As the 2022 MLB season enters the final stretch before the post-season, Cubs fans are anxiously wondering when Chicago will be back there. The Cubs have improved and are 25-25 after the All-star break.
On Monday night, Rookie Javier Assad recorded his first win in the series opener versus the New York Mets. Brandon Hughes notched his second save in September as the Cubs held off New York to win 5-2. Tuesday saw Adrian Sampson out duel Jacob deGrom en route to a 4-1 victory, much to Pete Alonso’s dismay.
A few of the Cubs’ draft picks from June have also gotten a jumpstart on their professional careers. Brody McCullough and Haydn McGeary have had the most success so far and any good news regarding prospect development is welcome for the Cubs.
Brody McCullough
McCullough was one of 17 pitchers drafted by the Cubs in the June 2022 draft. The 6’4 right-hander pitched for Wingate University in North Carolina for 4 years. McCullough recorded a 2.95 ERA and 20-6 record in just under 190 innings pitched. In 2021, Brody helped Wingate win the Division II National Championship.
The 10th-round pick received a $125k signing bonus and so far has pitched in 5 games in the minors. In 7 innings with the Arizona Complex League team and Myrtle Beach Pelicans, he has allowed only one earned run and struck out 12.
Haydn McGeary
Haydn McGeary also received a $125k signing bonus as the 15th-round pick in June. The 22-year-old has gotten some time at first base, catcher, and as the designated hitter so far with the Cubs. He played his college ball with Colorado Mesa University. In his 4 seasons with the Mavericks, Haydn had a slash line of .448/.522/.930 for a 1.452 OPS in 163 games.
McGeary hit 75 home runs in college and continued that production to summer ball. In 30 games with the Bluefield Ridge Runners, Haydn added 4 home runs with a .403 batting average and 1.104 OPS. His strikeout to walk ratio was 23 K/17 BB which is a great sign moving forward.
In 12 games with Myrtle Beach this fall, he has slashed .292/.346/.458 for an OPS of .804 with 1 home run so far. The right-hander has seen most of his time as a first baseman so far only recording 1 error in 79 innings at the position, but that is a small sample too.
A nice three hit day for Haydn McGeary pic.twitter.com/dxNWlWNlpP
— Todd ⚾️🐻🦌 (@CubsCentral08) August 28, 2022
A few others getting to work
Nick Hull, Mat Peters, Andy Garriola, and Ke’Shun Collier are four others from the June draft who have reported to the Arizona team or gotten the subsequent call up to Myrtle Beach.
Nick Hull
The 7th-round pick from Grand Canyon University is up with Myrtle Beach and has gotten 4 appearances so far. Following a senior year where he recorded a 7-1 record and a WHIP of 1.09, Hull will look to become one of the Cubs’ starters down the road.
So far in 3 starts with Myrtle Beach, he has a decent WHIP of 1.154 but that has not translated to the ERA over 4 and a 0-1 record. If he continues to keep the WHIP low then the other stats should follow accordingly.
Ke’Shun Collier
Collier was the 20th-round pick out of Meridian, Mississippi, and received a $100k signing bonus. Hitting from the left side, Collier has played right field with the Arizona Complex team.
In 3 games with Arizona, Ke’Shun has hit 5-10 with a walk for an OPS of 1.146. With no errors in right field so far and a stolen base, Ke’Shun could end up being a solid player at the plate, on the bases, and in the field for Chicago.
Mat Peters and Andy Garriola
The 12th-round pick out of Fort Wayne, Indiana Mat Peters recorded 1.1 innings before finding his way to the injured list.
Andy Garriola is the 17th-round pick who played his college ball at Old Dominion in Virginia. So far he has struggled, going 1-12 with a walk in 4 games with the ACL Cubs. He should right the ship as he hit 49 home runs with a .323 average in 173 games with the Monarchs.
Looking ahead for Chicago
The Cubs look to take the season series with the Mets by sweeping the NL East leaders on Wednesday. Currently, it is projected to be a battle of left-handers between Drew Smyly and David Peterson. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 eastern time.
