We are literally talking about Alex Rodriguez’s career, but it’s the entire Iowa Cubs offense, which has to be the best in the world right now. You wish you had this type of production up and down your lineup in MLB The Show.
We know that leagues across the minors are going to have some extreme variances, but what the Iowa Cubs are doing so far in Triple-A to begin the 2023 season is truly out of this world.
This past week, the Iowa Cubs outscored the Louisville Bats, the Cincinnati Reds Triple-A affiliate, 63-39 in six games, winning the series 4-2. It really is ridiculous.
Iowa Cubs Team Rankings
Before we get into the ranking, the Iowa Cubs have played in 24 games so far in 2023, which is the lowest amount among all 30 teams in Triple-A thanks to a lot of bad weather that has postponed several games in April. But that hasn’t matter because they still have the highest scoring offense. Oh and it’s not like the Iowa Cubs are playing in the Pacific Coast League anymore, which is known to be a great environment for hitters because those teams play in higher elevation It’s pretty much playing in Colorado for those teams.
I’m going to list where the Iowa Cubs rank in the International League, where they play in and also their overall ranking among the entire Triple-A level.
International League Rank, Overall Triple-A Rank
199 Runs: 1st, tied for 1st
8.3 R/G: 1st, 1st
240 Hits, 3rd, 7th
10 H/G: tied for 1st, tied for third
41 HR: 3rd, tied for 6th
1.71 HR/G: 1st, 1st
.296 BA: 1st, 2nd
.400 OBP: 1st, 2nd
.530 SLG: 1st, 1st
.930 OPS: 1st, 1st
Out of their first 24 games, the Iowa Cubs have scored 10 or more runs in 10 games. They have scored nine or more runs in 13 games.
The crazy thing about the roster is that Cubs fans have kept shouting from their rooftops about the team not calling up Matt Mervis and although he has been great so far in 2023 and going back to last summer when he was promoted to Triple-A, the left-handed slugger hasn’t even been the best hitter on this year’s Iowa Cubs team. That honor goes to another player fans desperately want to see back in the majors in 23-year-old Christopher Morel.
Back in 2021, Morel made it up to Triple-A at the end of the season, playing in nine games with the Iowa Cubs. In 2022, he started the year at Double-A and went straight to the majors in May. As you know, the Cubs decided to start Morel back in the minors to begin the 2023 season and in his first real stint at Triple-A, Morel is destroying pitchers.
Christopher Morel 2023 Triple-A Stats
23 Games, 108 Plate Appearances
.363/.463/.835, 11 HR, 28 RBI, 27 R, 8 2B, 1 3B, 30 K, 15 BB, 4 SB
Morel’s .835 slugging percentage and 1.298 OPS are the best in all professional baseball.
You know what, the Cubs could use some of that.
