(670 The Score) At long last, the Cubs are starting to see their homegrown pitching trend upward and produce.
The progress has been highlighted by 26-year-old right-hander Adbert Alzolay, who threw five innings of two-run ball while striking out seven and walking just one in the Cubs’ eventual 6-5 win against the Dodgers in 11 innings at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night. Alzolay has been solid in the early going. He has a 4.50 ERA and 0.88 WHIP while striking out 30 batters in 26 innings across five starts. He has a 3.45 ERA in his past three starts.
The Cubs’ strategy of drafting position players high in the early years of the Theo Epstein-Jed Hoyer regime worked out beautifully, as the organization ended its long championship drought by winning the World Series in 2016. The trouble for the Cubs was they failed to develop homegrown pitching, a sore spot that eventually caught up to them. In recent years, the Cubs have overhauled their scouting and player development departments, in part because of their past inability to mold young pitchers.
Now, there are a few signs of promise. In addition to Alzolay, 26-year-old right-hander Keegan Thompson made his MLB debut Sunday and then his first big league start Tuesday, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his team’s win against the Dodgers. And lefty reliever Justin Steele, 25, has posted a 3.68 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in six appearances this season.
Alzolay signed with the Cubs as an international free agent back in 2012. Chicago selected Thompson in the third round of the 2017 amateur draft, while it took Steele in the fifth round in 2014.
“There is a focus here of trying to be better,” manager David Ross said. “I think we are on the right track, showing the front office the development people and the players themselves have put in a lot of hard work. It's nice to see. This is how good organizations go about developing their own homegrown talent.”
With Epstein having left the organization last fall, Hoyer is now the Cubs’ top baseball executive. He has been pleased by the moderate process but is far from content.
“Adbert, Justin and Keegan are competitive, resilient and extremely hard-working pitchers,” Hoyer said. “They have earned this success. It's a testament to trainers, physical therapists and coaches who helped them get to this point of contributing to the wins for the Cubs.”
The players in the Cubs’ system are well-aware of the dearth of prospects who have matriculated to Wrigley Field in the past decade.
"In the past, we have traded away some prospects,” Thompson said recently. “I think our farm system might be underrated according to numbers. I think the players in our system have the heart and the will to perform up to the level of anybody.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.