Okay, so I decided I wanted to really get a handle on where the young Cubs players are actually playing ball before they hit Wrigley. You hear names tossed around, prospects this, future stars that, but honestly, figuring out the whole system felt like more work than it should be.
I started poking around online. You know, just basic searches. First thing that pops up usually is the Iowa Cubs. Okay, easy enough, that’s Triple-A, the last stop. Most folks know that one. Then I saw the Tennessee Smokies. Double-A, right? Got it. Seems straightforward so far.
But then it got a bit messy. South Bend Cubs? Myrtle Beach Pelicans? Where do they fit? Are they A-ball? Which A-ball? It wasn’t immediately clear just from a quick glance. I remember digging through a few different places – some fan blogs, the official minor league site. It took clicking around quite a bit to get the levels straight in my head. High-A, Low-A… they even changed affiliations sometimes over the years, which muddies the water if you’re going off old memories.
It felt like I was piecing together a puzzle. It’s not like they hide it, but it’s not presented in one super simple spot either, you know? You gotta do the legwork yourself if you really want to understand the pipeline.
My Little Map of the Cubs Farm
After spending some time actually looking into it, here’s the breakdown I put together for myself, just to keep it straight:
- Iowa Cubs: This is the big one, Triple-A. They play out in Des Moines. If a guy’s getting called up to Chicago, he’s almost always coming from here.
- Tennessee Smokies: Down in Kodak, Tennessee. That’s the Double-A team. A lot of the top prospects spend significant time here. It’s a big test.
- South Bend Cubs: This is High-A ball, playing in Indiana. Seen some solid players come through here too. Used to be Low-A, I think, but things shift around.
- Myrtle Beach Pelicans: Out in South Carolina. This is the Low-A team. Often where guys start after getting drafted, especially the college guys or advanced high schoolers.
And then you’ve got the even lower levels, the rookie leagues. Like the teams out in Arizona (ACL Cubs) and the Dominican Summer League (DSL Cubs). Those are mostly kids just starting out, really young guys fresh into the organization. You don’t hear about them as much unless they’re really tearing the cover off the ball.
So yeah, that was my little project. Took a bit of digging, more than I expected, just to get a clear picture of the Cubs’ minor league setup. But now when I hear about some kid doing well down on the farm, I have a much better idea of where he actually is and how far he still has to climb. It wasn’t complicated stuff, just needed to spend the time mapping it out myself.
