I had never seen Manuel Rodriguez pitch when the Cubs added him to their 40-man roster in November, but after seeing one quick highlight you could figure out exactly why he was protected from the rule 5 draft despite being only at Single-A in 2019.
Yeah, the Cubs don't have a bunch of right-handed relievers who can pump it up in the high 90s, so when you see Rodriguez firing his fastball it grabs your attention.
The 23-year-old from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, spent three years pitching in his native country before the Cubs signed him prior to the 2017 season. Rodriguez had his ups and downs for a couple seasons in the low minors, struggling with high walk totals. However, he finally found some consistency in 2019 at Myrtle Beach, cutting his walks in half and striking out 65 batters in 47 innings.
During Thursday's Cactus League game against the Rangers, the hard-throwing Cubs' prospect showed exactly why he was added to the 40-man roster despite the minimal minor league experience.
Rodriguez struck out two hitters in the fifth inning, while reaching 99mph according to the Cubs' broadcast. He got Joey Gallo swinging and then painted the corner with another electric fastball to end the frame.
Hell yeah! More of that please.
Manuel Rodriguez, remember the name, Cubs fans.
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