What’s it like watching minor league baseball?

Really appreciate you guys for tuning in to talk Cubs prospects tonight! @ivyfutures.bsky.social and I had fun chatting… • “Untouchable” prospects in trades • Strategy in drafting catchers • Mini-breakouts: Brooks Caple & Mason McGwire • Big breakout: Owen Ayers www.youtube.com/live/2hTGw8x...

No Chicago Cubs game. No Iowa Cubs game. No Knoxville Smokies game. No South Bend Cubs game. No Myrtle Beach Pelicans game. Might as well watch the Cubs On Deck livestream where you can ask questions about our favorite prospects! Live in 30 minutes ⬇️ www.youtube.com/live/2hTGw8x...

I’ll be going live on YouTube tonight at 8pm CT to answer your questions about Cubs prospects! Hop in the chat or leave your questions in the comments below! www.youtube.com/live/2hTGw8x...

Big league Cubs are off tomorrow, so let’s chat prospects! I’ll be LIVE on YouTube tomorrow night to answer your questions about your favorite Cubs prospect! 8:00pm CT! See you there! www.youtube.com/live/2hTGw8x...

Pedro Ramirez just set a career high for home runs in a season. It’s only May 10th.

I don’t think MLB managers should be allowed to tell umpires to wait until their video replay coach says whether they should challenge a call or not. The decision doesn’t need to be as immediate as with ABS, but the amount of time managers take is a little silly sometimes.

Carson Kelly catching a day game following a start in yesterday’s night game because Miggy Amaya is dealing with a sore back. Interesting that it’s Kelly instead of giving Moises Ballesteros a shot back there.

Drew Bowser has a strong .379 OBP despite just a .238 batting average. But his 10.7% walk rate is below league-average, so how is he getting on base so much? He’s been hit by a pitch 8 times already this year, good for a 7.8% HBP rate!

The Cubs have 5 prospects with a walk rate north of 20% this year and if that sounds like a lot it’s because it is. Edgar Alvarez Brett Bateman Michael Carico Kane Kepley Cameron Sisneros Only 3 players in MLB have a BB% that high.

Edgar Alvarez continues to have one of the strangest minor league seasons I’ve ever seen: .133 AVG thanks partially to a .140 BABIP .345 OBP thanks to a 23.9% walk rate

The Cubs are on pace to win 112 games

My most old school (?) take is that I couldn’t care less how low of an OBP my perennial Gold Glove SS and CF post if they’re popping 25 homers.

My stateside organizational roster has been updated to include all the players on the Cubs Arizona Complex League roster. 215 players from Chicago to Mesa: outofthevines.com/organization...

Monday: Walk-off HR Tuesday: Walk-off error/single Wednesday: Walk-off walk Thursday: Walk-off pitch clock violation????????

IT FEELS DIFFERENT IN HERE

Tonight was the season debut for my pre-season #24 prospect in the organization, Pierce Coppola. It went beautifully: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K 64 pitches, 41 strikes

The Cubs have 6 current/former Top 100 prospects in the minors Kevin Alcántara Josiah Hartshorn Pedro Ramirez Jefferson Rojas James Triantos Jaxon Wiggins They traded/graduated 4 current/former Top 100 prospects the last year Moises Ballesteros Ronny Cruz Cade Horton Matt Shaw

“This is the most fun I’ve ever had, maybe in my life… It feels like I’m living a dream.” -Ryan Rolison

The Reds lost because they were wearing the hats with black bills instead of all-red hats. Style matters, people.

We’ve got the season’s first major wave of promotions on the farm: ⬆️ to Myrtle Beach • Pierce Coppola (from Dev List) ⬆️ to South Bend • Eli Jerzembeck • Geuri Lubo ⬆️ to Knoxville • Brooks Caple • Jackson Kirkpatrick

60+ minutes dedicated entirely to Pedro Ramirez! • Analysis from: Me & @cubsmith.bsky.social • Analysis for: both prospect followers & MLB fans 📺: youtu.be/7C8NiVkPtSQ?... 🍎: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c... 🔗: linktr.ee/cubsondeck

60+ minutes dedicated entirely to Pedro Ramirez! • Analysis from: Me & @cubsmith.bsky.social • Analysis for: both prospect followers & MLB fans 📺: youtu.be/7C8NiVkPtSQ?... 🍎: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c... 🔗: linktr.ee/cubsondeck

This team feels different, y’all

Just finished recording the pod. We talked about Pedro Ramirez for over an hour. Episode drops Tuesday morning!

NICO HOERNER IS A WIZARD

What Cubs hitting prospects have been most impressive so far this season? Your 2026 BASH leaders ⬇️

With his 2 homers tonight in the first 4 innings, Andy Garriola now has 7 home runs and 19 RBI in his first 16 games this season.

It’s so freeing to have Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner play up the middle for my favorite team, knowing that every ball that gets hit there is going to turn into an out.

Yesterday: Jacob Webb 2-inning save Today: Ben Brown 2-inning save

Is Ian Happ the greatest player to ever don a Cubs uniform? My column:

Kaleb Wing’s pro debut in today’s ACL Cubs opener: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Cubs pitchers this year in Double-A, High-A, and Single-A: 52 pitchers 258 total appearances 235 of those the pitcher either threw more than one inning or completed the game The single-inning reliever is dead. Piggybacking is alive and well.

The Jaguar just homered again

It’s a real shame I’m gonna have to wait another 4 weeks to use this wonderfully NSFW clip of Anthony Rizzo and his feelings toward the St. Louis Cardinals.

Today is on of the better starting pitcher dockets we’ve seen this year on the Cubs farm: Iowa - Connor Noland Knoxville - TBA South Bend - Brooks Caple Myrtle Beach - Mason McGwire

Cubs back home from a west coast road trip to find the wall covered with green ivy for the first time this season. That walk out of the clubhouse for a 1:20 Friday game has to be a top 10 feeling for these players.

Watching catchers in a baseball game from 10 years ago feels like you’re watching catchers from 100 years ago. The position has changed so much in such a relatively short period of time.

Javier Assad has gotten off to a rough start this year, which means the Cubs are now down to only 5.5 bWAR produced by IFA pitchers developed in their MiLB system over the last 13 seasons.

Pedro Ramirez takes former Cubs prospect Ryan Gallagher deep for his 8th home run of the year, tying a career high before the calendar even turns over to May.

This week I began allowing our podcast hosting site to place ads into Cubs On Deck — the 1st time I’ve done this in the 300+ episodes I’ve recorded I’d love your feedback, whether you find it reasonable or too much. Last thing I want is for you to be less interested in the pod because of a few ads!

Sorry, I haven’t posted my official thoughts on Justin Steele suffering a setback in his return from surgery. Here goes: I’m sad

How many games would a team win if they started a Nico Hoerner at every position besides pitcher and catcher? An infield and outfield full of Nico Hoerners and a lineup of 8 Nico Hoerners, always there to drive in another Nico Hoerner.

Dansby Swanson left the game with a left glute cramp. Who among us?

NEW podcast episode with NEW Myrtle Beach Pelicans broadcaster Joey Robertson! We get to know the Birds: Josiah Hartshorn Mason McGwire Dominick Reid Michael Carico Jose Escobar 📺: youtu.be/2j6l8ol4Pmc?... 🍎: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

NEW podcast episode with NEW Myrtle Beach Pelicans broadcaster Joey Robertson! We get to know the Birds: Josiah Hartshorn Mason McGwire Dominick Reid Michael Carico Jose Escobar 📺: youtu.be/2j6l8ol4Pmc?... 🍎: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

Mason Miller who? Cubs prospect Zac Leigh pitched an Immaculate Inning this afternoon — 9 pitches, 9 strikes, 3 strikeouts.

Pedro Ramirez has been removed from the game in Iowa and exited the field to the clubhouse.

Cubs MLB & AAA arms on IL Brandon Birdsell Jeff Brigham Kohl Franklin Hunter Harvey Porter Hodge Gavin Hollowell Cade Horton Gabe Klobosits Riley Martin Phil Maton Shelby Miller Jack Neely Daniel Palencia Ethan Roberts Will Sanders Justin Steele Caleb Thielbar Jordan Wicks Jaxon Wiggins Kyle Wright

Yacksel Ríos, the Cubs newest reliever; • Parts of 15 season in minor league baseball (340 games) • Parts of 6 seasons in MLB (92 games) • 6.32 ERA in MLB career • 5.06 ERA in 7 Triple-A games this year