Toyota Road Report: June 25-30

Fresh off a strong weekend, it’s go-time in the Midwest League’s second half for the South Bend Cubs. Their next task? To battle the team they would have to face if they make a postseason run; the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The Milwaukee Brewers affiliate were the first half West Division champions, and it’s a foe the Cubs are very familiar with. South Bend will play their third series this season against Wisconsin.

In a way, the South Bend Cubs took a mini series win in the last homestand. It was the rematch of the 2022 Midwest League Championship Series against the Lake County Captains, and although South Bend lost the first three games, those in a way were elementary. The first half concluded in those first three. The next three were all second half games, and South Bend won two of three away from the Captains over the weekend, including in a 10-3 bashing on Sunday.

So, in the grand scheme of things, that’s a series win ladies and gentlemen.

It makes sense that the first two series of the second half come against both first half champs. Get a solid lay of the land if you’re the Cubs, you may see one or both of them later if this half goes your way. Both prior series versus Wisconsin were rather earlier in the season, and the Rattlers look a little different.

First off, star lead-off man Dylan O’Rae was called up to Double-A Biloxi. As good of an on-base guy in the league, it felt like a small victory every time that O’Rae was kept off the base paths due to his blazing speed. The 20-year-old Canadian swiped 33 bases with Wisconsin, including five against South Bend on Opening Week at Four Winds Field.

Also called-up to Double-A, former Indiana Hoosier and Fishers, Indiana native Craig Yoho. He was Wisconsin’s closer, and pitched against the Cubs plenty of times. He finished with a 0.44 ERA in the Midwest League in 16 games, with batters hitting .119. He had only six walks in just north of 20 innings. Point being, Wisconsin has lost a key piece of both their lineup and bullpen.

Still, plenty of high level prospects remain with the Rattlers.

We’re going to talk about Felix Stevens later and the big run that he has been on, but Wisconsin now has their own Felix. However, they’re not exactly the same. Felix Stevens is 6’4’’. Felix Valerio is 5’5’’. Still, Valerio packs a punch. The 23-year-old is back with the Timber Rattlers after playing 2022 and 2023 exclusively at Double-A Biloxi. He played with Wisconsin in 2021, and started the year in the Arizona Complex League. He blazed through there, going 15/29. With Wisconsin in five games, he’s batting .304. This feels like a situation where he won’t be in Wisconsin for long, but for the Cubs this week, he’s going to be a tough out.

A guy that we are very much familiar with, both due to his play and his unique batting stance, Jadher Areinamo. He’s currently riding an eight-game hitting streak, and is batting .338 in the month of June. He’s got one of the wackier bat waggles you’re ever going to see atop his right shoulder, but it works. He’s 20-years-old, and is a good looking prospect who can play three infield positions.

Also, even though Yoho was promoted, Wisconsin has got to love what they have gotten out of Aaron Rund in their bullpen. Last time the Cubs faced the Rattlers, Rund worked two scoreless innings on May 25. With just a 1.55 ERA in 19 games out of the pen, Rund was primarily Yoho's set up man, but now that he’s gone, expect Rund to work plenty of late game scenarios this week for former Silver Hawks player and current Wisconsin manager Victor Estevez.

Players to watch on South Bend…

Felix Stevens, INF/OF: The power is off the charts good, but Felix Stevens is hitting for average better and better as we go, and that spells trouble for any opposition that is game planning to face him. Now hitting .249 in exactly 50 games, Stevens has got the 13 home runs, but his Sunday against Lake County at Four Winds Field was especially impressive. Two laser beam line drives, one to dead-center, the other wrapped up the middle, and Big Felix is feeling good. Plus, Sunday was also a three-hit day. He’s batting .316 over his last five games, and what is probably most impressive is the adjustments he has made to just about a year ago. He is still a free swinger, no question, but the way he is commanding the zone, and taking the low and outside sliders for balls is completely different from 2023. Sure, he’s swinging at some, but what’s the biggest factor is what happens after he chases a bad one. Multiple times in the Lake County series, he would chase, and then gather himself. Nothing further. Working walks, making a pitcher grind. That’s the 2024 Felix Stevens, and as things heat up this summer, so is he.

Tyler Santana, RHP: One of the most consistent strike throwers over the last number of years in the Cubs organization is finding his stride in 2024. Tyler Santana was huge for South Bend in 2023, jumping and teeter toddering between the rotation and bullpen like it was nothing. In fact, that’s very hard to do. Due to South Bend’s depth this year in the rotation, with usual starters like Nick Hull and Tyler Schlaffer coming out of the bullpen, that has allowed Santana to focus solely on middle inning and late game relief. He was dominant in Sunday’s win over Lake County, going two shutout innings, with no walks and two strikeouts. He’s also having his best month of the season. A 2.89 ERA in June is ideal for any bullpen piece, and he’s got a solid mix, keeping hitters off-balanced, and the big breaking ball is as nasty as ever. Santana went 11-1 with a 2.28 ERA with Myrtle Beach in 2022, and if he can even be close to that wicked with South Bend in the second half, the Cubs could put together one of the best bullpens across the circuit.

Reivaj Garcia, INF: Imagine you’re watching Moneyball. Reivaj Garcia feels like a perfect Billy Beane guy. Scouts are sitting around the table, looking for value. And then the point. “Because he gets on base”. The 22-year-old doesn’t necessarily play everyday, he jumps around all over the infield, and fields each position he plays brilliantly. It’s silky smooth out there, and when you pair him with a Pedro Ramirez or Jefferson Rojas or Ed Howard up the middle, that’s a brick wall defining the middle of the infield. Garcia is batting .273 in 41 games, after posting a .306 average in 92 games last year with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. That goes along with a 7/20 performance (.350) in his last five games. It’s a heck of a bench option for Nick Lovullo when Garcia doesn’t start. He’s a switch hitter that can play pretty much anywhere in the infield well, and he’s going to attack and be aggressive at the plate. Can’t tell you how many times he has hunted fastballs early in counts and been successful doing so. Let’s see if he can stay hot in Appleton.

Schedule and Probables…

Tuesday, June 25 - 7:40 PM ET: LHP Mark Manfredi vs RHP Ty Johnson

Wednesday, June 26 - 1:10 PM ET: LHP Tate Kuehner vs RHP Erian Rodriguez

Thursday, June 27 - 7:40 PM ET: RHP K.C. Hunt vs. RHP Nick Dean

Friday, June 28 - 7:40 PM ET: RHP Will Rudy vs. LHP Drew Gray

Saturday, June 29 - 7:40 PM ET: RHP Yujanyer Herrera vs. RHP Will Sanders

Sunday, June 30 - 2:10 PM ET: RHP Alexander Cornielle vs. RHP Ty Johnson