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.

5 Chicago Cubs prospects to keep an eye on - 4. DJ Herz

After mightily struggling with his command in 2022, DJ Herz is a prime breakout candidate if he gets better control of his pitch arsenal. The stuff has always been there for Herz, who the Chicago Cubs drafted in the 8th round of the 2019 MLB draft. In fact, in High-A to begin the season, Herz registered a 2.54 ERA in 17 starts, totaling 63.2 IP and 99 punchouts. From there, it was downhill upon his promotion to Double-A Tennessee, and he wound up issuing 33 free passes in 31.2 frames, with a 1.800 WHIP, while recording a substantial drop-off in ERA to the tune of 8.24.

In September, Herz was transferred to the developmental list to work on his mechanics. With any fine-tuning, he should have the ability to get back to the DJ Herz we saw to begin the 2022 campaign with South Bend. At still just 22 years of age, Herz is another starting pitcher who may still be a couple of years away but has an undeniably high ceiling. If he can harness his stuff this season, he will have no problem propelling his way up the ranks in no time.

5 Chicago Cubs prospects to keep an eye on - 3. Luis Devers

Last season, Luis Devers won the Chicago Cubs minor league pitcher of the year award. Starting with the Chicago Cubs A affiliate, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Devers recorded a 2.58 ERA in 66.1 IP and 75 strikeouts. Once he was promoted to High-A, Devers began to break out, firing 51.1 more innings while notching an elite 1.05 ERA and 0.799 WHIP. After such an incredible campaign, helping the South Bend Cubs win the Midwest League championship, It's questionable why he's not near the top of the Cubs prospects leaderboard.

As Bryan Smith mentions in a tweet from back in September, the velocity on his fastball could be better, and he needs to continue adding as many MPH, effectively, as possible. If he can achieve that extra two MPH on his heater, he will undoubtedly have what it takes to succeed in the majors. If you've watched Devers pitch, you know his command is fantastic, and he knows how to attack hitters and with what at the right time. 2023 will be a massive year for him.

5 Chicago Cubs prospects to keep an eye on - 2. Luke Little

Yet another Cubs pitching prospect in the organization who is just being slept on right now is Luke Little. If you don't know much about him, you should have him circled on your radar as someone poised for a breakout in 2023. Another home group prospect, Little, was selected in the 4th round of the 2020 draft by the Chicago Cubs. After recording a 0.61 ERA in Myrtle Beach, Little was promoted and shined with a 2.91 ERA throughout 52.2 innings while striking out 84 would-be hitters.

Another prospect at just 22 years old, Little, is on the bubble of someone already ready for Double-A Tennesse and should be there before long if he doesn't go immediately once he is assigned. Looking at his Fangraphs, I believe his FV of 40 is relatively low, but I will admit I want to see him add another pitch outside of his fastball and slider. The Cubs desperately want elite homegrown starting pitching, so I expect adding to his arsenal to be a big part of his development this season. His 34% strikeout rate at South Bend last season can climb higher if he does so successfully.