Cubs On Deck

Players of note in this week's episode with Greg Huss and Myrtle Beach Pelicans broadcaster, Luke Moehle:

Nazier Mule
JP Wheat
Evan Aschenbeck
Brooks Caple
Brayden Risedorph
Kevin Valdez
Owen Ayers
Angel Cepeda
Jose Escobar
Cole Mathis
Matt Halbach
Leonel Espinoza
Alexey Lumpuy
Cameron Sisneros

Greg Huss and Bryan Smith spend the entire episode talking about one player: Moises Ballesteros. The guys talk about how he got to this point, what his strong season looks like so far, when and if we see him in Chicago this year, and what his future at the catcher position looks like.

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Greg Zumach:

• How legit is Cristian Hernandez's breakout and when will he crack Top 100 lists
• What are the internal options for the Chicago Cubs pitching staff depth following Justin Steele's trip to the IL?
• Moises Ballesteros is starting to tap into that all-important power
• An exercise to predict which prospects will end the season with the highest OPS
• Game time! What minor league affiliates share a name with their parent club?

Hosts Greg Huss and Bryan Smith talk about the players that caught their eyes over the course of the first full weekend of the minor league season, as all four affiliates took the field for the first time!

Greg Huss details the newly released Double-A Knoxville Smokies roster in the team preview for the 2025 campaign:

• Rotation: Will Sanders and Sam Armstrong but no Jaxon Wiggins, Erian Rodriguez, Nick Dean, or Drew Gray
• Bullpen: Nick Hull, Frankie Scalzo Jr, Zac Leigh, Mitchell Tyranski, Ben Leeper, and Robert Kwiatkowski
• Infield: Pedro Ramirez, Haydn McGeary, Hayden Cantrelle, BJ Murray, and Ed Howard
• Outfield: Felix Stevens, Jaylen Palmer, Jordan Nwogu, and Parker Chavers
• Catchers: Pablo Aliendo, Ethan Hearn, Casey Opitz

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register as the duo recaps opening weekend for the Iowa Cubs:

• Throwback to when Matt Murton and Eric Patterson were Cubs prospects
• Owen Caissie is healthy and in the starting lineup
• James Triantos and how his skillset might work in the bigs
• Moises Ballesteros hits the ball hard and the defense is better than it probably should be
• Ben Cowles surprising early
• Jonny Long following in Matt Mervis' footsteps
• Connor Noland's dominating Opening Night start
• Daniel Palencia throwing more gas

Marquee Sports Network and former Iowa Cubs broadcaster Alex Cohen joins Greg Huss to preview the Iowa Cubs 2025 campaign. Iowa will be a team loaded with top prospects:

• Top 100 bats Moises Ballesteros, Kevin Alcantara, James Triantos, and Owen Caissie
• Other hitters Christian Franklin, Jonathon Long, Pablo Aliendo, Ben Cowles
• Starting pitchers Cade Horton, Connor Noland, and Brandon Birdsell
• Relievers Jack Neely, Frankie Scalzo Jr, and Riley Martin

In his final appearance on the show, former Myrtle Beach Pelicans broadcaster Sam Weiderhaft helps Greg Huss preview the Birds 2025 campaign. Players of note include Jose Escobar, Yahil Melendez, Angel Cepeda, Christopher Paciolla, Alexis Hernandez, Anderson Suriel, Joan Delgado, Alexey Lumpuy, Owen Ayers, Michael Carico, Luis Martinez-Gomez, Naz Mule, and Jeral Vizcaino.

Greg Huss and Bryan Smith are joined by South Bend Cubs broadcaster Brendan King to preview the 2025 campaign for the High-A South Bend Cubs after a review of Saturday's Spring Breakout game that featured impressive performances by Cade Horton, Jaxon Wiggins, Will Sanders, and Kevin Alcantara. South Bend prospects to keep an eye on this year:

• Top hitters Cristian Hernandez, Eriandys Ramon, and Leonel Espinoza
• Big boy boppers Cole Mathis, Edgar Alvarez, Ivan Brethowr, and Cameron Sisneros
• Catcher Ariel Armas
• Starting pitchers Erian Rodriguez and Kenten Egbert with bonus mention of Drew Gray and Wiggins
• Relievers Grant Kipp and Marino Santy

Topics on this week's episode with Greg Huss and brand new Iowa Cubs broadcaster Jason Kempf:

• How Jason's path through the minors led him to Iowa
• His relationships with Alex Cohen and Sam Weiderhaft
• Riding in a trunk from a Mexican restaurant in Beloit
• Road tripping for a month in a half while with the Quad Cities
• Cubs prospects that caught his eye last year in Myrtle Beach
• Cubs prospects that will likely spend the year in Iowa this year