Toyota Road Report: May 11-16

Beloit Snappers

Miles from South Bend: 193

Affiliation: Marlins

Stadium: Pohlman Field (ABC Supply Stadium opening summer 2021)

South Bend vs Beloit…

Since becoming a Cubs affiliate: 8-7

Since 2010: 15-14

Since 2005: 37-31

The South Bend Cubs will hit the road for the first time Tuesday as they make the three-hour bus ride up to Wisconsin to take on the Marlins High-A Central affiliate, the Beloit Snappers.

This is the Snappers first season as a Marlins affiliate, they had been a part of the Oakland Athletics farm system from 2013 through 2020. The previous Marlins affiliate in the Midwest League was the Clinton LumberKings, whose last game as a Marlins affiliate was a loss to South Bend in the 2019 Midwest League Championship Series.

The Snappers went 2-4 in their opening series vs. the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, putting them in fifth place out of six teams in the High-A Central West Division, half a game back of the South Bend.

Players to watch on Beloit…

Kameron Misner, OF: Misner ranks as the number 15 overall Marlins prospect (per MLB.com) and is the highest ranked prospect on Beloit. Drafted out of the University of Missouri in the supplemental part of the first round as the 35th overall pick, he has the speed, athleticism and raw power to potentially be a 30-homer, 30-stolen-base type of player. The 23-year-old has the tools to play anywhere in the outfield with his vast range and a plus arm, and has a tremendously patient approach at the plate for a player of his age.

Connor Scott, OF: Scott ranks just behind Misner as the number 16 prospect in the Marlins system. A first round pick (13th overall) by the Marlins in 2018, Scott was promoted quickly early on and made his first High-A appearance at just 19 years of age. The 6-foot-3 185-pound Scott is another outfield speedster with a killer arm, but he has a tendency to be overly aggressive at the plate. His smooth left-handed swing currently leads the league with nine hits and ranks in the top 10 in batting average and slugging percentage.

Griffin Conine, OF: Conine ranks as the third best outfielder on his own team despite coming in as the Marlins number 18 overall prospect. The son of two-time World Series champion Jeff Conine who spent eight big league seasons with the Marlins, garnering the nickname “Mr. Marlin”. Despite being suspended for 50 games in 2019 Griffin led the Midwest League with 22 homers. He can get a little pull-happy at the dish and his long swing accumulated a strikeout rate of 36% in 2019, but the power is for real. This is his first year with a Marlins affiliate after he was traded by Toronto last September in a deal that sent Jonathan Villar to the Blue Jays.

Players to watch on South Bend…

Chase Strumpf, INF: Strumpf was selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2019 draft and was rated the best second baseman in the draft. He’s off to a flying start this season as the league-leader in batting average through the first week of the season, and he’s currently tied for third in on-base percentage and eighth in slugging. The UCLA product draws comparisons to Nico Hoerner with his gap-to-gap approach and compact swing from the right side of the plate.

Delvin Zinn, INF: If the first week is any indication of what to expect throughout this season, then Zinn might be the most exciting player in the league to watch when he’s on base. The infielder from Mississippi was a perfect 5-for-5 stealing bases. Despite Sunday’s rain-out he leads the league in that category and is tied for fourth in all of Minor League Baseball. The bat has been hot too as Zinn is hitting .353 and has reached base safely in all five games.

Peyton Remy, RHP: Remy started for South Bend on Opening Day and threw 4.2 innings while allowing two runs, one earned, striking out six and walking one. The right-hander has had nothing but success the last couple of seasons in the minors. In 2018 Remy went 6-1 in the Arizona League with a 2.58 ERA in 11 appearances (seven starts) and in 2019 he followed that up with a 2.80 ERA in 23 appearances (12 starts) in South Bend. With Sunday’s game being postponed Remy will now make two starts in Beloit, book-ending the series.

Schedule…

Tuesday, May 11 - 7:35 ET: Peyton Remy (0-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. Zach McCambley (0-1, 4.50 ERA)

Wednesday, May 12 - 7:35 ET: Chris Kachmar (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Bryan Hoeing (0-1, 27.00 ERA)

Thursday, May 13 - 7:35 ET: Max Bain (0-0, 6.00 ERA) vs. Kyle Nicolas (1-0, 1.80 ERA)

Friday, May 14 - 7:35 ET: Derek Casey (0-1, 12.00 ERA) vs. Zach King (0-1, 7.71 ERA)

Saturday, May 15 - 7:35 ET: Ryan Jensen (0-1, 12.00 ERA) vs. Alberto Guerrero (0-0, 4.76 ERA)

Sunday, May 16 - 3:05 ET: Peyton Remy (0-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. Jake Walters (0-0, 2.08 ERA)

The Voice of the South Bend Cubs Darin Pritchett has the call of every game on Sports Radio 96.1 FM WSBT, online at wsbtradio.com, or at MiLB.com.