Chicago Cubs: Charcer Burks a prospect to watch for the Cubs

Spring Training is a great time for fans to get a glimpse into the future of the Chicago Cubs by watching up-and-coming prospects in the organization.

On Saturday, Chicago Cubs prospect Charcer Burks hit a game-winning home run in the Cubs’ spring opener at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.

Burks, who turns 22 in less than two weeks, broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning by sending a towering home home run to center field, giving the Cubs a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics. The young outfielder also made an impressive diving catch in left field in the late innings.

The Chicago Cubs drafted Burks out of high school in the ninth round (258th overall) of the 2013 MLB Draft. Burks started his professional baseball career with the Arizona League Cubs in 2013, posting a slash-line of .269/.344/.296 over the course of 31 games.

A young Cub to watch

With Spring Training baseball comes the excitement of another season. Something to tie fans over until the real action begins. But one of the other joys of spring ball is watching prospects that could very well find themselves on the big league roster at some point. Charcer Burks could be one of those players.

After an impressive rookie season in the minors, Burks followed up with an even better year in 2014. Playing for both the Arizona League Cubs and the Boise Hawks, Burks hit .311/.393/.409.

Burks showed some slight regression at the plate in 2015 and 2016 for the South Bend Cubs and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, respectively. But this isn’t at all uncommon. Prospects generally take some time adapting to higher level competitors. It’s all part of the process. And the tools are all there, too. Standing at 6’0″ and 170 pounds, Burks has the build of a player equipped with at least mild power. That aspect of his game hasn’t quite developed yet, but the potential is definitely there. Even if he doesn’t become a power hitter, he’s shown enough bat-on-ball skills to prove he could one day be a successful big league hitter.

Offense aside, Burks shows a ton of promise as a defensive asset. With the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, he won a 2016 Rawlings Gold Glove Award for outstanding outfield work. As demonstrated by the big league club last year, the Cubs organization values defense very highly. So Burks is already on the right track.

Next: Ian Happ searching for big league role

The future is bright on the North Side

While you shouldn’t expect Burks to be making his major league debut this season, he is one prospect to keep on your radar. At such a young age, he still has plenty of time to develop. He’s already shown flashes of what could come.

Don’t be surprised if you someday see this young outfielder making an impact for the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Fresh off a World Series championship, the Cubs are enjoying the opulent benefits of success. And with an array of talent in their farm system, the future looks bright, too.

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