3 Cubs pitching prospects to know not named Cade Horton or Ben Brown

3 pitching prospects to know - 2. Michael Arias

Michael Arias enjoyed a really nice start to the year, recording a 2.55 ERA in 11 starts at Myrtle Beach with the Low-A Pelicans. It was a tale of two halves for the young hurler, as a 5.77 ERA in 39 frames was not the outcome he wanted after a promotion. Granted, his walk rate was high in Low-A, and he mostly got away unscathed; the same fortune did not follow him to South Bend. Although he recorded 46 punch-outs, the 1.7 WHIP will not play at any level. 26 walks in 39 innings of High-A ball (6.0 BB/9) will have to be corrected, but this isn't the first time Arias has struggled with command.

We saw his command issues last season between Rookie ball and Low-A. The thing with Arias is, when he's on, he's lights out. That was why the Cubs also opted to add him to the 40-man roster this winter so as not to lose him to the rule-5 draft. At 22 years old, he has plenty of upside, and if he can get the command issues under control for good, he can certainly be a viable part of the Cubs' future plans.