Cory Sparks

Ethan Conrad is the Cubs' 2025 first-round draft pick, and he's 30 games into his professional baseball journey. In this video, we'll break down Conrad's approach, his remarkable hand-eye coordination, and how his trajectory can vastly improve with one key adjustment. View full video

Image courtesy of Baseball America Ethan Conrad is the Chicago Cubs’ first-round pick from the 2025 MLB Draft, and we finally have a decent sample size of professional baseball to work with. Now that he’s healthy and back on the diamond, let’s dive into the early impressions of Conrad, who joined the team just over a year ago. Ethan Conrad's Updated Cubs Scouting Report Conrad is Chicago’s No. 4 prospect, per our updated prospect rankings. The 22-year-old Wake Forest alum was the 17th overall pick in last year’s draft, and he brings a well-rounded skillset to the table. Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 220 pounds, his hit and run tools hold the highest grades at 55 apiece. While he has a larger frame, the left-handed hitting outfielder can move, capturing headlines for leading NCAA Division I with 13 triples in his days with Marist. Injuries & Cubs' First-Round History It’s been a little over a year since the former Demon Deacon joined the organization, but a few injuries kept him off the field until he made his debut in June. The outfield prospect had both a torn left labrum and a shoulder dislocation that sidelined him for the majority of his final collegiate season, and a lower-back injury pushed his debut time back as well. The Cubs haven’t had the best luck with first rounders over the past few years. Jordan Wicks (2021) has floated back and forth between the big leagues and Triple-A Iowa, as the southpaw now possesses a 5.72 career ERA in the majors. As for their 2022 first round pick, Cade Horton made a case for National League Rookie of the Year last season. However, the Oklahoma alum is down with a UCL injury that took him out for the year. Matt Shaw was the team’s first round selection in 2023, and he has shown promise on both sides of the baseball through his first two MLB seasons. Cam Smith (2024) is now with the Astros, as the Cubs dealt him in the Kyle Tucker trade last season. This is all to say that there’s pressure on the North Siders to hit with a first round selection. Progress Up To Myrtle Beach Conrad is 30 games into his professional baseball career, and he’s slashing .257/.328/.451 (.779 OPS) over between rookie ball and Low-A Myrtle Beach. The outfielder has five homers, 22 runs batted and 11 extra-base hits, showing the potential to be a potent power bat. He's only managed to steal one base thus far, but he does also have a triple on the season. As he fills out his frame, it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on whether he prioritizes power, speed or can have the best of both worlds. Attacking Early It’s important not to gather too many conclusions from a 30-game sample size, but here are some early takeaways from Conrad’s first real look at Minor League Baseball. For one, he’s jumping on pitches in the zone. Not only does Conrad swing at 75.1% of pitches thrown in the zone (89th percentile), but he’s only whiffing 16.2 percent of the time (92nd percentile). MLB Pipeline describes him as an aggressive hitter who can make up for it with remarkable hand-eye coordination, and so far that has translated to the Low-A level. The Cubs’ rising star also doesn’t strike out a ton, just 20.8 percent of the time. The more he can put the ball in play, the easier it’ll be to justify an attack-oriented approach. Being Picky, Finding Speed Conrad has a long way to go, but seeing him be a little more selective would likely give him more pitches that he can do damage with. The first-year professional walks just 8.9 percent of the time (27th percentile). The more hitters counts he can get into, the greater likelihood he’ll either earn a free pass or see a more appetizing option over the plate. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs just went to battle with the Los Angeles Dodgers this week, and after being one of the more aggressive teams at this year’s trade deadline, their behavior begs the question: how close is Chicago to competing with the Dodgers to be the best team in the National League? Let’s dive into the Cubs’ post-trade-deadline makeup. Aggressive At The Deadline As things stand, the North Siders are well above .500 and have a stranglehold on the top spot in the National League Wild Card. The Cubs will likely have to face either the current division leaders in the Milwaukee Brewers or the Dodgers at some point in the playoff bracket, but the back-to-back World Series champions are the ultimate threat. Chicago went into the deadline swinging, acquiring starting pitchers Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman as well as a nasty reliever in Ryan Zeferjahn. They also got Tyrone Taylor, a remarkable defender and speedy baserunner, for some extra support in the outfield. Star Power Baseball is a team game, and there’s no refuting that. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani were on the same team for years, and yet the Los Angeles Angels never even sniffed the World Series (let alone the playoffs). With that being said, having a superstar who other teams have to plan around helps. Ohtani took over the NLCS against the Brewers last year, helping elevate the options around him. Pete Crow-Armstrong is a candidate for the National League MVP award this year. He just had a 3-for-5 performance here he hit two home runs and drove four runs in to clinch a sweep against Los Angeles. He’s also above 7 WAR with two months of baseball to go before the playoffs. The Cubs’ center fielder is four homers shy of 30 on the season, and he's already reached 30 steals for the second consecutive year. This is somebody who can impact the game in all facets, as he’s in the top 10 percentile for fielding range (100th), arm value (97th percentile) and arm strength (90th percentile) while also posting impressive marks with his bat speed (81st percentile), hard-hit rate (88th percentile) and a much-improved walk percentage (84th percentile). An Improved Rotation The Cubs operated with some urgency at the deadline, and Gausman and Holmes are key additions for a couple of reasons. Gausman has a winning pedigree, as the veteran right-handed pitcher was on a Blue Jays squad that was mere outs from a title last year. The 35-year-old uses a three-pitch mix to generate an elite 34.4 percent chase rate (87th percentile), and he’s giving up a free pass just 6.7 percent of the time. Holmes, on the other hand, is one of the best groundball pitchers in baseball. The former Mets’ starter has earned a 55.3 percent ground ball rate, good enough for the 95th percentile. Put the best fielding team in the big leagues (.989 fielding percentage, T-1st) behind him, and the reliever-turned-starter should feel right at home. Playoff Experience While the Cubs didn’t win the ultimate prize in 2025, they did push the top-seeded Brewers to Game 5 in the NLDS. Every player on last year’s roster now has experience winning a series (the Wild Card Round over the Padres) and playing in a winner-take-all, emotional battle with the team’s bitter rivals. That counts for something as the team gets set to embark on another October journey. Add to that knowledge the fact that two of the team’s starting position players in Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman have won a World Series title before, and you have a group that could be primed for a deep run. View full article

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs made arguably their largest splash a few hours before the deadline, acquiring right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes in a package deal that also included outfielder Tyrone Taylor. It’s no secret that Chicago’s pitching staff (especially the rotation) has been decimated with injuries, but Holmes’ pitching was quite literally made for this team. Let’s break down who Holmes is and why this acquisition fits like a glove. Clay Holmes' Updated Cubs Scouting Report Clay Holmes is a 33-year-old right-handed pitcher and entered the deadline as one of the most sought-after rental arms in baseball. He was originally a ninth-round pick in the 2011 MLB Draft when the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him right out of high school. Holmes is in his ninth season, and he’s generated a career record of 40-34 with a 3.53 earned run average while striking out 534 hitters in 555.2 innings pitched. The Cubs will be his fourth team, as the veteran right-handed pitcher threw for the Pirates and New York Yankees before a brief stint under Carlos Mendoza (and Andy Green) in Queens. Transitioning Out Of The 'Pen Many aspiring pitchers who lack command end up going to the bullpen. The thought process is that their stuff will play for a few hitters as a change of tempo, but it’s not strong enough to be sustainable for multiple innings. Holmes actually transitioned in the other direction. He was primarily a bullpen arm from the 2018 season (his debut year) until 2024. In Holmes’ final year as a bullpen arm, he was the Yankees’ closer, logging 30 saves across 60 innings of work with a 3.14 ERA. The Mets then added Holmes to their rotation after signing him in free agency, and in his first real big-league opportunity, he immediately impressed. The team’s newest starter went 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA, striking out 129 hitters in 165.2 innings. Holmes’ 2026 So Far This makes 2026 his second season as a starter, and the newest Cub has seemingly picked up right where he left off. The 6-foot-5, 245 pound hurler is 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across nine starts. He just logged a High-A rehab start with the Brooklyn Cyclones last week, as the nine-year MLB veteran is coming back from a fractured right fibula injury that he sustained in May. Before that injury, Holmes was averaging just a tough below six innings per outing and looked steady yet again as a reliable member of the Mets’ rotation. Chase ‘Em Out Of Town! The North Siders' newest starter touts a five-pitch arsenal, leading the way with a 94 mile per hour sinker. Almost everything he throws moves laterally, and the sinker sits right around 18 inches of arm-side carry from a 41-degree release angle. One of his best attributes is the fact he can force mistakes out of the zone. The righty had a 32.9 percent chase rate (75th percentile, per Baseball Savant) before his injury. Holmes is also a master at mitigating solid contact, holding opposing hitters to just a 5.3 percent barrel rate (82nd percentile). The Cubs-ian Attribute What’s his best attribute, though? It’s far and away the fact that Holmes generates a sky-high ground ball rate of 55.3 percent (95th percentile), thanks to that heavy sinker. The Cubs are tied for the best fielding percentage in baseball at .989, and with Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Alex Bregman having five Gold Gloves between them, Holmes will be well protected by the infield behind him. There's no infield defense as good as this one, and Holmes will benefit as a result. The Cubs will hope to have other members of their rotation, like Justin Steele and Edward Cabrera, return. Before it’s time to build for 2027, though, this team gets to try out a steady arm who has quickly turned into one of the better starters in the game. He buries the ball in the ground and lets the defense get to work; could you conjure up a better marriage? View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs were one of the more active teams at this year’s MLB Trade Deadline, and one of their bigger splashes was acquiring Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor from the Mets. They pulled this move off in the final few hours, and while Holmes is the headliner of the deal, Taylor deserves some attention for what he’s been up to this year and what he can offer. Let’s break down what he can bring to the table. Understanding Tyrone Taylor's Fit With Cubs Taylor is now with his third organization. The 32-year-old outfielder was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, as the Crew selected him in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft. Taylor was picked right out of high school and eventually made his debut in the 2019 MLB season. Over what is now an eight-year career, the former Met has 60 home runs, 41 stolen bases and is slashing .238/.292/.422 (.714 OPS). Milwaukee then dealt Taylor in 2023. The Mets were in the market for pitching, so the Brewers gave them Adrian Houser, throwing in Taylor in exchange for pitching prospect Coleman Crow. Flashing Speed One of the first aspects you’ll notice about Taylor is his quickness. It’s apparent in the outfield and on the bases, as the veteran can cover plenty of ground with what serves as his main appeal now. Taylor, even when he isn’t an everyday player, has managed to establish a presence on the bases. Last year, he stole 12 bases in 113 games. It isn’t a high mark, but with the new disengagement rules being employed, we could see him be more aggressive depending on the situation. Referencing a larger sample size from last year, the Cubs’ newest outfielder logged a sprint speed of 29.3 ft/s, good enough to put him in the 94th percentile. Taylor was also touted as one of the best defenders in baseball last year, when he was on the field. His arm value of +5 (98th percentile) is top-tier, with a three outs above average (OAA) range rating being very respectable in the 84th percentile. As Taylor has progressed through the big leagues, his speed, and how he weaponizes it on defense, has been his best attribute. Pull-Side Thump The Brewers couldn’t get the veteran outfielder to stick in his time in Milwaukee, and the Mets, in the midst of a rebuild, were clearly aiming to offload him too. That being said, he is quietly putting up one of his best seasons at the plate from a power perspective. In just 67 games, Taylor has hit 10 of his 35 hits out of the yard. His career-high home run mark is 17, a value he hit back in the 2022 season. He’s currently on pace for just under 30 homers in a 162-game season. When taking a look at his spray chart, it’s clear that this is someone who is at their best when they can clip the ball out in front. The California native has hit all 10 of his round-trippers to left field this year, using an 11.9 percent barrel percentage to do so. Taylor’s 19.5 percent strikeout rate is admirable, but he’s never walked above the league average mark in his career, so it’s a tough sell to etch out an everyday spot for someone with an on-base percentage below .300. Where Does He Belong? Taylor will likely go back and forth with veteran Michael Conforto for the fourth outfield spot. Conforto has nine home runs and 24 RBI while slashing .231/.325/.456 this season, starting the year off red-hot before coming down to earth. The Cubs already have two elite defenders up the middle with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner. Pete Crow-Armstrong could very well be on his way to another Gold Glove in center field, and having someone like Tyrone Taylor on the bench should keep the defense flowing even when the superstar sits. View full article

The Chicago Cubs just swept the Los Angeles Dodgers, in large part due to some strong starting pitching and a remarkable series from National League MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong. In this video, we'll break down PCA's career year, the team's rejuvenated rotation, and the postseason experience on a squad that could be destined for a deep run. View full video

While Clay Holmes was the headliner of a trade between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, outfielder Tyrone Taylor could find himself a significant role player. In this video, we'll break down the veteran outfielder's speed, glove, and cover where he fits into the overall scheme of the 2026 Cubs roster. View full video

The Chicago Cubs got a second rental starter, this time Clay Holmes from the New York Mets, just before the trade deadline. In this video, we'll dive into Holmes' journey to becoming a starter, how he did in 2025, his remarkable five-pitch arsenal, an elite whiff rate, and a ground ball rate that'll play perfectly with one of the best defenses in Major League Baseball. Enjoy! View full video