Predicting the Chicago Cubs 2017 September callups
Dillon Maples, RHP
Right-handed pitcher Dillon Maples has burst back onto the scene from seemingly out of nowhere this season. Maples was a 14th round pick by the Chicago Cubs back in 2011 before Theo Epstein and company took over the baseball operations of the team. Maples was an exciting high school pitcher who Jim Hendry and the Cubs drafted and signed to a massive over slot deal.
Maples was an extremely intriguing arm who had a ton of natural long-term upside. However, injuries quickly derailed his career and he was quickly considered a bust. Before this season, Maples never pitched above A-ball, but he has exploded into an interesting arm in 2017.
Maples has flown through the minor league system this season on the strength of his knockout slider. His slider has become an incredible strikeout pitch and Maples is relying on it heavily. Walks have been a concern, but he has been striking out a ton of batters all season long.
Now, he is pitching well out of the bullpen at Triple-A and appears to be ready for a big league test. I predict that the Chicago Cubs will call Maples up to the show when rosters expand in September. He could provide to be a valuable strikeout artist for the team down the stretch.
The only issue here is that Maples is not on the 40-man roster. The Cubs would have to open up a spot for him in order for this to happen. However, that would not be much of an issue.