MLB

First off, congratulations to Michael Rucker and Manuel Rodríguez on making their MLB debuts last night. This is probably a sight we will see several more times before the season is over, but it is always exciting, even for someone like me who has seen these kids dozens or hundreds of times over the years.

Manny Rodriguez, 100mph Two Seamer and 90mph Cutter, Individual Pitches + Overlay. pic.twitter.com/RnRSwGYgnH

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja)

July 31, 2021

This is going to be an abbreviated recap of the happenings in the system yesterday. I’m still pretty exhausted from the trade deadline, and trying to get even basic information the new prospect acquisitions.

They started fixing the machinery in 2018, but it takes a long time for first waves generated to reach the shore.

And that’s why we are here.

— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst)

July 31, 2021

I move into my new condo in two weeks, and my plan is to do a deep dive into the Cubs entire system. I want to look at each and every guy already in the system with fresh eyes, the same way I will with the new prospects. It’s long overdue on my part, and I hope other’s in my position will follow suit the rest of the season.

So much has changed, for so many prospects coming out of the year off. And I think there is a ton of out of date information floating around about many of them. I’ve tried to be less definitive in any proclamations about prospect ceilings/grading/ranking/whatever this season, because of the unknowns and changes, but habits are hard to break. As are previous conclusions.

Also, I’ll go to my grave arguing numerical rankings are dumb, and should never be used given the amount of context absent from them.

But people love them.

It should be mandatory to place a “these will give you cancer” warning label on them.

— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst)

July 31, 2021

In the meantime, I shared some thoughts on Twitter this morning that have been swirling around in my head for a while, but it is a good indication of my feelings about how prospects, especially around the trade deadline (“they didn’t even get a Top 10 guy), are covered by people like me, and consumed as commodities by readers.

The two seamer is a big thing for Rodriguez. His command is not very precise, and so when he relied more heavily on the 4S it left him vulnerable to homers when the pitch caught too much plate. Now he can mix and match, to make it more difficult on hitter to barrel either.

— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst)

July 31, 2021

Yeah I’d done the same thing in Tennessee, so when he got to Iowa and saw it was all high 80s, I asked him if it was fully slider now. He confirmed.

What a job they did teaching sliders/cutters in South Bend last year.

— Cubs Prospects – Bryan Smith (@cubprospects)

July 31, 2021

Which helped trigger these thoughts:

A modest signing out of the Mexican Leagues as a 19-yo in July of 2016, Rodriguez debuted stateside the in 2017, mostly in short season. Briefly caught my eye. But as a short, stout RHRP who had good but not great stuff (low-90s/power CV), didn’t seem to have a ton of projection.

— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst)

July 31, 2021

Early 2019 I remember @cubprospects DM me, asking if I remembered anything about Rodriguez, because the reliever had caught his eye in ST, and he couldn’t even recall Rodriguez pitching the previous year. Gave him brief description above, and he said to keep an eye out.

— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst)

July 31, 2021

That offseason, as the Rule 5 draft neared, Rodriguez was among the candidates Cubs needed to consider protecting. I leaned toward Michael Rucker for the final spot (he would get plucked by BAL, eventually returned, and also made MLB/Cubs debut alongside Rodriguez last night).

— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst)

July 31, 2021

We were all were pretty interested to see how Rodríguez would improve in 2020. Unfortunately, the season would get wiped out. Rodríguez, like many though, did not stop developing while at the SB alternate site. More velo (98-100) and…https://t.co/lKzt9OEtC7

— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst)

July 31, 2021

I pay more attention to the Cubs system than most, and it is still difficult to keep in my mind and appreciate all of the subtle changes Rodríguez has made over the years to get himself to this point.

— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst)

July 31, 2021

Especially for pitchers, so much happens behind the scenes anymore. From the start of 2019, Rodríguez has gone from someone Bryan couldn’t even remember watching (not a knock, Bryan is hella great at what he does), to 40-man, to Future’s Game, to MLB. He’s thrown fewer than 70 IP

— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst)

July 31, 2021

AAA

Iowa SUSP

AA

Chattanooga 10, Tennessee 3

Top Performers

• Brandon Hughes: 3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (2.42)
• Brennen Davis: 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI (.272)
• Nelson Maldonado: 2-5, 3B, R (.311)
• Levi Jordan: 2-4, RBI (.270)
• Darius Hill: 2-5, R (.274)

High-A

Quad Cities 7, South Bend 6

Top Performers

• Yonathan Perlaza: 1-3, R, 2 BB (.248)
• Edmond Americaan: 1-3, 2 RBI, HBP (.211)
• Josue Huma: 2-4, BB, SB (5) (.247)
• Jake Slaughter: 1-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI (.257)
• Harrison Wenson: 1-4, R, RBI, BB, SB (2) (.123)
• Joe Nahas: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 4 K (4.18)

Low-A

Augusta 10, Myrtle Beach 3

Top Performers

• Jordan Nwogu: 2-4, HR (8), R, RBI (.218)
• Matt Warkentin: 1-3, HR (3), R, RBI, BB (.209)
• Luis Verdugo: 1-3, 3B, R (.179)
• Ezequiel Pagan: 1-3, RBI, SF (.295)
• Fabian Pertuz: 1-3 (.237)
• Jake Reindl: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K (6.10)

AZL

Cubs 10, D-Backs 2

Top Performers

• Rafael Morel: 2-3, 2B, HR (1), R, 4 RBI, 2 SB (3, 4) (.118)
• Ismael Mena: 2-4, HR (1), 2 R, 2 RBI, HBP (.186)
• Malcom Quintero: 1-1, 2B, R, 3 BB, SB (2) (.355)
• Yeison Santana: 1-3, 2B, R, BB, HBP, SB (2) (.321)
• Owen Caissie: 0-1, 2 R, 3 BB (.362)
• Reggie Preciado: 0-3, R, BB, 2 SB (6, 7) (.361)
• Luis A. Rodriguez: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K (1.46)
• Dawel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K (W, 1-0, 2.57)

DSL

Pirates 3, Cubs Blue 2

Cubs Red CAN