IOWA CUBS ANNOUNCE 2025 FIELD STAFF
DES MOINES, IA – The Iowa Cubs, in conjunction with the Chicago Cubs, announced their field staff for the 2025 season. Marty Pevey returns as manager for the I-Cubs for the 13th-consecutive season, extending his franchise-record tenure. Pevey’s 748 wins are a franchise record and his 1,392 victories are sixth-most
DES MOINES, IA – The Iowa Cubs, in conjunction with the Chicago Cubs, announced their field staff for the 2025 season. Marty Pevey returns as manager for the I-Cubs for the 13th-consecutive season, extending his franchise-record tenure. Pevey’s 748 wins are a franchise record and his 1,392 victories are sixth-most among active minor league managers.
Pevey began his coaching career in the Blue Jays organization (1996-2008) and was Toronto’s bullpen coach in 1999, the team’s first base coach from 2006-07, and the club’s third base coach in 2008. His Cubs career began in 2009 as the manager of Single-A Peoria. Pevey’s career accolades include 1998 Atlantic League Manager of the Year honors and 2009 Midwest League Co-Manager of the Year respects.
Joining Pevey’s staff for 2024 will be pitching coach Tony Cougoule, hitting coaches Rick Strickland and Rachel Folden, bench coach Kyle Moore, assistant pitching coach Andrew Betcher, athletic trainers Ed Halbur and Logan Severson and strength and conditioning coach Connor Rooney.
Cougoule enters his second year as Iowa’s pitching coach and his sixth season with the Cubs’ organization. He began his time with the Cubs as the pitching coach for Arizona Rookie League Mesa in 2020 before two seasons as South Bend’s pitching coach. Cougoule was the pitching coach at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA, from 2010-2019, a coach at Southeastern Community College from 2008-09 and Azusa Pacific University from 2006-07. He played collegiate baseball at Mount Mercy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, earning team MVP and all-conference honors in 2003.
Strickland returns for his second season as hitting coach and his fourth year in the Cubs’ organization. Prior to joining the Cubs in 2022, the Chicago, IL, native was a Hitting Consultant for TrainRight Academy for 18 years. He was also a part-time scout for the New York Mets, an Associate Scout for the Tampa Bay Rays (2007-12), and a Hitting Consultant for the St. Louis Cardinals (2017-18) and Texas Rangers (2019). Strickland was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 34th round of the 1989 draft and played four minor league seasons, reaching as high as the Double-A level.
Folden is in her sixth year with the Cubs and her first as Iowa’s hitting coach. She spent the 2024 season as a minor league hitting coordinator/hitting coach with Double-A Knoxville and was previously a hitting coach with the ACL Cubs. Folden played five seasons in the National Pro Fastpitch league, including time with the Chicago Bandits.
Moore enters his second year in the Cubs’ organization and first with Iowa. He spent nine years coaching in Baltimore’s organization, including managing Short-A Aberdeen in 2018, Low-A Delmarva in 2019, High-A Aberdeen in 2021 and Double-A Bowie in 2022-23. Moore served as the bench coach for High-A South Bend in 2024. He played two minor league seasons with Baltimore in 2010-11.
Betcher enters his third year in the Cubs' organization, all with Iowa. The 2025 season will be his second as assistant pitching coach after serving as a development coach in 2024. Betcher played baseball at Ripon College in Ripon, Wis.
Halbur enters his 23rd season with the Cubs’ organization and eighth with Iowa. The Iowa resident was with Iowa from 2003-04 and began his second stint with the club in 2018. Halbur acted as an assistant athletic trainer for Chicago from 2005-17. In 2008, Halbur and the Cubs’ Director of Athletic Training Mark O’Neal were awarded the Major League Athletic Training Staff of the Year at the annual Winter Meetings. Prior to joining the Cubs, Halbur worked in the Tigers' organization from 1999-2002.
Severson returns to Iowa’s staff for the fourth consecutive season and his 10th season as a trainer in the Cubs’ organization. Severson began his professional career as an intern with Iowa in 2012 and was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Western Illinois University from 2013-15. He spent 2016 with Single-A Eugene, 2017 with Single-A South Bend and his next three years with Myrtle Beach. In 2021, Severson was the athletic trainer for Double-A Knoxville. He earned his degree in athletic training from Illinois State University and his masters in Sports Management from Western Illinois University.
Rooney joins Iowa’s staff after spending 2022 and 2024 as a rehab strength and conditioning staff for the Cubs in Arizona with a stint as a strength and conditioning coach with Double-A Knoxville in 2023.
Iowa opens up the 2025 campaign on Friday, March 28 with a three-game series vs. Omaha.
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring
'Hungry' Alcántara hoping to pounce on big league prey in '25
MESA, Ariz. -- The thing about jaguars is, you don’t want to see one when it’s hungry. So when Cubs legend Sammy Sosa spoke to the organization’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- and the No. 89 prospect overall -- the former slugger gave him some apt advice. “His
Rainiers broadcaster Pay talks historic role on MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Prospect Santos 'electric' in Spring Breakout start
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Malcolm Moore knew Winston Santos was locked in before he even threw a pitch. In the second annual Spring Breakout game, Santos -- the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was throwing to Moore, the Rangers’ No. 4 prospect and highest-ranked catcher. The battery more
Switch-pitcher Cijntje deals from both sides in Spring Breakout
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jurrangelo Cijntje knew who’d be waiting for him in the batter’s box when he emerged from the visiting bullpen on Friday evening. The Mariners’ switch-pitcher had seen Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana recently at a card-signing event, to which they each joked, “I’m going to see you soon,”
Fans in this Minor League town are hungry for ... the Spicy Meatballs?!?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Chandler adds mix to upper-90s heat in stellar Spring Breakout start
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- In the inaugural Spring Breakout game a year ago, as he was coming out to pitch the ninth inning, Bubba Chandler slammed a Red Bull and declared “let’s do this” before pumping upper-90s heat.