Sunday, June 15

Welcome back to the Cubs Beat newsletter. Jordan Bastian has covered baseball for MLB.com since 2005, including the Cubs since the 2019 season.

CHICAGO -- The biggest story on the player development side for the Cubs in May was Matt Shaw’s return to the Majors. After a stint back with Triple-A Iowa to take a deep breath and iron out some mechanical issues, Chicago’s top prospect rejoined the North Siders and has already looked improved.

“He looks comfortable,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said last week. “Whether it’s feeling like he belongs or whatever happened in the Minor Leagues with player development, he looks more comfortable, calm. I think the way he’s taking his at-bats has been better.”

Beyond Shaw -- No. 18 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list -- there were plenty of success stories throughout the farm system in May. Here are some player and pitcher of the month picks for each of Chicago’s full-season affiliates.

TRIPLE-A IOWA

Hitter: 1B Jonathon Long

The 23-year-old Long (No. 13 on Pipeline’s Top 30 list for the Cubs) enjoyed a brilliant month, slashing .351/.423/.629 with six home runs, five doubles, two triples, 24 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 12 walks and 61 total bases in 27 games. The first baseman was a ninth-round pick by Chicago in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Pitcher: LHP Luke Little

A part of the Cubs’ big league bullpen earlier this season and last year, the 24-year-old Little found his footing in May back with the I-Cubs. In nine appearances, the big lefty spun a 0.59 ERA with 20 strikeouts and three walks in 15 1/3 innings. He limited batters to a .154 average with just eight hits allowed.

DOUBLE-A KNOXVILLE

Hitter: INF Corey Joyce

The Cubs added the 26-year-old Joyce on a Minor League contract in April and he has bounced around the infield for the Smokies. In 19 games in May, Joyce slashed .350/.473/.483 with one homer, five doubles, 13 RBIs and as many walks (13) as strikeouts (13). 

Pitcher: RHP Will Sanders

Sanders earned a promotion to Triple-A Iowa after a standout showing in May for Knoxville. In four starts with the Smokies last month, the 23-year-old logged a 1.71 ERA with 23 strikeouts and just two walks in 21 innings. The fourth-round pick (No. 113 overall) in the 2023 MLB Draft allowed only 14 hits (no home runs).

HIGH-A SOUTH BEND

Hitter: INF Jefferson Rojas

The 20-year-old Rojas -- MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Cubs prospect and No. 77 on the Top 100 list -- slashed .337/.416/.561 with three homers, five doubles, four triples and 16 RBIs in 25 games in May. The middle infielder stole five bases, walked a dozen times and scored 20 runs along the way.

Pitcher: RHP Ryan Gallagher

Gallagher, 22, posted a 2.33 ERA with 40 strikeouts and nine walks in 27 innings over five starts in May at South Bend. The right-hander (sixth-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft) allowed 17 hits, while holding opposing batters to a .179 average.

SINGLE-A MYRTLE BEACH

Hitter: OF Leonel Espinoza

In 24 games last month, the 22-year-old Espinoza turned in a .308/.406/.374 slash line with one home run, three doubles and 11 RBIs. The outfielder stole five bases, drew 13 walks and scored 16 runs for the Pelicans.

Pitcher: RHP Brooks Caple

Caple (ninth-round selection in 2024 MLB Draft) worked three starts for Myrtle Beach in May before earning a promotion to South Bend. In those outings, the 22-year-old spun a 0.00 ERA across 16 innings, piling up 16 strikeouts against five walks and holding batters to a .118 average.

Over the weekend, the Cubs and AbbVie announced a multi-year partnership on a “Striking Out Cancer” campaign that began with the series against the Reds. In this first year of the program, AbbVie will donate $233 to Cubs Charities for every strikeout by a Cubs pitcher in home games. The total reflects the estimated 233 Americans diagnosed with cancer every hour, according to the American Cancer Society.

As part of the initiative, Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon (a cancer survivor) will meet with an AbbVie “Cancer Care champion” pregame during each homestand.

“We’re honored to team up with AbbVie and do our part to help strikeout cancer,” vice president of Cubs corporate partnerships Alex Seyferth said in a release. “Every dollar raised will go to organizations on the front line of fighting this terrible disease. Together, the Cubs and AbbVie are committed to raising awareness and donations to help those impacted by cancer.”

Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong drew walks in consecutive plate appearances on Saturday, snapping a drought of 69 PAs in a row without a free pass that dated back to May 12. Who has the longest walk-free streak in modern Cubs history, among non-pitchers?

A. Javier Báez

B. Shawon Dunston

C. Starlin Castro

D. Corey Patterson

• Cubs hoping Kyle Tucker returns soon after minor finger injury. Read more >>

• How Ben Brown, Dansby Swanson and PCA led Cubs in Saturday’s win. Read more >>

• Why the Cubs went with an opener before Brown’s latest outing. Read more >>

• Porter Hodge’s IL stint expected to last longer due to hip setback. Read more >>

• Seiya Suzuki is thriving in the heart of Chicago’s lineup right now. Read more >>

When new Cubs reliever Génesis Cabrera donned No. 92 for the North Siders, he made a little team history in the process. Per Cubs team historian Ed Hartig, Cabrera is the first player, coach or manager to wear that number in a regular season game. Cubs players to wear a digit north of “92” since 1932 include Felix Heredia (No. 94 in 2001), Bill Voiselle (No. 96 in 1950), Tyler Payne (No. 96 in 2021), Todd Hundley (No. 99 in 2001), and So Taguchi (No. 99 in 2009).

D. Patterson

Per Hartig, Patterson’s run of 215 consecutive plate appearances without a walk between July 21-Sept. 18, 2002, is the longest such streak for a Cubs position player (since at least 1901). During that ‘02 season, Patterson ended with 142 strikeouts against 19 walks in 628 PAs overall.

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