Ruoff Mortgage Homestand Preview: June 9-14

For the first time since 2022, the South Bend Cubs will begin a homestand at Four Winds Field where by week’s end, they can be a Midwest League division champion. Back in the 2022 season, the Cubs secured the second-half West Division title. And after winning their fifth consecutive series last week on the road at Quad Cities, South Bend’s magic number sits at just five, with nine games to go in the first-half. South Bend can clinch a first-half title this week for the first time since 2016.

Everything is clicking right now in the South Bend Cubs clubhouse. We have heard it a lot this season from all kinds of players, everyone gets along with everyone. When you have camaraderie like that, you have to bottle it up and keep it for as long as you can. That’s what the Cubs had in 2019. It’s what they had in 2022. The position players hang out with the pitchers, different cultures represented in the clubhouse all gel together well. It’s special. And you know you have something special. It’s just that feeling you get. Right now, that’s exactly what this group has.

Of course though, with all of this being said, the Cubs still have not clinched, and nothing is set in stone. We saw in the second-half last season that things don’t always go your way during crunch time. But this team has put themselves in the position to make these moments happen.

That’s even with call up’s, injuries, and some at times whacky weather throughout this first half. Manager Daniel Wasinger has steered the ship admirably, and everyone has picked up each other throughout the last three or so months.

The task to finish the job? Get through one of South Bend’s biggest rivals. The Cubs took the opening series of the season at Peoria back in April, winning four of six games. Remember, that Sunday game featured a 9th inning comeback headlined by a go-ahead home run by Owen Ayers to steal the finale. Peoria will be coming to South Bend in hopes of playing spoiler, and the Cubs will need to be ready for what is still a high-powered Chiefs lineup.

Peoria as a team had a really solid May. They hit .271 as a group, and enjoyed the emergence of longtime Chiefs outfielder Won-Bin Cho. The Cubs have seen Cho plenty over the years, and he wrapped up one of his best months in a Peoria uniform, batting .325 in 24 games with five home runs. Last season, Cho walked-off the Cubs on a Sunday night in Peoria to officially end South Bend’s playoff chances.

Oddly, Jesus Baez had a really struggle filled May. Acquired from the New York Mets in the Ryan Helsley deal along with fellow Peoria pitcher Nate Dohm, Baez really hurt the Cubs last season and back in April. He hit just .235 in May, but has been much better in his last 10 games going .333 at the plate with eight RBI.

There are currently eight position players for Peoria that are hitting .300 or better in their last 10 games. Maybe none have been hotter than Tre Richardson III. Again, a longtime Chief is starting to really find it. Richardson has 10 home runs in 26 games. And he homered in three straight games in Peoria’s last series versus Beloit. That featured a pair of multi-homer efforts. He hit five homers over three games. Two on June 3, one on June 4, and two more on June 5. Richardson has nine RBI to start June. Point being, the Cubs will have to be ready.

All of this, and we haven’t touched on Peoria pitching. We saw two terrific outings from 19-year-old right-hander Yhoiker Fajardo against the Cubs in April. In seven combined innings, he gave up two runs, walked none, and struck out 10. He’s got a pretty interesting story, on his third organization already, and traded twice at the age of 19. Really good stuff though.

Tanner Franklin, the top Cardinals pitching prospect, remains in Peoria. He has a 3.61 ERA in 11 starts this season, along with 51 strikeouts in 40 innings. Also, Blake Aita was really impressive when he pitched against the Cubs on April 11. Another St. Louis top-30 prospect, Aita worked 4.2 shutout frames with nine strikeouts.

Peoria has played much better throughout the back-end of the first half. They are three games above .500 for a reason and have 30 wins in the same sense. But the Cubs have a five game lead in the division because they have been that much better. It will be a test this week, but South Bend is primed for it.

Players to watch on South Bend…

Jackson Brockett, LHP: Simply put, you do not win baseball games without help from your bullpen. And sometimes, you need your bullpen to eat innings. That’s exactly what Jackson Brockett has done since coming up from Low-A Myrtle Beach. Brockett has had strict diet of nothing but solid innings since he hopped up a level, and it has been really fun to watch. This is a guy that went undrafted, even though he had a stellar career at the University of Nebraska, which included throwing a nine-inning no-hitter on May 1, 2024 against Kansas State. It was the first for the Cornhuskers since 1954. Brockett’s stuff is really good. And it keeps hitters guessing as to what is on the way next. He’s got his High-A ERA down to just 2.37, and he has earned three wins. That word is accurate too. Brockett has truly earned each of his wins, thanks to his solid work in long-relief with the Cubs. Since surrendering seven runs over his first two Midwest League outings, Brockett gave up just two runs for the rest of May. And in Quad Cities on June 2, worked four shutout frames. I was trying to think about a Big League comparison for Brockett, and even though he is not a short inning reliever, former Chicago Cubs lefty James Russell comes to mind. Similar stuff, similar throwing motion. Russell at one point in his career was a starter, or throwing longer outings before he transformed into a reliable late inning guy with the Cubs until 2015. Obviously the hope is that Brockett can continue on the path his is on, but Russell carved out quite the MLB career for himself when he went to late inning relief.

Cole Mathis, INF: It has been especially impressive to watch South Bend continue to win games, even with key parts of the lineup out for periods of time with little nagging injuries. Cole Mathis made his return on June 6 in Quad Cities after only playing 13 games in May, and what do you know, he’s back contributing. Mathis drove in two runs and had a walk in the game, and adding him back to the lineup just makes this starting group deeper again. It’s hard to believe that this lineup can add more depth. Just with how dangerous is has constantly been. Keep in mind too, Kade Snell at some point will be back. Despite the limited action in May, Mathis still hit .280 with 14 RBI. Him being back in the order not only allows Josiah Hartshorn to focus on his work in the outfield with Mathis overtaking first base again. But it also lets Drew Bowser get back to his usual impeccable work in the middle infield, puts Jose Escobar as a really solid bench option, and allows Matt Halbach to focus on third base exclusively, where he has been outstanding. Lastly, it will move Miguel Useche towards the bottom of the order again, where he has been one of the Midwest League’s best all season. Mathis is going to drive this Cubs lineup, and it could be the spark that officially seals the deal for South Bend in the West.

Kevin Valdez, RHP: The Midwest League is always a transition for anybody that comes up from the Low-A level. Whether you’re Matt Shaw or Cam Smith or any of the huge talents that have passed through South Bend in recent years, even if you put up ridiculous numbers, adjustments are made when you get to this level. That’s at the plate and on the mound as well. Kevin Valdez is finding it. When he came up last year from Myrtle Beach, Valdez was dominating Carolina League hitters. His sinker was pairing beautifully with his changeup, and his slider was being whiffed at constantly. When he came to South Bend last season, Valdez struggled with the strike zone. He was not getting as much swing-and-miss action on his stuff, which led to more walks. That’s how it was at the start of this season too. But over his last three outings, Valdez is looking like the guy we saw with the Pelicans again. He has shifted at times this season between the rotation and bullpen, but his last start in Quad Cities was especially good. Earning the win, Valdez pitched five innings, giving up just a run, on a solo homer. He walked one and struck out five. 69 pitches and 47 strikes is a great ratio for Valdez to post too. He has also controlled his walk total through May and the start of June. After walking as season-high three against Fort Wayne on June 2, Valdez has given up two or less free passes in the five outings since. That will do the job. Like Brockett, having Valdez as a weapon that can pitch in any situation is only going to benefit South Bend.

Schedule…

Tuesday, June 9 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Nazier Mulé vs RHP Yhoiker Fajardo

Wednesday, June 10 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Eli Jerzembeck vs RHP Nate Dohm

Thursday, June 11 - 7:05 PM ET: LHP Cole Reynolds vs RHP Tanner Franklin

Friday, June 12 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Jostin Florentino vs RHP Leonel Sequera

Saturday, June 13 - 7:05 PM ET: RHP Koen Moreno vs RHP Jacob Odle

Sunday, June 14 - 2:05 PM ET: RHP Alfredo Romero vs RHP Blake Aita

Catch the entire six-game series in South Bend on 96.1 FM and 960 AM Sports Radio WSBT, online at wsbtradio.com, or on MiLB.com with Brendan King and Tyler Reidy on the call. Thursday night’s game will be aired live on Marquee Sports Network.