Will Sanders – Picture by Rich Biesterfeld
I’d like to think that this will be one of the draft picks from last year’s class. However, you never know about these things. It could just as well be someone coming stateside from the Dominican. It could even be a player at South Bend. However, odds are it will be someone who starts the year out in Myrtle Beach or in EXST and works their way up the system. It could be a pitcher. It could even be a hitter. There are just so many options.
Last Year’s Winner: Jefferson Rojas
So, if you are person who bets a lot, I would bet on the field because there are a lot of names to consider in the lower part of the system.
Rich Biesterfeld
This category was the toughest one for me to settle on a final candidate. The player to win this award is typically someone who is not heralded in the system coming into the season. Is this the year that a player from the 2022 draft such as Chris Paciolla or Mason McGwire show the potential that the Cubs saw in them when they were drafted? I considered both of them, but ultimately settled on Pedro Ramirez. Pedro got off to a rough start at Myrtle Beach in 2023, but after a brief stint on the Development List and some work in AZ, he came back strong and posted good numbers. He may be ready to follow in the footsteps of Jefferson Rojas, his infield mate in Myrtle Beach last year and South Bend this year.
Greg Huss
I debated going with Brody McCullough here but you could argue a mini-breakout already happened for him last year. If he jumped into the top 12 prospects in the system this year, I don’t think anyone would be too awful blown away.
So instead, I’m gonna go with a relatively unfamiliar name: Alfonsin Rosario. This is a risky pick because we don’t actually know when or if he’ll debut in Myrtle Beach this year. But I’ve heard plenty of good things about what he’s doing down in Mesa this spring. His athleticism and crazy exit velos will be a sight to behold the moment he flashes on our screens.
Todd Johnson
Just to be clear, most breakouts are not going to be in the top 15 or 20 guys on a prospect list. It’s going to be someone who shoots up a prospect list. For me, that guy is Will Sanders. The big righty is out of South Carolina and the Cubs basically stole him on day two of the draft last year. He is going to debut this week and I’m pretty excited to see him pitch for South Bend. Like Brandon Birdsell, Sanders is experienced and he should be the guy to watch for the first couple months. It’ll be interesting to see if the Cubs tinker with any of his pitches to either improve them or make small adjustments to them. He’s already got a plus curve and I’ll be interested to see what else he develops that’s going to baffle Class A hitters.
