South Bend Cubs Gameday Program - April 2023

There’s Nothing Like Baseball Season at Four Winds Field!

The beginning of a new baseball season is filled with emotion, anticipation, and exuberance. Each new season brings promise within the organization and for our terrific fan base. But the special moments over the last few years makes me even prouder of who we are and what we do.

Once again, your South Bend Cubs are Midwest League Champions. The playoff runs of 2019 and 2022 have been a culmination of everything we have accomplished together in Downtown South Bend. Four Winds Field is an experience that every baseball fan needs to check off their list.

Award Winning Facilities

But it’s not just about baseball, it’s about the experience. From the moment you pull up to the parking lot up until you drive back home, we want your time at the ballpark to be a memorable one. Quality food, clean restrooms, and friendly staff are just a few of the ways we remain the Gold Standard for guest service. It’s one of the many reasons Four Winds Field was named Best Ballpark by Ballpark Digest in 2022.

In addition to the award-winning hospitality, we continue to upgrade the facilities and improve the fan experience. What started with the Miller Lite Tiki Hut, Toyota Fun Zone, and CareSource Splash Pad, has blossomed into larger, kid friendly areas and additional hospitality spaces like the United Federal Credit Union Rooftop. Plus, we grew our community with the Ivy at Berlin Place apartments.

Last season we added state-of-the-art LED stadium lights and now we have the largest video board in the Midwest League that will enhance not only the gameday experience, but all events we host throughout the year.

We strive for excellence in all that we do; we’re pleased, but never satisfied.

A Championship Pedigree

For the second time in three seasons, the South Bend Cubs won the Midwest League Championship. That success is not easy to sustain. But with an outstanding hitting and training facility

Andrew Berlin with his wife Courtney (center, right), and sons Gavin (left) and Cole (right).

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like the 1st Source Bank Performance Center, the high-quality amenities of the home clubhouse, and a playing surface that was designed by one of the best in the industry, it gives our players the best opportunity to win.

Fans in South Bend have seen what the future could look like in Chicago. Players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Owen Caissie, Matt Mervis, Jordan Wicks and Brennen Davis all have bright futures at Wrigley Field. Additionally the likes of Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, Justin Steele, Christopher Morel, and Brandon Hughes had the honor of playing in front of you in the past, and now they’re onto spectacular things in the Major Leagues.

Last month we presented the players with their championship rings, some of whom were on that 2019 team who brought us our first championship as a Chicago Cubs affiliate. The 14-karate white and yellow gold ring boasts 28 custom cut rubies, 80 round sapphires, 16 princess cut diamonds, and 165 round diamonds. The ring has a number of hidden stories including the team playoff motto… “Pump It Up”. It’s a wonderful reminder of such an exciting season.

On The Horizon

The last decade has provided my family, loved ones, and me an unbelievably thankful experience. In regard to that thankfulness, it is always our goal to give back to our community.

Behind the scenes, we have some big things planned for the future of the organization which I cannot wait to share. Expect to hear more about that in the coming months.

Thank you all for impacting my life in such a positive manner. You can always reach me by writing to aberlin@SouthBendCubs.com.

Let’s have the best summer yet. Go Cubs Go!

Andrew Berlin

AndrewBerlin.com

Shield.AI – Managing Director BerlinPackaging.com – Chairman / CEO, Retired SouthBendCubs.com – Chairman and Owner ChicagoCubs.com – Partner

Andrew Berlin raises the Midwest League Championship trophy, the second title as a Chicago Cubs affiliate. (September 21, 2022)

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SOUTH BEND CUBS HOIST SECOND MIDWEST LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP IN THREE SEASONS

By: Brendan King

Stop us if you have heard this one before, a Cubs championship performance and celebration on a rainy Wednesday night in Cleveland.

The 2016 Chicago Cubs made that story famous with the first World Series Championship for the organization since 1908; beating the Cleveland Indians in seven games and capping off the Fall Classic with an extra innings duel to take home a ring. Six years later, the South Bend Cubs pulled off their own version of that tale on September 21, 2022, securing the club’s second championship in three seasons. In Eastlake, Ohio, against the Lake County Captains, South Bend was once again on top of the Midwest League.

Most will remember the sights, sounds, photos, and celebration of that cool fall night last year. But there was so much that went into the lead-up to that evening. Of course, most of it started at the Chicago Cubs Spring Training Complex in Mesa, Arizona. Early morning practices, sweltering exhibition games in the desert sun, and a team flying to South Bend to play on a snowy Opening Night at Four Winds Field.

This is the story of the 2022 South Bend Cubs, a group that always had a sense of the moment.

Like most, if not all, Minor League Baseball teams, the group that you begin the season

with in early April will mostly be gone by the time you get to September. Most of the reasoning is due to call-ups to higher levels. In some cases injuries happen or a player may be traded.

South Bend in 2022 experienced it all.

61 total players suited up in either the home white uniforms with the blue pinstripes all over or the road grays with the blue numbers on the back trimmed in red. Last summer’s team almost felt like different stages of the roster passed through.

To begin the year, the team was highlighted by the likes of future Chicago Cubs Minor League Player of the Year Matt Mervis, hard-throwing right-hander Jeremiah Estrada (who made his big-league debut with Chicago later in the season), power-hitting outfielder Alexander Canario, and former Cubs firstround pick Ed Howard. Mervis, Estrada, and Canario went on a terror of High-A competition and were quickly promoted, while Howard suffered an injury that kept him out for the rest of the season.

There were many players that stuck around for much of the campaign though. The likes of Owen Caissie, Luis Verdugo, Yohendrick Pinango, Fabian Pertuz, Kohl Franklin, Pablo Aliendo, and Caleb Knight all were in a South Bend uniform for the entire season, often times acting as the heartbeat of the team.

Those departures in turn led to key arrivals. Pete Crow-Armstrong, B.J. Murray, Kevin Made, Porter Hodge, Luis Devers, and Sheldon Reed all were midseason promotions

Matt Mervis, Chicago Cubs 2022 Minor League Player of the Year.

Credit: Tim Reilly.

ESCAPE THE EVERYDAY!

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from the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

The early season departures forced the new roster after the All-Star Break to marinate slightly, but South Bend Cubs manager Lance Rymel knew the roster would be able to gel rapidly.

“It just shows our depth as an organization and the number of talented players that we actually have,” Rymel said. “Those guys that came up from Myrtle [Beach] did not miss a beat, and talking with the people from [Double-A] Tennessee, our guys that left didn’t miss a beat either. We were really happy with how it went.”

The new look Cubs stormed into the postseason with the best home record in the Midwest League, all thanks to the fans and environment every night at Four Winds Field.

Different from the last playoff run in 2019, the Midwest League Postseason is now two rounds as opposed to three. The first opponent that the Cubs would take on on their quest to the top? The first half West Division champion Cedar Rapids Kernels. Cedar Rapids dominated through the initial part of the campaign, but the Cubs erupted in the second half.

To no one’s surprise, Luis Devers was named the Game 1 starter in the Division Series. In every appearance that Devers made with South Bend in the regular season after being promoted from the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, he gave up one run or fewer. That continued into Game 1 at Four Winds Field.

Unlike Devers’ usual work though, he let the opposing offense get on the board first.

Pat Winkel crushed a home run to put Cedar Rapids up 1-0, but following that, Devers locked in. T`he 2022 Chicago Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year finished with six strong innings. To back him up, the Cubs offense did just enough.

It took until the 8th inning to plate their first run, but Pablo Aliendo laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Yohendrick Pinango. As high energy as Aliendo usually is, he sprinted up the first base line and caused Cedar Rapids pitcher Bobby Milacki to throw the ball away, allowing Aliendo to make it to second base. Later in the inning, Fabian Pertuz drove Aliendo in for the 2-1 lead.

In the 9th, Jake Reindl finished the game in exuberant fashion and struck out the side to give the Cubs a 1-0 series lead. After an off day, the series traveled west to Iowa.

Game 2 saw the Kernels come roaring back. Although South Bend got on the board first thanks to a Luis Verdugo RBI single in the 2nd inning, the Kernels showed a strong resilience at Perfect Game Field and rallied in the 5th inning with two crucial runs. That was after the previous half inning featured Pertuz crushing a long home run over the left field wall to give South Bend a brief lead. No runs were scored after the 5th, and the Kernels bullpen led them to the win and a 1-1 series tie.

Game 3 was set for the next evening. It was a warm and sunny night in Iowa, one of those days where you are trying to enjoy the remaining remnants of the summer. To the mound for the South Bend Cubs went fireballer Daniel Palencia. There were no ‘Narco’ trumpets played for Palencia since it was on the road, but he didn’t need the now famous Edwin Diaz song to pump him up that night.

South Bend Cubs first-year manager Lance Rymel in the dugout pregame.

Credit: Ed McGregor.

Jake Reindl pitching in Game 1 of the MWL Playoffs.

Credit: John Mersits.

SOUTH BEND

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He also didn’t need much run support after the 1st inning.

The Cubs absolutely exploded to begin Game 3 of the Division Series against Cedar Rapids starter Orlando Rodriguez. It was like a freight train with no signs of stopping to start the game. In order, Fabian Pertuz walked, Pete CrowArmstrong singled, Jordan Nwogu was hit by a pitch, Owen Caissie picked up an RBI sac-fly, Luis Verdugo doubled, BJ Murray and Pablo Aliendo singled, and Yohendrick Pinango walked. That march through the lineup gave the Cubs a 4-0 lead, and after the second inning it was 5-0.

That would be all that Palencia needed. He was equally as sharp with five shutout innings, no walks, and eight strikeouts. It was arguably his most electrifying outing of the year. Cedar Rapids did manage to score three runs in the bottom of the 7th, but the Cubs added two more in the 9th to win the game 9-3 and were victorious in the series.

The next step? A waiting game. As the Cubs bused home and celebrated moving to the Championship Series, they watched what was happening in the East Division as to who their next opponent would be. In what was the battle between the Great Lakes Loons and Lake County Captains, it was deter-

mined that the duel for the Midwest League Championship would be between South Bend and Lake County.

For the first time in recent playoff memory though for the Cubs, Game 1 did not go their way.

September 18 was a funky night at Four Winds Field. South Bend sent Kohl Franklin to the mound for his first ever High-A playoff start. Franklin began things overwhelmingly positive with a 1-2-3 top of the 1st. The Cubs then got him plenty of run support with five tallies in the bottom of the second inning on hits from Aliendo, Pinango, Made, and Nwogu.

Things couldn’t be better. 5-0 lead, Franklin firing away, big crowd, great environment. The Cubs were on the fast track to a 1-0 Championship lead. However, midway through things took a turn.

Lake County picked up four base hits to start the 4th inning. Lance Rymel would then make a change, and bring in the big southpaw Luke Little. The hit parade continued though for Lake County, and they plated eight combined runs in the middle frames to snatch the momentum away. With two more runs coming in in the 8th and 9th, the home crowd left that evening with a bit of an unsettling feeling with the final score of 11-8.

Kohl Franklin (left) and Pablo Aliendo (right) get ready for Game 1 of the Midwest League Championship.

Credit: John Mersits.

Daniel Palencia pitching at home on May 6.

Credit: Tim Reilly.

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But just as the Cubs had shown all year, they never quit.

With their backs against the wall, South Bend used an off day the following afternoon to reset. Following that, it was time to bus to Eastlake, Ohio and Classic Park, a place that is usually friendly to hitters. Luis Devers, the Cubs Game 2 starter, had to be ready for a potent Lake County offensive attack.

Just as what happened in the first round versus Cedar Rapids, Devers surrendered a 1st inning run, but from that point on, once again locked in. He gave the Cubs a chance when they needed every bit of momentum to go their way.

Late game hitting defined Game 2 of the Championship Series. A run in both the 6th and 7th inning for the Cubs put them ahead 3-2. It was one swing of the bat from PCA though, that would be the difference maker. In the swing of the year for the Chicago Cubs number-one prospect, he gave South Bend a crucial run of insurance in the 9th with a solo shot.

Lake County, to their credit, would not go away. Michael McAvene came in for the save up 4-2. The Captains managed a run off the man from Indianapolis, but that was all. With the tying run at third base up came Petey Halpin, one of the most consistent and dangerous contact men in the Midwest League. McAvene jammed Halpin on a nasty, ferocious inside fastball, getting him to swing and pop out. The game was over, and the

Cubs had tied the Championship Series.

The next day, Game 3. Porter Hodge went to the mound for a winner take all Championship extravaganza. Hodge battled and weaved through the Captains lineup. Posting five innings and giving up three runs. Just about a quality start. That was all the Cubs needed; quality.

You know the story. Three massive home runs from Owen Caissie, Pablo Aliendo, and Luis Verdugo. Caissie’s was arguably the longest and deepest homer we had seen all season. That kind of run support set up Joe Nahas to toss three innings of one run relief.

And then in the 9th, Sheldon Reed took the mound. One of South Bend’s second half closers dusted the rubber and dug into the mound for the biggest save opportunity of his career yet. A scoreless final frame of 2022 followed.

And on a bouncer to the right side, BJ Murray gloved it, flipped to Reed, and pandemonium ensued. For the second time in three seasons, the South Bend Cubs were Midwest League Champions.

“I still get a big smile when we talk about it,” Cubs manager Lance Rymel said. “It was just a great group of guys that came together at one time. The way that we finished with the two games on the road in the Championship Series, I couldn’t have been more proud of the guys and how they came to work every day."

The South Bend Cubs on the field at Classic Park celebrating the Midwest League Championship with the trophy after beating Lake County in Game 3. Credit: Casey McDonald.

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SB CUBS PLAY IN WBC

NINE CURRENT CHICAGO CUBS ORGANIZATION PLAYERS AND 14 OTHERS REPRESENTED IN WBC

By: Brendan King

As the World Baseball Classic encapsulated the sports world for the first time since 2017 in March, 23 former South Bend Cubs suited up for their respective countries of heritage in baseball’s global experience.

Nine players who currently compete in the Chicago Cubs organization were in action in the WBC, while 14 former South Bend Cubs who took their talents to other organizations were also on the field.

• Infielder Liam Spence, Australia

• Outfielder Owen Caissie, Canada

• Infielder Jared Young, Canada

• Right-handed pitcher Danis Correa, Colombia

• Infielder Fabian Pertuz, Colombia

• Infielder B.J. Murray, Great Britain

• Infielder Matt Mervis, Israel

• Right-handed pitcher Javier Assad, Mexico

• Outfielder Nelson Velazquez, Puerto Rico

The lone Cub to appear for Team Australia during this WBC, Spence’s time in South Bend was short, playing just 16 games. A former fifth-round pick by the Cubs out of the University of Tennessee in 2021, Spence has already appeared at every level in Chicago’s

minor league system besides Double-A Tennessee. Spence helped Australia advance to the knockout stage of the Tournament with wins over South Korea, China, and the Czech Republic.

Caissie making Team Canada’s roster is just another stepping stone on what has been a remarkable start to the career of the prized piece that the Cubs acquired from the San Diego Padres. Caissie was a key part of South Bend’s 2022 championship run and had the game winning RBI’s in Game 3 of the Midwest League Championship Series in Lake County with a massive home run to right. During the Classic, Caissie showed his limitless potential for Canada as he crushed a home run to deadcenter against Great Britain at Chase Field.

Young, the 2018 Chicago Cubs Minor League Player of the Year, has put his fingerprint on the Cubs organization in huge fashion since he played in South Bend that same year. The Old Dominion product joined the list of Cubs draft picks who were selected late and blossomed into something special. The native of Vancouver, B.C. made his MLB debut in 2022 and picked up his first big league hit at Wrigley Field. Young finished his WBC experience with a home run and two RBI, and also played against the Chicago Cubs in a Spring Training exhibition at Sloan Park in Mesa along with his teammate Owen Caissie.

Owen Caissie sprinting around third base during the World Baseball Classic in Arizona.

Credit: The Athletic.

... continued from previous page. At just 23-years-old, Correa has developed into a key bullpen option for the Cubs as a non-roster invitee at Big League Camp in 2022. With South Bend in 2021, Correa finished the campaign at Four Winds Field pitching in eight games and posting a 2.45 ERA with 16 strikeouts. Last season, he capped off the year making it all the way to Triple-A Iowa. Correa was represented on the Colombia roster but did not appear in an official WBC game.

patience and collected approach at the plate. Murray had the best foresight and eye on the team in working the zone, while drawing 36 walks in 56 games. A switch-hitter at the plate, Murray also showed power on both sides while hitting in the middle of Lance Rymel’s order every day. Murray picked up a massive base hit for Great Britain in Pool C against Mexico, tying the game for GBR in the 6th inning with an RBI single.

Pertuz hit the first home run of the 2022 season on Opening Day at Four Winds Field, and that began what was the best season to date for the 22-year-old. Pertuz began the year playing either second base or third base every day, but was called upon as the everyday shortstop following Ed Howard’s injury. Pertuz led South Bend to the playoffs, and ultimately, a Midwest League title. Before returning to Chicago Cubs Spring Training after the WBC, Pertuz made his experience memorable by playing next to big leaguer Gio Urshela in the infield; he was even in the starting lineup against the United States in the knockout round.

Murray was one of the most consistent performers down the stretch for the Cubs in 2022. Murray was called up to South Bend during the middle of the summer, and when he arrived he immediately showed his

As part of South Bend’s opening day roster in 2022, Matt Mervis’ legendary campaign that goes down in the history books all began at Four Winds Field. While hitting a smoking .350 with the South Bend Cubs, Mervis had multiple special moments in pinstripes which included a walk-off home run against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Mervis was ultimately named the 2022 Chicago Cubs Minor League Player of the Year and looks to be the next big thing at Wrigley Field when his MLB debut comes. His 2022 minor league campaign will be remembered for years to come, as his 119 total RBI were the most by a minor leaguer since Pete Alonso came up in the Mets system. Mervis appeared in every game that Israel played in the WBC and picked up a base hit.

Back in 2018 the opening day starter for South Bend was a young, talented man from Mexico named Javier Assad. With his career just beginning, Assad showed a keen approach on the mound mixing speeds and fooling hitters with a vanishing changeup and a mid-90s fastball. Assad started 21 games with South Bend that season and posted a very respectable 4.40 ERA with 89 strikeouts. Since that point, Assad has gotten the call-up to Wrigley Field, making his MLB debut with the Chicago Cubs against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 23, 2022, tossing four shutout innings. Assad became one of the most reliable right-handers for Mexico in the WBC. In 5.2 innings, he did not surrender a single run and only walked one batter, while striking out six.

Finally, we go back to the 2019 team and

Fabian Pertuz turning a double play for Colombia as they take on the United States.

Credit: Joe Rondone, The Republic.

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a young outfielder named Nelson Velazquez. It was the second season that Velazquez had played in a South Bend uniform, after getting to Four Winds Field in 2018 as a 19-year-old. In 2019, Velazquez came back stronger, faster, and more powerful. He was a huge part of the title run when the Cubs defeated the Clinton LumberKings for the organization’s first championship as a Cub affiliate. Velazquez has also gone on to represent South Bend alumni in the big leagues with the Chicago Cubs, making his MLB debut on May 30, 2022. In an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox, Velazquez crushed a home run for Puerto Rico deep over the right field wall to get his WBC experience started with a bang.

Romero (2017 South Bend Cubs, Free Agent).

Dominican Republic: Eloy Jimenez (2016 South Bend Cubs, Chicago White Sox).

Israel: Alex Katz (2021 South Bend Cubs, Free Agent).

Italy: Matteo Bocchi (2021 South Bend Cubs, Free Agent), Alberto Mineo (2016 and 2017 South Bend Cubs, Free Agent), and Jeff Passantino (2018 and 2019 South Bend Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates).

Japan: Yu Darvish (2018 South Bend Cubs Rehab, San Diego Padres).

Mexico: Isaac Paredes (2016 and 2017 South Bend Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays).

Puerto Rico: Vimael Machin (2015, 2016, and 2017 South Bend Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies), Nicholas Padilla (2021 and 2022 South Bend Cubs, Chicago White Sox), and Duane Underwood Jr. (2016 South Bend Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates).

USA: Kendall Graveman (2019 South Bend Cubs and Midwest League Champion, Chicago White Sox).

Venezuela: Gleyber Torres (2015 South Bend Cubs, New York Yankees).

As mentioned, 13 other former South Bend Cubs players who went on to play for other organizations played in the World Baseball Classic.

Colombia: Yapson Gomez (2017 and 2018 South Bend Cubs, Free Agent) and Jhon

The WBC Championship Game brought the baseball world together. Of course, what stood out was the final at-bat duel between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. Ohtani won the battle, and Japan celebrated with their first WBC Title since 2009.

Japan will get their gold medals and all the players from the Chicago Cubs, South Bend Cubs, and every country involved can smile knowing they helped show the world that baseball can ignite the planet.

Nelson Velazquez celebrating a base hit for Puerto Rico. Credit: Sports Illustrated.

2023 SOUTH BEND CUBS COACHING STAFF

Lance Rymel - Manager

Rymel returns for year two as Manager of the South Bend Cubs. In 2021 he was the Rookie League Mesa Cubs Manager. Later that year, he managed the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League and won the league title. This will be his eighth season as a coach or manager in the Cubs organization, where he also managed Single-A Eugene in 2019 following two seasons at the helm of the Cubs Dominican Summer League squad in 2017-18. Rymel began his coaching career in 2016 following a three-year minor league playing career as a catcher in the Cubs system from 2012-14. Rymel was selected by the Cubs in the 28th round of the 2012 Draft out of Rogers State.

Clayton Mortensen - Pitching Coach

Mortensen spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the pitching coach for Low-A Myrtle Beach and will begin his third season in the Cubs organization. Mortensen spent 2019 as the Pitching Coach for the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Pioneer League where his team won the 2019 Pioneer League championship. Mortensen was drafted by St. Louis in the first round (36th) of the 2007 draft and spent five years in Major League Baseball playing for St. Louis, Oakland, Colorado, and Boston.

Dan Puente - Hitting Coach

Puente returns as the hitting coach for South Bend. This marks Puente’s fourth season in the Cubs farm system. In 2021, Puente was the hitting coach for low-A Myrtle Beach. He has been a hitting and catching instructor at Elite Baseball Training since 2012, a technology-infused baseball and softball instructional company created by the Cubs Director of Hitting Justin Stone. Puente also served as an associate scout for the Houston Astros and from 2008-12 was the Manager of Youth Baseball Initiatives for the White. Sox. A former catcher, he was selected by Baltimore in the 12th round of the 2004 Draft and played two minor league seasons.

D’Angelo Jiménez - Bench Coach

D’Angelo Jiménez will continue to serve as the bench coach for the South Bend Cubs. He previously held the role of hitting coach for the DSL Cubs in 2021 and this will be his sixth season overall in the organization. Jiménez came up with the Yankees as a player and spent eight years playing in the MLB from 1999 to 2007, appearing with seven different teams. Primarily a Second Baseman, Jiménez would spend time at shortstop and third base.

Nick Roberts Athletic Trainer

Kelcey Mosley

Strength and Conditioning Coach

CATCHERS

PITCHERS

OUTFIELDERS

BRANDON BIRDSELL

BRADFORD DEPPERMANN

KOHL FRANKLIN

RICHARD GALLARDO

CARLOS GUZMAN ADAM LASKEY

LUKE LITTLE JOE NAHAS

CONNOR NOLAND

SHELDON REED

TYLER SANTANA FRANKIE SCALZO JR.

KEVIN ALCANTARA

DJ ARTIS

BRADLEE BEESLEY

YOHENDRICK PINANGO JACOB WETZEL

SAM THORESEN DIDER VARGAS

CHASE WATKINS

JAROD WRIGHT

FABIAN PERTUZ

DAVID AVITIA ETHAN HEARN

CASEY OPITZ

JOSUE HUMA

KEVIN MADE

HAYDN MCGEARY

INFIELDERS

SCOTT MCKEON

JUAN MORA LIAM SPENCE

From the Bend to the Bigs

WHO'S ON TRACK TO DEBUT WITH THE CHICAGO CUBS IN 2023

By Max Thoma

In the last couple of years the South Bend Cubs saw 22 former players dawn big league uniforms for the MLB debuts, including 12 during the course of the 2022 season. Ethan Roberts was the first on April 9 and as the season winded down Jared Young was the last on September 16.

The list also includes a couple bullpen arms in Nicholas Padilla and Jeremiah Estrada that started the season in South Bend and catapulted their way all the way to the bright lights of Wrigley Field.

Last year in March when I sat down to prognosticate about three former South Bend Cubs who could breakthrough into the big leagues I selected Christopher Morel, Nelson Velázquez, and Brennen Davis as my suitable candidates.

Morel made it up by the middle of May and, as was the expectation, became a fan favorite with his electric playing style paired along his always positive demeanor. Less than two weeks later Velázquez debuted. These are two right-handed hitting 23-year-olds with tons of pop in their bats; Morel finished fourth on the Cubs with 16 homers and in just 77 games Velázquez finished tied for 10th with six.

Davis, who started the year as the Cubs number one prospect (per MLB.com), never made it up but was hampered by a back injury during the season that required

surgery.

This year as I sit at Four Winds Field on a rainy Thursday in the middle of March I can’t help but be impressed by the list of potential former South Bend Cubs that could debut in 2023. It’s easy to predict another 10+ debuts this year and while I won’t discuss every potential riser, I’m going to again expandupon three individuals, while limiting myself to guys who appeared on the 2022 MWL Championship team.

Up first, Matt Mervis.

The former two-way player who went undrafted in the shortened MLB 2020 Draft burst onto the national scene last year. In his first pro season the lefty slugger hit just .208, with nine homers, 44 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of just .367 in Low-A Myrtle Beach.

We’ve seen many young prospects, especially left-handed batters, excel in South Bend after struggling in pitcher-friendly Pelicans Ballpark; but no one made the jump as seamless “Mash” Mervis.

The burly lefty produced many special moments throughout the season, with his most special South Bend contribution coming on May 10. Two days after his hitting streak halted at 13 games, Mervis delivered a laser shot over the right field wall that left the bat at 105 m.p.h. The two-run homer, his second long ball of the night, walked it off for the Cubs in a 9-7 thrilling win over Fort Wayne.

A week from that night Mervis found himself on the road to AA-Tennessee.

Matt Mervis rips a base hit in his second to last series with South Bend. Credit: Tim Reilly.

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After hitting .350 with South Bend and crushing seven home runs in 27 games, the question surrounding the Washington D.C. product was could he keep this streak of torturing opposing pitchers alive at a higher level?

I’ll let the numbers answer that.

Mervis launched 14 homers with Tennessee and drove in 51 runs in 53 games, all while hitting over .300. But he wasn’t done. On to AAA-Iowa. With the Iowa Cubs he demolished another 15 homers and the legend simply continued to grow.

then tying for the most homers in the Arizona Fall League, and ultimately winning the Cubs Minor League Player of the Year Award, Mervis is on track to debut early on in the season and potentially heavily impact the Cubs 2023 season.

Next on my list is Jake Slaughter.

I would have never thought this after 2021, but the 18th round pick from 2018 delivered a power surge in 2022 and with the Cubs fluidity at third base to start the season, Slaughter is waiting in the wings for a chance to show what he can do on a big stage.

You don’t see many 18th round picks pan out, let alone college position players. But Slaughter was the number one ranked player in Louisiana in high school and was a two-sport star who excelled on the gridiron and had many D-I offers to play football.

In two years at Louisiana State University, Slaughter appeared in 112 games. The versatile infielder and tremendous athlete hit just .255 though, with a slugging under .400, and 11 home runs.

Matt Mervis became a household name in 2022 if you’re a Cubs fan. When all was said and all was done, in 137 games the 24-year-old had tallied 36 homers, 119 RBIs, and 78 extra-base hits.

His 119 RBIs were the most in the minor leagues since Pete Alonso had 119 in the 2018 season; Mervis even matched Alonso with his 36 homers and finished the year batting 24 points higher with a .309 average.

After delivering the best minor league season for a Cubs farmhand since Kris Bryant,

Jake Slaughter getting high fives after homering on May 27 vs Great Lakes. Credit: Langston Johnson.

Mervis signing baseballs before a home game. Credit: Brendan King.

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But the Cubs saw something in Slaughter, something they had seen from him in high school when they drafted him out of Ouachita Christian School in the 36th round in 2016. So the Cubs showed their commitment and interest in the Monroe, La. native again by drafting him, again.

However in three years, across four levels, Slaughter failed to impress offensively. Baseball America had named him the best defensive third baseman in the Midwest League following the 2021 season, but offensively through three years (217 games) the right-handed slugger tallied just eight round-trippers, 52 XBHs, and produced a sluggish .258 average.

able to make his season debut until May 11.

It’s difficult to start your season late because hitters and pitchers, in this case, already had a month of live action and were getting into their stride, whereas Slaughter was starting the race from behind.

After 20 games it was time for the 25-year-old to head to the Tennessee Smokies. Even though the numbers weren’t great with South Bend, Slaughter found his swing and became ready to feast.

And wow was he famished.

Entering game one with AA, Slaughter now had 11 homers through 237 games in his career; with the smokies he blasted 20 in just 86 games. Now all of a sudden he was crushing baseballs, walking more, and driving in runs in droves.

On June 22 Slaughter gave his team the lead with a single in the sixth and then produced an epic walk-off grand slam in the 10th. As the season winded down on September 6 he destroyed a two-run bomb to center to put Tennessee on the board in the first against Pensacola. Then he delivered another late-inning grand slam, this time in the eighth.

Then everything changed.

The offseason is about making adjustments and that’s what both Mervis and Slaughter did with their approaches in the winter after the 2021 season.

Slaughter came back renewed and recharged, unfortunately though he wasn’t

Slaughter will start the season in AAA and there’s no question he’s in store for a big-league debut in 2023, barring any injury. His hard work and development is a testament to him, Cubs coaches, and the family that raised him.

There are many others that could debut this year that didn’t play with South Bend last season, like starting pitcher Riley Thompson;

Jake Slaughter fielding a ball inbetween innings on August 21, 2021.

Credit: Casey McDonald.

infielders Chase Strumpf and Andy Weber; catcher Miguel Amaya; relievers Cam Sanders, Ryan Jensen, Danis Correa, and Ben Leeper. Plus even guys that were on South Bend last year like Bailey Horn and Jordan Wicks.

But my focus will turn to Zac Leigh.

Over the course of a five-year collegiate career at Texas State the 6-foot, 170-pound Leigh developed from a two-way player who primarily pinch ran and pitched in relief, to a Friday night starter.

His ERA in his final season was 5.03 in 15 starts under the lights.

Drafted as a 23-year-old who just spent five years playing college ball, the pressure was on for a first-year pro player much older than most other Cubs draftees.

After two short appearances in the Arizona Complex League, Leigh was off to join South Bend on their final road trip of the season. The right-hander from Kingwood, Texas allowed one run in five innings of work spread out over three appearances with the Cubs.

Leigh threw nearly 90 innings his fifth year at Texas State so the Cubs were cautious with his workload in 2021. That was going to change in 2022 when Leigh would be able to attack an entire minor league season.

Similar to Slaughter, Leigh got out of the

gates late due to an injury and didn’t appear in a game until June 1.

Leigh came out firing and in 17 appearances out of a dominant Cubs bullpen he used his whizzing fastball and one of the best sliders I’ve ever seen to limit opponents to a .186 average. In 23 innings he gave up just six earned runs, good enough for a 2.35 ERA. Outside of one poor outing at Quad Cities in which he gave up four runs in one frame, Leigh was nearly untouchable. His slider, which frankly makes it look like he’s throwing a whiffle ball, baffles batters as it gyrates and seemingly transports from one location to another. That pitch led to continued success in AA-Tennessee.

Leigh’s fiery and fervent mound presence, combined with his lethal repertoire and experience taking the ball in critical games both as a starter and a back-end reliever, coalesce to create an electric pitcher primed and ready to get outs at the MLB level.

One thing's for certain, with how loaded the Cubs farm system is right now and with South Bend surging and winning a title in 2022, the debuts from former players are just going to keep on coming, and 2023 just might be the year with the most debuts yet.

Zac Leigh pitching on a warm spring night at Four Winds Field in May of 2022. Credit: Kayleigh Sedlacek.

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