Chicago Cubs minors recap: Prospects worth watching

The Chicago Cubs will lose some of their top prospects at some point. Between the youth at the top and the abundance of talent behind it, pieces will have to be moved in order to strengthen the roster in preparation for the postseason. With a little more than a week to go, we will examine a few players and how they are performing as of late on this week’s The Call-up.

Gleyber Torres, SS (#1 ranked prospect in Cubs organization)

2016: .272/.353/.430, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 19 SB

The top prospect in the Cubs system has put together a better than average season so far for the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. At the ripe age of 19, Torres has turned a lot of heads and its becoming more apparent that he could be on a fast track to majors.

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The path to the show could be muddy as the Cubs have a few quality players that already occupy the middle infield. The trade that brought Addison Russell to Chicago is a clear indication that he is Theo Epstein’s choice. When you throw in Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez, things would have to dramatically change for Torres to overtake them.

In his last ten games, Torres is hitting .293 with 10 RBI and four stolen bases. The continued production will remain attractive to teams looking for defensive help, such as the Yankees, and the Cubs could use his rising stock to get a good piece in return.

As the weekend closes, it appears that Torres will be on the move to the Bronx in exchange for Aroldis Chapman. It will mark an important point in his path to the majors.

Ian Happ, 2B/OF (#3 ranked prospect in Cubs organization)

2016: .304/.342/.431, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 3 SB

The stats listed above reflect what Ian Happ has done in 27 games at Double-A Tennessee. Combined with the effort in Myrtle Beach, Happ is hitting .298 with nine home runs and 53 RBI.

Despite the good start, Happ is hitting just .175 in his last 10 games dating back to July 14th. In that stretch, Happ’s power has disappeared and he has been victimized by the strike out too often.

Since being drafted by the Cubs in the first round in 2015, Happ has moved up the ranks at a steady pass. Only recently has he hit a wall in his performance. In the long-term, the Cubs still have big plans for Happ, and his progress may affect the decisions they make about Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez.

Donnie Dewees, OF (#12 ranked prospect in Cubs organization)

2016: .275/.331/.410, 3 HR, 54 RBI, 16 SB

Donnie Dewees came to the Cubs after dominating the NCAA as a sophomore. so far this year at South Bend, Dewees is showcasing the skill sets that may get him to the show.

A contact hitter by trade, Dewees will make the bulk of his production by slapping the ball around the field. He doesn’t have a natural power swing but the bat speed may allow him to step into a handful each year.

Dewees has incredible speed that has made him a legitimate base-stealing threat. The 22-year-old speedster has only been caught four times in twenty attempts this year.

If Dewees can continue his development and work on his fielding, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make an appearance in Chicago. Either way, Dewees does possess skills that will make him attractive at some point.

Next: Is Almora on the block?

Minor League recap:

Iowa Cubs (43-58) 4th place in the Pacific Coast League American Northern Division

Last Week: (1-6), This Week: @Memphis Redbirds July 24th-25th, @New Orleans Zephyrs July 26th-29th, @Omaha Storm Chasers July 30th.

Tennessee Smokies (12-17) 5th place in the 2nd half of the Southern League North Division

Last Week: (3-3), This Week: vs. Mississippi Braves July 24th, @Chattanooga Lookouts July 26th-30th.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans (16-14) 1st place in the 2nd half of the Carolina League Southern Division

Last Week: (3-3), This Week: vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks July 24th, vs. Carolina Mudcats July 25th-27th, @Salem Red Sox July 28th-30th.

South Bend Cubs (18-11) 1st place in the 2nd half of the Midwest League Eastern Division

Last Week: (2-3), This Week: vs. Peoria Chiefs July 24th-25th, @Lake County Captains July 27th-30th.

Eugene Emeralds (27-10) 1st place in the Northwest League South Division

Last Week: (6-1), This Week: Vancouver Canadians July 24th-25th, vs. Salem-Keizer Volcanoes July 26th-28th, @Boise Hawks July 29th-30th.

Schedule