Chicago Cubs Around the Farm 4/8/23: Wins Across the Farm, Iowa Splits Doubleheader

There are a lot of things Nick Burdi is still working on as a professional pitcher, but you can't say he doesn't throw heat. The 30-year-old Illinois native signed with his hometown team this offseason, and he has enjoyed a bright show of things to start his Cubs career. In two save opportunities to date, Burdi has converted both of them.

In this one, Burdi had a couple of hiccups with a hit-by-pitch and a single right off the bat. A passed ball advanced the runners to second and third, too. However, along the way, Burdi struck out the next three batters. That'll do.

Biggest Yikes: Adrian Sampson — 4.1 IP, 3 H, 6 BB, 6 R, 5 ER, 6 SO

It isn't great when the guy who was in the running to be the Chicago Cubs' fifth starter in 2023 has now made two Triple-A starts and picked up the Biggest Yikes award in both of them? Sampson is just getting hit and struggling with his command overall.

At this point, Sampson has an 8.64 ERA, due to 10 runs surrendered in 8.1 innings pitched. His WHIP is at 2.28, his BAA is .281, and he's averaging more than a walk per inning pitched. Sampson can probably right the ship, at least a bit, given his 4.08 career EERA in the minors, but his start has surely been rough.

Triple-A Iowa Game Two: 5-8 Loss to St. Paul Saints

Biggest Yes: Anthony Kay — 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 SO

Anthony Kay came to Chicago with hopes of making the major league team and pitching out of the bullpen. While that didn't happen, the 28-year-old lefty has had quite a good showing to start off the year with Iowa. This one was no different as he came in and blanked the Saints for 1.2 innings.

In 4.2 innings pitched across four games, Kay has a 1.93 ERA and six strikeouts. His BAA is just .176, and his WHIP is down to 1.07. If Kay keeps performing this well, it is certainly possible he sees a call-up to the lefty-less Cubs bullpen at some point in the near future.

Biggest Yikes: Nick Neidert — 2.1 IP, 11 H, 1 BB, 8 R, 4 ER, 4 SO, HR

Neidert joined the Cubs on a minor-league deal in the offseason after spending eight seasons in the Seattle Mariners' organization. He joined Chicago's system with a lot of promise, and he was honestly one of the guys I was most excited about leading into the season.

Unfortunately, Neidert has looked rough through two starts. In 5.1 innings pitched, he has given up 15 hits, five walks, and 10 runs (five earned). Batters are hitting .469 against him, and his WHIP is sky-high at 3.75. This is one Neidert — and all of us — are going to want to forget.

Double-A Tennessee: 6-0 Victory Over Birmingham Barons

Biggest Yes: Ben Brown — 4.0 IP, 0 H, 4 BB, 6 SO

As a team, the Smokies almost no-hit the Barons in this one. Only Michael McAvene gave up a hit, and it came in the seventh inning. Ben Brown got things started for the Smokies with a bang. The Cubs' 11th-best prospect struck out the side in the first inning and didn't really look bothered the rest of the way.

Despite giving up three walks in the second inning, Brown worked around them with a double play and a ground out. From there, he just kept getting double plays and striking people out. Brown was throwing in the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball, and it was flying past batters. That's a great sign for the 6-foot-6, 23-year-old righty.

Biggest Yikes: Andy Weber — 0/4, SO, 4 LOB

The Smokies had a really good performance overall. As such, there wasn't a dreadful performance that stands out as egregious. Instead, poor Andy Weber gets the Biggest Yikes honor for being the only Smokies batter to not get on base.

Weber, my 92nd overall prospect in the Cubs' farm system, has a pretty solid bat overall. The 25-year-old hit .300 for Tennessee last season, but he is off to a cold start to the 2023 season, going hitless in his first six at-bats.

High-A South Bend: 3-1 Victory Over Quad City River Bandits

Biggest Yes: Luke Little — 4.0 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 4 SO

Pitchers completed a successful Biggest Yes sweep in this edition as Luke Little dominated the River Bandits for four innings. With a deadly fastball and killer slider, Little no-hit Quad City for four innings. Like the Smokies, South Bend almost no-hit its opponent entirely. Carlos Guzman, who pitched the last two innings, gave up a home run and a single for the only two hits.

Little, who dominated in Myrtle Beach and South Bend last season, has worked his way up to my 19th-best prospect in the Cubs' farm system. He has picked up right where he left off in 2022, and — if he keeps this up — it will be hard to keep him away from Double-A for long.

Biggest Yikes: Jacob Wetzel — 0/4, 3 SO

Wetzel had a similar game to Weber, but he struck out more. Any time a batter strikes out in 75 percent of his plate appearances, it doesn't look good. This was Wetzel's first game of the season. He likely wanted it to go better than this. It wasn't even that Wetzel struck out or made outs during crucial at-bats, he just didn't produce anything out there. Thus, he earns Biggest Yikes here.