Chicago rebuild likely to bring new wave of talent to Kodak
When Theo Epstein stepped down as president of the Chicago Cubs after yet another early round playoff exit in 2020 and before the contracts of much of the core of the 2016 championship-winning team were set to expire, many knew big changes were coming in the form of a dreaded rebuild. The 2021 trade deadline proved monumental (if not downright heartbreaking) for Cubs fans, as the trio of Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo were dealt within hours of one another, sending shockwaves through the baseball world in the process.
In the aftermath came a haul of young prospects who were scattered amongst the various levels within the Cubs farm system. I mention this as a reminder that many Cubs off the championship team came through our Southern League Double A-affiliated Tennessee Smokies. In addition to the aforementioned Bryant and Baez, Jake Arietta, Kyle Hendricks, Wilson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber and 2021 World Series MVP Jorge Soler made key stops in Kodak, Tennessee, during their collective major league development and subsequent title run.
Fast-forward to the new season upon us, and we find that this year’s Smokies squad remains mostly intact from last season, with thumpers Nelson Velazquez, Chase Strumpf, Christopher Morel and Nelson Maldonado all returning despite having worked out with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs squad for the majority of the spring. (Switch-hitting Yonathan Perlaza might end up as the best hitter on the team, though.) Most – if not all – of these guys should be promoted at some point during this season, paving the way for some of the newest talent to feature for the organization.
The Smokies currently have three players on the Cubs 40-man roster: outfielder Velazquez, super utility scrapper Morel and third baseman Nelson Espinoza. For all these reasons, we should expect to see the likes of High-A Ed Howard or Owen Caissie promoted this year, both of whom currently reside on the books of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
Tennessee’s pitching looks promising with the return from injury of hard-throwing Riley Thompson to the rotation after a strong spring training. Former 2019 first-round draft pick Ryan Jensen joins the rotation with staff ace Cam Sanders, who likely will be promoted to Iowa early in the season. Look for lefties Jordan Wicks (out of Arkansas) and DJ Herz, along with righty Kohl Franklin, to move up to the Double-A team this year and slide into the rotation at some point. Calib Kilian, who came over in the Kris Bryant trade, currently is in Iowa but should be fast-tracked to the major leagues. Time will tell if the Cubs can develop young starting pitching, a popular knock on past teams during the Epstein regime.
As was mentioned earlier, there is a slew of young talent in the farm that currently resides in Class A ball. Three of Chicago’s top 11 prospects are on Myrtle Beach’s roster; highlighting that list are Kevin Alcantara and Pete Crow-Armstrong, who the Cubs netted in the aftermath of last year’s dismantling. Reginald Preciado, who the organization received in the Yu Darvish trade during the 2020 offseason, is a high-ceiling, elite hitter who Tennessee fans should expect to be playing in Smokies Stadium by late 2023. Many of the other highly rated Cubs prospects should arrive by the time the new stadium in downtown Knoxville is completed, which has been pushed to 2025 due to lingering supply-chain struggles.
As for the Southern League as a whole, you always can expect to see top major league talent. The Mississippi Braves, like their parent club, took home the championship in ‘21 with a 3-2 series victory over Tampa affiliate Montgomery. On the heels of Drew Lugbauer’s monster Arizona Fall League campaign, Mississippi could be poised for another deep playoff run.
Look, too, for the Double-A debuts of No. 3 Rays prospect Taj Bradley, who dominated across two levels en route to a MiLBY for best starting pitcher of the year, and Milwaukee’s 2021 first-rounder Sal Frelick, who climbed to High-A in his first taste of professional ball and could crack the Biloxi roster. Also watch for the potential returns of Marlins No. 6 prospect JJ Bleday, who struggled with Pensacola but was named AFL MVP after a dominant campaign, and White Sox prospect Yoelqui Cespedes, who hit .298 in 27 games for the Barons last year.
Lastly, there will be some new rule changes in minor league baseball this year. An expanded pitch clock, larger bases (in all full-season leagues) and defensive position requirements (for Double-A and Class A levels) will be tested out to see if any might be fully implemented in major league baseball in future seasons. All of these are obvious attempts to further push the offensive mindset that MLB has been hellbent on instituting since Rob Manfred became commissioner in 2015. The Southern League also will play a full cross-division schedule, something that was paused last year due to the ongoing pandemic.
With the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers steamrolling its opponents and East Tennessee high school baseball talent at its all-time best, there’s an abundance of young players excelling at all levels of the sport across our region. Do yourself a favor and catch a game this spring, as the area is ripe with future major leaguers. For tickets and schedule information please visit https://www.milb.com/Tennessee.
