In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

If you saw a bright flash of light or heard a boom overnight, you might have witnessed a bright meteor flying over the city of Chicago before it burned up and exploded in the atmosphere. At around 12:52 am CDT a bright meteor was reported flying overhead by individuals as far south as Alabama and as far north as Milwaukee.

I was up at that hour and witnessed a bright flash of light through an open window that changed color and intensity, followed by a loud boom sound. Knowing it’s Perseid season, I immediately considered the possibility that it was a meteor, but I wasn’t 100% certain because I barely caught a look before it was gone.

Fortunately, we have an extra security camera facing south and captured it on video. This is footage of the event we captured and uploaded to the American Meteor Society.

Because this camera is behind block glass the meteor appeared to split off at the end before it burned up, but it actually remained intact until the very end.

As I mentioned, it’s the beginning of the Perseids meteor shower event, an annual occurrence as the Earth travels through the debris field of Comet Swift-Tuttle. This years event began on the 17th and is expected to last until August 24th, but viewing is best during the nights of August 11-12th when the meteor shower will peak.

Fireball event map as reported to the AMS. Photo: AMS

If you witness a fireball event like that one that happened last night, you can report it to the American Meteor Society. The site collects data about these events all from individuals all over the world. Last night’s event garnered over 100 individual reports that helped determine the meteor’s trajectory.

Alexander Canario (photo by Todd Johnson)

MLB

The first MLB Draft signing news is beginning to roll in. The Cubs have secured deals from 1st rounder Cade Horton, 7th rounder Nick Hull, and 15th rounder Hadyn McGeary with bonus amounts being reported.

The #Cubs have signed 1st round pick Cade Horton for a little more than 1.5 under slot, and 7th rounder Nick Hull for about 225K under. Here is an updated look at their draft with the three reported signings, ~6.1M in pool money remaining: pic.twitter.com/FPdkeYFQgm

July 23, 2022

Other signings have occurred, including 4th rounder Nazier Mule, 5th rounder Brandon Birdsell, 8th rounder Mason McGwire, 10th rounder Brody McCullough, 12th rounder Mathew Peters, and 13th rounder Luis Rujano, but no figures have been disclosed.

The Cubs have not announced any of the deals, so none of the above is official.

On the sad end of news, Dwight Smith, the runner up in the 1989 Rookie of the Year voting, and one of my favorites as a kid, passed away. The Cubs many prospects who debuted in late-80s and early-90s were a big part of the reason I do writing like this.

We are saddened to learn of the death of Dwight Smith and send our condolences.

Selected by the Cubs in the 1984 June Draft, Smith roamed the outfield for five seasons with Chicago, helping the 1989 club reach the postseason and finishing 2nd in NL Rookie of the Year voting. pic.twitter.com/HShOnwWS2Z

July 22, 2022

AAA

Omaha 9, Iowa 1

Game Recap

A real rough outing for Cam Sanders, as he failed to make it out of the 1st inning (0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 0 K). Consistency remains his biggest stumbling block on his path to the Majors as a SP. I remain in the camp that Sanders should be used in a two-inning relief role at first, and then if he proves himself his usage can be expanded into either late inning duties or given a shot as a swingman/starter. He’s got the stuff for both jobs.

Anyway, his performance yesterday dug the Cubs into a hole they couldn’t crawl out of. Nick Madrigal is ramping his rehab back up, and provided the only RBI of the night for Iowa, as he recorded two hits (and even added a rare walk). Affiliated ball RBI leader Matt Mervis made his AAA debut, doubling once in four at bats.

First AAA hit for Matt Mervis is a double! pic.twitter.com/astHoUFmmp

July 23, 2022

Top Performers

Nick Madrigal: 2-3, RBI, BB (.294)Dixon Machado: 2-5, 2B, R (.311)Darius Hill: 2-4 (.331)Dakota Mekkes: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 0 K (6.59)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Matt Mervis obviously gets the headlines for his promotion. His meteoric rise this season deserves the attention. But don’t overlook Nicholas Padilla. The righty has always had a good arm and stuff, but it took a further step forward this year, along with some improvements in command, which has allowed him to make the same jump from High-A to AAA as Mervis. While Mervis won’t even be Rule 5 eligible in the offseason, Padilla is set to be a Minor League free agent. If he pitches well for Iowa down the stretch, don’t be shocked to see the Cubs add him to the 40-man roster in order to keep him in the organization with an eye toward a potential bullpen role in Chicago for next season.

The thing no one is talking about….

Nicholas Padilla was promoted this morning. He’s pitched well at 2 stops in 2022. 43 Ks in 32.1 IP, 2.59 ERA between the SB and TN. Opponents batting just .175 against him. Yeah, let’s talk about him more now that he’s 1 stop away. pic.twitter.com/QN39UAW6in

July 22, 2022

AA

Tennessee 10, Chattanooga 6

Game Recap

It didn’t take the Smokies bats long to wake up from the All-Star break. They scored three times in the top of the 1st, with Miguel Amaya capping off the inning with an RBI single. Two innings later he’d kick off the scoring in another three-run frame, this time with an RBI double scoring Chase Strumpf. Yonathan Perlaza picked up right where he left off in the first half by knocking in the two on a double.

Welcome back, Miguel Amaya! Bounces an RBI single over the 2B’s head in his first AB back. pic.twitter.com/ya6zNxj82k

July 22, 2022

The tape: pic.twitter.com/kpDmNeFMH3

July 23, 2022

Big innings were the theme of the night for Tennessee, as their final four runs all came in the 7th. Jake Slaughter knocked in one with a single, and Alexander Canario another with a double. The final two runs came home on a wild pitch and passed ball.

After 2 BBs on the night, Canario doubles in a run. pic.twitter.com/wsCMLEfImT

July 23, 2022

Yonathan Perlaza’s first 16 AA games: 374 OPS. The 61 games since: 278/371/496.

Alexander Canario’a first 17 AA games: 533 OPS. The 43 games since: .274/.363/.605.

And importantly for Canario, in 69 July PA: 14 BB, 11 K.

PCA since injury: 290/329/553.

Good players, these 3.

July 23, 2022

On the mound, Chris Clarke and Samuel Reyes got hit pretty hard, but Bailey Horn came on to shut the door over the final three innings, allowing no hits.

Top Performers

Yonathan Perlaza: 2-4, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB (.246)Alexander Canario: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB (.240)Miguel Amaya: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI (.600)Chase Strumpf: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB (.242)Bryce Ball: 2-5, 2B, R, RBI, BB (.272)Bradlee Beesley: 3-5, R, SB (3) (.189)Bryce Windham: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB (.200)Jake Slaughter: 1-5, R, RBI, HBP (.322)Bailey Horn: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (S, 2, 3.43)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Obviously, Miguel Amaya has been activated from the IL after recovering from last season’s elbow surgery. He’s missed a lot of time the past few years, but he’s still got the necessary skills to be a big league starter behind the plate if he can stay healthy. At this point, if he can finish this year strong, and then open next season in Iowa behind Chicago’s presumed backstops (Gomes and Higgins) then Amaya will be just a phone call away from his MLB debut, with a chance to take on a large role by the start of 2024.

Righty Kyle Johnson was activated from the Developmental List.

High-A

Quad Cities 3, South Bend 1

Game Recap

New arrival Porter Hodge dominated in his South Bend debut, throwing 4.2 shutout innings. The only three baserunners he allowed were on a hit batter, and two infield singles. He even managed to pick off one of those three. He did fall behind some hitters, but his fastball and slider both looked good most of the night and it allowed him to battle back whenever he got down.

Unfortunately, the offense and the bullpen did not fare as well. Quad Cities recorded a pair of runs off Riley Martin in the 7th and another off Hunter Bigge in the 8th. The Cubs managed to push across just one run in the bottom of the 7th on a solo shot by Pete Crow-Armstrong.

No. 3 @Cubs prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong cranks his 12th home run of the season, fifth for the @SBCubs: pic.twitter.com/uR3wpIutit

July 23, 2022

Top Performers

d

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

South Bend received some much needed reinforcements. Top 15 prospect Kevin Made was summoned from Myrtle Beach, along with underrated starting pitching prospect Porter Hodge. Both players spent parts of last season in Myrtle Beach before returning much stronger and more refined this year, and it showed in their performance. Made learned to work counts better, and also engages his lower half more in his swing, allowing him to take advantage of his added strength to hit for more power. South Bend has struggled to hit for much power of late, so his arrival is welcomed. Hodge remade his body as well and increased his velocity to the low-90s consistently (can touch up to 96). This pairs with his slider which was always a pretty good pitch.

Kevin Made’s arm pic.twitter.com/2cUkhcsVrA

July 22, 2022

Dalton Stambaugh was sent down from Tennessee to eat some innings in South Bend. With D.J. Herz and Jordan Wicks having been summoned to AA prior to the break, veteran lefty Stambaugh may well fill one of their vacant rotation slots in South Bend along with Hodge.

Low-A

Charleston 3, Myrtle Beach 2

Game Recap

Juan Mora singled to lead off the game and eventually came around to score, and Luke Little turned in one of his finest performances of the season to put the Pelicans in command through the first four innings. The River Dogs would get to the Myrtle Beach pen in the middle innings though, and the offense could only respond with one late game run.

Top Performers

Luke Little: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K (2.70)Juan Mora: 2-4, 2B, R (.286)Ethan Hearn: 1-3, R, SB (11) (.181)Jacob Wetzel: 1-3, BB (.199)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Outfielder Parker Chavers was added to the Pelicans roster for the 2nd half. Last year’s 7th round pick attended Coastal Carolina to some fanfare as a 5 tool prep prospect, but never really had the career expected as injuries (missed a season with torn labrum) and a bit of swing-and-miss caused some issues. He’s got plus speed and defense in CF and enough raw power to be a threat. Another injury kept him out in the 1st half, but hopefully if he can stay on the field he can begin to find his way. There is raw talent there.

With Made moved up to South Bend, infielder Scott McKeon was moved down to replace him on the Myrtle Beach roster. A solid glove man, his bat had failed to make any impact with South Bend in the first half. I would expect Josue Huma to get most of the starts at SS for a while.

It is unclear who will replace Hodge in the rotation, but I suspect it will be Frankie Scalzo Jr. The hard throwing second year man has been getting stretched out after missing a good chunk of the first half due to injury. He threw three innings in his final game before the break.

ACL

Guardians 11, Cubs 6

Eighteen year old catching prospect Moises Ballesteros (.298/.385/.607) hit his 7th HR in just his 27th game of the season. He’s been the ACL Cubs most steady offensive producer by far through the first five weeks.

DSL

Cubs Blue 3, Cubs Red 2

In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

If you saw a bright flash of light or heard a boom overnight, you might have witnessed a bright meteor flying over the city of Chicago before it burned up and exploded in the atmosphere. At around 12:52 am CDT a bright meteor was reported flying overhead by individuals as far south as Alabama and as far north as Milwaukee.

I was up at that hour and witnessed a bright flash of light through an open window that changed color and intensity, followed by a loud boom sound. Knowing it’s Perseid season, I immediately considered the possibility that it was a meteor, but I wasn’t 100% certain because I barely caught a look before it was gone.

Fortunately, we have an extra security camera facing south and captured it on video. This is footage of the event we captured and uploaded to the American Meteor Society.

Because this camera is behind block glass the meteor appeared to split off at the end before it burned up, but it actually remained intact until the very end.

As I mentioned, it’s the beginning of the Perseids meteor shower event, an annual occurrence as the Earth travels through the debris field of Comet Swift-Tuttle. This years event began on the 17th and is expected to last until August 24th, but viewing is best during the nights of August 11-12th when the meteor shower will peak.

Fireball event map as reported to the AMS. Photo: AMS

If you witness a fireball event like that one that happened last night, you can report it to the American Meteor Society. The site collects data about these events all from individuals all over the world. Last night’s event garnered over 100 individual reports that helped determine the meteor’s trajectory.

Alexander Canario (photo by Todd Johnson)

MLB

The first MLB Draft signing news is beginning to roll in. The Cubs have secured deals from 1st rounder Cade Horton, 7th rounder Nick Hull, and 15th rounder Hadyn McGeary with bonus amounts being reported.

The #Cubs have signed 1st round pick Cade Horton for a little more than 1.5 under slot, and 7th rounder Nick Hull for about 225K under. Here is an updated look at their draft with the three reported signings, ~6.1M in pool money remaining: pic.twitter.com/FPdkeYFQgm

July 23, 2022

Other signings have occurred, including 4th rounder Nazier Mule, 5th rounder Brandon Birdsell, 8th rounder Mason McGwire, 10th rounder Brody McCullough, 12th rounder Mathew Peters, and 13th rounder Luis Rujano, but no figures have been disclosed.

The Cubs have not announced any of the deals, so none of the above is official.

On the sad end of news, Dwight Smith, the runner up in the 1989 Rookie of the Year voting, and one of my favorites as a kid, passed away. The Cubs many prospects who debuted in late-80s and early-90s were a big part of the reason I do writing like this.

We are saddened to learn of the death of Dwight Smith and send our condolences.

Selected by the Cubs in the 1984 June Draft, Smith roamed the outfield for five seasons with Chicago, helping the 1989 club reach the postseason and finishing 2nd in NL Rookie of the Year voting. pic.twitter.com/HShOnwWS2Z

July 22, 2022

AAA

Omaha 9, Iowa 1

Game Recap

A real rough outing for Cam Sanders, as he failed to make it out of the 1st inning (0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 0 K). Consistency remains his biggest stumbling block on his path to the Majors as a SP. I remain in the camp that Sanders should be used in a two-inning relief role at first, and then if he proves himself his usage can be expanded into either late inning duties or given a shot as a swingman/starter. He’s got the stuff for both jobs.

Anyway, his performance yesterday dug the Cubs into a hole they couldn’t crawl out of. Nick Madrigal is ramping his rehab back up, and provided the only RBI of the night for Iowa, as he recorded two hits (and even added a rare walk). Affiliated ball RBI leader Matt Mervis made his AAA debut, doubling once in four at bats.

First AAA hit for Matt Mervis is a double! pic.twitter.com/astHoUFmmp

July 23, 2022

Top Performers

Nick Madrigal: 2-3, RBI, BB (.294)Dixon Machado: 2-5, 2B, R (.311)Darius Hill: 2-4 (.331)Dakota Mekkes: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 0 K (6.59)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Matt Mervis obviously gets the headlines for his promotion. His meteoric rise this season deserves the attention. But don’t overlook Nicholas Padilla. The righty has always had a good arm and stuff, but it took a further step forward this year, along with some improvements in command, which has allowed him to make the same jump from High-A to AAA as Mervis. While Mervis won’t even be Rule 5 eligible in the offseason, Padilla is set to be a Minor League free agent. If he pitches well for Iowa down the stretch, don’t be shocked to see the Cubs add him to the 40-man roster in order to keep him in the organization with an eye toward a potential bullpen role in Chicago for next season.

The thing no one is talking about….

Nicholas Padilla was promoted this morning. He’s pitched well at 2 stops in 2022. 43 Ks in 32.1 IP, 2.59 ERA between the SB and TN. Opponents batting just .175 against him. Yeah, let’s talk about him more now that he’s 1 stop away. pic.twitter.com/QN39UAW6in

July 22, 2022

AA

Tennessee 10, Chattanooga 6

Game Recap

It didn’t take the Smokies bats long to wake up from the All-Star break. They scored three times in the top of the 1st, with Miguel Amaya capping off the inning with an RBI single. Two innings later he’d kick off the scoring in another three-run frame, this time with an RBI double scoring Chase Strumpf. Yonathan Perlaza picked up right where he left off in the first half by knocking in the two on a double.

Welcome back, Miguel Amaya! Bounces an RBI single over the 2B’s head in his first AB back. pic.twitter.com/ya6zNxj82k

July 22, 2022

The tape: pic.twitter.com/kpDmNeFMH3

July 23, 2022

Big innings were the theme of the night for Tennessee, as their final four runs all came in the 7th. Jake Slaughter knocked in one with a single, and Alexander Canario another with a double. The final two runs came home on a wild pitch and passed ball.

After 2 BBs on the night, Canario doubles in a run. pic.twitter.com/wsCMLEfImT

July 23, 2022

Yonathan Perlaza’s first 16 AA games: 374 OPS. The 61 games since: 278/371/496.

Alexander Canario’a first 17 AA games: 533 OPS. The 43 games since: .274/.363/.605.

And importantly for Canario, in 69 July PA: 14 BB, 11 K.

PCA since injury: 290/329/553.

Good players, these 3.

July 23, 2022

On the mound, Chris Clarke and Samuel Reyes got hit pretty hard, but Bailey Horn came on to shut the door over the final three innings, allowing no hits.

Top Performers

Yonathan Perlaza: 2-4, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB (.246)Alexander Canario: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB (.240)Miguel Amaya: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI (.600)Chase Strumpf: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB (.242)Bryce Ball: 2-5, 2B, R, RBI, BB (.272)Bradlee Beesley: 3-5, R, SB (3) (.189)Bryce Windham: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB (.200)Jake Slaughter: 1-5, R, RBI, HBP (.322)Bailey Horn: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (S, 2, 3.43)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Obviously, Miguel Amaya has been activated from the IL after recovering from last season’s elbow surgery. He’s missed a lot of time the past few years, but he’s still got the necessary skills to be a big league starter behind the plate if he can stay healthy. At this point, if he can finish this year strong, and then open next season in Iowa behind Chicago’s presumed backstops (Gomes and Higgins) then Amaya will be just a phone call away from his MLB debut, with a chance to take on a large role by the start of 2024.

Righty Kyle Johnson was activated from the Developmental List.

High-A

Quad Cities 3, South Bend 1

Game Recap

New arrival Porter Hodge dominated in his South Bend debut, throwing 4.2 shutout innings. The only three baserunners he allowed were on a hit batter, and two infield singles. He even managed to pick off one of those three. He did fall behind some hitters, but his fastball and slider both looked good most of the night and it allowed him to battle back whenever he got down.

Unfortunately, the offense and the bullpen did not fare as well. Quad Cities recorded a pair of runs off Riley Martin in the 7th and another off Hunter Bigge in the 8th. The Cubs managed to push across just one run in the bottom of the 7th on a solo shot by Pete Crow-Armstrong.

No. 3 @Cubs prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong cranks his 12th home run of the season, fifth for the @SBCubs: pic.twitter.com/uR3wpIutit

July 23, 2022

Top Performers

d

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

South Bend received some much needed reinforcements. Top 15 prospect Kevin Made was summoned from Myrtle Beach, along with underrated starting pitching prospect Porter Hodge. Both players spent parts of last season in Myrtle Beach before returning much stronger and more refined this year, and it showed in their performance. Made learned to work counts better, and also engages his lower half more in his swing, allowing him to take advantage of his added strength to hit for more power. South Bend has struggled to hit for much power of late, so his arrival is welcomed. Hodge remade his body as well and increased his velocity to the low-90s consistently (can touch up to 96). This pairs with his slider which was always a pretty good pitch.

Kevin Made’s arm pic.twitter.com/2cUkhcsVrA

July 22, 2022

Dalton Stambaugh was sent down from Tennessee to eat some innings in South Bend. With D.J. Herz and Jordan Wicks having been summoned to AA prior to the break, veteran lefty Stambaugh may well fill one of their vacant rotation slots in South Bend along with Hodge.

Low-A

Charleston 3, Myrtle Beach 2

Game Recap

Juan Mora singled to lead off the game and eventually came around to score, and Luke Little turned in one of his finest performances of the season to put the Pelicans in command through the first four innings. The River Dogs would get to the Myrtle Beach pen in the middle innings though, and the offense could only respond with one late game run.

Top Performers

Luke Little: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K (2.70)Juan Mora: 2-4, 2B, R (.286)Ethan Hearn: 1-3, R, SB (11) (.181)Jacob Wetzel: 1-3, BB (.199)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Outfielder Parker Chavers was added to the Pelicans roster for the 2nd half. Last year’s 7th round pick attended Coastal Carolina to some fanfare as a 5 tool prep prospect, but never really had the career expected as injuries (missed a season with torn labrum) and a bit of swing-and-miss caused some issues. He’s got plus speed and defense in CF and enough raw power to be a threat. Another injury kept him out in the 1st half, but hopefully if he can stay on the field he can begin to find his way. There is raw talent there.

With Made moved up to South Bend, infielder Scott McKeon was moved down to replace him on the Myrtle Beach roster. A solid glove man, his bat had failed to make any impact with South Bend in the first half. I would expect Josue Huma to get most of the starts at SS for a while.

It is unclear who will replace Hodge in the rotation, but I suspect it will be Frankie Scalzo Jr. The hard throwing second year man has been getting stretched out after missing a good chunk of the first half due to injury. He threw three innings in his final game before the break.

ACL

Guardians 11, Cubs 6

Eighteen year old catching prospect Moises Ballesteros (.298/.385/.607) hit his 7th HR in just his 27th game of the season. He’s been the ACL Cubs most steady offensive producer by far through the first five weeks.

DSL

Cubs Blue 3, Cubs Red 2

In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

If you saw a bright flash of light or heard a boom overnight, you might have witnessed a bright meteor flying over the city of Chicago before it burned up and exploded in the atmosphere. At around 12:52 am CDT a bright meteor was reported flying overhead by individuals as far south as Alabama and as far north as Milwaukee.

I was up at that hour and witnessed a bright flash of light through an open window that changed color and intensity, followed by a loud boom sound. Knowing it’s Perseid season, I immediately considered the possibility that it was a meteor, but I wasn’t 100% certain because I barely caught a look before it was gone.

Fortunately, we have an extra security camera facing south and captured it on video. This is footage of the event we captured and uploaded to the American Meteor Society.

Because this camera is behind block glass the meteor appeared to split off at the end before it burned up, but it actually remained intact until the very end.

As I mentioned, it’s the beginning of the Perseids meteor shower event, an annual occurrence as the Earth travels through the debris field of Comet Swift-Tuttle. This years event began on the 17th and is expected to last until August 24th, but viewing is best during the nights of August 11-12th when the meteor shower will peak.

Fireball event map as reported to the AMS. Photo: AMS

If you witness a fireball event like that one that happened last night, you can report it to the American Meteor Society. The site collects data about these events all from individuals all over the world. Last night’s event garnered over 100 individual reports that helped determine the meteor’s trajectory.

Alexander Canario (photo by Todd Johnson)

MLB

The first MLB Draft signing news is beginning to roll in. The Cubs have secured deals from 1st rounder Cade Horton, 7th rounder Nick Hull, and 15th rounder Hadyn McGeary with bonus amounts being reported.

The #Cubs have signed 1st round pick Cade Horton for a little more than 1.5 under slot, and 7th rounder Nick Hull for about 225K under. Here is an updated look at their draft with the three reported signings, ~6.1M in pool money remaining: pic.twitter.com/FPdkeYFQgm

July 23, 2022

Other signings have occurred, including 4th rounder Nazier Mule, 5th rounder Brandon Birdsell, 8th rounder Mason McGwire, 10th rounder Brody McCullough, 12th rounder Mathew Peters, and 13th rounder Luis Rujano, but no figures have been disclosed.

The Cubs have not announced any of the deals, so none of the above is official.

On the sad end of news, Dwight Smith, the runner up in the 1989 Rookie of the Year voting, and one of my favorites as a kid, passed away. The Cubs many prospects who debuted in late-80s and early-90s were a big part of the reason I do writing like this.

We are saddened to learn of the death of Dwight Smith and send our condolences.

Selected by the Cubs in the 1984 June Draft, Smith roamed the outfield for five seasons with Chicago, helping the 1989 club reach the postseason and finishing 2nd in NL Rookie of the Year voting. pic.twitter.com/HShOnwWS2Z

July 22, 2022

AAA

Omaha 9, Iowa 1

Game Recap

A real rough outing for Cam Sanders, as he failed to make it out of the 1st inning (0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 0 K). Consistency remains his biggest stumbling block on his path to the Majors as a SP. I remain in the camp that Sanders should be used in a two-inning relief role at first, and then if he proves himself his usage can be expanded into either late inning duties or given a shot as a swingman/starter. He’s got the stuff for both jobs.

Anyway, his performance yesterday dug the Cubs into a hole they couldn’t crawl out of. Nick Madrigal is ramping his rehab back up, and provided the only RBI of the night for Iowa, as he recorded two hits (and even added a rare walk). Affiliated ball RBI leader Matt Mervis made his AAA debut, doubling once in four at bats.

First AAA hit for Matt Mervis is a double! pic.twitter.com/astHoUFmmp

July 23, 2022

Top Performers

Nick Madrigal: 2-3, RBI, BB (.294)Dixon Machado: 2-5, 2B, R (.311)Darius Hill: 2-4 (.331)Dakota Mekkes: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 0 K (6.59)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Matt Mervis obviously gets the headlines for his promotion. His meteoric rise this season deserves the attention. But don’t overlook Nicholas Padilla. The righty has always had a good arm and stuff, but it took a further step forward this year, along with some improvements in command, which has allowed him to make the same jump from High-A to AAA as Mervis. While Mervis won’t even be Rule 5 eligible in the offseason, Padilla is set to be a Minor League free agent. If he pitches well for Iowa down the stretch, don’t be shocked to see the Cubs add him to the 40-man roster in order to keep him in the organization with an eye toward a potential bullpen role in Chicago for next season.

The thing no one is talking about….

Nicholas Padilla was promoted this morning. He’s pitched well at 2 stops in 2022. 43 Ks in 32.1 IP, 2.59 ERA between the SB and TN. Opponents batting just .175 against him. Yeah, let’s talk about him more now that he’s 1 stop away. pic.twitter.com/QN39UAW6in

July 22, 2022

AA

Tennessee 10, Chattanooga 6

Game Recap

It didn’t take the Smokies bats long to wake up from the All-Star break. They scored three times in the top of the 1st, with Miguel Amaya capping off the inning with an RBI single. Two innings later he’d kick off the scoring in another three-run frame, this time with an RBI double scoring Chase Strumpf. Yonathan Perlaza picked up right where he left off in the first half by knocking in the two on a double.

Welcome back, Miguel Amaya! Bounces an RBI single over the 2B’s head in his first AB back. pic.twitter.com/ya6zNxj82k

July 22, 2022

The tape: pic.twitter.com/kpDmNeFMH3

July 23, 2022

Big innings were the theme of the night for Tennessee, as their final four runs all came in the 7th. Jake Slaughter knocked in one with a single, and Alexander Canario another with a double. The final two runs came home on a wild pitch and passed ball.

After 2 BBs on the night, Canario doubles in a run. pic.twitter.com/wsCMLEfImT

July 23, 2022

Yonathan Perlaza’s first 16 AA games: 374 OPS. The 61 games since: 278/371/496.

Alexander Canario’a first 17 AA games: 533 OPS. The 43 games since: .274/.363/.605.

And importantly for Canario, in 69 July PA: 14 BB, 11 K.

PCA since injury: 290/329/553.

Good players, these 3.

July 23, 2022

On the mound, Chris Clarke and Samuel Reyes got hit pretty hard, but Bailey Horn came on to shut the door over the final three innings, allowing no hits.

Top Performers

Yonathan Perlaza: 2-4, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB (.246)Alexander Canario: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB (.240)Miguel Amaya: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI (.600)Chase Strumpf: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB (.242)Bryce Ball: 2-5, 2B, R, RBI, BB (.272)Bradlee Beesley: 3-5, R, SB (3) (.189)Bryce Windham: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB (.200)Jake Slaughter: 1-5, R, RBI, HBP (.322)Bailey Horn: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (S, 2, 3.43)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Obviously, Miguel Amaya has been activated from the IL after recovering from last season’s elbow surgery. He’s missed a lot of time the past few years, but he’s still got the necessary skills to be a big league starter behind the plate if he can stay healthy. At this point, if he can finish this year strong, and then open next season in Iowa behind Chicago’s presumed backstops (Gomes and Higgins) then Amaya will be just a phone call away from his MLB debut, with a chance to take on a large role by the start of 2024.

Righty Kyle Johnson was activated from the Developmental List.

High-A

Quad Cities 3, South Bend 1

Game Recap

New arrival Porter Hodge dominated in his South Bend debut, throwing 4.2 shutout innings. The only three baserunners he allowed were on a hit batter, and two infield singles. He even managed to pick off one of those three. He did fall behind some hitters, but his fastball and slider both looked good most of the night and it allowed him to battle back whenever he got down.

Unfortunately, the offense and the bullpen did not fare as well. Quad Cities recorded a pair of runs off Riley Martin in the 7th and another off Hunter Bigge in the 8th. The Cubs managed to push across just one run in the bottom of the 7th on a solo shot by Pete Crow-Armstrong.

No. 3 @Cubs prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong cranks his 12th home run of the season, fifth for the @SBCubs: pic.twitter.com/uR3wpIutit

July 23, 2022

Top Performers

d

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

South Bend received some much needed reinforcements. Top 15 prospect Kevin Made was summoned from Myrtle Beach, along with underrated starting pitching prospect Porter Hodge. Both players spent parts of last season in Myrtle Beach before returning much stronger and more refined this year, and it showed in their performance. Made learned to work counts better, and also engages his lower half more in his swing, allowing him to take advantage of his added strength to hit for more power. South Bend has struggled to hit for much power of late, so his arrival is welcomed. Hodge remade his body as well and increased his velocity to the low-90s consistently (can touch up to 96). This pairs with his slider which was always a pretty good pitch.

Kevin Made’s arm pic.twitter.com/2cUkhcsVrA

July 22, 2022

Dalton Stambaugh was sent down from Tennessee to eat some innings in South Bend. With D.J. Herz and Jordan Wicks having been summoned to AA prior to the break, veteran lefty Stambaugh may well fill one of their vacant rotation slots in South Bend along with Hodge.

Low-A

Charleston 3, Myrtle Beach 2

Game Recap

Juan Mora singled to lead off the game and eventually came around to score, and Luke Little turned in one of his finest performances of the season to put the Pelicans in command through the first four innings. The River Dogs would get to the Myrtle Beach pen in the middle innings though, and the offense could only respond with one late game run.

Top Performers

Luke Little: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K (2.70)Juan Mora: 2-4, 2B, R (.286)Ethan Hearn: 1-3, R, SB (11) (.181)Jacob Wetzel: 1-3, BB (.199)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Outfielder Parker Chavers was added to the Pelicans roster for the 2nd half. Last year’s 7th round pick attended Coastal Carolina to some fanfare as a 5 tool prep prospect, but never really had the career expected as injuries (missed a season with torn labrum) and a bit of swing-and-miss caused some issues. He’s got plus speed and defense in CF and enough raw power to be a threat. Another injury kept him out in the 1st half, but hopefully if he can stay on the field he can begin to find his way. There is raw talent there.

With Made moved up to South Bend, infielder Scott McKeon was moved down to replace him on the Myrtle Beach roster. A solid glove man, his bat had failed to make any impact with South Bend in the first half. I would expect Josue Huma to get most of the starts at SS for a while.

It is unclear who will replace Hodge in the rotation, but I suspect it will be Frankie Scalzo Jr. The hard throwing second year man has been getting stretched out after missing a good chunk of the first half due to injury. He threw three innings in his final game before the break.

ACL

Guardians 11, Cubs 6

Eighteen year old catching prospect Moises Ballesteros (.298/.385/.607) hit his 7th HR in just his 27th game of the season. He’s been the ACL Cubs most steady offensive producer by far through the first five weeks.

DSL

Cubs Blue 3, Cubs Red 2

In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

If you saw a bright flash of light or heard a boom overnight, you might have witnessed a bright meteor flying over the city of Chicago before it burned up and exploded in the atmosphere. At around 12:52 am CDT a bright meteor was reported flying overhead by individuals as far south as Alabama and as far north as Milwaukee.

I was up at that hour and witnessed a bright flash of light through an open window that changed color and intensity, followed by a loud boom sound. Knowing it’s Perseid season, I immediately considered the possibility that it was a meteor, but I wasn’t 100% certain because I barely caught a look before it was gone.

Fortunately, we have an extra security camera facing south and captured it on video. This is footage of the event we captured and uploaded to the American Meteor Society.

Because this camera is behind block glass the meteor appeared to split off at the end before it burned up, but it actually remained intact until the very end.

As I mentioned, it’s the beginning of the Perseids meteor shower event, an annual occurrence as the Earth travels through the debris field of Comet Swift-Tuttle. This years event began on the 17th and is expected to last until August 24th, but viewing is best during the nights of August 11-12th when the meteor shower will peak.

Fireball event map as reported to the AMS. Photo: AMS

If you witness a fireball event like that one that happened last night, you can report it to the American Meteor Society. The site collects data about these events all from individuals all over the world. Last night’s event garnered over 100 individual reports that helped determine the meteor’s trajectory.

Alexander Canario (photo by Todd Johnson)

MLB

The first MLB Draft signing news is beginning to roll in. The Cubs have secured deals from 1st rounder Cade Horton, 7th rounder Nick Hull, and 15th rounder Hadyn McGeary with bonus amounts being reported.

The #Cubs have signed 1st round pick Cade Horton for a little more than 1.5 under slot, and 7th rounder Nick Hull for about 225K under. Here is an updated look at their draft with the three reported signings, ~6.1M in pool money remaining: pic.twitter.com/FPdkeYFQgm

July 23, 2022

Other signings have occurred, including 4th rounder Nazier Mule, 5th rounder Brandon Birdsell, 8th rounder Mason McGwire, 10th rounder Brody McCullough, 12th rounder Mathew Peters, and 13th rounder Luis Rujano, but no figures have been disclosed.

The Cubs have not announced any of the deals, so none of the above is official.

On the sad end of news, Dwight Smith, the runner up in the 1989 Rookie of the Year voting, and one of my favorites as a kid, passed away. The Cubs many prospects who debuted in late-80s and early-90s were a big part of the reason I do writing like this.

We are saddened to learn of the death of Dwight Smith and send our condolences.

Selected by the Cubs in the 1984 June Draft, Smith roamed the outfield for five seasons with Chicago, helping the 1989 club reach the postseason and finishing 2nd in NL Rookie of the Year voting. pic.twitter.com/HShOnwWS2Z

July 22, 2022

AAA

Omaha 9, Iowa 1

Game Recap

A real rough outing for Cam Sanders, as he failed to make it out of the 1st inning (0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 0 K). Consistency remains his biggest stumbling block on his path to the Majors as a SP. I remain in the camp that Sanders should be used in a two-inning relief role at first, and then if he proves himself his usage can be expanded into either late inning duties or given a shot as a swingman/starter. He’s got the stuff for both jobs.

Anyway, his performance yesterday dug the Cubs into a hole they couldn’t crawl out of. Nick Madrigal is ramping his rehab back up, and provided the only RBI of the night for Iowa, as he recorded two hits (and even added a rare walk). Affiliated ball RBI leader Matt Mervis made his AAA debut, doubling once in four at bats.

First AAA hit for Matt Mervis is a double! pic.twitter.com/astHoUFmmp

July 23, 2022

Top Performers

Nick Madrigal: 2-3, RBI, BB (.294)Dixon Machado: 2-5, 2B, R (.311)Darius Hill: 2-4 (.331)Dakota Mekkes: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 0 K (6.59)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Matt Mervis obviously gets the headlines for his promotion. His meteoric rise this season deserves the attention. But don’t overlook Nicholas Padilla. The righty has always had a good arm and stuff, but it took a further step forward this year, along with some improvements in command, which has allowed him to make the same jump from High-A to AAA as Mervis. While Mervis won’t even be Rule 5 eligible in the offseason, Padilla is set to be a Minor League free agent. If he pitches well for Iowa down the stretch, don’t be shocked to see the Cubs add him to the 40-man roster in order to keep him in the organization with an eye toward a potential bullpen role in Chicago for next season.

The thing no one is talking about….

Nicholas Padilla was promoted this morning. He’s pitched well at 2 stops in 2022. 43 Ks in 32.1 IP, 2.59 ERA between the SB and TN. Opponents batting just .175 against him. Yeah, let’s talk about him more now that he’s 1 stop away. pic.twitter.com/QN39UAW6in

July 22, 2022

AA

Tennessee 10, Chattanooga 6

Game Recap

It didn’t take the Smokies bats long to wake up from the All-Star break. They scored three times in the top of the 1st, with Miguel Amaya capping off the inning with an RBI single. Two innings later he’d kick off the scoring in another three-run frame, this time with an RBI double scoring Chase Strumpf. Yonathan Perlaza picked up right where he left off in the first half by knocking in the two on a double.

Welcome back, Miguel Amaya! Bounces an RBI single over the 2B’s head in his first AB back. pic.twitter.com/ya6zNxj82k

July 22, 2022

The tape: pic.twitter.com/kpDmNeFMH3

July 23, 2022

Big innings were the theme of the night for Tennessee, as their final four runs all came in the 7th. Jake Slaughter knocked in one with a single, and Alexander Canario another with a double. The final two runs came home on a wild pitch and passed ball.

After 2 BBs on the night, Canario doubles in a run. pic.twitter.com/wsCMLEfImT

July 23, 2022

Yonathan Perlaza’s first 16 AA games: 374 OPS. The 61 games since: 278/371/496.

Alexander Canario’a first 17 AA games: 533 OPS. The 43 games since: .274/.363/.605.

And importantly for Canario, in 69 July PA: 14 BB, 11 K.

PCA since injury: 290/329/553.

Good players, these 3.

July 23, 2022

On the mound, Chris Clarke and Samuel Reyes got hit pretty hard, but Bailey Horn came on to shut the door over the final three innings, allowing no hits.

Top Performers

Yonathan Perlaza: 2-4, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB (.246)Alexander Canario: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB (.240)Miguel Amaya: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI (.600)Chase Strumpf: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB (.242)Bryce Ball: 2-5, 2B, R, RBI, BB (.272)Bradlee Beesley: 3-5, R, SB (3) (.189)Bryce Windham: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB (.200)Jake Slaughter: 1-5, R, RBI, HBP (.322)Bailey Horn: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (S, 2, 3.43)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Obviously, Miguel Amaya has been activated from the IL after recovering from last season’s elbow surgery. He’s missed a lot of time the past few years, but he’s still got the necessary skills to be a big league starter behind the plate if he can stay healthy. At this point, if he can finish this year strong, and then open next season in Iowa behind Chicago’s presumed backstops (Gomes and Higgins) then Amaya will be just a phone call away from his MLB debut, with a chance to take on a large role by the start of 2024.

Righty Kyle Johnson was activated from the Developmental List.

High-A

Quad Cities 3, South Bend 1

Game Recap

New arrival Porter Hodge dominated in his South Bend debut, throwing 4.2 shutout innings. The only three baserunners he allowed were on a hit batter, and two infield singles. He even managed to pick off one of those three. He did fall behind some hitters, but his fastball and slider both looked good most of the night and it allowed him to battle back whenever he got down.

Unfortunately, the offense and the bullpen did not fare as well. Quad Cities recorded a pair of runs off Riley Martin in the 7th and another off Hunter Bigge in the 8th. The Cubs managed to push across just one run in the bottom of the 7th on a solo shot by Pete Crow-Armstrong.

No. 3 @Cubs prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong cranks his 12th home run of the season, fifth for the @SBCubs: pic.twitter.com/uR3wpIutit

July 23, 2022

Top Performers

d

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

South Bend received some much needed reinforcements. Top 15 prospect Kevin Made was summoned from Myrtle Beach, along with underrated starting pitching prospect Porter Hodge. Both players spent parts of last season in Myrtle Beach before returning much stronger and more refined this year, and it showed in their performance. Made learned to work counts better, and also engages his lower half more in his swing, allowing him to take advantage of his added strength to hit for more power. South Bend has struggled to hit for much power of late, so his arrival is welcomed. Hodge remade his body as well and increased his velocity to the low-90s consistently (can touch up to 96). This pairs with his slider which was always a pretty good pitch.

Kevin Made’s arm pic.twitter.com/2cUkhcsVrA

July 22, 2022

Dalton Stambaugh was sent down from Tennessee to eat some innings in South Bend. With D.J. Herz and Jordan Wicks having been summoned to AA prior to the break, veteran lefty Stambaugh may well fill one of their vacant rotation slots in South Bend along with Hodge.

Low-A

Charleston 3, Myrtle Beach 2

Game Recap

Juan Mora singled to lead off the game and eventually came around to score, and Luke Little turned in one of his finest performances of the season to put the Pelicans in command through the first four innings. The River Dogs would get to the Myrtle Beach pen in the middle innings though, and the offense could only respond with one late game run.

Top Performers

Luke Little: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K (2.70)Juan Mora: 2-4, 2B, R (.286)Ethan Hearn: 1-3, R, SB (11) (.181)Jacob Wetzel: 1-3, BB (.199)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Outfielder Parker Chavers was added to the Pelicans roster for the 2nd half. Last year’s 7th round pick attended Coastal Carolina to some fanfare as a 5 tool prep prospect, but never really had the career expected as injuries (missed a season with torn labrum) and a bit of swing-and-miss caused some issues. He’s got plus speed and defense in CF and enough raw power to be a threat. Another injury kept him out in the 1st half, but hopefully if he can stay on the field he can begin to find his way. There is raw talent there.

With Made moved up to South Bend, infielder Scott McKeon was moved down to replace him on the Myrtle Beach roster. A solid glove man, his bat had failed to make any impact with South Bend in the first half. I would expect Josue Huma to get most of the starts at SS for a while.

It is unclear who will replace Hodge in the rotation, but I suspect it will be Frankie Scalzo Jr. The hard throwing second year man has been getting stretched out after missing a good chunk of the first half due to injury. He threw three innings in his final game before the break.

ACL

Guardians 11, Cubs 6

Eighteen year old catching prospect Moises Ballesteros (.298/.385/.607) hit his 7th HR in just his 27th game of the season. He’s been the ACL Cubs most steady offensive producer by far through the first five weeks.

DSL

Cubs Blue 3, Cubs Red 2