Chicago Cubs minor league players

Miguel Amaya
Miguel Amaya batting for the South Bend Cubs
Chicago Cubs – No. 75
Catcher
Born: (1999-03-09) March 9, 1999 Chitré, Panama
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Miguel Antonio Amaya (born March 9, 1999) is a Panamanian professional baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Amaya signed with the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent in July 2015.[1] He made his professional debut in 2016 with the Dominican Summer League Cubs where he hit .245 with one home run and 22 RBIs in 58 games.

Amaya played 2017 with the Eugene Emeralds where he slashed .228/.266/.338 with three home runs and 26 RBIs in 58 games,[2] and spent 2018 with the South Bend Cubs,[3] earning Midwest League All-Star honors[4] and slashing .256/.349/.403 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs in 116 games.[5] He was selected to play in that year's All-Star Futures Game.[6]

Amaya spent 2019 with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans,[7] batting .235/.351/.402 with 11 home runs and 57 RBIs over 99 games. He was also selected to the All-Star Futures Game for the second consecutive year.[8] He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox following the season.[9]

Amaya was added to Chicago's 40–man roster following the 2019 season.[10] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] He is to undergo Tommy John surgery in the 2021-22 offseason.

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Max Bain
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher
Born: (1997-09-25) September 25, 1997 Clarkston, Michigan
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Maxwell Aaron Bain (born September 25, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Bain played for Northwood University in Midland, Michigan throughout his college years, while also pitching for the Kalamazoo Growlers in the Northwoods League.[12] He elected to play independent ball with the Utica Unicorns following his college career before signing with the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent.[13]

Bain was assigned to the South Bend Cubs for the entirety of the 2021 season, compiling a 5.52 ERA and 1.484 FIP across 93 innings pitched.[12]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Brycelin Steven Ball (born July 8, 1998) is an American professional baseball first baseman in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Ball attended Newman Catholic High School in Mason City, Iowa and played college baseball at North Iowa Area Community College and Dallas Baptist University.[14] He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 24th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[15]

Ball made his professional debut with the Danville Braves and was later promoted to the Rome Braves. In 62 games, he hit .329/.395/.628 with 17 home runs and 52 runs batted in (RBIs) over 231 at-bats.[16] The Braves invited him to their Spring Training in 2020.[17][18] However, he did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] Ball began the 2021 season with Rome.

On July 15, 2021, Ball was traded to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Joc Pederson.[19][20] He was assigned to the South Bend Cubs with whom he finished the season.[21] Over 107 games between Rome and South Bend, he slashed .206/.351/.387 with 13 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 21 doubles.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Alexander Canario (born May 7, 2000) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Canario signed with the Giants as an international free agent in 2016.[22][23] In 2017, playing for the DSL Giants in the Dominican Summer League, he batted .294/.391/.464 with 17 doubles (3rd in the league), 5 home runs (3rd), and 45 RBIs (2nd).[24] He was a Baseball America DSL All-Star.[25]

In 2019, playing for the Class A- Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, he batted .301/.365/.539 (4th in the Northwest League) with 38 runs (6th), 17 doubles (leading the league), 9 home runs (2nd), and 40 RBIs (3rd).[26] In 43 at bats for the 2019 ACL Giants Orange in the Arizona League, he batted .395/.435/1.000 with 7 home runs (8th in the league).[27] He was an MiLB.com Organization All-Star, a Baseball America Short-Season All-Star, and a Northwest League Post-Season All-Star.[25]

The Giants added him to their 40-man roster after the 2020 season.[28]

On July 30, 2021, the San Francisco Giants traded Canario along with Caleb Kilian to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Kris Bryant.[29]

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Owen Caissie (born July 8, 2002) is a Canadian professional baseball outfielder in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Caissie grew up in Burlington, Ontario and attended Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School.[30] Caissie played for Canada's Junior National team.[31]

Caissie was selected in the second round with the 45th overall pick of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres and was the first player from Canada selected.[32] He signed with the team on June 24, 2020, and received a $1,200,004 signing bonus.[33] Caissie spent the remainder of the summer training in Ontario due to the 2020 minor league season being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[34]

On December 29, 2020, the San Diego Padres traded Caissie, pitcher Zach Davies, and three other minor league players to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for pitcher Yu Darvish and catcher Víctor Caratini.[35] He began the 2021 minor league season with the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Cubs, where he batted .349 with six home runs before being promoted to the Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans.[36]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Christian Franklin (born November 30, 1999) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Chicago Cubs organization. He played college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Franklin grew up in Overland Park, Kansas and attended Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri.[37] He batted .361 over his junior and senior seasons with 18 RBIs and 14 runs scored.[38]

Franklin became the Razorbacks' starting left fielder as a freshman and was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team after batting .274 with 41 runs scored, 34 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases.[39] After the season, he played summer baseball for the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League.[40] As a sophomore, Franklin batted .381 with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and RBIs in 16 games before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.[41][42]

Franklin was named a preseason First Team All-American by Baseball America and by the National College Baseball Writers Association going into his junior year.[43][44][45] He was named the SEC Player of the Week on May 3, 2021, after driving in 10 runs in three games against LSU and was a second team All-SEC selection at the end of the regular season.[46][47][48] In the opening game of the 2021 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, Franklin had a run-saving catch followed by a home run to spark a come from behind win over NJIT.[49][50]

Franklin was selected in the 4th round with the 123rd overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago Cubs.[51] He signed with the team on July 16, 2021, and received a $425,000 bonus.[52] Franklin was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Cubs to begin his professional career, where he played four games before being promoted to the Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans.[36] Over 24 games between the two teams, he batted .237 with one home run and eight RBIs.

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• Arkansas Razorbacks bio

Kohl Riddle Franklin (born September 9, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Franklin attended Broken Arrow High School in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He missed a majority of his senior baseball season in 2018 while nursing a fractured foot.[53][54] After the season, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the sixth round (188th overall) of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.[55][56] He signed with the Cubs for $540,000, forgoing his college commitment to the University of Oklahoma.[57]

Franklin made his professional debut that year with the Rookie-level Arizona League Cubs, compiling a 6.23 ERA over 8+2⁄3 innings.[58] In 2019, he spent a majority of the season with the Eugene Emeralds of the Class A Short Season Northwest League, pitching to a 1–3 record with a 2.31 ERA over ten starts, striking out 49 batters over 39 innings.[59] Near the end of the season, he was promoted to the South Bend Cubs of the Class A Midwest League and pitched in one game for them.[60] Franklin did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] He missed all of the 2021 season due to an oblique injury and shoulder strain.[61][62] He was assigned to South Bend (now members of High-A) to begin the 2022 season.[63]

Franklin's father, Jay Franklin, is a baseball agent as well as the president of BBI Sports Group, representing MLB players such as Dylan Bundy, Ian Kinsler, and Archie Bradley.[64][65][66] He is also the nephew of former MLB pitcher Ryan Franklin.[67]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Davidjohn Patrick Herz (born January 4, 2001) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Herz attended Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the eighth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[68] He signed with the Cubs for $500,000, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[69]

Herz made his professional debut with the Arizona League Cubs. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the season being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[70] Herz started 2021 with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and was later promoted to the South Bend Cubs.[71][72] Over twenty starts between the two teams, he went 4-4 with a 3.31 ERA and 131 strikeouts over 81+2⁄3 innings.[73] Herz won the Vedie Himsl Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year award.[74]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Ryan Austin Jensen (born November 23, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization. He played college baseball at Fresno State University.[75][76][77]

Jensen attended Salinas High School in Salinas, California. In 2016, as a senior, he went 2–5 with a 2.75 ERA.[78] He was not drafted in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, thus enrolling at Fresno State University. He struggled as a freshman in 2017 and as a sophomore in 2018, posting ERAs of 6.60 and 5.35, respectively.[79] He broke out as a junior in 2019, going 12–1 with a 2.88 ERA in 16 games and being named Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year.[80][81]

Jensen was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the 27th overall pick in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[82][83][84] He signed with the Cubs for $2 million and was assigned to the Eugene Emeralds.[85][86][87] Over six starts, he compiled a 2.25 ERA, striking out 19 over 12 innings.[88] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[89] Jensen split the 2021 season between the South Bend Cubs and Tennessee Smokies, going 3-7 with a 4.16 ERA and ninety strikeouts over eighty innings.[90] He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox after the season.[91]

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• Fresno State bio

Caleb John Kilian (born June 2, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Kilian attended Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas and played college baseball at Texas Tech University. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 20th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign and returned to Texas Tech.[92] He was then drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the eighth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft and signed.[93]

Kilian spent his first professional season in 2019 with the Arizona League Giants and Salem-Keizer Volcanoes and did not allow an earned run over 16 innings. Owing to the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League Baseball season because of COVID-19, he did not pitch for a team. He started 2021 with the Eugene Emeralds before being promoted to the Richmond Flying Squirrels.[94]

On July 30, 2021, the San Francisco Giants traded Kilian along with Alexander Canario to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Kris Bryant.[29] He was assigned to play for the Tennessee Smokies, but missed the final month of the 2021 season due to injury. Over 19 starts between Eugene, Richmond, and Tennessee, he went 7-4 with a 2.42 ERA and 112 strikeouts over 100+1⁄3 innings.[95] After the season, Kilian played for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. He won the AFL Championship Game's MVP Award after throwing six perfect innings, retiring all 18 batters he faced.[96] He opened the 2022 season with the Iowa Cubs.[97]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Scott Alexander Kobos (born August 3, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Kobos attended Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina.[98] He began his collegiate baseball career at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, transferred to St. Johns River State College after his freshman year, and transferred once again to Coastal Carolina University after his sophomore season in 2017.[99] He was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 38th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign.[100] He missed a majority of his first year at Coastal Carolina in 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.[101] He returned healthy in 2019, and compiled a 6.04 ERA over 28+1⁄3 innings.[102] He appeared in five games in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[103]

Unselected in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft, Kobos signed with the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent.[104] He did not play a minor league game due to the cancellation of the season.[11] Kobos began the 2021 season with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Low-A East, and earned promotions to the South Bend Cubs of the High-A Central, the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A South, and the Iowa Cubs of the Triple-A East during the season.[105][106] Over 25 relief appearances between the four teams, Kobos went 3–0 with a 2.18 ERA and fifty strikeouts over 33 innings.[107] He returned to the Smokies to begin the 2022 season.[108]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Coastal Carolina bio

Benjamin Kyle Leeper (born June 15, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Leeper attended Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas.[109] In 2014, as a junior, he went 11–1 with a 0.90 ERA and 106 strikeouts.[110] He underwent Tommy John surgery during his senior year.[111] After graduating, he enrolled at Oklahoma State University where he played college baseball.

Leeper made two appearances as a freshman in 2016 before an arm injury that required a second Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss all of the 2017 season as well.[112] He returned to play in 2018, pitching 27+2⁄3 innings in which he compiled a 12.69 ERA.[113] In 2019, he moved into the closer role and pitched to a 4–4 record, a 4.31 ERA, and seven saves with 43 strikeouts over 31+1⁄3 innings.[114][115] That summer, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[116] He made six appearances in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[117] Unselected in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft, he signed with the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent.[118]

Leeper made his professional debut in 2021 with the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A South and was promoted to the Iowa Cubs of the Triple-A East in early June.[119] He was shut down in mid-August after pitching the most innings he had thrown since his junior year of high school.[120] Over 35 relief innings pitched between the two teams, Leeper went 4–3 with a 1.29 ERA and 53 strikeouts.[121] He was a non-roster invitee to spring training in 2022.[122] He returned to Iowa to begin the 2022 season.[123]

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• Oklahoma State bio

Brendon Little
Brendon Little pitching for the South Bend Cubs
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher
Born: (1996-08-11) August 11, 1996 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bats: Left Throws: Left

Brendon David Little (born August 11, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Little graduated from Conestoga High School in 2015. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 36th round of the 2015 MLB draft, but he chose not to sign and instead decided to enroll at the University of North Carolina to play college baseball.[124] After appearing in only four games as a freshman in 2016, he transferred to the State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota.[125][126][127] In 2016, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and was named a league all-star.[128] In 2017, his sophomore year, he went 5–3 with a 2.53 ERA in 15 starts.[129] After his sophomore season, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the 2017 MLB draft.[130][131] He signed, and was assigned to the Eugene Emeralds, where he went 0–2 with a 9.37 ERA in six starts.[132]

Little spent the 2018 season with the South Bend Cubs, compiling a 5–11 record with 5.15 ERA in 22 games (21 starts).[133] Little began 2019 with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on the injured list.[134] After being activated from the IL, he returned to South Bend before being promoted back to Myrtle Beach. Over six starts with South Bend, he compiled a 1.91 ERA, and over four starts with the Pelicans, he went 2–1 with a 5.95 ERA.

Little did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] In 2021, he saw action as a reliever, pitching with the Tennessee Smokies and Iowa Cubs for the majority of the season. He found relative success in this new role, accruing a 3.24 ERA across 26 games with 53 strikeouts.

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Dakota Mekkes
Dakota Mekkes pitching for the Battle Creek Bombers
Chicago Cubs
Pitcher
Born: (1994-11-06) November 6, 1994 Jenison, Michigan
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Dakota Mekkes (born November 6, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Mekkes attended Jenison High School in Jenison, Michigan. As a senior in 2013, he was 6–1 with a 2.28 ERA and 73 strikeouts.[135] He went undrafted out of high school in the 2013 MLB draft and enrolled at Michigan State University where he played college baseball.[136] He redshirted his 2014 freshman season and pitched only 12 innings as a redshirt freshman in 2015, but broke out as a redshirt sophomore in 2016, going 3–2 with a 1.74 ERA in 57 relief innings, striking out 96.[137] After the season, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.[138]

Mekkes signed and spent his first professional season with the Arizona League Cubs and Eugene Emeralds, pitching to a combined 1–1 record and a 1.80 ERA in 20 relief innings pitched between both teams. He pitched 2017 with the South Bend Cubs and Myrtle Beach Pelicans, going 8–2 with a 0.98 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 42 total relief appearances, and started 2018 with Tennessee Smokies, with whom he was named a Southern League All-Star before being promoted to the Iowa Cubs.[139][140][141][142] In 41 relief appearances between the two clubs, he was 4–0 with a 1.17 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.[143]

Mekkes returned to Iowa for the 2019 season, compiling a 4–2 record with a 5.29 ERA and 61 strikeouts over 49+1⁄3 relief innings.[144] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] He split the 2021 season between Tennessee and Iowa, going 1-3 with a 4.35 ERA and 39 strikeouts over 41+1⁄3 innings.

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Christopher Rafael Morel (born June 24, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball infielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Morel signed with the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent in 2015. The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster after the 2020 season.[145]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Reginald Preciado (born July 4, 1997) is a Panamanian professional baseball shortstop in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Preciado signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent in 2019 for $1.3 million.[146] He was then traded to the Cubs along with Zach Davies, Owen Caissie, Ismael Mena, and Yeison Santana for Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini on December 30, 2021.[147]

Preciado was promoted to the Arizona Complex League in the 2021 season, posting a .333/.383/.511/.894 slash line with 3 home runs in 34 games.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Cole Roederer (born September 24, 1999) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Roederer attended William S. Hart High School in Santa Clarita, California.[148] In 2018, as a senior, he batted .392 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs.[149] After his senior year, the Chicago Cubs drafted Roederer with the 77th overall pick of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.[150][151] He signed with the Cubs, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at UCLA.[152][153]

After signing, Roederer was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona League Cubs. He homered in his first at-bat of his first professional game.[154] He finished the year in Arizona batting .275 with five home runs, 24 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases in 36 games.[155] He spent the 2019 season with the South Bend Cubs of the Class A Midwest League, slashing .224/.319/.365 with nine home runs, sixty RBIs, and 16 stolen bases over 108 games.[156][157]

Roederer did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] To begin the 2021 season, he returned to South Bend, now members of the High-A Central.[158] He underwent Tommy John surgery on his left arm in July, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season.[159] Over seventy at-bats for the 2021 season, Roederer hit .229 with eight RBIs, five doubles, and four stolen bases.[160]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

James Douglas Triantos (born January 29, 2003) is an American professional baseball second baseman in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Triantos attended and played high school baseball at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia.[161] During his senior year, he hit .712 while striking out only twice and also pitched to a 1.18 ERA, leading his team to a Class 6A State Championship.[162][163] He was reclassified from the 2022 draft class to the 2021 class and was selected in the draft's second round by the Cubs. He signed for $2.1 million, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at the University of North Carolina.[161] He saw limited action with the Cubs' Arizona Complex League team during 2021 and posted a .327/.376/.594/.970 slash line in 25 games.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Cayne Levi Ueckert (born May 28, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Ueckert attended Jasper High School in Jasper, Texas, where he earned All-District honors as a senior in 2015.[164] After high school, he played two seasons of college baseball at Panola College.[165] After his sophomore year in 2017, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Anchorage Bucs of the Alaska Baseball League.[166] He then transferred to McNeese State University where he went 3-3 with a 6.17 ERA, 51 strikeouts, and 33 walks over 54 innings as a senior in 2019. After the season, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 27th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[167]

Ueckert signed with the Cubs and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Arizona League Cubs, going 0-1 with a 1.90 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 23+2⁄3 innings.[168] He did not play a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season.[169] He began the 2021 season with the South Bend Cubs of the High-A Central, and was promoted to the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A South after two appearances.[170] Over 26 relief appearances between the two teams, he went 1-1 with a 1.45 ERA, 37 strikeouts, and 12 walks over 31 innings.[171] He was a non-roster invitee for spring training in 2022.[172] He was assigned to the Iowa Cubs of the Triple-A International League to begin the year.[173]

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• McNeese State bio

Erich Uelmen (born May 19, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Uelmen attended Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he played baseball. In 2014, his senior year, he earned All-State honors after going 9–1 with a 1.19 ERA, striking out 89 batters over 58+2⁄3 innings alongside batting .510.[174] Undrafted in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, he enrolled at California Polytechnic State University where he played college baseball.

In 2015, Uelmen's freshman year at Cal Poly, he appeared in 16 games (making one start) in which he went 0–1 with a 7.08 ERA over twenty innings.[175] That summer, he played in the Northwoods League with the Eau Claire Express.[176] As a sophomore at Cal Poly in 2016, Uelmen went 5–3 with a 3.68 ERA, striking out seventy over 93 innings.[177] Following the season, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, going 2–1 with a 4.87 ERA over twenty innings.[178] In 2017, his junior season, he pitched to a 4–8 record with a 2.93 ERA over 15 starts, earning Big West Conference Second Team honors.[179] After the season, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[180][181][182]

Uelmen signed with the Cubs and made his professional debut with the Eugene Emeralds of the Class A Short Season Northwest League, compiling a 2.04 ERA over 17+2⁄3 innings.[183] In 2018, he began the season with the South Bend Cubs of the Class A Midwest League before being promoted to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League in June.[184] Over 21 games (twenty starts) between the two teams, he went 8–8 with a 3.83 ERA, striking out 82 over 89+1⁄3 innings.[185] Uelmen returned to Myrtle Beach to begin the 2019 season before earning a promotion to the Tennessee Smokies of the Class AA Southern League in July, with whom he finished the season; over 17 starts with both clubs, he pitched to a 5–6 record with a 4.55 ERA, compiling 76 strikeouts over 91 innings. Following the season, he was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League with the Mesa Solar Sox.[186][187]

Uelmen did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] He returned to the Smokies (now members of the Double-A South to begin the 2021 season.[188] He moved into the bullpen during the season, and earned a promotion to the Iowa Cubs of the Triple-A East in mid-August.[189] Over 31 games (11 starts) between the two teams, Uelmen went 2–9 with a 5.78 ERA and 88 strikeouts over 90+1⁄3 innings. He returned to Iowa to begin the 2022 season.[190]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Cal Poly bio

Dauris Valdez (born October 22, 1995) is an Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Valdez signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent on February 12, 2016.[191] He made his professional debut with the DSL Padres, going 4–3 with a 3.51 ERA in 56+1⁄3 innings. He split the 2017 season between the Tri-City Dust Devils and the Fort Wayne TinCaps, going a combined 1–2 with a 3.67 ERA in 34+1⁄3 innings. He spent the 2018 season with the Lake Elsinore Storm, going 1–4 with a 4.39 ERA in 53+1⁄3 innings.[192] He played for the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League following the 2018 season.[193][194] He spent the 2019 season with the Amarillo Sod Poodles, going 2–0 with a 4.23 ERA in 55+1⁄3 innings.[195][196]

On April 5, 2021, Valdez was traded to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for James Norwood.[197]

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Nelson Velázquez
Velázquez batting in June 2021
Chicago Cubs – No. 84
Outfielder
Born: (1998-12-26) December 26, 1998 Carolina, Puerto Rico
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Nelson Velázquez (born December 26, 1998) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Velázquez was selected by the Cubs in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB draft.[198] He made his professional debut that year, playing in the rookie-level Arizona League.[199] In 2018, he split time at the Class A Short Season and Class A levels, batting .231 overall for the season; in 103 games, he had 11 home runs and 40 RBIs.[199] In 2019, he mainly played at the Class A level, where he batted .286 with four home runs and 34 RBIs in 72 games.[199] He then played in the Puerto Rican Winter League in the 2019–20 offseason.[199]

Velázquez did not play professionally during 2020, as the minor-league season was cancelled. In 2021, he played 69 games for the South Bend Cubs, a High-A team, and 34 games for the Tennessee Smokies, a Double-A team.[199] Overall, he batted .270 with 20 home runs and 73 RBIs in 103 game; he also stole 17 bases.[199] After the regular season, he played for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League where he batted .366 with nine home runs and 21 RBIs in 26 games.[199] Velázquez was named MVP of the 2021 Arizona Fall League season, and was also added to the Cubs' 40-man roster following the 2021 season.[200][201]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Alexander Vizcaíno (born May 22, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB).

On May 18, 2016, Vizcaíno signed with the New York Yankees as an international free agent. He made his professional debut with the Dominican Summer League Yankees, and tossed 11 games of 4.89 ERA ball. In 2017, Vizcaíno spent the year with the rookie-level Pulaski Yankees, posting a 3-5 record and 5.79 ERA across 12 appearances. The next season, he split the year between Pulaski the Low-A Charleston RiverDogs, recording a cumulative 3-4 record and 5.12 ERA in another 12 games. He split the 2019 season between Charleston and the High-A Tampa Tarpons, pitching to a 6-6 record and 4.38 ERA in 21 starts for the two teams.[202] Vizcaíno did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[203] Vizcaíno was selected to the 40-man roster following the season on November 20, 2020.[204] Vizcaíno began the 2021 season by appearing in 2 games for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Yankees and 4 games for the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades.

On July 29, 2021, Vizcaíno and Kevin Alcántara were traded to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Anthony Rizzo.[205] He posted a 5.27 ERA in 6 games for the High-A South Bend Cubs to finish out the season.

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