Chicago Cubs: Player development has been cornerstone of this rise

Cubs break from the mold

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When you have one or two guys work out coming out of a draft, you consider yourself pretty lucky. Assessing talent is one thing. Developing it is another. There aren’t any guarantees with ANY player, no matter the talent level he possesses. Yet the Cubs seem to keep bringing up top talent that succeeds at the Major League level. Epstein’s estimation of McLeod’s ability cannot be overstated.

Upon the start of the “rebuild”, the Cubs decided to go after hitting talent, forgoing an obvious need for pitching. They still drafted arms, but they ignored the top arms in exchange for what they saw as the best hitters in the draft. And this isn’t just about the draft, though, either. The signing of foreign players,  trading for talent “wedged” in another teams farm system. The Cubs just keep winning at this, and it’s evident by what they have, and even some that they no longer do.