Daily Archives: June 1, 2022

As the Cubs continue to be pushed to the limit on their depth, it appears Nelson Velzquez will be the latest Cubs prospect to join the team in Chicago. Hes up today for the double-header against the Brewers.

Velzquez is coming up, fittingly, with his last minor league game being his best since joining Triple-A Iowa. Hes held the top position in my Five Stars many, many times for the last year, and also won MVP in the Arizona Fall League with an incredible performance. I wrote at the time about the elite company his performance in that league put him in, and how that might suggest a brighter future than his presence in prospect rankings suggests. It led to him securing a 40-man roster spot in November.

Velzquez, 23, was my tenth-ranked prospect in the system in my latest rankings earlier this month.

A fifth-round pick in 2017 out of a PJ Education School in Puerto Rico, Velzquez was then a thin-but-strong player with a nice blend of power and speed. Signing scout Edwards Guzman talked about a fantastic batting practice he took as an amateur at Wrigley Field. His stock jumped in 2018 when he showed both skills with the short-season Eugene Emeralds, notching 11 home runs and 12 steals in 72 games with the club.

But when Velzquez returned in 2019, hed become so strong that it had seemed to sap a lot of his athleticism. The defense began to look fringy, stolen bases were no longer a threat, and oddly, his growing strength wasnt translating in the power department. Things were trending the wrong way.

The story of Nelsons rise since then is one of taking ownership of your career. During the 2020 shutdown, Velzquez really worked hard, getting more baseball reps than almost anyone in the organization, and re-discovering some of that lost athleticism. Velzquez is barrel-chested like few others, with big, strong arms and thighs.

When he came back in 2021, Velzquez could again be trusted in center field, though I think his best fit is in right field, where his fabulous throwing arm allows him to pile up assists (18 in 201 professional games in right). While his initial burst of speed isnt elite, Velzquez runs well once he gets going, and made numerous good plays going into the gaps last year.

But the big thing that occurred during 2021 was a swing change that Sahadev Sharma brilliantly outlined last winter at The Athletic. The Cubs have been careful to keep some of the specifics under the hood, but you can see the obvious parts here, as hes lowered his hands and simplified their pre-swing movement, and his bat path is now among the flattest in the entire organization:

With those swing changes in hand, Velzquez was near-instantly able to access the raw power hed hinted at for half-a-decade. In 202 games since the start of the 2021 season (High-A, Double-A, AFL, PRWL, Caribbean Series, Triple-A), Velzquez has hit 43 home runs (and 45 doubles-plus-triples). His max exit velocities were the best in the farm system last year.

There are few players Ive ever tracked in professional baseball that run more hot and cold than Velzquez does; its something that many in the organization Ive spoken with point out. While hes much more thoughtful about his plate approach in the past (and his rising BB% over the years tells you that), Velzquez is still somebody who sometimes sees beach balls at the plate, and sometimes sees marbles.

The question for Velzquezs viability in the Major Leagues is pretty much the same calculus as it is for Patrick Wisdom. Hell walk a little more than Wisdom, probably, and I think youd have to guess the HR/PA rate is at least a little lower. But, like Wisdom, so much is going to come down to whether the strikeout rate is closer to thirty than forty. That difference just might be the entire key.

Like with Christopher Morel, my expectation is that well just see Velzquez in Chicago for a short time. But, like with Morel, perhaps he can play his way into David Ross heart and future plans. He certainly has the raw skills to do so.

Read the rest here:

What to Expect When You're Expecting Nelson Velzquez: Waveland-Bound Power - bleachernation.com

POPLARVILLE, Miss. Pearl River Community College released its Presidents and Deans lists with 126 Wildcat athletes, trainers and managers earning an academic recognition.

Students who earned a 3.4-3.99 GPA were named to the Deans List. Students who earned a 4.0 GPA were honored on the Presidents List.

Below is a complete list of this springs honorees:

BASEBALL

PRESIDENTS LIST:Ryan Burt (Columbus; New Hope), Cooper Cooksey (Waveland; Bay High), Parker Harrington (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove), Sam Hill (Soso; West Jones), Harper Jordan (Hattiesburg; Presbyterian Christian), Will Martin (Brandon), Mason Smith (Laurel; Northeast Jones)

DEANS LIST:Jordan Belsome (Poplarville), Gabe Broadus (Wilmer, Ala.; Faith Academy), Cole Fletcher (Picayune; Saint Stanislaus), Triston Hickman (Wiggins; Stone), Blake Hooks (Petal), Brennan Jones (Gulfport; West Harrison), J.P. Lyon (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove), Matt Mercer (Richton; Petal), Hayden Nored (Sumrall); Tate Parker (Gulfport; West Harrison), Will Passeau (Mobile, Ala.; Saint Pauls), Cole Tolbert (Laurel; West Jones)

WOMENS BASKETBALLPRESIDENTS LIST:Gabby Collier (Brandon), Bryanna Taylor (Terry)

DEANS LIST:Otashae Burrage (Carthage; Leake County), Marcavia Shavers (Biloxi), Halle Traylor (Tupelo), Tristen Washington (Gonzales, La.; East Ascension)

CHEER

PRESIDENTS LIST:Tookie Bolton (Poplarville), Macey Head (Poplarville), Sidney Reesor (Kiln; Hancock), Keelyn Rogers (Taylorsville), Haegan Tynes (Purvis), Kacey Wallace (Mendenhall), Carson Ward (Bay Springs; Sylva Bay Academy), Kayleigh Warren (Purvis)

DEANS LIST:Zian Arrington (Wiggins; Stone), Brooke Breaux (Picayune), Alexis Broom (Sumrall), Kambrey Broome (Sumrall), Holly Falls (Picayune), Madison Lawler (Purvis), Isabella Orozco (Long Beach)

FOOTBALL

PRESIDENT LIST:Conner Mallette (Vancleave)

DEANS LIST:Terrick Bryant (Ocean Springs; St. Martin), Thomas Daniel (Picayune), Ken Irving (DIberville), Javaion Merrell (Collinsville, West Lauderdale), Lawson Pratt (Helena, Ala.; American Christian Academy), Taurese Sibley (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove), Jaydon Slater (Madison; Ridgeland), Andrew Smith (Poplarville), Mason Ward (Vancleave)

GOLF

PRESIDENTS LIST:Madison Gay (Carriere; Pearl River Central)

DEANS LIST:Carson Cunningham (Picayune; Pearl River Central), Isaac Hickman (Picayune), Hunter Robinson (Purvis)

RODEOPRESIDENTS LIST:Peyton Barber (Poplarville), Leyton Burkett (Brewton, Ala.; Flomaton),Karrigan Cagley (Kentwood, La.; Grace Christian Academy),Mary Grayson Martin (Rolling Fork; Sharkey-Issaquena Academy), Jeb Stewart (Lucedale), Mason Theriot (Poplarville)

DEANS LIST:Lauren Bootyy (Osyka; Amite County), Kason Davis (Poplarville), Bryce Graves (Poplarville), Kaitlyn Holland (Liberty; Amite County), Molli Rae Kinchen (Tickfaw, La.; Ponchatoula), Jacob Perry (Pelahatchie)

MENS SOCCERPRESIDENTS LIST:Sebastian Fausett (Kiln; Hancock), Jason Irias (DIberville),Jackson Meeks (Biloxi; DIberville)

DEANS LIST:Brandon Elkins (Bay St. Louis; Saint Stanislaus), Alex Emery (Gulfport; West Harrison), Julio Cezar (Curitiba, Brazil; Zacarias), Peyton Ladner (Gulfport), Durron Myers (Gulfport), Austin Schruff (Bay St. Louis; Saint Stanislaus), Gavin Taylor (Gulfport)

WOMENS SOCCERPRESIDENTS LIST:Blaire Alexander (Poplarville), Erin Clifford (Ocean Springs), Alexis Cochran (Hurley; East Central), Aubrie Edwards (Biloxi), Samantha Kennedy (Carriere; Pearl River Central), Lily Lentz (Gilbert, Ariz.; Dr. Camille Casteel), Jenny Satcher (Hattiesburg), Sydney Spataro (Long Beach), Lola Taylor (Ocean Springs)

DEANS LIST:Lucy Conway (Portsmouth, England.), Zaria Crumpton (Leakesville; Greene County), Ally Davis (Hattiesburg), Emma Godfrey (Pascagoula; Resurrection Catholic), Mackenzie McKinney (Gulfport), Delaney Owen (Gulfport), Sydney Salter (Vancleave), Bailey Smith (Gulfport), Breanna Stansberry (Lucedale; George County), Aubrey Wawrek (Long Beach; Our Lady Academy)

SOFTBALLPRESIDENTS LIST:Dallyn Nance (Nanih Waiya), Janna Peterson (Poplarville), Emily Rigney (Waynesboro; Wayne County), Madi Waters (Laurel; West Jones)

DEANS LIST:Cassady Bradford (Saucier; West Harrison), Cassidy Cartwright (Poplarville), Erin Daughtery (Vancleave), Payton Lee (Picayune; Pearl River Central), Hannah Miller (Kokomo; West Marion), Keigan Pearson (Carriere; Pearl River Central)

VOLLEYBALLPRESIDENTS LIST:Emma Bahr (Ocean Springs); Payton McKerchie (Vancleave)

DEANS LIST:Avery Beth Durdin (Olive Branch; Lewisburg), Chloe Paske (St. Martin), Sydney Salter (Vancleave)

ATHLETIC TRAINERS & MANAGERS

PRESIDENTS LIST:Brenham DeWitt (Pass Christian; Hancock),Ivory Stallings (Hattiesburg)

DEANS LIST:Tyler Bradley (Hattiesburg; Presbyterian Christian), Hannah Brown (Picayune), Travis Conner (Moselle; South Jones), Katelyn Davis (Vancleave),Joshua Foxworth (Foxworth; West Marion), Deanna Freeman (Poplarville), Destiny Hannah (Picayune), Kendel Hargrove (Hattiesburg), Brandie Hust (Bay St. Louis); Ana Jimenez-Becerra (Gulfport), Seth Ladner (Poplarville), Britnee Martin (Port Gibson; Porters Chapel), Jenniya Milton (Braxton; Mendenhall), Antonio Smith (Picayune)

For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter(@PRCCAthletics)and Facebook(PRCCAthletics).

Originally posted here:

126 Pearl River Wildcats named to Dean's and President's lists - Picayune Item - Picayune Item

For a little while, it looked as if the Cubs might be able to follow the 2021 script and turn in a big month of May.

Last season, David Ross squad got out to an 11-15 start in April before getting hot in May (19-8) and shooting into first place to begin June.

In 2022, the Cubs were hoping to follow up an 8-13 April with another strong May but it didnt quite play out that way.

After a 5-game losing streak early in the month, the Cubs won back-to-back-to-back series and went 6-2 in a stretch before finishing the month 2-5.

Things dont get any easier in June, as the Cubs have to play 6 games in the first 5 days of the month against the top two teams in the NL Central (Brewers, Cardinals).

Here are 10 things we learned about the 2022 Cubs in May:

Midway through May, the Cubs were in a tight roster crunch and needed another position player in the big leagues.

So they promoted Christopher Morel from Double-A Tennessee. Morel was already on the 40-man roster but had only played 10 games above the Double-A level and didnt have the same hype as some of the other prospects in the Cubs system.

MLB.com ranked Morel as the teams 21st overall prospect and Lance Brozdowski ranked him 14th.

All Morel has done since his call-up is get on base in every game of his MLB career, setting a franchise record in the process.

His walk Tuesday to break the record was indicative of his impact early in his career Morel got down in the count 0-2 but battled back to lay off 4 straight pitches. Then when he was on base, he forced an errant pickoff throw that led to a run.

On top of all that hes done offensively, Morel has also swiped 5 bases and can play all over the field with starts at second base, center field, third base and shortstop so far in the big leagues.

Versatility is a bonus in our game and helps with roster construction and some of the things you look at when youre building a team, Ross said. Love him in center, love him at second. If hes on the field, hes a spark for us right now and Ill continue to take him where we can get him and try to fit the most offense possible in the lineup.

And Morel has done all this with a joyful exuberance:

He doesnt turn 23 until June 24. Two weeks is a small sample size, but at the very least, Morel looks like he could be a utility player for the Cubs long-term.

Here is the list of players who made their MLB debuts with the Cubs in May:

Christopher MorelBrandon HughesNelson VelzquezMatt SwarmerAnderson Espinoza

That list figures to grow as the season wears on, with top pitching prospect Caleb Kilian knocking at the door and Brennen Davis just one call away at Iowa.

The young pitching has been particularly impressive for the organization over the last two seasons.

After a sparkling April, Keegan Thompson threw well again in May (2.31 ERA) and made 3 solid spot starts.

Scott Effross has established himself as one of Ross most trusted options in the bullpen.

Justin Steele has had his moments in the rotation while Hughes, Swarmer and Espinoza impressed during their first foray into the majors.

The Cubs have also stuck with Nico Hoerner at shortstop to see what he can do at the position long-term, moving veteran Andrelton Simmons to second base when Hoerner returned from the IL last week.

The Cubs will begin June with an injured list that consists of:

1. Seiya Suzuki2. Yan Gomes3. Jonathan Villar4. Michael Hermosillo5. Jason Heyward6. David Bote7. Adbert Alzolay8. Wade Miley9. Alec Mills10. Codi Heuer11. Sean Newcomb12. Ethan Roberts13. Michael Rucker14. Brad Wieck

Bote, Alzolay, Mills, Heuer, Roberts and Wieck are all on the 60-day IL. Bote and Mills are currently rehabbing and eligible to return next week and Alzolay is meeting with the team soon to determine a throwing program.

On top of that, Drew Smyly is currently in limbo after leaving Mondays start with oblique soreness.

It has been a crazy couple weeks for us, said Nick Madrigal, who just returned from the IL Tuesday after three weeks on the shelf.

Its been a tough stretch for the Cubs and their depth has certainly been tested but with that has come with some silver linings, too.

As much as the bad news feels like its coming a lot lately, theres also a lot of energy from the young guys, Ross said. Swarmer threw phenomenal yesterday. When these guys get to put themselves on the map and continue to look at some pieces, its not a bad thing.

Ross also confirmed Tuesday that Swarmer will remain in the big leagues and make another start.

Speaking of the rotation

As Jed Hoyers front office set about addressing the pitching plan for the season, a big part of that picture was the rotation. The Cubs signed Marcus Stroman to a 3-year deal, claimed Wade Miley off waivers and inked Drew Smyly to a 1-year deal.

That trio of veterans combined with Kyle Hendricks and Steele to form the projected rotationbut that group has only been together twice through the order so far this season.

The healthy rotation coincided with the Cubs best stretch of the season in the middle of May as the starters turned in the NLs best ERA (2.68) in a 10-game span.

Miley is back on the IL this time with a shoulder injury and Smylys status is unknown.

But Stroman is coming off his best start of the year, Thompson has looked good in the rotation and Swarmer earned himself another outing.

This roster isnt made up of a bunch of speedsters and the Cubs stole only 4 bases in April.

But May has been a completely different story.

No team in baseball had more swipes (30) than the Cubs in the month.

That included 2 more stolen bases in Tuesday nights contest, which marked the 11th straight game with a steal the first time a Cubs team has done that since April 1989.

Morel (5 stolen bases) has helped bump up that total a bit, but otherwise its the same roster as April.

So why the change?

A big part of it is Ross and his coaching staff trying to instill aggressiveness on the basepaths in the right way.

When we identify opportunities, areas where we can maybe exploit something here or there, we try to do that, Ross said. I feel like weve done a really nice job as of late, guys have learned when to take those opportunities. I wounldnt say the first two weeks of the season was our greatest baserunning moments and we had some learning opportunities in that. We talked about that and guys are growing.

Thats part of the season and us continuing to know what were looking for and how to take advantage of it. I would say the baseball IQ of the players and their instincts are starting to pick up and play right now and doing a really nice job of putting ourselves with runners in scoring position late in games and giving ourselves a chance to if we come up with the big hit to be able to tie or take the lead.

Ross also conceded that this is a Cubs lineup that hits the ball on the ground a lot, so it is a conscious effort to get runners in motion and try to put pressure on the opposing defense.

Trade rumors will continue to swirl around Contreras but for now, he looks like the Cubs best bet to head to L.A. for the 2022 All-Star Game.

Contreras got the nod behind home plate for the Midsummer Classic in both 2018-19 and looks poised to repeat this year.

The Cubs catcher had a huge May, hitting 6 homers and driving in 11 runs while slashing .290/.426/.592 (1.018 OPS). That included a homer and an RBI double Tuesday night to close out the month.

When Willy goes, we go, Steele said. When he has a big game, home runs, hitting the ball well, seeing the ball well, I feel like the whole team feeds off the energy and everybody goes at the same time.

Contreras has been the best offensive catcher in the game in 2022 pacing the position in OPS, on-base percentage and runs scored and ranks 2nd in WAR.

One of the main takeaways from April was Suzukis incredible start and how he looked like a budding star.

May was a different story, as he struck out 26 times in 79 plate appearances over the month and will start June on the IL with a sprained finger.

Suzuki batted .211/.279/.338 (.617 OPS) in May. With regards to the strikeouts, he has been the victim of some bad luck with quite a few balls out of the zone called strikes.

That has led to a high amount of strikeouts looking but Suzuki doesnt want to get away from who he is and what he does best when he returns from the injury.

I did give that some thought but I always want to make sure I dont swing at pitches out of the zone, Suzuki said. Obviously it hasnt been a really good way for me recently but hopefully I can get over this hump and start hitting.

Obviously you see in games, a lot of the balls are called strikes on me. I dont want to change my strike zone. Just keep on adjusting.

The Cubs third baseman homered in 4 straight games in May, becoming the first Cubs player to do so since Anthony Rizzo in 2015.

Wisdom punctuated the month with a blast to Waveland Tuesday night, an 8th-inning homer that lifted the Cubs to victory.

He enters June with a team-leading 11 homers and is tied with Ian Happ for the most RBI (26) on the Cubs.

It has been exactly 53 weeks since the Cubs first promoted Wisdom to the big leagues last season and in that time, he has mashed 39 homers and accrued 3.0 WAR.

Maybe a trip to the Home Run Derby is next for Wisdom?

Tuesday nights victory improved the Cubs record in 1-run games to 5-13 this season.

So nearly half of the teams losses in 2022 have been of the 1-run variety which Ross takes as a good sign and hopes Tuesday could be an inflection point for the Cubs.

The fact that were in a lot of the 1-run games tells you the teams good enough to compete with the best, Ross said. Thats a really good team over there and weve been in a lot of 1-run games with them and a lot of teams around the league.

You gotta make things happen. You gotta push over the hump. Youve gotta have some things go right for you and you also gotta fight, which I think this group has. Theyve proven that. Big swing tonight puts us ahead.

Obviously a big win with some tough losses the last 3 games. It hasnt been for lack of effort. We need to get over that hump. Weve just gotta figure out a way to win. These guys did tonight.

As May turns to June and the trade deadline comes closer into focus, Hoyer will continue to be asked how he plans to approach the deadline and prioritize the future while trying to still help the current team win right now.

There are going to be moments in time you have to make a decision, Hoyer said last weekend. Sometimes the current and the future are in conflict. Whether its trading prospects to get a now player. Whether its doing a really long deal on a free agent. When those things are in conflict, we are going to look towards the future.

Our goal is to build something really special just like it was last time and I think sometimes to do that, you have to take a long view. Do we want to compete right now? Absolutely. When the decisions avail themselves, do we want to make decisions that help this team right now? Absolutely.

I believe going back to 12, 13, 14, taking a long view is really important. The way our game is set up, you are forced often times to decide: Is this a move I want to make right now that is going to have a negative impact on our future? When those have come up, Ive leaned strongly towards the future and I feel strongly about that.

Hoyer also draws on his experiences from other organizations, like when he was the GM of the San Diego Padres in 2010.

We had a team in 2010 that everybody thought was gonna be a last place team, Hoyer said. And that team came together and everything clicked and we won 90 games. We got knocked out the last day of the season.

Thats gonna happen every several years. Everyone that wins a division title isnt projected to win 93 games.

He is hoping the 2022 Cubs could take a similar path.

Were trying to put together a team that has the pitching, has the pieces together that if everything goes right, can compete, Hoyer said. I think that is and was the goal. But being aware that I believe we have an incredibly bright future and were not gonna make moves that are gonna hurt that future that we want to build.

Read this article:

10 things we learned about the Cubs in May - Chicago Cubs News - Marquee Sports Network