Greg Huss is joined by Tennessee Smokies broadcaster Mick Gillispie to give a season preview of the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate. The two guys give their thoughts on Cade Horton, Matt Shaw, James Triantos, BJ Murray Jr, and plenty more top prospects.
Thumbnail photo of James Triantos by Rich Biesterfeld
Check out Mick’s Cubs Baseball Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClZgnwFrsRM7xZQp-Dtpzzg
1 2 3 4 hello and welcome into the Cubs on Deck podcast I am one of your hosts my name is Greg hus and today I am joined by the broadcaster of the Tennessee smokies and host of the Cubs Baseball channel on YouTube I’m joined by Mick Gillespie Mick how’s it going man hey
What do you say guys yeah it’s it’s been good um ran into the Roto virus and the only reason I say that is because um it’s got to be about as close to death as you can get and then it’s in 24 hours and then all of a sudden you’re like
Tired but you survive right but that that 24 hours of Roto virus is awful and um just to give you an idea of how bad it was uh that my son goes to Fair Hope West Elementary right made national news last week because 700 of the people in
The school got it in the same day of the 900 to go to school there geez yeah and then he brought that home and so uh I saw the uh the Home Depot bucket a lot and uh you know and couldn’t get comfortable for a day and I’ve heard
It’s it’s everywhere right now yeah yeah I survived it I’m back I need a shirt that says I survived the Roto virus you survived it I appreciate you you not exactly full strength hopping on the show um yeah I mean I’m I’m glad to have you on we’re we’re talking Tennesse
Smokies today um I guess before we get into this um a little bit I want to give you the chance to kind of uh talk about yourself a little bit you’ve been with the Smokies for quite some time broadcasting over there um what’s the what’s your credentials I guess Mick
Well I have been there for a while and now I’m a broadcaster of a Chan Championship which meant an awful lot to me you know just to be through some tough years where we stunk and then the the even the tougher years where we lost in the championship series you know like
Four times this was the fifth time I went and we won but uh you I’ve been the broadcaster for the Smokey since 2007 I grew up a Cubs fan I watched Harry and Steve on television and that’s why I wanted to do this I wanted to be kind of
Like Harry KY uh even even though I’m in a business where having a personality these days is frowned upon by some but the only way you’re ever going to be great is by stepping out of the vanilla and you know and putting your feet into the chocolate right I mean You Gotta Be
You got to be able to to be entertaining and so I try to do that every day our broadcast I’m really proud of it uh we’re one of the most watched minor league broadcasts in in minor league baseball uh won the broadcaster the Year award you know was a finalist for it you
Know more times than that and and I don’t even know if those things really matter I mean I think that it comes down to being on the air and just having people like what you do you know so I’ve been lucky to work with some great
People and have some great games to call so I do that I cover Alabama I went to school at B you I used to work for the Crimson Tide Sports Network and do a lot on YouTube now um which is a lot of fun podcasting and owning your own content
As you know being able to dictate the direction that things are moving I like that that a lot but the Cubs Baseball channel I’m sure people on here are gonna want to check that out and I really appreciate them yeah for sure and then you mentioned the the the
Broadcasting as a part of a Cubs affiliate I mean I think that this whole month we’re doing season previews of the four Affiliates and I think that we are I reiterate it so often on this channel on this on this podcast that we we are
So lucky to have just a great group of broadcasters uh among the four Affiliates and so it’s going to be a fun month here ahead as we preview each of the four uh each of the four Affiliates we’ve got Yuan Mick this week we’ve got uh Brendan King and and Max Toma coming
Up for South Bend at some some point here soon we got Alex Cohen for Iowa we’ve got Sam weer half for Myrtle Beach all of you guys will be on the show this month it’ll be fun uh but today we are locked in on the Tennessee Smokies who I
Mean last year are coming off of like you mentioned a championship team um a a fun team throughout the entire year put up a great record from basically from day one until the last day of the of the postseason I mean it’s going to be hard
To beat what we saw from the Smokies last year right in terms of of the quality of play the the personalities that we saw on the field and off the field in Tennessee and just like it was watching Tennessee Smokies baseball last year was just appointment television every single
Night yeah I mean look starts with Hollywood Pete right Pete Crow Armstrong you what he would do in the field and what he would do on the bases and what he would do at the plate you know so much fun watching that and Owen Casey was so good and people are starting to
See that now at the major league level um and you know Kate Horton in the postseason and BJ Murray who I don’t think gets enough credit I mean no one ever talks about BJ Murray he was in the Futures game and he was the MVP of the
Championship I mean he he’s such a good player but there were a lot of really good players around the diamond last year was such an interesting season you know with with Kevin Graber coming in and and having to manage the team and you know everyone um really liked
Michael Ryan and you know and then he left and you know Graber came in and couldn’t have done a better job and it’s just such a I guess every Championship has its story you know and we we had that I mean it was really was magical
The tough part from my vantage point is that the Cubs have so many regulations on the way that these guys can play the game that you don’t always get to see exactly what they’re going to do in a truly competitive environment until you get there and we saw that with the team the
Last two years in the postseason where once they cut the CT these guys just accelerated they lost the championship series two years ago right in the championship game they had two games to clinch it and didn’t do it and then last year they just went in and crushed
Everyone which to be honest with you I thought was perfect because I didn’t need the drama in my life yeah I we we’ll probably start this entire thing off of Kate Horton because that’s only appropriate but I want to preface this and I’ll preface every single episode we’re doing as far as a
Season preview we’re going to run through some players here we’re going to run through quite a few names uh we’re going to break down starting pitchers relief pitchers and then the position players as well um I’ve kind of gone through and I I’ve posted over my Twitter account at out ofth Vines what
I’ve kind of got as a as an organizational depth chart as of right now as of today we’re we’re sitting here early March uh we don’t know where these players will for sure be assigned we’ll know that later on in the month obviously uh but for this purpose for
These preview purposes I’ve kind of assigned these these players to certain Affiliates so these guys we’re talking about today we’re going to start with Kate Horton he might be assigned to Iowa out the gate that might happen but he needs somewhere we we got to talk about
Him somewhere and so it might as well be here I think it’s only appropriate that we start off with the starting pitchers we start off with Kate Horton who was outside of Pete’s the most exciting prospect to follow in this organization uh so we’re starting off these season
Previews with Kate Horton man I what he did in the playoffs was outrageous what he did last year in general was outrageous like what can we expect to see from Kate Horton this year coming off of a season last year where he just burst onto the radar like no one could
Have ever expected and I I complain a lot about allowing pitchers to pitch and Pitch counts and all of that stuff but that doesn’t apply to everyone I I would definitely have him in bubble wrap right I mean and I get that like as an organization he’s you know he had the
Injury in college and he’s come back from it this is the most this is the most talented pitcher the Cubs have had since prior and wood and think about that I’ve I’ve been around a long time I’ve seen these guys and there’s been some good ones Andrew
Cashner was a good one um you know Kyle Hendricks in a different way was a really good pitcher um Chris Archer was really exciting you know there was a guy named Trey mcnut who had you know where you would see some stuff from him and then didn’t really pan out but this guy
Has it man I mean it’s the fast ball it’s the the the slider which is just killer you know he’s he’s mean enough where he pitches inside and guys have a difficult time you know picking up the elevation and I guess it’s because of a spin rate you know I’m not an analytics
Guy I just watch the reaction that the hitters have so if I’m the Cubs I I I just don’t want to do anything to get him hurt he’s he’s got to be a little bit better to me I think it just comes down to you know first pitch just get that first pitch
Over a little more consistently but this guy has Superstar written all over him first first second guy in the rotation and we just haven’t had a lot of those pitchers come through the organiz ation since I’ve been there you know and I mean I’m rolling on 20 years you know so
This is something that they’ve W it for a long time oh they haven’t made a trade and traded him to the white socks because the other guy like that was Dylan CE and so um he’s someone to be really excited about yeah I think that that regardless of if Kade is assigned
To Tennessee or if he’s assigned to Iowa or if he’s he’s held back and extended to to kind of manage that workload this year regardless of of where he’s at I I think that there’s not many starts in the minor leagues ahead for him this year before we see him called up to
Chicago right I I don’t know how many but we’ve seen the trend I’ve mentioned it on the show in the past but we’ve seen a trend in recent years where with these upper echelon type prospects these guys that are top 50 in all of baseball those top pitching prospects
Organizations aren’t wanting to waste those bullets on the minor leagues right it’s different with with other pitching prospects other pitching prospects get that seasoning in make sure they’re good and ready for the major league level um but i’ I’ve referenced back to a guy like like Yuri Perez who was in the
Marlins organization a few different times where it’s like hey man if if if that stuff is there if that stuff can get Major League hitters out which I think Cage’s stuff can let’s not waste those bullets and and no no offense to you in doua right I know you want to see
Him see him Thrive there but it’s like I’m wasting my bullets there I’m ready I think right I think in major leagues right yeah look he’s right-handed too and they’re very left-handed heavy in the starting rotation he’s just got to be ready to go do that the only concern I have with him
And you saw it with Wicks last year is when you limit these guys so much in the minor leagues you’re saving their bullets but then they get to the big leagues and and it’s really hard for them not just physically mentally to be prepared to face the lineup you know
Inning six seven and a lot of these guys hardly Pitch Four innings in starts yeah but I’m a big believer and Kate Horton I just there’s just something about him and I hope that I’m right because you know when you put him in the category of
Prior and wood I mean it’s it’s pretty high praise but that’s the way I see it yeah let’s let’s pivot from Cade who’s a guy obviously top pro top one of the top prospects in the organization to the rest of the rotation that there’s really some good arms in the rotation besides
Kade not those Top 10 Prospects in the organization but good arms nonetheless um let’s talk about Cole Franklin and Brandon birdell particularly because I think they’re they’re following two different paths up to this point we’ve seen Kade or sorry Cole Franklin has been in the organ ization for quite a
While at this point um he’s flashed some really good stuff and I think he’s continuing to improve but he’s been around a while versus Brandon birdell last year was his first year in First full season in the organization and he if if we weren’t talking so much about
Kade we’d probably be talking a lot more about what Brandon birdell did last year making it up to double a yeah I think Franklin just got to get more consistent the the good Cole Franklin’s really good and then there’s just certain days where it it’s really bad and I think you just
Want a little bit more consistency there but he’s definitely someone that you like having in your pitching rotation just like I said you know it’s it’s all about the consistency and are you going to be able to make that jump to get to the next level and then birdell is
Interesting I like him a lot and and it’s because he throws strikes I mean it sounds so simple but it’s so difficult for so many guys to go out and just throw strikes and challenge hitters he gives up a ton of home runs but they’re not as bad as you would think because
There’s never you know it’s it’s like he’s challenging you to put the ball in play and I think that wriggley April or May is a place where if you hit fly balls you’re out and I think in the big leagues as he gets better and better uh
That that he’ll he’ll eventually turn a lot of those into outs instead of home runs I think he’ll get better but he commands the ball and he throws strikes got into the postseason last year and there he was throwing more strikes you know he had his the best game in the
Postseason but I I like him I just when I think back at the guys who have made it from you know the low minor leagues through double A to tripa a to the big leagues pitched and had success it’s the guys that throw strikes I I think that
He’ll have a really big jump this year because first it starts with throwing strikes and then you get confidence in your secondary stuff and you can work off of that so I he’s someone that I would definitely put a circle around and say hey this is someone that you need to
Keep an eye on yeah I was gonna say I’ve got I’ve got bird cell highlighted on my like guys to watch this year it’s gonna be so important to see as he’s now kind of consistently in the upper miners he’s in double A he’s in Triple A does that
Walk rate start to creep up because if it is that’s going to be a little dangerous especially with the home homers he’s given up if he can keep that walk right down um I think if we see some even more improved stuff the the a little B more
Break on the on the breaking balls a little bit more vo he could really take off the other way right so I think this is an important year for who exactly is Brandon birdell can he maintain that like what two three four percent walk rate which is like you said like it’s a
Super low walk rate and something you’d love to see especially from these from these prospects um well with no experience as a professional either I mean you’re talking about guys that are pretty much straight out of college and the things that you can get away with in
Colle you can’t get away with as a pro and they make adjustments to that you know so that’s another part of it but yeah you’re exactly right yeah I I do want to cover a few more guys here that that might be destined for the for the
Rotation in Tennessee I know these these are some guys you haven’t seen as much because they there’s a lot of returners um to this Tennessee roster from from what you saw last year uh but Luis Des Conor Nolan and Richard Gallardo are are a few guys that might be destined for
That rotation and coming off the conversation with Brandon Birdsell you got Conor Nolan and Richard Gallardo that are kind of cut from the same cloth of birdell where they throw a lot of strikes um Nolan was also a draft pick in the same year that bird cell was
Followed a very similar path to what bird cell did last year not walking a whole lot of guys um keep it trying to keep trying his best to keep the ball in the ballpark um Richard Gallardo is another case where not walking a ton of
Guys we want to see a little uptick in terms of the quality of stuff that he has um but it seems like like Gard has been in the organization a lot longer than he really had I mean he has been in the organization a while he’s still a
Young dude though he’s for being uh uh likely assigned to double a out the gate this year he’s still a super young guy so um all three between Des Nolan and Gallardo and then throw birdell into the mix a lot of pitch to contact guys so
It’s going to be a lot of a lot of work for the infield um in Tennessee and a lot of work for the for the uh uh pitching development there to kind of work with these guys and improve their stuff you know MH probably a good idea
Too I mean we got out of wanting guys to get pitched to contact outs and look for soft contact and you know and and and get through Innings on less pitches and then everybody’s up there just huffing trying to throw it by you know batters
And it’s not as fun of a game to watch and it’s harder to win like that you know because you’re G to get less out of the guys that you have pitching you know if you can get guys that get into the games and aren’t afraid to you know get
A guy on two pitches to ground out or fly out and and not walk a bunch of batters you’re going to be better off not just in double A but in the big leagues and look at the Cubs middle infield I mean it’s the best in baseball
You might as well have somebody that’s gonna you know get him to put the ball in play and uh and let them do their thing I mean when you got defense in this entire organization between Nico and Dansby up the middle in Chicago you got uh P Crow Armstrong man in center
Field you got Luis Vasquez who’s I mean incredible defensively you saw him last you had a front row seat to him last year like there’s a lot of guys that can go out there and pick it so um yeah I think between those four I’m I’m really concentrated on like not necessarily
Seeing more strikeouts from them but just continuing to see like worse quality of contact from the Batters perspective like I want them to to generate some weak contact from those hitters as they’re up in dou a now so that’s gonna be really important I think that the starting pitching staff is
Going to be really fun to watch it’s one of my favorites in the entire organization I mean I think the entire roster here in Tennessee is going to be uh one to watch the entire year but uh those those six names particular are exciting so uh you go from a lot of
Pitch to contact guys in the rotation so let’s transition to the relievers where there’s some dudes that just throw gas that are nasty and generating a ton of swinging Miss in that Bullpen that are likely likely going to be assigned there um you got let me run through four of
These names here that we’re going to talk about and then we can kind of hit hit on him individually but between Zack Lee Porter hodj who might be in the bullpen might be in the rotation uh Frankie scalo Jr and edwardel Nunes like those are guys that can get a lot
Of swings and misses those four who who’s your favorite of the of that bunch I think you’ve seen all four right yeah I don’t know I guess I like Scalzo Jr just because I’m a mustache guy anybody that can come out there like Tom celic
And then and and he’s tough I mean he I I always felt really comfortable with him on the mound he he’s he’s going to go give you uh you know really good Innings and got a lot of movement on his pitches and goes right after hitters but
You’re right there four guys who uh have all had success you know I like Zack Le’s a really good guy in person you know another Texan pitching Porter hodj if I was the Cubs I’d have him as a starter I I don’t understand why they took him out of the rotation but there
Could be a reason why that I just don’t know but I I felt like he had the kind of stuff and success that would have been fine to leave him in there but he was also long Rel yeah but he was good in Long relief too so yeah um I like him I
Mean that’s a that’s a good group Nunes you know he he throws bullets so well it it’s what you want in when it comes to your relievers you do want guys that are gonna come in there and just rip you know and all of those guys will
Definitely do that yeah I think that that this is clearly to me of the four Affiliates like this is the bullpen to watch I know that like for fans out there that that tun into multiple of these of these uh uh affiliate games every night where they’re kind of
Bouncing around from from affiliate to affiliate watching different prospects I know a lot of people out there do that I I’m I’m one of those people I think that it’s it’s easier once you get towards the later Innings if you’re watching for the prospects and not necessarily for
The teams uh it’s easier once you get towards the later Innings to just kind of be pay attention to whoever has has the the most stacked lineup That Day right you’re like not really paying attention to the bullpen guys I’m telling you like this Bullpen you do
Like you are tuning in to the end of Smokey’s ball games to watch this Bullpen because I think that that Zack Lee I’m I’m really hoping we get a healthy a healthy season from Zack Lee because he’s kind of battled injuries since he was he was drafted a few years
Back but like whenever he’s in there between the fastball sitting in the in the mid 90s but having that that real late life on it yeah um and then the slider is real good from Zack Le too and he’s he’s coming at a little a weird arm
Slot does zackly like it’s it’s not over the top it’s not sidearm it’s from a a low slot I guess like he strides off really far off the mound Um Zack Lee is just a fun guy to watch Pitch right um I agree with Porter Hodge you’re you’re
Kind of assessment on Porter Hodges I I still want to see what he can do in the rotation I’m not maybe we do maybe we do see that this year because like when he gets off the bus you’re like oh that’s that’s a starting pitcher like that’s a
That’s a that’s a big time starting pitcher is Porter hodj so uh I’m kind of curious to see what they do now that he’s on the 40-man roster it could be interesting too um if he talented he’s tent tent he really is but we don’t they’re they’re really secretive about
Like Nicks and bruises and injuries and all that stuff so I that’s why I don’t I don’t know why maybe they just felt like they wanted to slow down how many innings he threw you know maybe they felt like he would be you know better served as a reliever but when you see
Him doing his thing and he’s at his best his best is really good yeah yeah and you guys out there listening know I don’t need to comment on Frankie sko junor anymore friend he was a guest on the podcast here you guys know how I
Feel about Frankie he’s he is one of my favorite in the entire organization as far as people and players so the stash man anybody the stash is a fan I’m a fan of I mean he the personality is like he’s a reliever right like he is a like
Closing pitcher like that’s his that’s his vibe that he gives off right yeah no he he as soon as he came up just watching him pitch the first couple times you you just knew like hey this guy guy he’s for real man nothing phes no he’s going to go after you um you
Know just a bulldog on the mound Let’s uh let’s go Ahad and transition into some some position players here because the infield in particular is absolutely loaded man it’s it’s loaded we’ll start off with the catchers because uh we’ll throw them into the infield group obviously uh we’re going
To say that Pablo alend might be assigned here to double a Tennessee I think it’s it might just be because I wanted I wanted to talk about him earlier uh than later so we’ll talk Pablo Aliando and Moises bosteros behind the plate if if you do have that onew
Punch which Pablo might be in Triple A Iowa we might see that but like if that one two punch is Moises and Pablo that it doesn’t get much more exciting than that one two punch behind the plate don’t you think yeah well I I just can’t see a
Scenario where Ali Endo is with the Smokies I mean yeah I just kind of feel like just the way that this thing works that he would be in in trip but you got Bryce wendham and then all these guys that they signed to uh minor league deals and and one of the biggest
One of the weakest areas in the um in the in the Cub system right now is catcher right Ali endo’s to me got to be their top rated guy uh you know Moises byos to me just he can hit but he’s not really ready to be a catcher in the big
Leagues I think alenda is a lot closer um and so you got then you got like that that group of guys and I’m guessing that a lot of them will be released like right when Camp starts but maybe they hold on to them and they have you know
Two of them and wind them in in Triple A and then yeah then that would leave uh Pablo back in doublea which could happen you know but if if it is the case and it’s him and bios and be a really good tandem uh but you know for B steros he’s
Just going to have to get out there and and defend defensively play the position you know uh I think that’s the biggest thing I mean he he’s got to get out there and get behind the plate he kind of reminds me a little bit of Kyle
Schwarber I mean look he’s not Babe Ruth and or anything like that but he’s a really good hitter but then behind the plate there’s a lot of work to be done but he can do it and and that’s a great that’s what the minor leagues are for
You know getting him back there because if he could really become a good defensive catcher with his Bat I mean he could be a star player for the cups and you know in the in the the bat plays I mean he just has like really soft hands
At the plate uh you know quick wrists like can put the ball in play really can place it Advanced approach too yeah right good approach I I haven’t seen him enough to know like how how much power he could potentially have but the but I think that the bat definitely could be a
Next level Major League Baseball Bat you know Pablo’s got some issues um but at the same time I mean he he there’s time there’s you watch him play and you go okay if you got the the good Pablo day in and day out or he just continued to like a Victor kartini just
Just work and get and improve then you know you could turn him into an everyday catcher in the big leagues right now I would say he probably to me would be like a third catcher backup you know but at the big league level Jan Gomes is old
I mean just is and if something happens to him then then what you know and I think that’s where the Cubs need to go out they should have star catching prospects like they have star shortstops star star outfielders you know you got all this depth everywhere else but
Catcher so with that said that makes both of these guys really valuable it does yeah I me between having an older Jan goms and a Miguel Amaya that I’m I’m really high on but has dealt with injuries in the past like that that’s that’s tough to to have a full season
Out of both those guys you can’t expect to have a full season out of both those guys at the major league level you want to talk a little bit about I mean i’ I’ve seen plenty of it on the broadcast um and I know I’ve heard from players
That feel this way but you want to talk a little bit about Pablo and the relationship that he has with some of his teammates because he just seems like he just is everybody loves him man is what it feels like well you cheer for him too you know the funny thing is I
Saw uh Hollywood Pete come with the blue hair and I thought he’s just copying uh Pablo who came to the playoffs with red hair yeah and people just like you know get that no they don’t get that they you know I thought it was funny listening to
Carter kind of um talk about him a little bit for the uh you know on the Marquee broadcast interview talking about his hair but yeah I I get it man these guys it’s a different generation of player and and I’m an old school guy man I’m a baseball purist but at the
Same time I love to be entertained man if red hair I love it if you want a fat flip as long as it’s not like in someone’s face and you’re just enjoying the game you know I saw where our old buddy Dan Fogle pack took uh Co took Co
Coold deep and and he fat flipped and I’m like just shut up man a spring training run and spring training give the guy he so what it wasn’t in your face look yeah baseball if you’re if it’s G to be a successful game moving forward it’s got to become more more
Colorful yeah so uh Pablo is definitely a a colorful character with the hair um when when the playoffs came last year and it was time to get the job done you know he locked in and did that and you learn a lot about players from the postseason because the the regular
Season in the minor leagues with the Cubs is like it it really is like Spring ball or Rec you know like you you the the team wants to win the manager wants to win and then all of a sudden you have like a governor on you which is like you
Know they what they put on engines to keep the tractor trailers from going over 70 miles an hour they’re not going to be able to go past that because the engine’s fixed that’s how the Cubs do it you know with the pitch counts and you know and the lineups and all this other
Stuff and this guy’s taken too many pitches or he he his exit velocity is down we’re gonna give him three days off you know um baseball used to be played by playing it you know like hey go out in minor leagues you play as many games
And when you’re tired we’re going to put you in for another two weeks because we want you to go through that so that when you get to the big leagues and then you need to play down the stretch you don’t look like the Cubs did last year with
Two weeks to go right yeah yep um or you better be good at load management where you you have taken all of that out and you have those guys ready at the end um Pablo Pablo has a good future you he he turned it on in the playoffs you know he
Has that extra gear and that’s good bat not great good bat you know hits hits doubles you know strikes out a lot but gets hot yeah um you know he can throw the ball some you can block it and uh I I I just I would probably slot him right
Now like I said like a third string catcher with the potential to be a to be a really good catcher this is an important year for him because he definitely made strides last season but it’s up to the Cubs and really The Rovers you know like that when they come
To town and they work with guys like like him I remember um Tim cousins was a great roving catching instructor you know my buddy Jody Davis you know watching him work with Wellington Castillo Steve Clevenger you know guys that that they helped get to the major leagues Robinson Torinos who was just an
Amazing catcher and had some concussion issues but P Ali Endo Pablo Al Endo has all that Talent it’s just a matter of putting the time in and maybe getting lucky with the injuries and making this the year where he turns the corner yeah
I love it I love it go from him to a guy that I know you mentioned earlier I know you want to talk about BJ Murray because the corner the corner infield um at Tennessee is a couple guys and BJ Murray and Hayden mcir who I I’d argue were
Both BJ for sure but I’d argue that both are just about ready for Iowa like I I I had BJ penciled in to be the opening day starting third baseman in Iowa to start off this year but again the depth that the Cubs have at the upper levels in
Triple A is really stting like all right now I’m kind of looking at BJ and Hayden both being in in uh in daa to start off the year uh knowing that he’s too advant these these guys are too advanced for that level what are your thoughts on on
The corner infield between BJ and Hayden so I think Hayden McGary has a lot more work to do defensively than BJ Murray right um and so I’ll start with BJ but I like both guys BJ Murray I I really questioned the lack of power right I
Said well if you’re going to play Third Base you got to you got to hit home runs and Owen Casey and I had a conversation about him and he goes man you know um so watch him at the plate like watch his eye and you start to see that like Joey
Vad young Joey vad type eye at the plate I know he’s not a Lefty’s a righty but or he’s actually switch hit rightt yeah um but just Billy Williams told me one time if you can imagine this young Billy Williams spring training with the Cubs Rogers Hornsby sitting behind him and
He’s you know yelling at him know your Strike Zone know your strike zone no your Strike Zone and and then Billy’s like and I should have got a dozen balls signed by Rogers right um but to be successful a successful hitter you really do need to know your Strike Zone
And I think that that is Murray’s superpower is that he’s got an incredible eye it’s impeccable and so as he gets closer to the major leagues the Strike Zone’s going to get better yeah and I think that that is going to make him a better player right because
Because then all of a sudden the the pitches that are called strikes that really are balls are going to be balls you know and and maybe even the robo umps you know because he knows where the strike zone really is every time that’s true so I think that’s gonna help him
And then the way I saw him accelerate his game in the postseason and and take it to the next level gives me a lot of confidence that he’s eventually G to do that um I haven’t seen him in a whole lot of spring training games so far this year
And I wonder if it’s because the Cubs are saying hey you got to improve defensively at third I think he can do that and and it’s really consistency you it’s not like he’s bad at third the bad games come in bunches but that happened to Brooks Robinson and he’s the maybe
The best defender at third base of all time you know I mean look the guy had like three errors in games before and stuff I’m not saying BJ Murray’s broke it happens right yeah’s got I think he’s got to get a little more consistent defensively at third but I still think
He’s a good third baseman and then I think that the power’s got to come you know I I’m the Cubs I’m saying hey I need you to hit some more home runs but what I’m thinking is at the same time you don’t want to take his ability to to
Know when a pitch is a ball or a strike away from him because getting on base is as important sometimes as anything else that you’re trying to do and a lot of the analytics people they love that and so I’m sure they love him yeah I the power is the main thing
For me for BJ Murray I mean because I I know he can he can put together at bat I know he’s improving at third base um I know the bat to ball skills are good too for BJ um he’s not striking out a ton um and so yeah it’s it’s it’s so important
To me that he hits for more power and he showed flashes that last year he showed flashes where he could he could really tap into some pulls side power which is going to be just terribly important for him this year so that I’m I’m going to
Keep my eye on on that for sure with Hayden I’m gonna keep my eye on his ability to kind of keep the ball in the air we know we know Hayden McGary can hit the ball two million miles an hour that’s that’s that’s a given now I want
To see him do it more consistently in the air because it it it means more when you’re hitting it hitting at 115 in the air than it does 11 right at the short stop so that’s going to be important uh up the middle uh you got Matt Shaw who
Might be at Third Base might be at second base you got James tronos might be at second base might be at third base might be in the Outfield uh those two guys are are cut from the same cloth for sure we’ve talked about that on this
Podcast quite a bit what do you got your eye on as far as Matt Shaw and James tronos assuming they’re both assigned to to to Tennessee this year I think Matt Shaw is a really exciting prospect Cub scouting has done an excellent job but and it’s not just amateur scouting though well amateur
Scouting but even the the trades that they made to get prospects they’ve done a really good job of getting the type of players that you can build an organization around because Theo really left the cupboard bear and I know that Theo and Jed are like uh you know like
Fred and and Barney and I mean you know they’re boys but I feel like the that Jed’s definitely under the microscope a little bit because you know he’s the one that’s got to live up to you know this Cubs expectation when he really didn’t have
Much of a system to work witho you know decided to to take you know the next step in his career and leave you know um and he and he’s done a nice job of that I mean who would it to be the guy to break up the only World Series team that
The team that the organization’s had in over a hundred years right yeah he’s done that and so they brought in a bunch of these good players then they go out and draft good players Matt Shaw being one of those I like Matt he’s a baseball players’s baseball player you know just knows the
Game knows where to throw the ball it’s like he’s he’s just programmed right and what what it reminds me of is that kids grow up playing in all of these tournaments right they they all they do is play baseball and and it’s not like when we were kids you’d play out back in
The sand lot then once in a while you’d go play at the wck field and you know these like 15 game Seasons I mean these guys do nothing but play baseball Chris Bryan remember Chris br Brian and and Mike Bryant telling me about all the games that they had and everything I
Feel like Matt Shaw is one of those guys he’s just a great athlete but he’s really smart he’s probably played a million games through you know growing up he went to Maryland and uh you know which has become kind of a baseball School Cubs draft him and there he is
And I see him in double A it’s his first year as a pro and he just knows what to do he doesn’t throw the ball to the wrong position he Fields it the right way his foot his footwork is good I you know I I don’t know what his arms like
To play Third Base that’s the one thing that I really want to keep an eye on I I’ve watched a little bit of it in spring training and it seems like it’s a little bit of a huff form but I think that that’s also something you develop
Too yeah I agree with that uh to me it’s I think that it’s more important to to play third base with good footwork and positioning than you know to have to rely on having you know an incredible arm I think his arm’s good enough but he
Has he’s going to be in the big leagues pretty soon maybe this year maybe next year but he’ll be there Hayden McGary I think has a longer path because like Craig counil talked about and I see it the same way baseball is not just about
The bat you know it’s a it’s a game that the whole player matters Hayden is big and strong he’s got this amazing exit vo on the balls that he hits because he’s so strong uh I saw him absolutely terrorized the Rocket City trash pandas last year like I felt bad for him just
He just beat them into the ground and then other teams you know he would struggle you know that that pitched him differently but with all of that said the bat’s G to be fine it’s defensively he’s too big to catch he’s a catcher and and it when you see him catching it
Looks like uh like Billy Madison catching you know like he’s it looks like a little leager with an adult behind the plate you know yeah so now he’s trying to play first base there’s been some Growing Pains there but he got better as the season went on
Still he’s got a ton of improvement to do and the only way that he’s gonna do that is he’s got to play a bunch of first base reps reps reps yeah yeah and then get out there and work but you know what I mean I I would sit here and
Criticize and I could tell you like some of the things that I saw at the beginning of this time at first base and you know and we could really doubt H that it could happen that would be able to figure it out but as rough as it was
At the beginning I saw him put in the time you know I saw him out there taking the ground balls and and you know practicing you know picking balls at first base and doing the things that you got to do and and he’s he’s a big dude
He’s a baseball player uh and so he’s just got to continue that I mean he’s got to wake up every day if I’m him I’m waking up every day and I’m thinking you know what I just want to get the first base and at least do 15 20 30 minutes
Of just drills you know because and the reason why is because there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if you’re you know I mean like even the minimum salary in the big leagues is a pot of gold imagine literally can hit like him
You know but right now his defense has got to come so it’s still got so far to go you make those kind of mistakes in the big leagues and they’ll boo you right out of town you know so that’s why but but he can do it so I I think that
That’s it and just the the defense the rest of the game uh he’s he’s a classic cleanup hitter yeah that and the the last infielder that I I want to hit on very briefly is tronos who I I think that James tronos is going to be an interesting follow this year interesting
To guy to keep an eye on I I think that the expectation by a lot of fans was that he was going to be the the player dealt away for some sort of Major League Talent this offseason he was going to kind of headline some sort of trade
Package obviously he was not he’s still here uh on March 3D as we sit here and record this but uh yeah I think that that watching James fanto to see how the Cubs decided to deploy him how the coaching staff obviously in Tennessee decides to deploy him is gonna be
Important right if he’s playing second base most of the time we saw last year he was he was predominantly a second baseman the previous year he was predominantly a third baseman so is he playing those two positions we’ve seen him play a little bit of Outfield
Whether it’s left or Center um a little bit of it in South Bend last year like very little um and then some in the Arizona fall leue last year so where is he playing um is he continuing to develop some of that power we know we know James fonos can make contact as
Well as anybody in the organization like he’s not GNA swing and Miss he’s not gonna he’s not gonna strike out uh but we saw a little bit more of that in-game power show up last year and it’s gonna be important this year to do even more
Of that in Tennessee where I think that like once you get up to Tennessee that’s where it kind of starts to show itself a little bit more when you spent time in Myrtle Beach where it’s impossible to hit home runs you can’t hit home runs
From mtle Beach and then you go to South Bend when it’s so cold the first two months of the season so hard to hit home runs there once you get up to Tennessee it’s gonna be important for triantos to to develop that power a little bit more
Um this year in in doublea so keep an eye on him for sure I I don’t want to keep you too much longer I’m already going longer than I told you I would here Mick but let’s let’s hit on a couple of the outfielders because I
Think that we we have to hit on Kevin alantra he’s back he spent the the tail end of the season last year in Tennessee um one of the most exciting players in the organization he tools off the charts we’re still waiting for him to put all
Of it together but like how excited are you to see get a front row seat you got Hollywood Pete last year this year you got Kevin alantra who is nearly as exciting in terms of what he does on the field than than than Pete C Armstrong yeah two years ago if
Hollywood Pete was the center fielder the Smokies would have won back-to-back championships yeah that’s true they they took they took uh Canario and they didn’t give anybody to replace him and so many balls were just missed in the Outfield and you know and and and it really cost that
Team they just weren’t able to overcome that uh alcar is a he’s just a he’s a Jaguar rights so I I I was I remember one time I was like they told me that he’s he’s got this tattoo and he you know I’m like you know I was trying to
Figure out what animal it was and so like it’s Jag was like of course it’s Jack it’s kind of perfect for him right yeah he he’s he’s long and lanky he’s still got to grow into his body yeah of course he was the guy that the Cubs got
Back for Chris Bryant along with Caleb Killian right and we’ve been waiting for him to get to uh to double a and then they promoted Hollywood Pete and then he came in and what I loved about him in the postseason is he’s just so hungry he’s almost like Vlad Guerrero senior
You know like any anything near the plate he he’s got the reach to get to it and he’ll hit it you know um he’s very aggressive sometimes that works against him but um he’s also very deadly I mean with the power that he has so there’s GNA come a season
Where all of a sudden he’s just gonna be you know cracking bombs everywhere and that could be this year uh he’s he’s an exciting prospect and I think this is going to be the year and I think everybody kind of feels like this it’s going to be the
Year where um where he really kind of takes the next jump yeah and I and I said I’m you know what he came from the Yankees I’m thinking uh Canario but yeah he he was traded for Rizzo but it’s the same thing you know you’re talking about
These guys that they went and they they made deals for and you kept hearing about them hey you know what this guy’s really good or this guy’s really good um he got to the postseason last year and didn’t have a lot of hits but the ones he had were all like run producers
Homer you know base hit here that drove in a run you know he’s he’s aggressive out on the base pass the guys like playing for him so it it’s GNA be a really big year for him it’s the to me it’s the year of the breakout for
Alantra right like that this is we saw last year Owen Casey’s breakout in in in dou Tennessee and I’m hoping that this year is the true breakout because we see how talented he is but he hasn’t broken out in a big way and I’m hoping this the
Year of the breakout for Kevin alcantra last two guys I want to hit on Christian Franklin who is a little bit further down Prospect list than alcantra and then Ezekiel Pagan who was even a little bit further down from that uh two guys that that I think are just fun to watch
Play baseball you know like we’re we’re hopeful for them as prospects we hope they make the major leagues at the very least like they are just entertaining baseball players yeah we saw them both in the post season last year like we we we were um basically rotating them in
Left field which based on the pitching which was which was amazing and they both did a really good job defensively and at the plate you know I I haven’t seen enough to really kind of formulate my thoughts on what they look like long term but the the way that they stepped
Up and kind of just like it didn’t matter which guy was out there they just did all the things right you know it was like Hey we’re ready for this opportunity and you know put us out there we’re going to take care of it so I’m guessing that we’ll see them in
The game at the same time a lot more this year I think so too yeah I think we might see I mean if you got an outfield of Kevin alcantra Christian Franklin and Ezekiel Pagan those are three guys that can go out there and get it in the
Outfield three three very fast guys Christian Franklin’s a good defensive center fielder and you probably see him in left or right this year because a contra has got center field covered so yeah yeah I think very gonna play rightfield say that again I’m gonna miss Owen Casey I mean I mean who’s gonna
Play right because there’s no chance Owen Casey’s cominging back to double a I can’t imagine Owen Casey especially with the with with the uh with the spring training that Owen Casey’s putting together right now he’s looking good he’s looking real good he’s not gonna be there um I’m guessing that
Owen’s gonna play first base and they probably need to start working him in the left field just to kind of get used to doing that do you see Owen playing a little bit of of first base down in Arizona like on the backfield down there
No but I heard about it yeah I think that’s a good idea he he is he really is to me what I would think of as a a BigTime Prospect yeah I just love the bat he’s got a great head on his shoulder he’s still young he
Wise long past his age you know what I mean like it’s like he’s kind of an old soul in there playing baseball and uh I I love the way that he moves for a big guy kind of reminds me of Rizzo yeah you know the same type of footwork so I I
Think he could make the transition to first base if that happens or at least doing that but uh I I just don’t think that he’s gonna struggle hitting big league pitching I just I don’t think that’s gonna happen I think the biggest thing for him is that middle in Breaking
Pitch that the right-handers throw to him and basically just lay off of that a little bit better at identifying that pitch or staying out of counts where you have to swing at it uh but I mean think about it who wants to hit that anyway
Yeah I think the change Up’s going to be a big pitch for him in in Triple A being able to make contact with that with the with a righty throwing a change up kind of breaking down and away from him I think that he’s gonna see a lot of that
In Triple A I think with those kind of more veteran pitches that’s gonna be F I’ve seen him do that you know I think he’ll I think he identifies that one a little bit more yeah than the than the than the soft stuff down in but we’ll
Find out I mean I I’m curious on that too I he’s GNA put up great numbers yeah but what you want see is what does he do against the Topline pitchers how do and forget about even the results just see how the encounter goes you know is it a
Winning encounter or is he striking out and screwing himself into the ground I I just think he’s gonna win those battles and and then his time will come and when he gets to the big leagues I could see him being up there a long time yeah I
Could you know Owen Owen Casey kind of cracks me up because you got you got the the new school guys that are saying oh like exit V exit exit vo and then you got old school guys that are saying like just hit the ball hard and they’re both
Looking Owen Casey and saying that’s the guy you know it’s like it’s he he brings everybody together everybody together does Owen Casey so I love it but yeah I’m definitely and I’m I’m definitely not into the some of these you know these these analytics you know I it it was
Ridiculous that some of these people thought that Cody Bellinger you know had we weak contact hits you know who gives a crap I mean it’s a hit right and it’s and it’s a two- strike approach right yeah it’s it’s called playing good baseball you know there they’re the same
People that make excuses up for strikeouts well guess what when you strike out and you’re not putting the ball in play then you’re not really doing anything positive to help your team now I get it you could ground into a double play or something but for the
Most part you’re not going to do that you’re going to do something positive right yeah uh you’re gonna force them to make a mistake uh or make a play right there’s many strikeouts in the game and the guys that put the ball in play uh are are tough outs because of that you
Know and I love the I love those guys that hit the bring bringing it back to Owen Casey real quick I think that’s why he might fit in with this Cubs major league lineup really well you got you got the Nico horners of the world and
The Cody bellers that are are are good at putting the ball in play and making contact at this point um even even the Nick magical different story obviously with Nick magical but like the guys that put the ball in play the strikeouts hey if you got some of those guys you can
You can live with some strikeouts from Owen Casey obviously you want to strikeout less but it’s all about that balance in your lineup in addition to a balanced player too so that’s always interesting to me but Mick I I can’t thank you enough for for coming on the
Show and previewing these Smokies I want to give you the chance to what do you got going on uh once again plug your your YouTube channel all that good stuff yeah look if if you guys like Cubs baseball and you want to uh hang out with us it’s uh the Cubs Baseball
Channel on YouTube try to you know do a a video every day talking about the Cubs and we’ll do some stuff like watch parties and you know different things it it’s really just a fun place to you know kind of talk baseball and uh would love
To have anybody that’s a Cubs fan join us yeah yeah Mick again thanks so much I appreciate you coming on always fun to preview the Smokies um always fun to talk Smokies baseball you guys have been killing it down there uh for years on the broadcast and it’s fun to see some
Good players coming through there uh the past couple years and going into this year so uh for you listeners out there thank you so much for tuning in uh be sure to uh follow us wherever you listen to podcast Spotify Apple iHeart Radio all that good stuff uh give us a
Subscription uh on the YouTube channel here comment below give us a like all that good stuff we can’t thank you enough um and in the meantime we’ll see you guys in one short week with I believe it’s going to be the South Bend Cubs preview so thank you guys and we’ll talk soon To
2 Comments
Mick is my Smokies broadcaster!
Can’t wait for the season to start.