Dylan Cease Headlines Cubs’ Pitching Push

PHOENIX—The Cubs proved last year that you can build a World Series champion with a complete lack of homegrown pitchers.

While Chicago’s World Series lineup included homegrown stars Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber, its pitching staff was assembled from other teams. Free agents, trade acquisitions and even a Rule 5 draft pick filled out the majors’ best pitching staff as measured by ERA. But pitchers signed and developed by the Cubs were almost completely absent.

Scanning the upper levels of Chicago’s farm system shows that this trend won’t change dramatically in 2017 or 2018. But there is hope lower down in the system.

What once was a system stacked with hitters now stands out most for its young pitchers. At Class A or lower, the Cubs this year will have righthanders Dylan Cease, Oscar de la Cruz, Jose Albertos, Thomas Hatch, Erling Moreno and Bailey Clark plus lefthanders Jose Paulino, Justin Steele and Bryan Hudson.

“It’s been in the making,” Cubs farm director Jaron Madison said. “The intention has been to add to our pitching depth through the draft and through all trades. Now those guys are starting to bloom.”

The Cubs drafted pitchers with 13 of their first 14 draft picks in last year’s draft, when they didn’t have a first- or second-round pick. Two of the top three international bonuses signed were also pitchers.

“History shows that position players are the best bet high in the draft,” Madison said of the Cubs’ run of first-round picks from 2012 to 2015 that included Albert Almora, Bryant, Schwarber and Ian Happ. “Now that we are picking No. 30, hopefully for the rest of the decade, we’ll kind of look and see how things map out now. Things are different when you are picking 30th.”

Leading The Charge

If the Cubs are going to become producers of pitching, Cease is the best bet to lead the way. He and the Cubs have had to be patient, though. A 2014 preseason high school All-American, Cease went down early in his senior season at Milton (Ga.) High with an elbow injury that ended up requiring Tommy John surgery.

The Cubs signed him for $1.5 million as a sixth-round pick. And then they waited. Cease made it back to the mound in time to throw 24 innings in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2015.

Even last year, the Cubs kept Cease on a tight leash. He threw 45 innings at short-season Eugene and showed an outstanding fastball at 95-101 mph that led to 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings. His control, changeup and the consistency of his breaking ball all need work, but it was a strong sign of what’s to come.

Now as Cease readies to head to low Class A South Bend, he gets to work like a normal pitcher, not one rehabbing from injury.

“I feel like a real ballplayer now,” Cease said, “where I can now do the same stuff as everyone else. If I want to work on my breaking ball or my changeup in my side sessions, I’m not limited by my rehab schedule. It’s my first real opportunity to expand and grow how I want to.”

Cease still slows his arm at times when throwing his changeup. His curveball is erratic at times, as is the case with many young pitchers. But he has much less to work on than he once did.

“It finally feels like I’m on the other side of the hill. I have all the basics down,” Cease said. “I have a good base, and now I can go out, have fun and keep building on it. (Before surgery) I didn’t have a great fundamental base under me. I didn’t have anything to go back to if I needed to make an adjustment. I had to figure it out every day.

“Now, (my delivery is) way looser, way more athletic. I think it’s a lot better. I don’t worry about (mechanics and delivery) anymore. It’s about execution now.”

It’s not just Cease who gives the Cubs hope. De la Cruz has a chance for three plus pitches. Everyone in the organization is excited to see what Albertos, an 18-year-old Mexican righty, does this year. He made only one outing last year before being shut down with elbow soreness, but he showed a 94-96 mph fastball, a potentially devastating changeup and has mixed in two breaking balls in the past.

Moreno, like Cease, is ready for full-season ball after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Hudson is the kind of big, tall (he’s 6-foot-8), athletic lefty teams dream of finding. After having a dearth of pitching prospects in the past, the Cubs this year will have to push pitchers or hold some back because there just aren’t enough innings to go around.

“We try to balance it out,” Madison said, “but pitching is definitely going to take over as the most exciting part of our organization in the minor leagues as these lower-level guys progress.”