Cubs have MLB stars AND loaded farm system
MESA, Ariz. – It’s a testament to where a farm system is when a Top 100-caliber hitter gets traded away and there’s still a desire to tout the bats. The Cubs traded Cam Smith to the Astros in the Kyle Tucker deal, but they still have seven players on the
MESA, Ariz. – It’s a testament to where a farm system is when a Top 100-caliber hitter gets traded away and there’s still a desire to tout the bats.
The Cubs traded Cam Smith to the Astros in the Kyle Tucker deal, but they still have seven players on the Top 100, tied for the most in baseball. Six of them are position players and all but one -- even the pitcher among that septet -- could be ready to contribute to the big league team during the 2025 season. There’s a pool of talent collecting at the upper levels that should be a source to feed the big league roster and provide trade bait should the Cubs braintrust decide that big league pieces need to be acquired.
“I think it's generally a good thing and I think it speaks to the strength of our Major League team that we have, essentially, some blockades,” said Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler, now in his second season overseeing the system. “It's natural that they're going to eventually start pooling in Double-A and Triple-A. At the Trade Deadline, teams will probably want some guys that are big league ready, and if we have lots of big league ready players in Triple-A, that helps us a lot.”
Having a fairly set big league roster and then that reservoir of talent growing at the upper levels has another benefit. The Cubs can take their time with the next wave of talent coming through the pipeline. Much of that wave is several years away, but with exciting potential, with the organization's aggressive efforts on the international market providing an influx of talented -- albeit inexperienced -- players who may ultimately evolve into the next group of Top 100 types in this system.
“In the traditional sense, we have a huge amount of very young, high upside lottery tickets that we could consider exciting prospects,” Kanzler said. “Part of any great player development system is viewing all the players as the potential to be something that people don’t think they can be and that’s how we’re going to operate.
“We're going to treat these players and their timelines in whatever way is most beneficial to the Cubs and to their development. We definitely don't have that added pressure right now to push guys through the system to cover holes, because we don't have the holes up top.”
Camp standout: Alexey Lumpuy
Lumpuy was a bit of an afterthought, or at least a later one, during the 2023 international signing period. That opens in January, but the Cubs added Lumpuy in June, signing the Cuban outfielder for $90,000. He was already 18 and then spent two summers in the Dominican Summer League. He posted a .931 OPS in 2024, though at age 20, he was older for the level.
Now he’s in the United States for the first time in his life and the Cubs have been watching him carefully as he adjusts to a new culture and experiences Spring Training for the first time. They’ve liked what they’ve seen with that and with his development.
“He’s been an absolute gem, an extremely hard worker, invested in everything he does,” Kanzler said. “He’s made incredible progress in the last year and a half. He’s gotten way more physical.
“His English is improving at a rapid pace. He’s remained calm and composed during some of his live at-bats, even with Major League pitchers pitching on the back fields. He’s standing out in all the right ways. This is brand new for him. This is a lot, his first Spring Training. The way he’s been handling that, in addition to his development, has been really impressive.”
Breakout candidate: Cristian Hernandez
One of the top prospects in the 2020-21 international class, Hernandez (No. 11) got $3 million to sign in January '21. He’s yet to really live up to that hype, performing poorly in his first two seasons in the United States in '22 and '23. He did start showing glimpses of his tools in 2024, earning All-Star honors in the Single-A Carolina League in his second season at the level. He ended the year up in High-A for the first time and it should be noted that even with his slow development, he’ll only be 21 for all of the '25 season.
“He’s hyper talented and very, very young,” Kanzler said. “We almost overestimate or we assume these guys have to move super quick because at one point they were ultra-highly touted prospects.”
With a little success under his belt at Myrtle Beach last year, could Hernandez be ready to take a leap forward and produce like the prospect the industry thought he could be when he signed?
“He probably was a breakout candidate a couple of years ago. I’m seeing a lot of really, really positive developments in him as a person, the maturity, the work, the actual skill improvements,” Kanzler said. “The swing is getting tighter. He’s had some trouble in the past with good fastball velos. He understands what he needs to do, he’s very focused and more intentional with his work towards the things he needs to improve.”
Something to prove: Cade Horton
When Horton (No. 2/MLB No. 51), the Cubs’ first-rounder taken in '22, is on the mound, he’s very, very good. The only issue is that he’s not been on the mound nearly as much as either he or the Cubs would like him to be.
It goes back to his college days when he had Tommy John surgery in February of '21 at Oklahoma. He came back in time for the '22 postseason, which allowed him to rise into the first round, where the Cubs took him No. 7 overall and signed him to a below-slot deal. He was the organization’s Pitcher of the Year in '23, tossing 88 1/3 innings, and made it to Triple-A last year, but a shoulder injury ended his season after nine starts. It’s an odd dichotomy: Horton hasn’t pitched a ton, but he’s also very much a phone call away.
“In terms of pitching years, he’s very young,” Kanzler said. “He’s not accumulated a ton of time on the mound. At the same time, he is one very short step away from being in Chicago. It’s tricky. He’s going to have to learn to manage all those things.”
Early this spring, Kanzler was encouraged by how Horton looked. It wasn’t just about the stuff – that’s always been good – but more about how he owned the space as he started ramping up for the season ahead, a time when he’s going to have to prove he’s ready to take the ball regularly.
“There are some mechanical changes that seem to be sticking that we’re fairly confident will help him stay healthy,” Kanzler said. “I think he’s in a great spot. Getting a few lives under his belt was really good for him and his mentality. It kind of reaffirmed, ‘Not only can I do this, but I am very good, I’m dominant.’”
What’s new: Robert Kwiatkowski and his knuckleball
It was a transaction that likely fell under the radar. The Minor League phase of the Rule 5 Draft doesn’t receive much fanfare, and at the '24 Winter Meetings teams were very active, making 68 total selections in the phase. The Cubs took Kwiatkowski at No. 52 in the Minor League portion, the third round. He's a right-handed reliever who had reached Triple-A in '24, though he’s now 27 years old.
What makes Kwiatkowski interesting beyond his 2.86 ERA and .215 BAA in '24 is the relatively new addition to his repertoire. He started adding in a knuckleball last year and he’s still figuring out how to incorporate it. There’s no desire to turn him into Phil Niekro, but it does sound like there have been some productive pitch usage conversations since he joined the organization.
“I don’t think we want to make him a knuckleball pitcher,” Kanzler said. “It’s a tool in his tool belt. It’s not new, but there have been varying degrees of talk about how much he should throw it, depending on who he’s been with and how he should use it. The interesting thing is maybe in the way that we’re going to ask him to use it … without divulging too much.”
USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Returns to Fayetteville July 3rd
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team returns to Segra Stadium on Thursday, July 3rd as part of USA Baseball’s annual Stars vs. Stripes series. First pitch for the Stars & Stripes game in downtown Fayetteville is slated for 6:35 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Postgame fireworks will conclude
Segra Stadium to Host 'One Ville' Exhibition April 2nd
Segra Stadium will play host to the ‘One Ville’ exhibition on Wednesday, April 2nd, which will feature the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Low-A, Houston Astros) matching up against the Asheville Tourists (High-A, Houston Astros) in a preseason tune-up before each team starts their respective seasons. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.
Woodpeckers Announce 2025 Promotional Schedule
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers announced their 2025 promotional schedule for their sixth season of play at Segra Stadium. Individual tickets will go on sale to the public in-person at our free Spring Fling event on Saturday, March 1st from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Tickets will be available online later that
Fayetteville Woodpeckers Announce 2025 Coaching Staff
FAYETTEVILLE, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers, in conjunction with the Houston Astros, today announced their 2025 coaching staff and have named Carlos Lugo as the newest manager of the club. Making up the rest of Lugo’s staff will be pitching coach James Wiseman, hitting coach Kyle Brennan, and development coach
ECU Baseball Returns to Segra Stadium March 4th & 18th
East Carolina University baseball returns to Segra Stadium for two games this March. The first game will be on Tuesday, March 4th when ECU takes on the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs of the Big South. The second game will take place Tuesday, March 18th when ECU faces off against UNC Wilmington
Meet Bluey at Segra Stadium with Woodpeckers Newest Experience Add-On
Everybody’s favorite Australian pup, Bluey, is coming to Segra Stadium for Bluey at the Ballpark on Sunday, June 29th. While Bluey will be available throughout the game to meet as many fans as possible, the Woodpeckers have announced an Experience Add-On that guarantees your chance to meet Bluey. This add-on
Woodpeckers Announce Additions to Front Office Staff
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers announced today several front office staff additions as the team prepares for the 2025 season at Segra Stadium. Will Champion and Shai Szkolnik join as Ticket Sales Account Executives while Dustin Jessee and Noah Bard will fill roles in the stadium operations department. Champion
2025 Woodpeckers Fireworks Shows Announced
Today, the Woodpeckers announced their fireworks dates for 2025 totaling eight shows, including Opening Night and July 4th & 5th. In addition to the three mentioned, a new show lineup called ‘Fireworks Extravaganza’ will make its debut and will feature bigger and better shows once a month for fans to
Fayetteville Holiday Lights Returns To Segra Stadium November 29th
The 4th annual Fayetteville Holiday Lights returns to Segra Stadium starting November 29th and will run daily until December 23rd. The 26-day event will feature more than 2 million lights, over a dozen large displays, the largest light-up Christmas tree in Fayetteville at 40 feet, light shows, Santa, holiday themed
Woodpeckers Announce Start Times for 2025 Regular Season
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers announced their start times for the 2025 campaign, which will have a familiar feel to them. The club will start Tuesday through Thursday games at 6:35 p.m., Friday & Saturday games at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday games at 5:05 p.m. There will be a few exceptions to
Woodpeckers to Watch for in the MLB Postseason
The Houston Astros are back in the postseason for an eighth consecutive season and begin their run towards a World Series title on Tuesday afternoon in a best-of-three American League Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers. Six former Fayetteville Woodpeckers are on the Astros postseason roster with details below:
Woodpeckers 2024 Season Recap
SEASON OVERVIEW: The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Single-A, Houston Astros) finished their fifth season in franchise history with a 55-75 overall record, an identical win mark to the 2021 and 2022 season and tied for the fewest wins in a single year. Fayetteville broke out to its best start in franchise history,
Woodpeckers End 2024 Season with Fan Appreciation Night
Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (55-75, 25-38 2nd Half) welcomed fans inside of Segra Stadium for the final ballgame of the 2024 season on Sunday night and dropped an 8-0 shutout to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (62-67, 33-30). Myrtle Beach took control of the game with a four-run top
Bush Homers Twice as Woodpeckers Take Series Lead from Pelicans
FAYETTEVILLE, NC – It was a signature night for catcher Will Bush in front of a big Saturday crowd at Segra Stadium. The 2023 Houston Astros 16th round pick belted a pair of two-run homers and drove in five runs to lead the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (55-74, 26-37) to an 11-5
Luis Rodriguez Spins Complete Game Shutout in Doubleheader Split
Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (54-74, 25-37 2nd Half) and Myrtle Beach Pelicans (61-66, 32-29 2nd Half) squared off in a doubleheader Friday night in a makeup of Monday’s postponed contest. Fayetteville dropped the opener 8-6 and saw Luis Rodriguez spin a complete game shutout in the nightcap for
Woodpeckers End Skid on Walk Off Balk
Fayetteville, NC - A scoreless tie carried into the bottom of the tenth inning on Thursday night until the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (60-65, 31-28 2nd Half) balked home the winning run to grant the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (53-73, 24-36 2nd Half) a 1-0 victory at Segra Stadium. The victory ended an
Woodpeckers Swept by Charleston, Drop Tenth Consecutive Game
CHARLESTON, SC – A frustrating week on the road came to a close Sunday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Stadium as the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (52-72, 23-35) were unable to emerge victorious in their series finale with the Charleston RiverDogs (64-59, 37-21). Charleston defeated the Woodpeckers by a 6-2 final
Ochoa Homers as Fayetteville Falls for Sixth Straight Game
CHARLESTON, SC – Nehomar Ochoa Jr. hammered his team-leading tenth home run of the season Wednesday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Ballpark to give the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (52-68, 23-31) an early advantage. However, the Charleston RiverDogs (60-59, 33-21) rallied to take home a 8-4 win and hand the Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers Can’t Solve RiverDogs’ Pitching, Drop Fifth Straight
CHARLESTON, SC – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (52-67, 23-30) were stifled by the Charleston RiverDogs (59-59, 32-21) in Tuesday night’s series opener at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park as the Woodpeckers fell by a final score of 7-1. The win for Charleston snaps a five-game losing streak against Fayetteville while the
Series Slips Away in Sunday Loss to Kannapolis
Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (52-66, 23-29 2nd Half) dropped their fourth straight game to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (64-56, 23-31 2nd Half) in Sunday series conclusion, surrendering five runs in the top of the fourth and trailing the rest of the way in a 9-2 final. Bryce Mayer
Fayetteville Falls in Third Straight to Kannapolis
Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (52-65, 23-28) fell behind in the middle innings on Saturday night to the Kanapolis Cannonballers (63-56, 22-31 2nd Half) and never recovered in a 5-1 defeat at Segra Stadium. Starters Ricardo Brizuela (W, 3-0) and Luis Rodriguez (L, 1-1) kept the game without a
Woodpeckers Fall to Ballers in 11-Inning Fight
Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (52-64, 23-26 2nd Half) played into the eleventh inning for just the second time all season, falling to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (62-56, 21-31 2nd Half) 9-6 on Friday night at Segra Stadium. A two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth when trailing
Oatmilkers Let Lead Slip in Loss to Cannon Ballers
Fayetteville, NC - The Malmo Oat Milkers (52-63, 23-26 2nd Half) lost their grip on a 5-1 lead Thursday night as the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (61-56, 20-31 2nd Half) scored seven unanswered runs at one point to steal the game 8-6 at Segra Stadium. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers changed their identity
Huge Six-Run Inning Vaults Fayetteville to Victory
Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (52-62, 23-25 2nd Half) used a huge six-run bottom of the third inning Wednesday night to secure a convincing 7-3 victory over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (60-56, 19-31 2nd Half) at Segra Stadium. Fayetteville trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the third prior
Woodpeckers Score Four Unanswered in Comeback Win Over Cannon Ballers
Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (51-62. 22-25 2nd Half) stormed back against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (60-55, 19-30 2nd Half) on Tuesday night scoring four unanswered runs to secure the series opener 6-5 at Segra Stadium. The comeback started when trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning.