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The Chicago Cubs have been playing some good baseball of late, as they are 12-8 in their last 20 games. With series wins against the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins last week, they climbed to No. 25 in this week's MLB power rankings.
The amateur draft also took place last week, and the Cubs took Indiana catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber with the No. 4 overall pick. They stocked up on pitching from there, and once those players sign and begin their pro careers, they could find themselves included in these prospect updates.
For now, what follows is a look at the team's ...
Player: Jordan Brink
Drafted by: Chicago Cubs
Position: RHP
DOB: 03/18/1993 (Age: 21)
Height/Weight: 6’1”, 200 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Fresno State
Previously Drafted: Never
Background
Recruited by Fresno State as a left-handed-hitting outfielder, Jordan Brink’s bat never developed as hoped and produced a .224/.292/.299 batting line with 81 strikeouts in 108 games through his first two seasons. However, with his bat faltering as a sophomore in 2013, Brink started receiving more opportunities on the mound as a reliever and eventually pitched his way into the team’s starting rotation by season’s end. The right-hander finished the year with a 3.92 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 59.2 innings.
Brink has struggled ...
After a relatively eventful Day 1 of the 2014 MLB draft, the Cubs have had a little shift in their top 10 prospects list. Not a whole lot has changed, but there has been some movement at the top (totally unrelated to the draft) and some movement toward the end of the top 10 (completely related to the draft).
Based on how everyone in their minor league system has performed this year and based on who they just added, here is the Cubs' new top 10 prospects list after Day 1 of the 2014 MLB draft.Begin Slideshow
Player: James Norwood
Drafted by: Chicago Cubs
Position: RHP
DOB: 12/24/1993 (Age: 20)
Height/Weight: 6’2”, 200 pounds
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: St. Louis
Previously Drafted: Never
Background
Hailing from the Bronx in New York City, right-hander James Norwood went undrafted out of high school in 2011 and followed through on his commitment to St. Louis University.
Norwood appeared in 20 games for the Bilikens as a freshman, as he showed the ability to consistently miss bats out of the bullpen and also made four starts. Overall, he registered a 2.23 ERA and 36/12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 40.1 innings.
Norwood was expected to move into the starting rotation in 2013—or at least start ...
Player: Dylan Cease
Drafted by: Chicago Cubs
Position: RHP
DOB: 12/28/1995 (Age: 18)
Height/Weight: 6’2”, 180 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Milton (Georgia) High School
College Commitment: Vanderbilt
Background
Dylan Cease entered the spring as likely Day 1 draft pick after an impressive showing last summer on the showcase circuit, and it was widely believed that he’d eventually force his way into the top half of the first round with his outstanding combination of athleticism and arm strength. However, that wouldn’t be the case, as Cease suffered a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow in late March that ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of his highly ...
Player: Justin Steele
Drafted by: Chicago Cubs
Position: LHP
DOB: 7/11/1995 (Age: 18)
Height/Weight: 6'2", 165 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/L
School: George County HS (Lucedale, Mississippi)
College Commitment: Southern Mississippi
Background
There isn't a more volatile pitcher among the top 100 prospects in this year's class than Justin Steele. The Mississippi left-hander is all projection at this point, weighing slightly more than a feather right now.
Of course, flashes of raw ability have made Steele very appealing. He's hit 92 mph with the fastball. There's just no consensus over what he is now and what he could be in the future.
He can put on a positive show in short bursts, like he did at the East Coast Professional ...
Player: Jake Stinnett
Drafted by: Chicago Cubs
Position: RHP
DOB: 4/25/1992 (Age: 22)
Height/Weight: 6'4", 205 pounds
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Maryland
Previously Drafted: 2013, 29th round by Pirates
Background
Taking a similar path to the draft that Mark Appel did, though with much less fanfare, Maryland right-hander Jake Stinnett bypassed Major League Baseball last year as a junior when the Pirates made him the 869th pick.
This bold strategy is going to pay huge dividends, as Stinnett figures to be an early Day 2 selection. He's also new to pitching, which had to play a role in his decision last year. He started full time in 2013 and really jumped forward this season.
Originally, he split time between the ...
Player: Kyle Schwarber
Drafted by: Chicago Cubs
Position: C/1B
DOB: 3/5/93 (Age: 21)
Height/Weight: 6'0", 240 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/R
School: Indiana University
Previously Drafted: Never drafted
Background
Kyle Schwarber is the kind of player who would have been right at home in the MLB draft 15-20 years ago, when the focus was on finding power-hitting college bats who wouldn't add much, if any, value on defense.
The good news is Schwarber's offensive skill set, most notably his huge raw power, makes him more valuable than ever due to how scarce pop is at the college level. He's come a long way from being an undrafted high school senior, leading the Big Ten in home runs and being ...
As the rebuilding efforts continue in Chicago, the Cubs headed into MLB's First-Year Player Draft with two of the first 50 picks, including a top-five selection for the second year in a row.
The team's recent trend of taking position players continued with its first selection, adding Indiana University's Kyle Schwarber (C/1B) with the fourth overall pick. The team took third baseman Kris Bryant in 2013, outfielder Albert Almora in 2012 and shortstop Javier Baez in 2011.
By the time the 2014 draft came to an end, the Cubs had selected 14 high school players, five junior-college players and 21 players from ...
One quarter of the way into the MLB season, the Chicago Cubs have already settled into the 5-slot of the National League Central, standing at a 21-34 record. While some problems haven't corrected themselves, other players have stepped up and answered the call to improve.
Some Cubs have struggled through the first quarter of the season, while other Cubs such as Emilio Bonifacio and Starlin Castro have shown consistency on the field.
Here we grade each 2014 Cubs position player entering June.
Begin Slideshow
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