5 Chicago Cubs prospects to watch at Double-A Tennessee in 2023

Just five months removed from the Chicago Cubs minor league affiliate, High-A South Bend Cubs, winning the Midwest League Championship, we look ahead to the 2023 campaign. 2022 was a fantastic year in terms of development for both pitchers and hitters. Many of those on the South Bend Championship team will move up to the next ladder rung this season. Let's look at five key prospects, how they performed last year, what they can work on, and what they can bring to the table moving forward.

5 Chicago Cubs prospects to keep an eye on - 5. Porter Hodge

At only 22 years old, Porter Hodge pitched 109.1 innings between Myrtle Beach's A team and High-A South Bend. That 109.1 IP was coupled with an incredible 141 Ks. After throwing 69 full frames with MB and recording a 3.00 ERA, Hodge was promoted to a higher level. The most eye-opening part is that after his promotion, he excelled much higher - posting a 2.01 ERA in 40.1 innings and 51 punchouts.

After recording a high strikeout rate and a solid ground ball rate of 46.6% in High-A, the sky is the limit for Hodge. He may start at South Bend again, but I expect he won't be there for long, if at all. Once he gets to Tennessee, it will be critical to see if he can continue with the same success and, if not, how well he can adjust to another higher level of skilled hitters. Currently listed at #21 on the Cubs Top 30 prospect list according to MLB.com, expect that number to climb further in 2023. Hodge has the potential to be an elite starter.