Former Iowa Cubs in the 2017 Postseason
The most wonderful time of the year has arrived - October baseball. The Chicago Cubs captured their second consecutive division title and are making their third straight postseason appearance for the first time since 1906-08. Outside of the former Iowa Cubs entering postseason play with Chicago, here are other former
The most wonderful time of the year has arrived - October baseball. The Chicago Cubs captured their second consecutive division title and are making their third straight postseason appearance for the first time since 1906-08. Outside of the former Iowa Cubs entering postseason play with Chicago, here are other former I-Cubs around baseball looking to make their marks.
Los Angeles Dodgers - NL West Division Champions
LHP
Rich Hill appeared in parts of three seasons with Iowa (2005-06, '08) and four seasons with Chicago (2005-08), breaking through to the big leagues for the first time with the organization. The starter holds the best career WHIP in Iowa franchise history (190+IP) with a 1.05 mark, and is third in ERA (190+IP) with a 2.97 clip. After leaving the Cubs, the righty spent time with nine different clubs before landing with the Dodgers in 2016. In 2016, Hill started Game 3 of the NLCS against the Cubs, earning the victory after holding Chicago to two hits over six shutout frames. Hill is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA (8ER/16.0IP) in four postseason starts. He logged his first October appearance in 2007 with the Cubs.
Colorado Rockies - NL Wild Card
LHP
A fourth-round draft pick by Chicago in 2008, Chris Rusin is now in his third season with Colorado following a 2014 waiver claim. Rusin was an Iowa Cub from 2011-2014, debuting for Chicago in 2012. The lefty is fourth in Iowa franchise history in games started (75) and is the only I-Cub to have thrown a no-hitter since 1984 (May 7, 2014 @ New Orleans). Rusin is in the midst of his best major league season to date, compiling a 5-1 record with a 2.65 ERA (25ER/85.0IP) through 60 games. He paces Rockies' pitchers in ERA (40+IP) and leads relievers in strikeouts (72). This will be Rusin's first trip to the postseason.
INF DJ LeMahieu - 155G, .310 (189-for-609), 95R, 29 2B, 4 3B, 8HR, 64RBI, 59BB, 90K
DJ LeMahieu was selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2009 draft and made his way to Iowa in 2011. He appeared in 58 games, batting .286 before getting traded to Colorado in the offseason. He has since been a staple in the Rockies' lineup for the better part of six seasons. Coming off an NL batting title in 2016 (.348), LeMahieu has put together another solid campaign in 2017. He earned his second All-Star selection and finished the regular season second on the Rockies with a .310 batting average and third with a .374 on-base percentage. This is LeMahieu's first postseason appearance.
Arizona Diamondbacks - NL Wild Card
INF Kristopher Negrón - 14G, .160 (4-for-25), 3R, 2B, RBI, 4BB, 7K
Kristopher Negrón suited up for Iowa in 2016, batting .256 (96-for-375) with 46 RBI through 117 games. The utility man signed with the Diamondbacks in the offseason and spent the majority of 2017 with Triple-A Reno, before snagging a September call-up. Despite notching just 14 big league games this season, Negrón secured a spot on Arizona's Wild Card roster. This will be his first career postseason appearance.
New York Yankees - AL Wild Card
RHP
Adam Warren made a brief stop in Des Moines in 2016, making two starts across two stints (0-0, 4.15 ERA). Pitching out of New York's bullpen in 2017, the righty logged a career-best 2.35 ERA through 57.1 innings, the second-best mark among Yankee pitchers (50+IP). Warren was on the Yankees' Wild Card roster in 2015, but did not pitch in the game. He earned a World Series ring with the Cubs last season after appearing in 29 regular season games (3-2, 5.91 ERA).
Houston Astros - AL West Division Champions
INF Marwin Gonzalez - 134G, .303 (138-for-455), 67R, 34 2B, 23HR, 90RBI, 49BB, 99K
Marwin Gonzalez logged 60 games as an Iowa Cub in 2011, just before he was selected in the Rule 5 draft by Boston and subsequently, traded to Houston where he has been a mainstay since. In 134 games with the Astros this season, Gonzalez is having a career year, setting personal highs in batting average (.303), doubles (34), home runs (23), RBI (90) and walks (49). His RBI total paces the team. Gonzalez previously appeared in two games through the 2015 postseason, going 0-for-3.
Cleveland Indians - AL East Division Champions
RHP
Iowa was a brief pass-over for Joe Smith as he appeared in two games at the end of 2016 as a part of a major league rehab assignment. Chicago's is one of four organizations Smith has suited up for in the past two seasons, but he has established himself as a reliable arm in Cleveland's bullpen since a July 31 trade from Toronto. Smith previously pitched in October in 2013 with the Indians, and again in 2014 as an Angel.
Other players to have appeared for a playoff team in 2017, but are not projected to make a postseason roster:
RHP
LHP