while striking out an impressive nine batters. Gallagher has had quite a run here, going six innings in each of his last three starts, giving up zero runs, five runs, and then zero runs while striking out an absurd 29 batters in those 18 innings. Gallagher, the Cubs’ 6th round pick in 2024 has demonstrated an increasingly high ceiling, showcasing strong strikeout ability and a low WHIP despite debuting at High-A. All eyes will be on Gallagher as he progresses through the season and possibly makes his way onto the Cubs’ top prospect list during the mid-season ranking refresh. May 25: After dropping the first four games of the series against the Timber Rattlers, the Cubs cap the series with another win - a strong 8-3 finale. Cristian Hernandez led the way for the Cubs, going 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs, a double (14), and a triple (2). Hernandez, the Cubs’ #11 prospect, is looking to climb his way back up the rankings after a lackluster 2024 season in which he struggles at the High-A level, hitting just .229 and generating little to no power. He’s showed growth in both his hit and power tools, posting career high numbers in both AVG (.290) and Slug (.432). While the team likely hopes he can tap into a little more of that power as his bat to ball skills develop, he’s made great strides and is showing off the potential that pushed him to the top of the prospect rankings to begin with. To go with a strong offensive performance, starter Kenton Egbert picked up his first win of the season with a five inning, one run, four strikeout performance. Reliever Marino Santy gave up two runs, but Connor Shultz and Brayden Risedorph combined for two innings, no runs, and three strikeouts to close out a much needed victory. Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 17-27 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers) Series Standing: Pelicans drop series 2-4 May 24: The Pelicans picked up another loss on Saturday, falling 3-4 against the Crawdads. Starter Kevin Valdez strung together his best performance of the year with a six inning, five strikeout game, giving up just one walk. Reliever Yoendris Gonzalez came in to pitch another two innings of one hit, no run ball, keeping the Pelicans in the game heading into the 9th. Unfortunately, Mathew Peters came in to close and got walked off after picking up two outs and coming within inches of closing out the game. On offense, things were just as bleak, with the Pelicans picking up just three hits on the day. The MVP award goes to Left Fielder Jose Escobar who scored all three of the Pelicans runs with a three run moonshot in the 6th inning. May 25: The Pelicans lost another one run game at the hands of the Crawdads on Sunday, dropping the finale 7-8. Pitching was a weak spot, with starter Cole Reynolds giving up three runs in three innings of work. Things went even worse for Landon Ginn in relief, as he gave up four runs in 2 and ⅓ innings of work. The bats came to life to keep the Pelicans in the game, but pitching continued to give up runs and reliever Charlie Hurley picked up the loss by letting in the losing run. The offense looked significantly better this game, with three players picking up two hits and eight out of nine batters getting a knock. Stand out performances go to star Right Fielder Leonel Espinoza (2-for-2 with an RBI and 3 Walks) and third baseman Eriandys Ramon (2-for-5 with an RBI). Notable Promotions / Injury Notes Chicago Cubs select RHP Brooks Kriske from Iowa Cubs Chicago Cubs designated RHP Julian Merryweather for assignment Chicago Cubs selected the contract of C Reese McGuire from Iowa Cubs System Standouts of the Week Hitter: Cristian Hernandez (Double-A South Bend) – 6-for-9 with a double, a triple and 4 RBIs over the weekend. Pitcher: Ryan Gallagher (High-A South Bend) – 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 9 K View full article