Cubs Minors: Five prospects who are off to a blazing start

Cubs: A former top prospect seems to be finding his form

Last fall, the Cubs signed a quartet of guys to minor league deals, with 27-year-old switch-hitting catcher Taylor Gushue, a part of the group. Gushue is formerly of the Washington Nationals organization and ranked in their top 30 a few years back.

He struggled through much of his first few years. However, he has been an above-average producer in Triple-A in the past couple of seasons. Gushue is off to a strong start this year in his inaugural season in Chicago’s organization. Through his first 15 games, Gushue is slashing .315/.377/.511 with a 135 wRC+.

Things started roughly as Gushue went 1-for-12 with four strikeouts in his first five games. The backstop went to a different level in his next five-game stretch, hitting .368 with just two strikeouts, a double, and a home run. He managed to drive in seven runs.

Gushue is hitting .389 in his latest five-game sample size with a slugging percentage of .667 and a 173 wRC+. On paper, his slash is right in line where he fell in 2019, and even to this point, it is a welcomed sight to see from the catcher. It will be interesting to see how long Gushue can hang around.