Toyota Road Report: May 27-June 1
May 26, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
It's a riverside post-Memorial Day clash coming up in Davenport! The South Bend Cubs get ready to take on the Quad Cities River Bandits, Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, over the next six games at Modern Woodmen Park. South Bend will have a chance to play spoiler this week, as Quad Cities has posted the best first half record among any West Division team, coming in at 28-17 with a 2.5 game lead over Cedar Rapids.
Quad Cities is in a really interesting spot. The River Bandits pitching staff has in a big way carried QC to the cusp of clinching a playoff spot in the first half. Quad Cities pitchers have combined for a 2.94 ERA, which is just behind the league's best in West Michigan at 2.93. As for the QC bats, they're only hitting .229 as a team, which is the same mark South Bend has put up this year.
The River Bandits have also gotten a majority of their work done on the road. They've posted an impeccable 18-9 road record, and have only played 18 home games. They're 10-8 in games played with a ferris wheel past the left field wall.
It's that QC pitching staff that has made all the different though. Batters are only hitting .205 against River Bandits pitching, but the Bandits did lose a big piece of their rotation, as former Royals first-round pick Frank Mozzicato was promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas recently. Mozzicato put together a 1.24 ERA in seven games with Quad Cities this season.
In the starting rotation, guys like Drew Beam and Hunter Patterson still remain, however. Beam, a former Royals third-rounder, and Patterson, a fifth-rounder, have helped the Bandits earn many many wins over the first half. The rotation really has been key for QC. Patterson, a lefty, has got a 4-0 record with a 1.37 ERA with 42 strikeouts. Beam in nine starts has as 2.98 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 45.1 innings.
Out of the bullpen, A.J. Causey has been the big weapon for the River Bandits. 1.88 ERA in 15 games, with only seven walks in 14 innings, no home runs allowed, and 25 strikeouts. Weirdly though, even though QC has been so good on the mound, they have blown 11 saves on the season. Which is wild to say, considering they are 28-17 on the year. Still, they've surrendered only 166 runs this season, which is good for second lowest in the circuit.
Lastly on the pitching staff, 2023 South Bend Cubs pitching coach Clayton Mortensen is serving as the assistant pitching coach on this year's Quad Cities team. Mortensen 'Morty' oversaw a South Bend staff in 2023 that had the likes of Cade Horton, Brandon Birdsell, and Connor Noland as a part of it. He's got equally as talented of a staff this season in QC, and it will be great to see him again. Morty shined as a talented coach in South Bend, and also on the golf course with his driver whenever he played with the staff (and the broadcaster).
From a lineup standpoint, the only River Bandit hitting above .280 is 20-year-old outfielder Erick Torres at .281. Carson Roccaforte has five home runs to lead the way with the power for QC.
Players to watch on South Bend...
Jefferson Rojas, INF: The long on-base streak may have come to an end for Jefferson Rojas, but his crazy hot stretch at the plate has not. 22 games in a row the 20-year-old Rojas was on base, up until Friday night. But after a three-hit performance on Saturday night, and then another knock, RBI, and walk on Sunday afternoon, Rojas heads into this series being on base in 24 of his last 25 games. He's now batting .294, and the overarching impressiveness of what Rojas is doing continues to be in one-and-a-half Midwest League seasons, Rojas has faced just one pitcher that has been the same age as him. Besides that, every at-bat he has taken, has been against a pitcher older than him. You would never guess it with how professional an approach that he takes. Heading to Quad Cities this week is also a fun memory, as the first South Bend Cubs at-bat Rojas ever took, in April of 2024 was in QC. He homered in his first High-A at-bat. An opposite field shot, over the right field wall, on a really cold night with the wind blowing in. And he did it against one of the top Kansas City pitching prospects in Ben Kudrna. Always will be a highlight in the young career of Rojas, and he just continues to get better.
Ryan Gallagher, RHP: What can you say about 2024 Chicago Cubs sixth-round pick Ryan Gallagher other than he has been a magician. Seven professional starts, and you can argue has gotten as step better in every single one of them. He's on a massive hot stretch right now, especially in his last three outings. Let's start back on May 10 versus Fort Wayne. First pro win, six innings of no-hit, scoreless baseball, two walks, and a career high eight strikeouts. One week later now. May 17 in Lansing. Took a tough loss, but dominated and fired a career best 12 strikeouts in six innings. And last weekend, May 24 battling Wisconsin. Nine more strikeouts. Six innings, one unearned run, two hits, two walks. Ryan Gallagher is in his rookie season of professional baseball. But as mentioned, it seems like he climbs the ladder of what it takes to be a dominant professional pitcher with each outing. Something gets better every week. Whether that's command, a particular pitch, working through adversity, whatever. It's been wicked to watch. What's really wicked is how he's so confident working his changeup to both righties and lefties. He doesn't save it for one particular side. And is always confident to throw it. Tip of the cap to Mr. Gallagher, and catch him in South Bend while you still can.
Rafael Morel, INF/OF: Rafael Morel continues to find his game and get back to the guy we saw last year be the spark plug of the South Bend Cubs lineup. He will also take a 13-game on-base streak into this new series at Quad Cities. Morel started the year in a cold-spell, and even though the batting average says .138, that does not tell the story at all. Morel has hit three home runs and has driven in 10 RBI so far in the month of May, while also batting .250 with a .975 OPS in his last five games. Again, this is a step-by-step type of deal here. Morel is gaining the confidence back seemingly with every series, and if the South Bend Cubs are going to make a playoff run in the second half, Morel is going to need to be a big part of it. We've said this before too, but he is going to give you a chance to win every time he is in the lineup. It is the 'Energizer Bunny' approach. His brother Christopher had it as a South Bend Cub. And Rafael does too. Whether he's playing center field or third base, or any other position possible, Morel is going to make winning plays to help you execute victories. And with his mojo back, he can be a key piece of this order.
Schedule and Probables...
Tuesday, May 27 - 7:30 PM ET: TBA vs TBA
Wednesday, May 28 - 7:30 PM ET: RHP Tyler Schlaffer vs TBA
Thursday, May 29 - 7:30 PM ET: LHP Evan Aschenbeck vs. TBA
Friday, May 30 - 7:30 PM ET: RHP Erian Rodriguez vs. TBA
Saturday, May 31 - 6:30 PM ET: RHP Ryan Gallagher vs. TBA
Sunday, June 1 - 2:00 PM ET: RHP Kenten Egbert vs. TBA
Midwest League Stories from May 26, 2025
- Toyota Road Report: May 27-June 1 - South Bend Cubs
- Captain of the Week (5/20-5/25): Alfonsin Rosario - Lake County Captains
- Doncon Activated from 7-Day IL; Mercedes Released - Cedar Rapids Kernels
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
