Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The edition, rounding up the month of July, features intra-organizational no-nos, wild romps, unexpected mound dominance and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get

Each week, MiLB.com profiles prospects by chronicling the steps they’ve taken toward achieving their Major League dream. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here. The 2024 Trade Deadline is upon us, and with it comes a slew of deals that are sure to shake

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

Forty-nine of MLB’s top prospects will compete at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday in the All-Star Futures Game. This year’s iteration, which marks the 25th anniversary of the contest, will feature the first-ever Futures Skills Showcase, a three-challenge event that will test participants’ precision and power at

Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The June edition features a doubles deluge, oppositional surnames, way too many walks and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get in touch if

Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at third-ranked Cubs prospect Owen Caissie. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here. There’s not much more that the prospect experience has

The way Matt Shaw sees it, getting through the grind of the baseball season is all about building momentum each and every day. Show up to the park, stay focused, and get a little better each time out. If last week is any indication, the rest of the league may

Years ago, Dylan Heuer attended Iowa Baseball Camp for the Deaf and eventually became the bat boy for Triple-A Iowa. When he returned as team photographer for the Cubs affiliate and found out the camp no longer existed, he brought it back. He wanted others in the deaf community to

Moises Ballesteros has always dreamed about hitting for the cycle. On Friday night, it came to fruition. The Cubs’ No. 6 prospect stepped up to the plate in the top of the ninth inning with a single, double and home run to his name. Down to his last strike, Ballesteros

Just two years ago, Brennen Davis was the star of the Cubs’ farm system and one of the most highly regarded prospects in all of baseball. But it’s been a difficult couple of years for Davis, whose career stalled was slowed by injuries and inconsistencies. That makes his current hot

The Rookie-level Arizona Complex and Florida Complex leagues began play Saturday, a month earlier than they did a year ago. The changes mean that the circuits will be populated more by players making the jump from the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League the season before and less by guys coming out

NEW YORK -- Right-hander Cade Horton, the No. 2 prospect in the Cubs organization according to MLB Pipeline, is a step closer to the big leagues. He was promoted from Double-A Tennessee to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday. The news was first reported by the Des Moines Register. Horton, 22, dominated

Madison, Alabama, is a long way from the Windy City. But the wind was blowing out on Tuesday night, and several players expected to play big parts in Chicago’s future took full advantage. Powered by a whopping seven homers, Double-A Tennessee bashed its way to a 10-4 win over Rocket

Following last Friday’s second Opening Day, all four full-season levels of Minor League Baseball are officially playing their 2024 regular seasons. That has given us a few days to take in and digest rosters across Triple-A, Double-A, High-A and Single-A to determine the best of the best. Some are loaded

Heading into Thursday night, Pete Crow-Armstrong had yet to hit a home run in 2024, a streak spanning Spring Training, Minor League games on the back fields and Triple-A play. Despite the lack of power display, the 22-year-old felt no pressure over his home run drought. However, a chat with

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. Last week, I provided a rollicking round-up of notable 2024 Triple-A promotions. Today, we’ll gingerly

MiLB.com's Road to the Show Scouting Report series spotlights players who are just starting their professional careers, focusing on what the experts are projecting for these young phenoms. Here's a look at fifth-ranked Cubs’ prospect Matt Shaw. For more player journeys on The Road to The Show, click here. Matt

Chicago Cubs Minor League pitcher Mathew Peters is set to sit out the entire 2024 season after testing positive for a banned substance, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said. Peters, who is currently on Chicago’s Arizona Complex League roster, was suspended on Jan. 26 for the 2024 ACL

We talk about breakout prospects all the time, like Ethan Salas going from being a 16-year-old new signee to a Double-A player in just a few months or Junior Caminero starting the season outside the Top 100 and ending it at No. 6 (and likely higher by the time of

Some prospects never struggle on their way to the Major Leagues. For example, the first two guys on our Top 100 Prospects list, Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday and Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio, have yet to taste failure in pro ball. They're the exceptions, however. Most prospects face adversity at some

Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each organization and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in each farm system. Next up in our 2023 Organization All-Stars series are the Chicago Cubs. 2023 organization summary: Triple-A Iowa: 82-65 Double-A

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. Subscribe HERE.

MESA, Ariz. -- Kevin Alcántara has become well-known as the No. 4 Cubs prospect flashing speed, power and discipline in his skill set. Those are the same characteristics possessed by a jaguar, not so coincidentally the nickname Alcántara has had since he grew up loving the game of baseball in

With Cade Horton on the mound Tuesday, the Cubs' Double-A affiliate had reason to be confident about their prospects of winning the franchise's first outright Southern League title in 45 years. And once the Tennessee Smokies scored four runs in the first three innings, it felt like that was very

So far this season, Pete Crow-Armstrong has ascended to the top level of the Minor Leagues and posted a 20-20 season. And, oh yeah, MLB's No. 12 overall prospect also has launched four grand slams -- two in the past week. Crow-Armstrong went 4-for-5 with a double and three runs