Chicago Cubs: An intriguing batch of international prospects to watch

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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Chicago Cubs
(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

Chicago Cubs: Outfielders of the future galore

The final young guy on this list is an outfielder who stands at the same size as Simon. Rafael Herrera also happens to be Simon’s same age. A couple of seasons into his professional baseball career, Herrera has been showing up through his first 111 games.

Last year, Herrera slashed a respectable .252/.352/.337 with zero home runs and 19 RBI. A silver lining, if one does exist, is the notice of the 11 stolen bases Herrera swiped. He also managed to post a .347 wOBA with a slightly above-average 106. Still, no matter. A successful season for the rookie.

This year, Herrera faced the intricacies of a possible sophomore slump and did everything in his power to make it so it would not happen. It did not. Herrera slashed a whopping .326/.429/.449, two home runs, and 27 RBI. Herrera also stole 14 bases and lowered his strikeout rate by almost one percent. It will be interesting to see what Herrera can continue improving on next year.

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