Chicago Cubs: Intentional development provides opportunity to young prospects

Spring training games will not begin any time soon, and that means that there is more time and energy put forth to the importance of continued development within organizations. For example, last week, the Chicago Cubs opened their prospect mini-camp, where 70 non-rostered names were invited to camp, giving extra time leading up to Minor League Spring Training.

The group included more than 20 players currently on the Cubs’ top 30 prospect list. As the minor league season is not affected by the current lockout, the camp will provide additional time for developing the young talent in the system. It is great to see the Cubs taking full advantage of such an opportunity.

The organization included housing and nutrition programs for the young players who were a part of the offseason program and gave guys intentional time spent together honing their craft to prepare themselves for the upcoming minor league season.

Chicago Cubs: Intentional training will drive organizational success

One of the most significant aspects goes back to last summer when the Cubs dealt much of their core for top prospects in other organizations. Because there was so much chaos in dealing the top talent, it provided opportunities for the young guys returning to grow their core and build a routine for them to help understand each others’ tendencies and what they bring to the organization as a whole.

Nine of the club’s top 20 names, including five top-10 prospects, including Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ed Howard, Jordan Wicks, Reggie Preciado, and Owen Caissie, have participated in the camp and grew together.

There has been a shift in the way the forefront of Cubs baseball is operating moving into the 2022 regular season, whenever it does begin, and beyond and gives fans a lot of hope for a bright future so long as fans embrace an entire season ahead without the likes of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez. One way is to jump fully into the depths of the current system and acclimate oneself to that talent making their way to the show.

The frustration fans across the game face right now are wholeheartedly understandable. It does not need to be, however. As Minor League Baseball is in no jeopardy of being upended, now is the perfect time to fully dive into the young talent, who will shock many as they continue to grow and develop.

One significant hope, the only hope, is that the Cubs continue to do right by the young guns and continue to do right by the fans. For that to occur, intentional development is equivalent to that success. With everything the Cubs are facing and everything else going on in the game, continuing to intentionally train will only improve that mindset as we head into a new baseball season.