Three Cubs Fall Stars Might Be Cubs Quickly

On Saturday the Arizona Fall League held its annual Fall Stars game. The Cubs were well represented in the game with three of their prospects named to the East Valley Fall Star team, two of them starters.

“It was just a huge honor getting named to the Fall Star team,” said Kris Bryant. “It’s just a huge confidence boost to know people think that highly of you to be named to that team.”

Bryant, this years second overall draft pick, started at third base, while Albert Almora and Jorge Soler, the Cubs second and third ranked prospects respectively according to baseballamerica.com, split time in right field with Soler starting.

“I was going to be on the taxi squad,” Almora said. “To be selected to the Fall Star team is just an unreal experience.”

While it may have not been their best games, going a combined one for eight with two errors in the field, the thought in Cubs fans’ minds had to be, will we see these three in the bigs?

Solar Sox Hitting Coach and Former Smokies Manager Brian Harper said, “Obviously Soler, Almora, and Bryant are talented kids and we knew that going in. Their a big part of the future of the Cubs, and the future looks good for the Cubs.”

The three highly coveted prospects have all developed well in their time at the Arizona Fall League and all have high ceilings for improvement. Meaning this might not be a situation of if, but when will these three young men be Major League ballplayers.

“They’re gonna be quick,” Harper said, “I can’t say when, but they’re talented kids.”

While all three of them are talented players in the eyes of the baseball community, getting to the big leagues and excelling at that level is going to require a lot of effort.

“If I’m playing as hard as I can out here and going about my work the right way, hopefully [I'll be there] soon,” Bryant said.

Considering that the Cubs have lost 197 games over the past two seasons, the factors that would lead to the decision to call up any, if not all, of the three of them might come down to less than performance.

“They’ve got to stay healthy,” Harper said. “They’ve got to learn, even more so than the at-bats, learn to be professionals.”

Granted staying healthy might possibly be the most difficult task for any professional athlete, and Almora and Soler both sustained injuries last season. However if they can stay healthy, stay on the field, and carry themselves properly these Arizona Fall Stars might very well be big leaguers in a relatively short amount of time.

“It’s in God’s hands,” Almora said. “I’m going to work hard for it not to be, but I’ll just leave it to God, have a lot of fun throughout my career and hopefully get into some all-star games.”