Good, Bad And Ugly Cubs Minor League Updates

Let's start off with the good updates and hey Carl Edwards Jr. is actually in this part.

As you know, Edwards was optioned to Triple-A on Saturday after a horrific opening week to the season for him. He only recorded five outs in four appearances, allowing six runs on three hits and five walks. Two of the three hits he gave up went for home runs. Yikes.

So, the Cubs said enough was enough and in his first appearance in 2019 with Iowa Edwards actually worked out of a bases loaded jam. No, he didn't get in the jam, as he was brought in to extinguish the fire and he did exactly that.

By far the most encouraging part of the outing for Edwards was throwing 19 strikes out of the 28 pitches.

That's just the start, though, as Edwards obviously has to show some consistency. He had a couple arm injuries in 2018, but at some point he simply lost command of the strike zone and had no confidence left.

Edwards has a 3.36 ERA in 160.2 MLB innings with 219 strikeouts and opponents only hitting .156 against him, but he just hasn't been able to get it together since last summer. Hopefully he does put it back together and can contribute on the Cubs.

Now, let's switch over to a left-handed starter. He's not the most well known Cubs prospect, but by the end of 2019 you probably will learn his name.

It's going to be an exciting 2019 season for left-handed starter Brailyn Marquez, who throws in the high 90s and finished his debut on Tuesday night with seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

The 6-foot-4, 20-year-old could very easily finish the year as a top-100 MLB prospect. Marquez is currently ranked third in the Cubs minor league system after having a 3.13 ERA in 12 starts last season.

Maybe this isn't necessarily bad, but it's certainly not good either. Ian Happ had two hits on Tuesday night for the Iowa Cubs. It was the third time he had multiple hits in the first six games at Triple-A, but the problem is he's also struck out nine times in 29 plate appearances. Not really cutting down on the strikeout rate.

But again, it is only six games. But also, Happ just like Edwards, has to show improvement on a consistent basis before they get called back up unless there's an injury.

Speaking of injuries, Jon Lester is going to be on the injured list. He'll most likely miss two starts at most, but it does leave the Cubs with a spot open on their pitching staff.

Joe Maddon hinted at Tyler Chatwood filling in for Lester, so the bullpen is going to need another arm. Doubt it will be Edwards less than a week after getting sent down, but here's another name that I hope isn't called up either.

This is the ugly update.

I know that fans love his stuff and yes Dillon Maples is nasty, but he also hasn't proven that he can command his pitches.

And yes, there are times when he looks brilliant, but there's just no way the Cubs can put him in their bullpen and count on him to throw strikes. I mean, in his first appearance this season with Iowa, Maples walked three batters and allowed a hit, surrendering two runs and only getting two outs. In his second outing he struck out the side, but again walked a batter and out of 20 pitches only 9 were for strikes.

Maples has made a few quick trips to the majors and it's been the same, story, walking 11 and hitting two batters in 10.2 innings.

If there's a guy the Cubs want to call up and see if he can actually be a piece in the bullpen, just bring up Dakota Mekkes. The 24-year-old righty has 3.1 scoreless innings this season and that's after a 1.17 ERA in 53.2 innings in 2018.

But Dillon Maples? Hard pass.