Watch Cubs prospect Hayden Wesneski strut forward in battle for rotation spot

Chicago Cubs starting pitching prospect Hayden Wesneski continues to make a strong case for being named the fifth starter in the team's rotation. Wesneski struck out four Seattle Mariners' batters in his Spring Training debut last week and did not miss a beat in his second consecutive Spring Training start against the Mariners on Monday.

Wesneski was stretched out an additional 2/3 of an inning during his outing against the Mariners on Monday as he held Seattle to 1 run while striking out 3 in 2.2 innings pitched.

The competition should be over. With no disrespect to Javier Assad or Adrian Sampson, Wesneski is the clear choice to be the team's fifth starter once the regular season begins at the end of the month. Wesneski turned 25 last December and now is the time for the Cubs to begin his ascension toward the top of their rotation. For a Cubs team that has stated the goal is to return to contention this season, there is no reason why Wesneski should not be a part of that process.

Wesneski was aided by Cubs' veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer as he doubled in the first inning to open the scoring for the team.

The key to Hosmer finding success with the Cubs this season will be his ability to hit the ball hard. Hosmer no longer has the elevation in his swing to make him a legitimate power threat but his ability to drive the ball on the ground as he did on Monday may go a long way in his remaining in the starting lineup.

And, it wouldn't be a Cubs' Cactus League game if there wasn't a highlight of top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong.