MWL South Bend Cubs

South Bend Cubs Homestand Preview: June 20-25

June 19, 2023 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release


As the old saying goes, 'Out With the Old, in With the New'. That's what this week will feel like at Four Winds Field from a games perspective. It's an interesting series coming up against the Fort Wayne TinCaps, because the first half the week will be played for momentum, while the second half is where the green flag waves again.

Neither the South Bend Cubs or Fort Wayne TinCaps were victorious in the first half of the Midwest League season in their respective divisions. The Great Lakes Loons cruised their way to an early season playoff spot in the East, while the Cedar Rapids Kernels again won the first postseason position in the West. The Kernels did the same thing last year, and then South Bend defeated them in the first round of the playoffs.

If the Cubs have the same championship aspirations as last year, they'd need to do the exact same thing over again.

The first half of the Midwest League season ends on Thursday night. As Fort Wayne heads to Four Winds Field to clash as in-state foes again, that means Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday's game will not have any playoff situations pending, but you sure as heck want to start the week strong, because Friday, Saturday, and Sunday's games are all a part of the second half.

Last year, the Cubs won the second half West Division title. As the calendar turns towards the back stretch of 2023, they certainly have the team to get it done again. With Ed Howard having his best game since returning to the South Bend Cubs on Saturday, going 3/6 with a home run, and Kevin Alcántara finishing off his 5/5 masterpiece with two homers and six RBI in the same game, those two headline the South Bend roster going into the summer.

The starting pitching has also continued to be fantastic for the Cubs. Now that Luis Devers is back in full swing, to have him as the energizer bunny of the rotation is massive. After all, it was his arrival last year that helped the Cubs win the title, especially with all of those masterpieces on the mound from him.

Fort Wayne may have started cold, but they closed the last half out very well. When the Cubs were in Fort Wayne at Parkview Field, the two clubs split their six-game series and alternated wins each day.

Series between these two long rivals usually end up that way. Neck and neck, and as we begin summer at Four Winds Field, we couldn't think of a better way to get it rolling.

Players to watch on Fort Wayne...

Jackson Merrill, SS: If you're talking about the TinCaps, you have to begin this with the San Diego Padres number-one prospect. That's certainly something Fort Wayne fans have been accustomed to seeing in the 260 though, high level talent. But things have changed over the last couple years. As the Padres have gone all-in at the Big League level to win a World Series, they have gotten rid of a ton of their top prospect talent in trades. Good examples last year included Robert Hassell and Corey Rosier. San Diego has not been afraid to take big swings in trades, look at the Cubs acquiring Owen Caissie in the Yu Darvish deal. OC would have been a TinCap at some point. Imagine how different the history of the South Bend Cubs would look without him. Point being, San Diego has let go of a lot of young talent. The same cannot be said about Merrill. He was the Padres first-round pick in 2021 and is the highest high school player selected out of the state of Maryland in over 30 years. When he saw the Cubs in late May and earlier this month, he was terrific in six games hitting .360. Over his last five games as well, he is 8/20 with four RBI and no strikeouts. MLB.com writes, "San Diego made an aggressive move in sending the 19-year-old to the Arizona Fall League, and Merrill responded by being one of the most talked about prospects in the advanced loop, despite modest numbers."

Henry Henry, RHP : Welcome back to the Midwest League to one of the greatest names in all of baseball. Henry Henry, yes, that's his name, began his career in the Padres system as a starter, and since 2019 or so has been a reliable reliever in the San Diego brass. Henry started this year at Double-A San Antonio, and it didn't go well. In 13 games, he had an ERA at 7.98 and walked more batters than he struck out, and hitters had a .345 average against him. The good news? The Padres can definitely fix this guy. He's too good to struggle like that. He was in Fort Wayne in 2018, and then again in 2019 when he was a Midwest League All-Star at Four Winds Field. He was one of the most dominant relievers in the league that year as he pitched in 43 games, finished with a 3.32 ERA, and had 10 saves. Furthermore in 2019, he walked only 16 batters in 81.1 innings. He walked 18 in just 14.2 frames at Double-A to start this year. A little fresh reset for Henry, and he'll be good to go. He already has two scoreless innings under his belt back with the TinCaps, so the Cubs will have to be ready for him.

Marcos Castañon, INF: As usual, the Fort Wayne TinCaps middle infield does a terrific job of helping them win games. There's the prolific prospect ability of Merrill, but also the underrated play of Marcos Castañon. In 2021, the Padres made him their 12th round pick out of UC Santa Barbara. Since that point, Castañon has simply just raked at the plate. That's with an exception, he had just an ordinary series against the Cubs earlier this month. He played all six games, hit .208, and struck out seven times with only one walk. Earning free passes have been a huge part of his game since turning pro, he has 100 walks and under 200 K's in 194 pro games. So the Cubs did a strong job against him. On the season, Castañon is hitting .269 in 59 games. He does have some sneaky pop though, as he raked 24 home runs in 2022 with Low-A Lake Elsinore. Not sure if there are just some small ballparks in the California League, or what, but hey 23 bombs is 23 bombs. You have to respect his power. It's a nice 1-2 punch up the middle for the TinCaps with this guy and Merrill. Great match-up as the Cubs will counter with Ed Howard and James Triantos.

Players to watch on South Bend...

Kevin Alcántara, OF: We teased a little earlier what exactly Kevin Alcántara accomplished in his best game as a professional baseball player on Saturday. We've seen plenty of flashes and success from Alcántara this year, but this performance was the most telling of anything all year. 5-for-5, two home runs, six RBI. Just a total domination of Kernels pitching that day. It has happened plenty of times with big time prospects. They heat up just as the weather does. We're about to start summer at Four Winds Field. Big crowds, kids having a great time, and hopefully The Jaguar going on a summer terror at the plate. It's not easy to hit in the Midwest League when it is cold early in the year. It's also not easy either when it goes from back and forth cold, hot, cold hot. We've now got our window where it's beautiful everyday. Alcántara is going to impress a ton of people this summer. There's no doubt about it. He's got an OPS at .937 in his last five games, and he's looking to continue a massive showing against Fort Wayne that he had earlier this month. Alcántara went 5/12 at the plate in three games versus the TinCaps at their place. Hey Home Run Porch, keep an eye out for some Jaguar bombs this week. They may be coming in bunches.

Kevin Made, INF: From one Kevin to another, both Alcántara and Made are going to provide a thrilling summer in the 574. After missing a few games last month, Made has fired right back to his usual strong work and has had a great last week, batting .333 in his last five with three doubles, along with two walks. We have talked a lot about the patience of Yohendrick Pinango at the plate, who has as many walks now as he did all of last year. But the same can be said about Made. He's right around the same walk rate from last year in the Midwest League, but is batting .228 right now, compared to .162 last year. He's still just 20-years-old, and his defense also has been fantastic. He plays shortstop well beyond his years. And with Made packed in such a depth filled infield along with Howard, Fabian Pertuz, Luis Verdugo, and others, it really can be a hassle at times for playing time. But that's the nature of the biz. You'll stay on the field if you perform, and Made is turning a corner as we get into the summer. He's also one of the highest ranking prospects on this team, as the Cubs #15 overall prospect. MLB.com writes, "He has smooth actions and quality instincts at shortstop, where he covers ground to both sides and has a well-above-average arm. He could play almost anywhere on the diamond if he winds up in a utility role."

Sheldon Reed, RHP: Another week down, another shutdown effort on the mound from Cubs closer Sheldon Reed. What else can you say about Sheldon Reed? He is truly Mr. Dependable. Reed has pitched in every situation over the last year and change. Innings for championships, late inning relief, extra frames, men at third base, and many more. But he has come up with outs no matter where he is called. Reed's season ERA now sits at a consistently dropping 2.74. Over his last five outings, Reed has not given up a run, has only surrendered two hits, with two saves, and five strikeouts. In all of June, Reed has given up one hit. He's arguably the best closer in the Midwest League right now, and at this pace Reed is going to get the call-up to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies, it's just a matter of time. But while the Cubs have him at the moment, they're going to depend on him as we end the first half and go into the second. Wins at the start of the second half can truly be the difference maker when you get to September. If you can put away some W's in the next two weeks, that makes all the difference when you're trying to close out a division title. While Reed is still pitching in pinstripes, you would think he'll try to anchor down those mid-summer victories.

Schedule...

Tuesday, June 20 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Luis Devers vs. RHP Jared Kollar

Wednesday, June 21 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Brandon Birdsell vs. RHP Adam Mazur

Thursday, June 22 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Cade Horton vs RHP Ryan Bergert

Friday, June 23 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Richard Gallardo vs. LHP Bodi Rascon

Saturday, June 24 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Connor Noland vs. RHP Victor Lizarraga

Sunday, June 25 - 2:05 PM ET: RHP Luis Devers vs RHP Jairo Iriarte

Catch the entire six-game series in South Bend on Sports Radio 960 AM WSBT, online at wsbtradio.com, or on MiLB.com with Brendan King and Max Thoma on the call.

Check out the South Bend Cubs Statistics



Midwest League Stories from June 19, 2023


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