Chicago Cubs: Talking ‘Cubs Way’ with prospect Trent Giambrone

Chicago Cubs: Learning along the way, taking it all in

After the Cubs selected Giambrone with their 25th round pick that June, he got his feet wet in professional baseball. He appeared in 51 games for the Low-A Eugene Emeralds, putting up an .837 OPS in his first taste of the action.

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That fall, of course, the Cubs snapped their infamous 108-year title drought, rallying from down three-games-to-one against the Cleveland Indians in the Fall Classic. The next spring, Giambrone got the chance to go to big league camp in Arizona – with the reigning World Series champions.

"“Even though I didn’t have anything to really do with it (the World Series title), I found myself caught up in it. When it was all said and done, it was exciting and going to Spring Training the next year, I was fortunate enough to be in one of the first big league games,” he said. “I didn’t get to play, but I went to the home opener and to be in front of all those people and see everything. Just to be in the dugout was absolutely mind-blowing.”"

He struggled a bit in his first full season, something Giambrone described as full of learning experiences – hardly a surprise for any minor leaguer. But the lessons he brought with him from his college days paid dividends and, in 2018, he bounced back in a big way, setting career-highs in home runs, doubles and runs batted in for the Tennessee Smokies.