What started as a cold, snowy weekend in Chicago turned warm and sunny as the calendar began to turn and baseball returned to warm our hearts. Spring training play opened up across MLB camps this past weekend, and the Chicago Cubs started their quest to compete in 2024. This is a time for the names we know to get back into form and for the Cubs’ top prospects to face major league competition.
The biggest event happened off the field, as Cody Bellinger ended his drawn-out free agency by finally signing with the Cubs on a three-year deal. His signing relieves fans and will have a ripple effect on what happens to this roster moving forward. Regardless, the Cubs are a better team with Bellinger in the lineup wearing their uniform.
In spring training, the win/loss record doesn’t matter nearly as much as evaluating the talent on the team. But it’s worth noting the Cubs won two of the three games they played. What mattered most about this was the youth movement the Cubs have built over the last few years starting to come to light.
Many of the Cubs’ top prospects got the chance to play this weekend and did not overlook their opportunities. This is exactly what the Cubs want to do: rely on the up-and-coming youth to catapult this team to success. Here’s a look at the names that got a chance to display their talent on spring training’s opening weekend.
Jordan Wicks Started The Spring Opener
Cubs’ Manager Craig Counsell gave young left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks the opportunity to start their spring opener against the Chicago White Sox. Right away, Wicks struck out Kevin Pillar on a hanging curveball in the zone to retire the game’s first batter. He went on to pitch 1.2 innings before Counsell removed him during trouble in the second. He surrendered a run off one hit.
Wicks said that he concentrated on getting back out on the mound and pitching in a real game during his first start. He wanted to throw all his pitches and see how they felt coming out of his hand. With a spring training start, especially the first one, the focus is more on the execution than the game plan.
During the offseason, Wicks said he was focused on improving the spin of his pitches. He said he felt good about what he did in his first start but knows there’s still plenty to improve. Wicks is in the heart of the competition for the last spot in the starting rotation, so expect to see plenty of work this spring from him.
Cubs’ Top Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong
All eyes are on Cubs’ top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, this spring as he looks to prove that his short time in the big leagues last September does not reflect who he is as a ballplayer. PCA started two games this weekend, going 1-4 (a hustle double in game one) and scoring two total runs.
When PCA came up to the majors in September of 2023, he played a reserved role off the bench as the Cubs attempted to make a run for a playoff spot. He was mainly a defensive sub or pinch-runner, but he did get a few opportunities at the plate. However, he remains hitless in his big-league career.
This spring is going to be important for PCA. With Cody Bellinger’s return and Michael Busch’s addition to the team, he will have to have a big month to make it hard for the Cubs to start him at AAA Iowa in 2024. But with their plan of Busch primarily being their first baseman, Iowa looks to be where he’ll get the most at-bats. But it is not a question of “if” we see PCA in Chicago in the summer; it’s a matter of “when.”
Ben Brown Got Some Work In
Right-hander Ben Brown saw two innings of action on Saturday in the Cubs’ win over the San Francisco Giants. He faced eight batters, giving up two hits and a walk. But struck out one batter and did not allow any runs.
Brown was traded to the Cubs in a deal that sent reliever David Robertson to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022. He was on a fast track to the majors as a starter before an oblique injury sidelined him last summer. After returning, he was moved to the bullpen in hopes he could help the Cubs in their late push to the playoffs. Unfortunately, that never happened, and he stayed put.
Entering 2024, Brown will likely start the season in AAA Iowa. But the Cubs will be quick to call on him should the health of the bullpen deteriorate early. He can be stretched back out as a starter, but he will probably see more time as a reliever in the majors. Regardless, Brown is expected to make his big league debut in 2024.
Former Cubs’ Top Prospect Brennen Davis Returns To Form
There is no one Cubs fans collectively felt happier for this weekend than Brennen Davis. Once the Cubs’ top prospect in their system, Davis has spent the last couple of years ailing with injuries that have kept him from becoming who he was expected to be. Many were ready to write him off, but not the Cubs.
Davis started on Saturday in left field and was ready from the jump. In the top of the second, he knocked a grounder past the out-stretched shortstop that plated two runs. Then, in the top of the fourth, Davis hit a home run over the left field fence. After the couple of seasons he has had, it had to feel incredible to have such immediate success in opening camp.
There is still a long road ahead for Davis. We saw a couple of fielding and throwing miscues on defense that need to be cleaned up. But overall, it was great to see him healthy and playing well. It would take a great spring and an incredible run in the minors to see him in Chicago in 2024, but he may also serve the Cubs well as an asset in trade talks.
Other Notable Youngsters
Caleb Kilian got two innings of perfect pitching in, including two strikeouts. Luke Little hit a batter but only needed five more pitches to record a strikeout and a double play. Jose Cuas, who the Cubs acquired in a trade last season, got an inning of work, including two strikeouts. He’ll be in the Cubs bullpen in 2024.
At the plate, 2023 first-round pick and Cubs’ prospect Matt Shaw went 2-6 in his two games, including a double and a run batted in. Kevin Alcantara went 1-4 in two games with a run batted in. And coming in as a sub in all three games, Chase Strumpf went 1-5, including an opposite-field moonshot over the right-field fence. It’s a name you may not see, but it sure is fun to say.
Overall, the Cubs’ top prospects had a nice opening weekend. They will use what they learned in the first couple of games to further their development. The opportunities will become greater, too, as the Cubs will begin to play in split-squad games.
