With Spring Training approaching, and with rankings season having gone through its full swing, the Cubs prospect content really built up on me in the tabs. I don’t want to lose any of it, so I’m going to dump a bunch of it on you now. Enjoy …
Cubs prospects get to play in not one but two Spring Breakout games this year:Are you ready for Spring Breakout?!Here's the 2025 schedule: t.co/qdS7OoTcWa pic.twitter.com/Uzy7LEdO1W
OF Eli Lovich joins the #Cubs' Top 30 Prospects list following the trade of Michael Arias.Scouting report, grades and more on the 6-foot-4 2024 Draft pick: t.co/N5H0IaUUzk pic.twitter.com/aLnCUzSXCs
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 16, 2025 Internally, there’s a lot of hope for Lovich’s bat in the years ahead, and Pipeline sums it up:“Because Lovich was nearly 19 years old and carried just 185 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame as a Kansas high school senior last spring, most clubs viewed him as a projection player who would be best served by developing in college at Arkansas. But there were a couple of teams that loved his upside enough to buy him away from the Razorbacks, including the Cubs, who took him in the 11th round and paid him fourth-round money ($650,000). He’ll make his pro debut in 2025.
Lovich has a quality left-handed swing and recognizes pitches better than many players his age. He lacks present strength but features promising bat speed and could develop plus raw pop once he develops physically. He doesn’t turn on many pitches and made a lot of opposite-field, ground-ball contact on the showcase circuit.
Lovich is athletic despite his gangly frame and offers solid speed. He’ll get the chance to show what he can do in center field but projects as more of a right fielder with solid arm strength. He also showed some promise as a three-pitch left-hander with an upper-80s fastball, but pro teams preferred him as a hitter.”
The Cubs have had a lot of success in the 11th round (the first non-bonus pool round, so it’s your first “free” swing in the draft) in recent years, including Zyhir Hope the year before Lovich. The story was a little similar – well-regarded high school prospect with a strong college commitment and tons of upside – though I think banking on Lovich to break out into a consensus top-100 prospect by this time next year is probably unreasonable. But it could happen! (Note: MLB Pipeline hasn’t yet released its fresh 2025 top-30 for the Cubs, so the note there is just about Lovich getting some love for being the next man up. The list as a whole is going to be rejiggered soon, and it’ll likely include some fresh IFA signings.) Shortstop prospect Yahil Melendez, whom the Cubs took in the 7th round in 2023, got some love from Kiley McDaniel:“Melendez may not be a shortstop, but he should fit in the infield long term, and his full-season debut will be coming in 2025. He has top-100 upside by next winter because he has plus power potential, feel to get to that power in games, a solid approach and some feel for the bat head. You can’t be right about every hunch, but the pieces are here.”
MLB Pipeline wrote up every organization’s best non-top-100 prospect:“Cubs: Brandon Birdsell, RHPThe Cubs named Birdsell their Minor League Pitcher of the Year after he posted a 3.91 ERA and led the system in innings (135 2/3), strikeouts (134), K percentage (24 percent) and walk percentage (5 percent) while splitting his season between Double-A and Triple-A. His best attributes are a mid-90s fastball that reaches 98 with carry and command and an upper-80s slider with nice depth.”
Some personal bits on Kevin Alcántara and Moises Ballesteros:Cubs OF prospect Kevin Alcántara was eager to showcase his improved English skills in joining me on the latest edition of the Cubs Weekly Podcast. We talked his big-league call-up, learning English and why it was important and much more. Check it out!
— Andy Martínez (@andy-martinez.bsky.social) 2025-02-04T16:37:31.989ZMoisés Ballesteros has always raked — whether it was corn kernels growing up in Venezuela or minor league pitching. On Ballesteros’ journey and some sage advice he got from Willson Contreras:
— Andy Martínez (@andy-martinez.bsky.social) 2025-01-27T23:08:58.235Z It would be such an incredible story if Ben Leeper could come back from his third Tommy John surgery and reach the big leagues:Pitcher Ben Leeper is in camp now and throwing. Ben is working his way back from his 3rd TJS! He's a great competitor and even better guy! #Cubs #CubsProspects pic.twitter.com/733ofyCdXw
— Rich Biesterfeld (@biest22) January 23, 2025 Former Cubs pitching prospect Max Bain has retired, and I think it’s a pretty good bet he’s going to stay involved in the game one way or another:End of Chapter.For the next generation, we ride ?Forever #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/JAbREBb87C
— Max Bain (@mbain_38) January 23, 2025 All the best to Max on whatever comes next. Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Cubs Prospect Notes: Spring Breakout, IFA, Tomas, McCullough, Birdsell, Lovich, Melendez, More )
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