Fine. I’ll just say it out loud.
Of all the barbeque meats, brisket is not only the most overrated, it might also straight up be the worst.
Keith Law ranked the 25 prospects most likely to impact the 2025 season, by how much impact they could have (so you have to keep in mind that playing time is a factor), and guess who landed all the way up at number one:“1. Matt Shaw, 3B, Chicago Cubs (Top 100 Rank: 14)Shaw appears to be the leader to win the third-base job in Chicago this year, and they’ve been working toward creating a path for him at least since the summer, although their quixotic pursuit of Alex Bregman would have changed Shaw’s placement on this list had they succeeded. (I don’t think he would have been enough of an upgrade over Shaw to justify the extra expense.) Shaw makes a lot of high-quality contact, and he’s hit all the way up through Triple A, showing the ability to hit the best pitching he’s faced so far.
We’ve seen plenty of elite hitting prospects scuffle on their first exposure to major-league pitching in the past couple of years, so I won’t guarantee anything here. I think of all of the guys on this list who are likely to make an Opening Day roster, Shaw has the best chance to hit enough to have a real impact this year, with a .350 OBP and 15-18 homers a reasonable target for his rookie season.”
Suffice to say, if Matt Shaw became the Cubs’ everyday third baseman this year right out of the gate, and played average defense while hitting something like .270/.350/.420 and running the bases well, then he’s going to be worth 4+ wins. That’d be, relatively speaking, an enormous rookie season. And it would not only have him squarely on the Rookie of the Year radar, but it would be a huge boon to the Cubs’ chances of winning 90+ games. That offensive expectation feels high to me for a rookie in the current era (that adjustment to big league pitching is just so difficult right now), but hey, it’s not like Law is persistently overly rosy. Still, I’m going to mentally prepare my hopes for something more like .260/.320/.400, which would still make him a quality starter at third base, especially as a rookie. If he exceeds that, then it’d be amazing. But let’s take a step back and note that Shaw is still not yet full go as he rests the oblique injury, so maybe we first root for him to get back on the field. Then take it from there. Kyle Tucker’s first spring at bat with the Chicago Cubs yielded an out, but it was a very well-struck, deep fly/liner to right field, so I’m calling it a win. He’s ready.Kyle Tucker flies out to deep right in his first at-bat. pic.twitter.com/Sa9Q7RUBVZ
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) February 23, 2025 Ryan Pressly also made his Cubs debut, though he wound up in some long at bats that ended his inning early. (I would say he’s sufficiently established that you can be confident he’s just getting in his work at this point in the spring.)Ryan Pressly’s first strikeout as a Cub ? pic.twitter.com/xg6G9VQjdz
— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) February 23, 2025 Stray thing I like to take note of each year in Spring Training, because it’s pretty much always been a leading indicator for prospect surprises: which lower-level, less-experienced prospects are getting a lot of game action early in Spring Training? Sure, you expect the guys at Double-A and Triple-A to appear a lot (Jonathon Long, for example, has shown up a lot – not a surprise), so that doesn’t really tell you much. But when you see a guy like outfielder Ivan Brethrowr appearing in multiple games already, despite having just been drafted last year and having played only 23 games at Low-A, you notice it. That does not mean that Brethrowr *IS* a more significant prospect than we think – he was a good college hitter whom the Cubs took in the 7th round, but who arguably could’ve gone a couple rounds higher – but it does mean he might be a guy who moves up a level or two more quickly this year than we had been expecting, even if the results aren’t yet overwhelming. It is suggestive of the Cubs believing there’s maturity and upside there.108.4 mph off the bat on this roundtripper from @Cubs 2024 7th-rounder Ivan Brethowr: pic.twitter.com/uAfux48XyJ
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 20, 2025 Are you ready for a bigger and stronger Michael Busch:Craig Counsell on Michael Busch added muscle, per Marquee:“Busch is in a place where he put 500 PA under his belt in the big leagues against the best pitchers in the world. You learn from that. There’s so much learning that goes from that. He’s a talented hitter.”
— CHGO Cubs (@CHGO_Cubs) February 23, 2025 Love to see progress from Cade Horton:After Horton's session, manager Craig Counsell stepped in to give a quick fist bump to the right-hander.#Cubs #SpringTraining t.co/C7m4EbLOYC pic.twitter.com/OgVblukptz
— Scott Changnon (@ScottyChags) February 23, 2025 Sorry for laughing, big boy:Oh noooo! Haydn McGeary blows out a tire rounding third base ? pic.twitter.com/B9f8JP60uS
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) February 23, 2025The boys having a good laugh in the dugout with Haydn McGeary ? pic.twitter.com/tby9SCMljy
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) February 23, 2025 Big oof for old friend Nick Madrigal, who was recently signed by the Mets but has already suffered a potentially serious injury – he dislocated his shoulder and is getting an MRI to determine the extent of the damage. Hopefully Kris Bryant can finally avoid the injury bug:#Rockies Kris Bryant made his Cactus League debut today and walked twice, scoring one run.Bryant is feeling better so far in camp and is relishing dealing with the general discomfort that comes with being a pro athlete. pic.twitter.com/C5fVT7suab
— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) February 23, 2025MORE FROM BLEACHER NATION: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter
CHICAGO BEARS NOTES — FEB. 23, 2025? Some love for Darnell Wright? ESPN cooks up a bold alternative to the Bears' offseason strategy? Even Jason Kelce points out what stinks about the tush push? I didn't realize that the D-line was aging
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@bn-bears.bsky.social) 2025-02-23T15:56:29.571ZFrank’s Finale, Reichel Sits, Deadline Distraction? Another Lardis Hat Trick, and Other #Blackhawks Bulletswww.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2…
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@bn-blackhawks.bsky.social) 2025-02-24T14:09:03.656ZMatas Buzelis continues to show A LOT of promise on the offensive end.
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@bn-bulls.bsky.social) 2025-02-23T18:31:29.695Z Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Shaw as the Most Impactful Prospect, Tucker and Pressly Debut, Brethrowr, Busch, and Other Cubs Bullets )
Also on site :