Toyota Road Report: Cubs Head Back to Appleton

After a 9-game homestead in which the Cubs went 4-5 they will hit the road for the first time since the All-Star break to take on the High-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers - the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Wisconsin is managed by Victor Estevez, a former South Bend Silver Hawk from 2009 and 2010. He’s off to quite an incredible start to his first year in Appleton as the Timber Rattlers control the best record of any Midwest League team not only in the second half, but also in the entirety of the season.

Since the midway point of the season the Rattlers are 20-9, having already clinched a playoff spot after their impressive first half of the campaign. They’re 11-3 in 14 games at Neuroscience Group Field this half and 32-15 at home this season. From the first series these guys faced off against each other back in the middle of April it was clear just how strong Wisconsin would be. They put pressure on the opposition with great speed and bat-to-ball type hitters and at 62-33 in 2024, they own the best record in all of High-A.

Frankly we should see a desperate type effort from the Cubs who absolutely need to win this series to have a chance at a playoff spot. South Bend had a chance to win their series vs Peoria with a win on Saturday or Sunday but the Chiefs grand slam in extras in the series finale proved to be just enough, with Rafael Morel’s 3-run homer providing an epic comeback spark that fell just a run shy. Nick Lovullo’s team enters at 37-59 overall and 10-20 in the second half. South Bend is seven games back of Cedar Rapids with 36 games to play and still three teams between the Cubs and Kernels in the standings.

Players to watch on Wisconsin…

Well probably the biggest transaction in the Midwest League to start the week happened yesterday when the Timber Rattlers called up their No. 4 prospect, a 19-year-old shortstop names Cooper Pratt. Pratt was taken out of high school in the sixth round last year and is somehow already about to make his High-A debut. Per MLB.com he drew Gunnar Henderson comps and was committed to Ole Miss before the Brewers snagged him in the sixth round and signed him for four times his slot value. A 5-tool guy he was named the Mississippi Gatorade State Player of the Year and hit .356 in the Arizona Complex League a year ago over 12 games. He began 2024 in Low-A Carolina and across 73 games he slashed .295/.394/.395 with a .789 OPS. He only hit three homers but drew 38 walks and stole 25 bases. He’s the No. 93 overall prospect in the minors and we get to see him face this level of competition for the first time this series.

Luke Adams is another name to remember. The Brewers No. 15 prospect is just 20-years-old and is among the Midwest League lead in many offensive categories. The corner infielder enters the week first in on-base percentage (.444), first in walks (66), fifth in OPS (.853), and ninth in RBIs (50). Adams was selected in the 12th round back in 2022 out of Hinsdale Central High School in Illinois. His incredible eye at the plate has led to an OBP over .400 or better in each of his MiLB season, while his 25 stolen bases are certainly eye-popping giving his 6-foot-4 and 210 pound frame. In 14 games against the Cubs this year, Adams has drawn 14 walks, been hit by a pitch three times, and additionally has 10 hits including a homer. His .456 OBP against the Cubs leads the roster.

Players to watch on South Bend…

Nico Zeglin just has to be turning some heads. A proven college arm who was well-traveled and attended three different schools finished up with a 2023 that saw him turn a season at Long Beach State that got him named a 2nd-Team All-American and Big West Pitcher of the Year. He finished seventh in the nation in ERA and strikeouts but no one took him in the draft. The Cubs signed him after a threw once in the Mexican League with Tabasco. Now he’s nearly into the final month of a wondrous season. In Low-A through 16 outings (2 starts) he went 5-0 with a 1.41 ERA. 57 K’s in 38.1 innings was a ridiculous number and just seven walks meant he was destined for Midwest League before year’s end. Well he joined South Bend after the break and in two outings has combined for 6-shutout innings in which he’s given up two hits, one walk, and K’d seven. Don’t sleep on Nico Zeglin.

What a wild stretch Brian Kalmer had last week. Kalmer smacked the Cubs 3rd grand slam of the year Friday night, his second homer in as many days and his third in the series. It marked the third time in his career he’d homered in back-to-back games (last was Sept. 5/6 vs Columbia) and his first pro slam. It’s also the second time he’d homered three times in a series (final series last year vs Columbia). It took Kalmer until May 31 to hit his first home run of the year but since that day his nine long balls are tied for the most in the MWL. He’s tallied 11 RBIs since the break and frankly the at-bats just from a rudimentary level look way better than early in the year.

Pedro Ramirez is 11-for-26 (.423) over his last six games and back grooving again at the plate after some struggles. The 20-year-old infielder hit nearly .350 in April and then drove in runs tremendously in May; but June was a setback and July began poorly. This great stretch to begin the post-All-Star-break portion of the season would lead me to think we’ll see more of what we saw from him the first two months of the season and a strong finish to the season could have him finish the season as one of the best MWL players statistically who spent the whole season in High-A.

Schedule and Probables (Cubs pitcher listed 2nd)…

Tuesday, July 30 - 7:40 ET: RHP Alexander Cornielle vs RHP Nick Dean

Wednesday, July 31 - 1:10 ET: RHP Patricio Aquino vs LHP Drew Gray

Thursday, August 1 - 7:40 ET: LHP KC Hunt vs. RHP Will Sanders

Friday, August 2 - 7:40 ET: LHP Brian Fitzpatrick vs TBA

Saturday, August 3 - 7:40 ET: RHP Will Rudy vs RHP Jaxon Wiggins

Sunday, August 4 - 2:10 ET: RHP Alexander Cornielle vs. RHP Erian Rodriguez