https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/page/18/?d=1News: Newsenhttps://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/so-far-no-hitter-has-benefited-more-from-abs-than-michael-busch-r6816/Michael Busch has only challenged two calls this spring under the new ABS system, but he's won both times. Just as importantly, he's mounted them, even though (based on the array of pitches he's seen and taken) Statcast's model for predicting how many challenges each hitter would utilize only ex...6816Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:03:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/cubs-in-the-top-100-moises-ballesteros-r6807/One of the best prospect hitters, Moises Ballesteros, is primed to help a Cubs team in win-now mode in 2026. How exactly does he fit in? View the full article6807Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:15:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/chicago-cubs-2026-top-20-prospects-no-5-jonathon-long-r6803/North Side Baseball's top-20 prospect rankings for the Chicago Cubs have reached the final quarter. That rundown continues today, with a look at our No. 5 prospect: corner infielder Jonathon Long. Don't forget to catch up on our previous pieces before you jump into our next installment! ...6803Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:50:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/the-cubs-gambled-on-a-healthy-hunter-harvey-this-winter-theyre-winning-r6793/When healthy, Hunter Harvey has consistently demonstrated the ability to dominate big-league batters. He has a 3.11 career ERA and has struck out 26.8% of the hitters he's faced. However, good health never seems to last long for him, which made him available relatively cheaply this winter. The C...6793Wed, 11 Mar 2026 23:02:53 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/cubs-expectation-setting-what-can-fans-reasonably-expect-from-pete-crow-armstrong-in-2026-r6786/One of the more important developments for the 2025 Chicago Cubs was the evolution of Pete Crow-Armstrong from elite defender to all-around impact player. After finishing well into the below-average end of the wRC+ threshold in 2024 (86), Crow-Armstrong launched his offensive contribution up to...6786Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:05:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/5-questions-still-unanswered-about-cubs-position-players-this-spring-r6787/This has been a very tricky spring for forecasting the Chicago Cubs' Opening Day roster—and even (since that exercise is a bit of rosterbation, really, and not an especially vital question) the broader utility plan for the team's positional corps. With two key players away from the team to parti...6787Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:01:16 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/chicago-cubs-2026-top-20-prospects-no-6-ethan-conrad-r6776/Today we continue on with breaking down the top-20 prospects (as voted on by North Side Baseball staff) by looking at our sixth-ranked prospect, Ethan Conrad. Don't forget to catch up on our previous pieces before you jump into our next installment!  Prospects #20-16 Prospects #15...6776Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:53:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/why-you-dont-need-to-sweat-cade-hortons-ugly-spring-numbers-r6769/One surefire way to earn the scorn of a big-league player or manager is to take spring training results seriously. They don't matter, and although fans' instincts are often to hunt for the rare times and places when they do matter, players and teams roll their eyes at such efforts. Front offices...6769Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:09:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/jefferson-rojas-spring-training-breakout-enables-hope-for-future-of-cubs-middle-infield-r6757/Spring training is used as a ramp-up period to knock off the rust for big league players before the regular season gets underway, but for prospects, it's a chance to demonstrate their value first hand to their future managers and coaches. It's also just exciting for fans to get a sneak peak of p...6757Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:00:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/5-key-stats-the-cubs-need-to-excel-in-this-season-r6751/Which statistics hold the most weight for the Cubs in 2026? Today, we review the following: stolen bases, home runs allowed, walks, runners left on base, and defensive errors. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, and Shota Imanaga will be among the most important players in helping the team exce...6751Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:24:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/chicago-cubs-2026-top-prospects-no-7-pedro-ramirez-r6744/North Side Baseball's top 20 Chicago Cubs prospects list has reached the top seven. To keep up with our deep dives on the brightest rising talents in the farm system, see the articles below: Prospects #20-16 Prospects #15-11 Prospect #10 - James Trian...6744Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:57:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/abs-will-force-seiya-suzuki-into-a-new-set-of-adjustments-r6724/Seiya Suzuki takes a lot of pitches. His swing rate hovers around 40% each year, which is markedly below the league average. That earns him a good number of walks, but it also means lots of called strikes. That's the price he pays for his selectivity. He gains more than he loses with his takes,...6724Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:25:03 +0000