Official 2023 Chicago Cubs Season Thread Vol: (17-17)

[CP1708]

6 straight.

13th shutout of the year.

Starlin.

 

[CP1708]

Jake Arrieta

He has a 1.37 ERA and nine quality starts in his last nine outings (10 ER/65.2 IP)

His numbers on the year

12-6
147.2 inn
111 hits
41 ER
37 BB
152 K's
2.50 ERA
1.00 WHIP
3.9 WAR
22 Starts


#Ace

 

[CP1708]

View media item 1659522
View media item 1659523
View media item 1659524
View media item 1659525

 

[johnnyredstorm]

I could see Torres called up before he turns 21 if he keeps it up.

 

[CP1708]

With Castro, Baez, and Russell around?

I see Torres bein flipped for a missing piece in a deadline or two.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

I could see Castro getting moved first. Either way, Torres has a promising future.

 

[CP1708]

Huge 4 gamer vs SF, off to a tremendous start.

SF starter Heston already with 38 pitches in ONE inning. Pen was already warming.

Also, their starter scratched for tomorrow.

And, we miss Bumgardner.

2-0 right now, hope Hammel can close it out, then have Lester, Hendricks, Arrieta to try and close out the series.

 

[illmatic34]

Schwarber with that bomb :x

 

[arstyle27]

Yezzzzzir

 

[CP1708]

5-0 and could already be tapping into their pen.

 

[CP1708]

W.

 

[sportsjunkie]

The Bullpen really held it down at the end last night. Hector and Motte was cool

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Schwarber is too good

 

[sportsjunkie]

Yes he was.

 

[CP1708]

Rondon has been LIGHTS OUT lately.

Maddon also managing like the playoffs already, going to Grimm in the 5th.

 

[sportsjunkie]

Rondon has been LIGHTS OUT lately.

Maddon also managing like the playoffs already, going to Grimm in the 5th.

With this young team he has to manage it that way. We gotta win this series against the Giants. We need Lester to be lights out this afternoon.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Maddon has gotta win Manager of the Year. He's been brilliant.

 

[CP1708]

Do the Cubs Still have a Top 10 Farm System?,* after graduating three of their top prospects – Jorge Soler, Addison Russell and Kris Bryant (plus Javier Baez and Arismendy Alcantara lost eligibility last year). (*If you’re wondering, Jim Callis’s answer to that question is “yes,” probably even after Kyle Schwarber graduates. Depth for miles.)

So when MLB Pipeline recently updated their top 100, I thought it was worth sharing the new leaders at the top, as well as some of the notable Cub inclusions.

First, we’ll start with the leaders. The Minnesota Twins are a pretty heavy favorite for the top overall farm system in baseball, as they hold the number one overall prospect (Byron Buxton – no surprise there) and number four overall prospect (Miguel Sano) in all of baseball. The Dodgers also have a strong presence at the top of this list with shortstop Corey Seager taking over the number two overall spot, and Julio Urias rounding out the top five. Nationals pitcher Lucas Giolito comes in at number three, and overall this is a relatively high-profile/familiar group of guys at the top.

The Cubs still have a very nice presence, according to MLB Pipeline, placing five prospects within the top 100. Starting from the bottom, Cubs A+ ball pitcher Duane Underwood comes in at number 80 overall, which strikes me as a fair assessment, assuming Underwood’s recent arm issue is no big deal. Drafted in 2012, Underwood turned 21 less than a month ago and has as much upside as any pitcher in the Cubs system.

After Underwood comes another pitcher, Carl Edwards Jr., at number 66 overall. Edwards came over in the Matt Garza trade, is 23 years old (nearly 24) and has been pitching out of the AAA Iowa bullpen (primarily to save his arm/work his arm strength back up). Edwards’ big league future may yet be as a starter, but he could get an opportunity to work out of the MLB pen in 2015 when rosters expand in September (assuming he recaptures his control).

Following Carl Edwards Jr. is Tennessee Smokies corner outfielder Billy McKinney – who came over with Addison Russell in the Jeff Samardzija/Jason Hammel trade in 2014 – at number 41 overall. Promoted to AA in May, McKinney has impressed scouts with his knowledge of the strike-zone and patient approach at the plate. Over 277 PAs at AA, McKinney (20 years old) has a mere 14.8% strikeout rate.

After McKinney comes the highly-touted, extremely young, A-ball shortstop Gleyber Torres at 36. At just 18 years old, Torres has done some impressive things on offense (especially for a shortstop and double for his age) and is highly regarded on defense. Just recently, Mark Gonzales (via David Kaplan in the video here) said that some scouts consider Torres the best shortstop in the Cubs’ organization – high praise considering the presence of Addison Russell and Javier Baez, for two examples.

Last, but certainly not least, comes catcher – currently on the Cubs 25-man roster – Kyle Schwarber at number seven overall. Coming up to replace an injured Miguel Montero, Kyle Schwarber has been nothing short of fantastic in his short stint with the Chicago Cubs. He has proved that his bat is indeed major league ready, even if adjustments will eventually come, by hitting .342/.425/.605 in his 87 PAs, with an strong 11.5% BB-rate and a perfectly usable 26.4% K-rate. On the defensive side, Schwarber still may need some work, but he has looked passable behind the plate and in left field (on occasion). While there is work to be done, he is getting practice in at the highest level with some of the best coaches and teammates possible. With his reportedly strong work ethic and the ear of Miguel Montero and David Ross, the only thing standing in the way of becoming a part-to-full-time catcher is time.

(Speaking of catchers: By the end of the season, I wonder whether break out catching prospect Willson Contreras, about whom I wrote earlier today, will also be getting a look in these top 100 lists.)

It’s yet another strong showing for the Cubs’ minor league system and serves to remind us that this rebuild wasn’t a one-and-done. The Cubs’ MiLB system will be a constant work in progress. Their position among the rankings may ebb and flow as players move on or move out, but the consistency is just starting to emerge.

 

[CP1708]

Addison Russell, Golden Glove

 

[af1nike]

I laugh every time Kyle comes up to bat and BTNH comes on

 

[CP1708]

Cubs win.

2 more still to go, with one of them being Arrieta. This is a golden opportunity to do some real damage.

 

[arstyle27]

Great win. Lester was solid. Rondon shuttin em down.

 

[CP1708]

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 48s48 seconds ago
Jon Lester before July 1:
ERA: 4.03, WHIP: 1.37, K-BB ratio: 3.2

Jon Lester since July 1:
ERA: 1.79, WHIP: 0.81, K-BB ratio: 7.6

 

[CP1708]

Russell, Bryant, Schwarber, Soler. Cub rookies, have a day.

Arrieta goin tomorrow. Could be a HUGE series if we can finish strong.

 

[CP1708]

Arrieta could get us a SWEEP tomorrow.