Cory Sparks

Robbie Ray is a 34-year-old veteran lefty who is putting up a remarkable season in 2026. In this video, we'll break down his contract, play style, strengths, weaknesses, and what the Cubs should have to give the Giants in order to land him. Enjoy! View full video

6-3 with a 3.15 ERA and 1.04 WHIP this year! He's been great!

Image courtesy of © Steven Bisig-Imagn Images It’s no secret that the Chicago Cubs’ rotation has been dismantled with injuries from the word "go" this year. For a team that’s still well above .500, and would be in the postseason if the proceedings got underway today, let’s break down why Robbie Ray is the starter most worth pursuing at the trade deadline. Robbie Ray Trade Target Scouting Report Ray is a 34-year-old veteran pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He's 8-6 so far this season, and he currently holds a 3.33 earned run average through 20 appearances (19 starts). The southpaw has been around the block, tossing just north of 1,500 innings with 1,830 punchouts, and even in his age-34 season, he’s found a way to be productive on the West Coast for a moribund team. Contract One of the reasons Ray would be such a great fit for the Cubs is his contract situation. He’s on the books for $25 million this year, but the veteran starter will be a free agent after the conclusion of the World Series. With a lot of the Cubs’ rotation on the injured list, Ray could file in and the Cubs wouldn’t be tied to him beyond the 2026 season. With the Giants being obvious sellers who are well below .500, the Cubs could be a suitor and may only have to offload a prospect or two to get Ray. Pitch Mix Ray is like a lot of veteran pitchers in that he has a varied arsenal. He leads with a fastball that he utilizes 35 percent of the time, and it rides in at 93.3 miles per hour. His primary option plays well, allowing just a .234 batting average with 16 extra-base hits over 171 plate appearances. His slider (26 percent), changeup (17 percent), sinker (12 percent) and curveball (10 percent) round out a five-pitch repertoire. Three of his five options have a batting average against below the .250 mark. Strengths Ray is a finesse pitcher, sporting a below-average whiff rate, chase rate and strikeout percentage. How does he thrive? He works off of soft contact. The crafty lefty is holding opposing hitters to just a 38.4 percent hard-hit rate, good enough for the 52nd percentile. This directly contributes to a .239 expected batting average. which would play incredibly well in front of the Cubs' sterling defense. Ray’s off-speed offerings are a main contributor, as his off-speed run value is in the 93rd percentile, and his knuckle curve has proved to be the most lethal in his tool box, allowing three hits and just one extra-base hit over 34 plate appearances that have ended with the pitch. Weaknesses Ray has a few metrics working against him, one of them including extension. The Giants’ starter already has a fastball that clocks in at a below average velocity. Add a 6.2 foot extension (25th percentile) on top of that, and his pitches don’t appear to get up on hitters very quickly. Ray also gives up plenty of lofted contact, as he’s generating a ground ball just 36.5 percent of the time (20th percentile). It’s something he’s dealt with a lot in his career, but the 19.1 degree average launch angle paints a fine line; he can generate fly ball outs with lower exit velocities, but if somebody sqaaures up a ball, he can get hit around a lot worse than a pitcher with better raw stuff. Trade Compensation Rental pitchers are are always in high demand, and that'll be doubly true this year as contending teams look to compete for a title without clogging up their payrolls ahead of the impending lockout. A top-100 prospect isn't a completely unreasonable price, though someone just outside of that range (Kane Kepley, Pedro Ramirez, etc.) would likely be enough to get a deal done. View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Matthew Boyd has been the steady hand on the wheel the Chicago Cubs have needed in a year where each injury has tried to sink the boat a little bit more. With four starting pitchers (Ben Brown, Cade Horton, Justin Steele and Edward Cabrera) on the team’s injured list, Boyd has had to assume more responsibility when he's been healthy. As the veteran southpaw celebrates 10 years of MLB service time, a mark he achieved just a few days ago, let’s break down how he has actually gotten better after turning 30 years old. Exploring Matthew Boyd's MLB Journey Boyd is currently 35 years old, and his career hasn’t come without a fair share of trials and tribulations. The veteran southpaw made his big-league debut in 2015, and from 2015-2020, he churned out a 34-54 record with a 5.08 earned run average. He struggled mightily with injury issues, eclipsing 100 innings three times over those six years and surpassing 150 frames just twice. Boyd turned 30 years old in 2021, and from that point on, he’s put up a 32-24 record with a 3.71 ERA. The Cubs sarter has been with five different organizations, spending eight seasons with the Detroit Tigers and two years or less with four other squads. Yet, in the midst of a career consisting of changing environments and a heavy dosage of the injury bug, he’s aging like fine wine. His Cubs Years Boyd’s season and a half with the Cubs has far and away been the best stint of his career, as the crafty left-handed pitcher earned an All-Star nod for the first time in his career in the 2025 season. This was thanks to a 14-8 record, 3.21 ERA, and 154 punchouts over 179.2 innings, the second-highest workload of his career. The question becomes this; how is Boyd putting up the best seasons of his big-league tenure in his mid-30s? Pitch Arsenal Boyd has to attack hitters a little differently than a lot of the front-of-the-rotation starters nowadays. He doesn’t have a high-90s fastball, as his primary offering (which he uses 47 percent of the time) is gliding in at an average of 92.7 miles per hour (23rd percentile). It’s also a pitch that, even from his 24 degree arm angle, is being hit at a relatively high clip. Opposing batters are managing to generate a .310 batting average against the four-seamer this year. His changeup is the next offering in terms of usage hierarchy, one he chooses to fire 27 percent of the time. While the fastball isn’t as high-octane as most in the league, the fact that Boyd’s changeup rides in at 79 miles per hour makes both pitches effective. The 35-year-old tunnels the pitches very well, with the changeup being 13 miles per hour slower while holding a very similar shape to the fastball. Both pitches have plenty of arm-side ride, with the off-speed pitch coming out just a bit flatter. Boyd also possesses a slider, arguably his best pitch, garnering a .118 batting average against with a single extra-base hit allowed across 38 at-bats that have ended with the offering. Setting up this option has been pivotal in allowing him to return to his 2025 form after coming back from injury. Pristine Location A four-pitch mix, combined with a deceivingly low arm angle, is a strong start to being productive, but Boyd’s best attribute is that he makes his opponent work. Walks provide a one-way street to give the offense a chance to do damage, and the longtime starter just doesn't allow them all that much. He gives up a free pass just 6.5 percent of the time, good enough to nestle him in the 80th percentile league-wide. Overall, Boyd’s ability to mix up his pitches, hit the zone and garner high chase rates have all given him a finesse-driven approach. This allows him to be much more productive, and he doesn’t have to demand as much velocity out of his arm in the process. View full article

Matthew Boyd is 35 years old, yet the veteran southpaw has put up his best seasons in the last couple of years. Boyd was an All-Star for the first time in 2025 and has been a steady option for the Chicago Cubs, who still have five starters on the injured list. In this video, we'll break down Boyd's impactful yet sustainable strategy to dominate at Wrigley. View full video

Image courtesy of © Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs’ starting rotation has been about as bruised up as any in all of MLB this year. With the trade deadline fast approaching and the team still very much in the hunt for an NL Central title, it makes sense to theorize who they could get from outside of the building. The Cubs’ farm system doesn’t have a ton of league-ready arms, after all. And yet, Brooks Caple has been quickly making a name for himself as a lockdown starting pitcher. Could he help the cause in the second half? Brooks Caple's Updated Cubs Scouting Report Caple is a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher in Chicago’s pipeline, and he currently ranks as the team’s 12th-ranked prospect, per North Side Baseball and MLB Pipeline. Caple is a tall glass of water, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 230 pounds in his second year of professional baseball. The Cubs selected him in the ninth round (272nd overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Lamar, but his makeup truly evolved as he made his way through the college ranks. The righty was originally a reliever at Stephen F. Austin for a pair of years before he hit the transfer portal and became a starter for Lamar. This change of scenery, and a successful offseason, led to him winning Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year honors while garnering a 2.40 earned run average and just a 0.87 WHIP. An Impressive 2026 So Far Once the Cubs selected Caple, he got going as a starter in 2025, logging a 4.48 ERA with 74 punchouts and 43 walks in 98.1 innings pitched. In 2026, he has quickly become one of the team’s most prized possessions in the prospect world. The orthodox starter began the season with the South Bend Cubs (Cubs, High-A) and absolutely dazzled. He tallied a 3-1 record, 2.49 ERA and struck out 26 over 21.2 innings of work. This earned him a promotion to join the Knoxville Smokies (Double-A), and he’s only grown more impressive with the sample size. Caple has a 3-2 record with a 3.74 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and .221 batting average against in Knoxville. Outside of Jaxon Wiggins, Caple is the organization’s highest-rated arm to grace the Double-A level. A Lethal Fastball Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Brooks Caple’s fastball. What was once a 90-91 mile per hour offering at the collegiate level can now sit in the mid-90s with the potential to touch 98. Caple has found a way to generate more spin on the ball, leading to arm-side carry to supplement an offering that is already gaining velocity. The 23-year-old effectively gets downhill, using a three-quarter arm slot delivery and above-average extension (release point in proximity to the plate) to give opposing hitters fits. Pick Your Poison Most starting pitchers have a couple of pitches that grade as average or better, especially as they’re still working up the minor league ladder. Caple has five different offerings, all earning at least a 50-grade on MLB Pipeline’s 20-to-80 scale. Along with the mid-90s fastball, he has a high-80s cutter, a curveball, slider and changeup. The carrying fastball leads the charge at a 60-grade, while the slider is currently at a 55. Projected Call-Up Date When will Caple get the call to the big leagues? This may sound premature, but depending on what pieces the big-league ball club adds at the Aug. 3 trade deadline (and further injury misfortune), he could debut as early as the end of this September. Chicago has 12 pitchers in their top-30 list. Right now, Grant Kipp and Wiggins are the only two who are healthy and have made it to Triple-A. Brandon Birdsell is also close to the big leagues, but he’s recovering from an elbow reconstruction procedure that has him out for the season. If Caple keeps opposing teams’ numbers down and can climb to Triple-A Iowa prior to the minor-league playoffs, he'll be in contention for an Opening Day roster spot in 2027 at the latest. View full article

Image courtesy of © Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Shortly after Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson had a 10-game stretch for the history books, his left-side counterpart in third baseman Alex Bregman showed signs of heating up heading into the All-Star Break. The veteran corner infielder is still on track to have a down season by his standards, but let’s dive into what metrics could imply that he’s capable of salvaging a promising first year in the Friendly Confines. Alex Bregman's First-Half Struggles and Second-Half Hopes For starters, Bregman is a 32-year-old veteran who is on his third team in as many seasons. After being a pivotal part of the Houston Astros for nine years, he spent a season with the Boston Red Sox before joining the Cubs for the first time in 2026. Heading into the second half, he has nine home runs, 41 runs batted in and is slashing .241/.336/.359 with a .696 OPS, a mark that would be the lowest of his career to date. To make matters worse, Bregman is in the first year of a five-year, $175 million contract with Chicago. It’s a deal that pays out $35 million per year on average, and he simply hasn’t provided the offensive firepower the Cubs were expecting for most of the season so far. A Rough June Bregman experienced his fair share of peaks and valleys to start the year, but he struggled mightily in the month of June. The veteran infielder slashed .200/.348/.300 with two home runs and 12 runs batted in over 90 at-bats. He got on base a decent amount, but the slugging percentage took a huge hit and has stayed in the .300s for the majority of this season. Advanced Power Numbers Bregman’s power numbers have been the most glaring issue for him so far, and it isn’t just because he’s yet to hit his 10th home run. Most of the power-hitting analytics imply that he simply isn’t a “thumper” anymore. Let’s start with his bat speed; Bregman’s stick gets through the zone at just 69.8 miles per hour, putting him in the 17th percentile among big league hitters (per Baseball Savant). Other analytics follow as expected, with Bregman generating a below-average exit velocity of 87.9 miles per hour, placing him in the 27th percentile. His barrel percentage (4.2, 17th percentile) and hard-hit percentage (35.5, 28th percentile) all lead to a common denominator: Bregman is not the 25-homer threat he once was in Houston. Mature Approach That doesn't have to be a death knell for his value, though. He is still flexing one of the most mature approaches in all of baseball. Players who can walk almost as often as they strike out will have a future in this league, and much like last year’s huge acquisition in Kyle Tucker, Bregman is doing just that. His strikeout rate of just 15.3 percent is one of the best in the game, slotting him in the 80th percentile. His walk rate, meanwhile, is well above average at 11.4 percent, putting him in the 76th percentile. This has been a trend for Bregman’s whole career, as he’s walked 676 times and struck out on 782 occasions in 5,758 plate appearances. A Subtle, Key Adjustment While the law of large numbers (i.e., sample size) will kick in, and Bregman should get closer to his career averages in the second half, he may be better suited trying to rope doubles in the gap instead of hitting for true home run power. Bregman seems to be making that adjustment, as his average launch angle has gone down in back-to-back years and is a full 1.1 degrees shallower than his 18.2 degree mark in 2024. With his average exit velocity reading the second lowest number in his career, more line drives may could suit a slugger in the back half of his career. They'd also better suit Wrigley Field's generous alleyways, which are far more hitter-friendly than the dead-pull zone in left field Bregman has targeted since his days with the Astros. View full article

Brandon Arvidson has the potential to be a late-round draft steal for the Chicago Cubs. In this video, we'll break down Arvidson's potential and how his background as a high-leverage SEC arm for the Tennessee Volunteers could equip him for a quick rise up Chicago's pipeline. View full video