Ruoff Mortgage Homestand Preview July 6-11
July 6, 2021 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
Beloit Snappers (26-28)
Miles from South Bend: 193
Affiliation: Marlins
Stadium: Pohlman Field (ABC Supply Stadium opening August 2021)
South Bend vs Beloit...
2021: 2-4 (@ Beloit)
May 11: Cubs 0, Snappers 3
May 12: Cubs 3, Snappers 8
May 13: Cubs 1, Snappers 10
May 14: _Cubs 4_, Snappers 1
May 15: Cubs 5, Snappers 6
May 16: _Cubs 12_, Snappers 6
Since Becoming a Cubs Affiliate: 10-11
Since 2005: 39-35
South Bend looks to make a big jump in the West Division as they face a division foe in the Beloit Snappers for the second time this season. Beloit took four of six back in May, beating South Bend in their first road series of the season. Since then, Beloit has been very much in the middle of the pack in the High-A Central, currently sitting at third in the West with a 26-28 record.
Like South Bend, the Snappers have won four of their last ten games and split their last series against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Their last series victory was in the middle of June, against last place Peoria. The Snappers struggle with plate discipline as a team, as they lead the High-A Central with 624 strikeouts as a team. No other team in the league has more than 600. Their pitching is not much better, as they rank second-to-last in both team ERA (5.24), and batting average against (.254).
Snappers to Watch:
Zach McCambley (RHP): While the Snapper's pitching staff has not been all that impressive, McCambley has been a rock for them all season long. He leads all High-A Central pitchers with 73 strikeouts and is tops among Snappers starters in innings pitched (57.0) and ERA (3.79) as well. He had his best start of the season against South Bend, tossing seven perfect innings and striking out eight Cubs back in May, leading the Snappers to a 3-0 victory at Pohlman Field. He is coming off of a couple of rough starts and two straight losses, but a faceoff against Ryan Jensen on Saturday might get the adrenaline flowing, and we could see a great pitcher's duel between two of the top pitching prospects in each squad's farm system.
Griffin Conine (OF): There has not been a better power hitter in the High-A Central this season than Griffin Conine. The son of former major leaguer Jeff Conine leads the league in home runs (17) RBIs (57) and slugging percentage (.571). Conine has hit home runs against every team he has played against this season, including a pinch-hit walkoff two-run shot against South Bend in their series in May. He is on a hot streak when it comes to driving in runs as well, with RBIs in seven of his last eight games with multi-RBI games in half of those contests. Expect the Marlins' number seventeen prospect to hit in the middle of the Snapper order and expect Cubs pitchers to be very careful when he is at the plate.
Ricky Aracena (INF): Aracena's numbers don't jump off the page, but he is lethal on the basepaths. A speedy middle infielder, Aracena leads the High-A Central in triples with six, and has stolen nineteen bases in 26 attempts, which is sixth in the league. Though he has been caught stealing more than anyone in the High-A Central, his aggression as a baseunner can frustrate opposing pitchers, which makes it easier for the Snappers hitting with him on base. Aracena is a solid contact hitter as well, with a slash line of .260/.335/.365 and is sixth in the league with a team-leading fifty hits. Aracena is a switch hitter as well, though he is significantly better as a right-handed hitter. He is a soldi table-setter with some pop in his bat.
Cubs to Watch:
Ryan Jensen (RHP): The reigning High-A Central pitcher of the week is coming off the best outing of the season by a South Bend Cubs pitcher, tossing six perfect innings. Though he only struck out three, a season low in games where he has pitched more than a full inning, Jensen was incredibly efficient on the mound, throwing just 77 pitches and a whopping 70% for strikes. When his fastball is on, he is virtually unstoppable, though Jensen looking for more consistency in his first full season on the mound at the professional level. He has thrown at least four innings in his last three starts, his longest such streak of the season, and has fifteen strikeouts over that span. We will see the Cubs' number eight prospect on Saturday against the Snappers, which should be the best pitching matchup of the series.
Grayson Byrd (INF): Byrd tapered off after a hot start to his South Bend Cubs career, but he showcased his power in the first game of the Captains series. He went 2-3 with a home run and an RBI double in his first game with South Bend after a stint in Double-A Tennessee. Byrd began the season in Low-A Myrtle Beach, where he led the Pelicans in slugging by a full point (.538, Edmond Americaan was second at .433) and was in the top-three in average (.275) and on-base percentage (.383). At every level he has played, Byrd has showcased the ability to hit for contact and power and will provide some much-needed depth to the South Bend Cubs lineup. If his home debut is close to as good as his South Bend Cubs debut, we're in for a hot start from one of South Bend's newest infielders when he first steps to the plate at Four Winds Field.
Nelson Velazquez (OF): Since breaking in with three RBIs in eight at-bats against Beloit, Nelson Velazquez has been the anchor of the Cubs offense this season. The 2017 Cubs fifth-round pick has jumped from sixth to fourth in the Cubs order and is one of just six players in the High-A Central with over 10 home runs and thirty RBIs. Of those six, no one hits for a better average. Velazquez hits the ball hard with power to all fields and has proven to be one of the best hitters for power and average in all the High-A Central in 2021. He has also been great in the field, showing off a cannon for an arm with six outfield assists this season. He is developing into a five-tool player for South Bend and has taken a massive leap forward this season.
Midwest League Stories from July 6, 2021
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