Cubs Minor League Report Card: South Bend Starters |
As we continue to navigate the Cubs Minor League system, we have reached the lower-level leagues. This is where the biggest struggles came into play regarding wins and losses, with South Bend being the worst team record-wise in the system.
Much of that involves many young players experiencing a new level of competition. Still, you also have the promotion side of things, as many of the major contributors moved on to AA before the first half's conclusion. Some of those contributors hailed from the pitching side of things, but the Cubs had several other options in South Bend, who the team counted on last season and will count on them again in the near future.
Not many Cubs fans talked about Will Sanders, the 2023 fourth-round pick, entering the season. The 22-year-old former South Carolina star made his professional debut with the Cubs this season and took his lumps along the way. Still, he did manage to make one start for AA Tennessee, which goes to show how the Cubs feel about his ability. Not a hard thrower by any means, Sanders has emerged as a top-30 prospect in the organization despite his 2-8 showing this season. His 4.66 ERA is much higher than he would've liked, but at A-level leagues, you typically don't last nearly as long as the higher levels. With 44BB and 101K, he has shown the ability to blow hitters away while keeping his team in games. Season Grade C: Sanders had a rough season in terms of wins and losses, but that is why wins are the most useless stat when talking about starting pitchers. To get a real sense of how Sanders did this season, you need to look under the hood, as a lot of his numbers were better than you would expect. Next up for him is getting more stamina to go deeper into games while adjusting to a new level next season.
Had Luis Devers not gotten hurt and missed most of the season, a lot of the focus on South Bend pitchers would've been on him. Being out as long as he was allowed others to show their stuff, and Nick Dean benefitted from that the most. A 19th-round pick out of the University of Maryland, Dean was a teammate of Matt Shaw, who was drafted in the same season. It took Dean a bit to settle in, but once he did, he made 17 starts and became the Ace of the South Bend staff. Not only did he go 6-4 in those games, but he did so with a 3.57 ERA, walking 26 and striking out 86 in 90 innings. Dean is also one of those guys who got better as the season went on, and now it becomes a case of what his next plans will be. Season Grade B+: There wasn't much that went right for the Cubs High-A affiliate this season, but Dean was one of those bright spots. Coming into the season as an unknown, Dean not only put himself on the Cubs radar but did so in a big way as he garnered some top -30 Prospect considerations. He will have a shot to be the Ace again for South Bend next season and could wind up in AA before long.
Drew Gray has to come to mind when you talk about pitchers who had a rough season. The 2024 was a nightmare for the Cubs left-hander. A 2021 Third-Round pick out of IMG Academy, Gray was a top-10 prospect at one point, but his struggles over the past two seasons have pushed him down the list, and he is close to falling out of the list completely. Gray has made 38 starts since joining the Cubs and has gone just 1-10 in those starts. That included a 1-6 showing this season with a 4.39 ERA as Gray continues to go through the motions of a young starter. Not only that but with 73 walks and 97 strikeouts, his command was an issue, which sometimes got him into trouble. Season Grade C-: There shouldn't be a debate about whether or not Gray struggled this season, but on a positive note, he did pick things up late in the season. The main reason for that is his command, as he finally started to harness his command across his final few starts. If he can do that next season, Gray will take on a larger role, which could be used as trade bait later.Will Sanders
Nick Dean
Drew Gray
