Underrated Chicago Cubs pitching prospects fans should get to know

Michael McAvene, RHP – South Bend Cubs (High-A)

Right now, it is difficult as to where to place right-hander Michael McAvene, but we’ll do our best in this quest of noting future talent that is less known than most. McAvene technically falls under this as he has just one year of professional baseball under his belt and has not been as much on the radar because of his injury.

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McAvene had two uninspiring seasons at Louisville, posting ERA’s in back-to-back years of 4.15 and 5.23, respectively, as a freshman and sophomore before turning a corner in his junior season. The final year brought many dominant appearances closing games for the Cardinals as McAvene posted a 2.73 ERA across 23 appearances, 50 strikeouts in 33 innings, and seven saves.

The right-hander came out with a mid-90s fastball which McAvene can run up to 97 mph, and his slider and curveball have both been seen as above-average, giving him a nice mix in his repertoire. Unfortunately, McAvene has already had Tommy John surgery as a freshman and is currently shelved on the 60-day IL for similar issues.

Still, McAvene displayed his dominance in 2019 in his first season, at Low-A, posting a 1.42 ERA over 12 2/3 innings. If he can get healthy, he can help the bullpen in the long term.