Latest news with #BaseballProspects
Washington Post
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Cubs top prospect Matt Shaw called back up after a short stint in the minors
MIAMI — The Chicago Cubs recalled top prospect Matt Shaw from Triple-A Iowa on Monday and designated infielder Nicky Lopez for assignment. Chicago optioned the 23-year-old Shaw to Iowa on April 15 after a disappointing start to the rookie third baseman's big league career. The No. 13 pick in the 2023 amateur draft had 10 hits in his first 58 major league at-bats with one homer and three RBIs. He also struck out 18 times in 68 plate appearances.
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cubs calling Matt Shaw back up to Chicago after Triple-A corrections: Source
The Chicago Cubs are calling up third-base prospect Matt Shaw, and he will join the team as it begins a six-game road trip through Miami and Cincinnati, league sources confirmed. Shaw made the Cubs roster after spring training and struggled offensively out of the gate, posting a .172/.294/.241 slash line with an uncharacteristically high 26.5 percent strikeout rate. On April 15, the Cubs sent Shaw back to Triple-A Iowa to regain his confidence and make some slight mechanical changes, including toning down his dramatic leg kick. Advertisement Shaw made the changes the Cubs wanted to see and has been on a torrid stretch at the plate, homering twice on both Thursday and Friday. In 24 games in Iowa this season, he's posted a 151 wRC+ with six homers and 12 total extra-base hits. Since demoting Shaw, the Cubs have gotten little production at third base. According to FanGraphs, the Cubs have a -0.5 WAR and 35 wRC+ from the position, 29th in baseball since April 16. If Shaw can bounce back from his rough initial stint in the big leagues, it would add even more depth to one of the most productive lineups in baseball. News of Shaw's return was first reported by the New York Post. Shaw, 23, was the Cubs' top pick in the 2023 draft, No. 13 overall, out of Maryland. From the moment he arrived in professional baseball, he has hit. The infielder rarely slumped despite some unconventional mechanics at the plate. Scouts believed that he was eventually going to need some adjustments, but failure would have to come first. That finally happened at the highest level, but this past weekend, Shaw applied some changes he had been working on behind the scenes. Shaw's improvements gave the Cubs enough confidence that he was once again ready to join the big-league roster. After being with the club through the toughest schedule in baseball and facing some of the best pitching in the game, Shaw should have a slightly easier time these next few weeks as the Cubs enter a stretch of the schedule that includes the Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees' 2023 11th Round Pick has flown under the radar this season
The Hudson Valley Renegades have gained a ton of attention in the Yankees news cycle for their fearsome foursome of Ben Hess, Bryce Cunningham, Carlos Lagrange, and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. Those four starters all were considered picks to click in the organization due to either their draft or prospect status entering the season, but it has left some other arms on that team overshadowed. One of those pitchers is right-hander Josh Grosz, who delivered one of the best starts for any Hudson Valley pitcher this season when he completed 6.2 innings of one-run ball, striking out nine hitters and walking none. With a strong mix that includes a good four-seam fastball that sits between 93-95 MPH, a sharp gyro slider, and an improving changeup with good two-plane movement. Josh Grosz Looking Sharp, Yankees Have Another Pitching Prospect Shining Credit: Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Yankees selected Josh Grosz in the 11th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft, and last season, he had an up-and-down season as he pitched at three different levels of their organization. His 4.00 ERA in Single-A was a product of an incredibly high BABIP, but he settled in during the second half and earned a promotion to High-A with the Hudson Valley Renegades. Advertisement His 2.77 ERA with the Renegades was good, but the 20.5% K% and 13.2% BB% were below-average, and he'd have to improve on those marks to continue rising through the organization. The Yankees had him repeat in High-A this year after those seven starts, and while his ERA has risen to 4.30, the strikeout and walk numbers are vastly improved. Josh Grosz is walking just 8.9% of batters faced with a 30.7% strikeout rate, as he's been a swing-and-miss machine for Hudson Valley. While there are still some command hiccups, Josh Grosz has been able to hone his three-pitch mix from last season to get outs against some good competition in the South Atlantic League. He throws his four-seamer from a lower arm angle than most pitchers at 32 degrees, getting 16.1 inches of Induced Vertical Break, which allows it to play at the top of the zone. His gyro slider has tight spin that can cause hitters to swing over it at the bottom of the zone, as it's an effective pitch against both righties and lefties. Advertisement Grosz also possesses a changeup that has good vertical separation off of his fastball, and while his changeup doesn't have the huge speed differential that some pitchers chase, I think it's an excellent offering that's evolved into a reliable weapon. Earlier in the 2024 season, his changeup averaged between 7-8 inches of IVB, but in his final few starts, we saw that number drop more as he found ways to kill spin more effectively. READ MORE: Yankees' rookie starter can build off of career-best performance The ability to kill spin on his changeup created way more depth, and that depth makes the changeup devastating against left-handed hitters since it plays better off of his fastball at the top of the zone. Josh Grosz strikes me as a pitcher who has the stuff to be an effective MLB pitcher, but his strike-throwing abilities, health, and arsenal depth will determine whether he'll be a starter or reliever. Advertisement Josh Grosz is throwing strikes at a slightly higher rate than he did last season, although his first-pitch strike rate has dipped a bit, so it seems that he's not putting himself in an advantageous situation to get outs. That's an easy fix and something I expect to see improve as he continues to pitch with Hudson Valley, as the Renegades have done an excellent job refining the Yankees' top pitching prospects. Entering 2025, I did not rank Josh Grosz in my top 30 prospects, but this strong start and the ability to get swings-and-misses have put him right in that conversation. He could be an effective swingman at the Major League level who might develop into a backend starter, and for an 11th Round Pick that would be a roaring success. Related Headlines
Reuters
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Report: Cubs to call up top pitching prospect Cade Horton
May 8 - The Chicago Cubs are expected to call up their top pitching prospect, right-hander Cade Horton, in advance of a three-game road series against the New York Mets, the Des Moines Register reported Thursday. Horton, 23, was the No. 7 overall draft pick by the Cubs in 2022 out of Oklahoma. In his third season in the Cubs' system, he is 2-1 with a 1.24 ERA in six starts for Triple-A Iowa. It will be Horton's first appearance on the major league roster during the regular season. He participated in major league camp during spring training at Mesa, Ariz. The Cubs, who have lost three of their past four games, have yet to reveal their starters for the upcoming series. Only infielder Matt Shaw was ranked above Horton in the Cubs' prospect rankings at Horton also was ranked as the No. 46 overall prospect in MLB. --Field Level Media
