Who might land at the beach in 2020
Spring Training is in full swing and baseball is one month away from returning to the Grand Strand. After a difficult 2019 season that saw the Pelicans post their second-straight losing season for the first time in over a decade, hope may be on the horizon in 2020.
With baseball right around the corner, it’s time to get back in that baseball mindset and take a look at some players that could find their way to Myrtle Beach at some point this season.
Possible Returners: First up are the players that were with the Birds in 2019 and might wind up back in Myrtle Beach to begin 2020.
Brendan Little (№29 on MLB.com)
After spending all of 2018 in Low-A South Bend, Little looked to be on pace for a 2019 showing in Myrtle Beach. A lat injury slowed his arrival, but the southpaw was promoted to the Pelicans on August 6 and he made his final four starts in the Carolina League. Little, the Cubs first-round selection in the 2017 draft, is just 23 years old and after posting a 5.95 ERA in 19.1 innings in Myrtle Beach, Little should be back as a part of the Pelicans rotation in 2020.
Cam Balego
It may be a little surprising to see Balego on this list after leading the Pelicans with a .247 batting average in 2019, but his return to the Carolina League would not be based on his offense, but rather on his defense. The Cubs selected Balego out of Division II Mercyhurst in the 30th round of the 2017 draft as a middle infielder but since his arrival to the Cubs’ system, Balego has played all four infield positions, the outfield and he has caught a handful of games. In 2019, Balego appeared at catcher for five games and the Cubs have previously shown interest in developing Balego into a catcher. If that is the case, then Myrtle Beach would be the perfect place for Balego to develop. If he opened in Myrtle Beach, he would not have to deal with the log jam that the Cubs have behind the plate in the upper levels of the minors (P.J. Higgins, Jhonny Pereda, Miguel Amaya, Tyler Payne and Victor Caratini). Additionally, if the Cubs are truly all in on turning Balego into an everyday catcher, why not set him up with Steve Lerud, Myrtle Beach’s Manager, who spent 13 seasons as a catcher in Minor League Baseball.
Possible newcomers in 2020:
When looking at some potential fresh faces in Myrtle Beach, it is hard not to start by looking at the success that Low-A South Bend had in 2019. The South Bend Cubs had one of the most talented teams in the Cubs’ farm system and they showed that talent off by winning the Midwest League Championship for the fifth time in team history. The Cubs finished 76–61 and had the best record among any of Chicago’s full-season affiliates.
Brennen Davis (№3 on MLB.com)
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Brennen Davis has quickly become one of the most intriguing prospects in the Cubs’ system. After a breakout season in 2019 with South Bend (.305/.381/.525), Davis may be poised to make the jump to High-A in 2020. Davis, the second-round pick of the Cubs in 2018, hit eight homers and nine doubles in just 50 games in 2019 and MLB.com notes that he may have the potential to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases per season at the big league level. With all of that being said, Davis just turned 20 years old in November and would be one of the youngest players in the Carolina League. Even if he does not open in Myrtle Beach, if he plays like he did last year it shouldn’t be long until he hits the Grand Strand.
Cole Roederer (№5 on MLB.com)
Another piece of the talented South Bend outfield in 2019 was Cole Roederer. Like Davis, Roederer is still only 20 years old and his professional career has been a bit more rocky than Davis’, but he possesses endless potential. Roederer drew comparisons to Andrew Benintendi coming out of high school and he passed on a commitment to UCLA when he signed with the Cubs who took him in the second round in 2018. Roederer hit just .224 in Low-A last season, but he showed good power with nine home runs and 19 doubles on the season. He also was a menace on the basepaths as he stole a team-high 16 bases on the year.
Chase Strumpf (№9 on MLB.com)
In 2018, the Cubs used their second-round picks on a pair of high school bats, but in 2019 they pivoted and drafted a three-year college bat in Chase Strumpf with their second selection in the draft. Strumpf is viewed by most as a player who could rise through the system very quickly because of the success that he had at UCLA, one of the nation’s powerhouse colleges. The second-base prospect had a decent debut last season as he slashed .244/.374/.400 across three levels. The California native played his final six games of the season in South Bend before he was shut down at the end of August. A start in Myrtle Beach may be the next logical step for the 22-year-old.
Christopher Morel (№10 on MLB.com)
No position player in the Cubs’ system turned more heads in 2019 than Christopher Morel. The 20-year-old third baseman hit .284/.320/.467 with six homers and 15 doubles at Low-A South Bend. These numbers came in just 74 games as Morel suffered a knee injury in July which cost him the remainder of the campaign. Depending on how his recovery progresses, Morel could open the season in Low-A before making the jump to High-A, but he is certainly talented enough to be in Myrtle Beach by the middle of 2020.
Riley Thompson: (№12 on MLB.com)
It is safe to say that Low-A South Bend may not have won the Midwest League without Riley Thompson last season. The hard-throwing righty struck out 10 over five hitless innings in the game that clinched South Bend the title last season. It was not just a one game blip for Thompson, the Cubs’ 11th-round pick in 2018, as he dominated to the tune of an 8–6 record and a 3.06 ERA throughout the season. At 23-years-old Thompson has an electric fastball that topped out at 100 mph last year and appears to be more than ready for High-A hitters.
While none of these players are a lock to be with the Pelicans this season, their career trajectories suggest that they could be in a Pelicans uniform this season.
The Pelicans’ 2020 season will begin on April 9 against the defending Carolina League Champion Wilmington Blue Rocks. The 2020 season marks the sixth year for the Pelicans as the Class A‐ Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For tickets visit MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, call (843) 918‐ 6000, or visit the Pelicans Box Office.
*Rankings courtesy of MLBPipeline
