This Cubs team has sparked the writing itch again, and so I’ve decided to listen and hit publish. Come hang out for the rest of 2025. Here’s the first post: open.substack.com/pub/fivecubs...

Why did Cade Horton stop at 79 pitches SIX times? 🤯 @cubsmith.bsky.social joins me to talk pitch counts, bullpen depth, and why scoring runs is actually… good? #Cubs #CubsPSPlus #CadeHorton #PitchingDepth #BleacherBunch @bleacherbunch.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

A couple 20-year-olds in A+ with identical OPS: Zyhir Hope: .300/.383/.506, 147+, 11.3 BB%, 23.7 K%, 72.2 Contact% Jefferson Rojas: .301/.389/.500, 145+, 10.8 BB%, 19.1 K%, 80.7 Contact%

Co-sign. Top four Cubs prospect currently in the minors, top 100 in MLB, imo.

We heard when Counsell joined that empowering young players to bridge success from the minors to Majors was one of his strengths. There might be other examples of him doing it, but how he’s built Palencia’s confidence up in the last few weeks is now example 1A. You can *see* his self belief growing.

Never a good idea to get too high on a player at his peak moments or too low on a player in his valleys. So let me offer some Ben Brown optimism today. Number of 4-seams in a game that exceed both 96 mph and 18 IVB (rising impact). Look at the top 2; they’re actively working on improved shape.

For the first time since leaving the University of Oklahoma, Cade Horton has thrown 80 pitches.

Jaxon Wiggins makes his Double-A debut tonight. His numbers in High-A were comical: 26.1 IP, 1.71 ERA, 0.99 WHIP 29.5 K%, 12.4 BB% 17.3 SwStr%, 32.9 CSW% .143/.257/.231//.488 opp slash

Moises Ballesteros playing pepper with the left center ivy is gonna hit different

I hope the day Cade Horton traveled to New York coincides with the day Jaxon Wiggins is told it’s time for Double-A. Suspect so.

It’s just not often that a first place team calls up the best pitching prospect they’ve had in 20 years for a start. Worthy of a party. And worthy of a post. www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2025/05...

Since Porter Hodge was (unfairly) hit for 5 runs on April 18, the Cubs bullpen ranks fourth in MLB in ERA (2.12) and sixth in FIP (3.18).

He back

Looks like MiLB’s free game of the day is Cade Horton on the mound at 10:05 am central, so you’re welcome for ruining your work day. I’ll dump some observations during the game in here. Big thing to look for is if Horton can pass the 80-pitch mark. Has yet to do it as a pro, but 76 last outing.

LMAO PCA

SING THE FUCKING SONG!!!

Fine idea, but……..bye

60 minutes dedicated entirely to Moises Ballesteros! Analysis from: Me + @cubsmith.bsky.social Analysis for: both prospect followers & MLB fans 📺: youtu.be/jpPJ_czee0A?... 🍎: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c... 🔗: linktr.ee/cubsondeck

We just talked for an hour about Moises Ballesteros. Sorry bout it.

My upper deck seat yesterday had me looking straight up the line at third base, and I’m still in absolute disbelief that Gage Workman wasn’t charged an error and Porter Hodge wears all those runs. Respectfully, that was not a difficult Major League play. A brutal whiff. And, HA, didn’t matter!

I do some scouting report-type write ups over at our Ten Sixty West discord; here is an example from a strong outing yesterday. Reach out to me or @ivyfutures.bsky.social if interested in an invite, we’d love to have you.

Fantastic West Coast trip for the Cubs. Some hints of bad habits at the plate there at the end, Amaya on Tuesday, even Tucker on Wednesday, so you couldn’t ask for better timing for a day off ahead of a hard weekend of opposing pitchers. Grind until May 11 and prosper thereafter. 21 down, 20 to go.

Felt like a B- day for Cade Horton on the mound today. Fighting slider command, fastball ride wasn’t quite at the standard of the first 2 starts. And yet, 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R. And most importantly, 76 pitches. Most since May 22 last year. May call up comin’

So Moisés Ballesteros just hit his first home run of the year. That was cool, you’ll see the great videos of that soon enough. But let’s talk about his last 30 at-bats: .467 AVG .500 OBP .733 SLG ONE STRIKEOUT

One of the first breakouts in the Cubs system I can definitely point to in 2025 is Grant Kipp, the 25 yr old out of Yale in his 4th pro season. After two AA starts, Kipp’s numbers: 10 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13 K. 34.3 CSW%. SIX pitches, including top 3 slider in the system.

Oh. That, please.

My son, 10, has only yet had 2 favorite players. Anthony Rizzo and Mo Salah. After the unceremonious exit of Rizz, it would have been so disheartening to see FSG let Salah walk after *this* season. So, very thankfully: the king has returned. Ynwa.

I’ve seen enough: Cade Horton has re-earned his spot atop a Cubs prospect list. There’s still some rust, but the bones of what’s there are really really good.

We are SO back! @cubsmith.bsky.social and I recap the first full weekend of the MiLB season by talking about who stood out: Owen Caissie, Cristian Hernández, Jaxon Wiggins, Angel Cepeda, Connor Noland, Ben Cowles, Will Sanders, Evan Aschenbeck, JP Wheat 🔗: linktr.ee/cubsondeck

If you had to name one thing that PCA’s increase in bat speed — 26th percentile to 67th percentile this offseason — would best help with, fastballs would have been a good guess. And so would timing up a few more barrels. And yet, 0 barrels and 255 wOBAvFB thus far. Disconnect needs solving.

Five Stars of Cub Farm, 4/5. 5. Pedro Ramirez. 4 up, four sat down by Mitch Tyranski in high leverage. 3. Angel Cepeda. 2. JP Wheat. Know this name. 1. Cristian Hernández with 3 hits and 3 steals.

Five Stars of Cub Farm, 4/4. We’re so back. HM. Pedro Ramirez and Ben Cowles. 5. Iowa’s pen. Good Luke Little! 4. Matt Halbach. 💣+🕸️💎. 3. Will Sanders. Scouting report from outing at our Discord. 2. Evan Aschenbeck. 1. Jose Escobar.

Official system-wide rosters. Opening Day for Myrtle Beach, South Bend, & Knoxville is tomorrow!

Two guys that I haven’t been optimistic about in the past that are doing the work to convince me otherwise in this young AAA season: Ben Cowles and Ethan Roberts. Neither is perfect, these are lower ceilinged players in the grand scheme of things, but looking big leaguer-y, at least.

Leaving Sacramento as I type this, and boy, what an interesting couple days. Surreal watching the Cubs win in the intimate setting of a minor lg bandbox, but I can’t say I walked away believing MLB baseball works here, in this way. Probably only about 6-8K ppl actually attended game two.

If one thing is now clear after seven games, it’s that the Chicago Cubs are going to be an absolute problem for the Pacific Coast League.

Baseball.

Fun day for my last at the backfields in 2025. Erian Rodriguez was absolutely awesome, JP Wheat sat 98 with a mean short slider in an up-and-down outing, and got a new name that piqued my interest in Jostin Florentino. Can’t recommend adding a backfields day to your Spring Training trips enough.

Iowa’s roster: Lineup: Triantos / Caissie / Alcántara / Ballesteros / Long / Perez / Franklin Bnch: McGuire / Strumpf / Machado / Hill / Allen Rotation: Wicks / Horton / Noland / Kilian / Flexen Pen: Palencia / Neely / Richards / Little / Roberts / Martin / Hollowell / Hughes / Kriske / Bickford

Most fun overreaction available from yesterday’s 1-game sample is wondering if 2025 is setting up as Ian Happ’s offensive peak. Would make sense, he’s shown better each of last 3 yrs, and yet I think we all believe there’s more there. 2 balls over 108 mph yesterday, 21 in ‘24, 13 in ‘23, 15 in ‘22.

Would love to have you in our Discord Cubs community. Closing in on 500 folks with some of the best active conversations I’ve had on the Internet. Try this link or DM me! discord.gg/K5Er9Ak8

Back in my happy place at the Cubs backfields, where we have a pair of intrasquad scrimmages. Myrtle Beach (Mule) against South Bend (Schlaffer) and Knoxville (B Johnson) against AZL (K Valdez). Cristian Hernandez just hit a bommmbb.

Cubs fans, Give a shout out to @outofthevines.bsky.social @ivyfutures.bsky.social and the whole crew over at NSB. I know how hard a decision like this can be. Thank them for all their efforts, please. They gave a lot of time and effort to give us great prospect content. Good luck to all involved.

Big 2 weeks ahead for 5 pitchers: Tyson Miller, Brad Keller, Keegan Thompson, Nate Pearson, Eli Morgan. I see 2 or 3 spots available to those guys, depending on the development/usage plan for Ben Brown. Miller/Thompson out of options, Keller with an opt out, Pearson/Morgan optionable.

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for (or so I tell myself)! The Cubs Prospect Fantasy Draft! @ivyfutures.bsky.social, @cubsmith.bsky.social, and I each select 5 starters, 3 relievers, a full lineup, and 3 extra hitters to assemble the best possible roster! 🔗: linktr.ee/cubsondeck

Brad Keller and Frankie Scalzo Jr had outings that demand a touch more attention. Looks like Scalzo is moving his velo range up 1-1.5 very important ticks this yr, which would move him from “probably AAAA” to “worth a shot.” And Keller? Well he’s your clear early favorite for Cubs Spring Darling.

Really hope the Statcast info at the Dodgers ST park is legit today, because that would mean some cool things for a bunch of Cubs guys. I suspect it’s probably running hot tho. (If not, oh I see you at 97 Neely, Danny you’re in midseason form, and Brad Keller excuse me?)

With Justin Turner on the books, I think I’m ready to go with my first Opening Day roster projection here for MLB and AAA. I’m cautiously projecting Nico and Luke Little to make it back in time for OD, but not the same outcome for Assad and Birdsell. Will do my best to update over next month.

I’m always reticent about bringing in a player in twilight of his career, the place where Justin Turner finds himself now. If both player and manager are on board for role the front office envisions, great, it’s a good fit. If it’s JT on a non-descript Wednesday standing at 3B, I’ll see red flags.

Random note as we’re back to analyzing baseball on the field: @matrueblood.bsky.social *killed it* this offseason. Raw output, quality analysis, unique reporting, every area.