Chicago Cubs Minor League Update: Ian Happ and Jeimer Candelario
Chicago Cubs prospects Ian Happ and Jeimer Candelario showcased their talents during Spring Training but were sent down to Triple-A Iowa. When could we see them back?
Chicago Cubs prospect Ian Happ finished Spring Training with a slash line of .383/.441/.750. Numbers like that are good enough to make a lot of big league rosters. The problem with the Chicago Cubs’ roster is that there was not a spot on the roster for Happ.
It was a good move to send him down to Triple-A to get consistent at-bats and allow him to learn different defensive positions.
The Cubs will have the option of trading Happ for pitching down the road or slowly grooming him to become a similar player to Ben Zobrist. Happ is a switch-hitter with strong contact skills and a versatile defender. The comparison to Zobrist is too easy.
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Happ has continued his hot start from Spring Training to Iowa. He is hitting .286/.352/.673 in 49 at-bats. I would not be surprised to see Happ’s batting average increase as well. He has hit into some bad luck and that is evidenced by his .229 BABIP.
What has surprised many fans is the new found power Happ has showcased. He has six home runs in 13 games; an extremely impressive total. Happ is showing the Chicago Cubs’ front office that he is a very talented hitter who has a bright future.
Jeimer Candelario played better throughout Spring Training than his numbers show. He finished Spring Training with a slash line of .233/.292/.350. He hit the ball hard and played good defense at third base.
Candelario is tearing up the Pacific Coast League just like his teammate, Ian Happ. Candelario is hitting .326/.408./.791.
He has seven doubles, two triples, three home runs and 18 RBIs in 13 games with the I-Cubs. He is a more of a boom or bust hitter due to hit high strikeout numbers, but when he hits the ball, he hits the ball hard.
Next: Bold Predictions for 2017 Cubs
Less than 15 games into the season is a small sample size, but there is evidence Ian Happ and Jermier Candelario will be able to help the Cubs this season if the opportunity presents itself this season. And at the very least, Happ and Candelario can increase their trade value with a strong season in Triple-A.