https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/page/55/?d=1News: Newsenhttps://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/cubs-select-high-octane-college-arm-with-no-23-overall-pick-in-first-2026-mlb-mock-draft-r8154/Welcome to the 2026 MLB Consensus Draft Board. This is the fifth version of the board, which started in 2022 as a top 30. Since then, it’s expanded to around 150 players on an annual basis, featuring at eight different team sites. So what is the Consensus Board? How is it made? How should it be...8154Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:33:25 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/chicago-cubs-minor-league-report-421-cole-mathis-powers-south-bend-cubs-in-high-a-debut-r8144/  Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: April 21 Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds): Cubs trail 1–0 Season Record: 11–10 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds): Lookouts lead 1–0 Seaso...8144Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:02:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/for-cubs-run-production-will-hinge-on-being-productive-with-runners-in-scoring-position%E2%80%94all-year-r8141/It's not just you. The Cubs' offense has been boom-or-bust this season. The offense is completely dependent on sequential hitting, which leads to some frustrating nights in front of the TV. The Cubs, who lack a reliable 40-homer hitter to anchor the lineup, rely on clusters of hits to score. The...8141Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:37:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/it-turns-out-abs-is-a-machine-that-turns-dansby-swansons-into-rob-deers-r8129/Have you seen the new Peacock show "The Miniature Wife"? Yeah, me neither. It's baseball season. The NBA playoffs are here. My nephew played the lead in his high school's production of Anastasia last weekend, and I have a new niece and a new nephew to fawn over, and I really should clean out the...8129Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:05:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/edward-cabreras-cubs-legacy-is-only-getting-started-r8126/A filthy, lockdown starting pitcher changes the fortunes and the perception of a Major League Baseball team. He can make a fringe club competitive and a contender close to unstoppable. Look no further than the likes of the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Paul Ske...8126Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:02:12 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/cubs-activate-opening-day-starter-matthew-boyd-from-il-r8127/  Already on a roll, the Chicago Cubs now have their best pitcher back on the roster. Left-hander Matthew Boyd was activated from the 15-day injured list Wednesday in time to start against the Philadelphia Phillies. Left-handed reliever Luke Little was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. The Cu...8127Wed, 22 Apr 2026 20:58:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/nico-hoerner-and-the-power-of-the-pulled-line-drive-approach-r8113/If you want to play with some selective endpoints, you can end up pretty deeply impressed by Nico Hoerner these days. He blasted his fourth home run of the season in the Cubs' seventh straight win on Tuesday night, and since last August 24—I did warn you the endpoints would be selective—he's bat...8113Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:57:20 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/episode-49-cubs-getting-hot-despite-injuries-r8102/Jason and Mitch discuss the latest week of Cubs baseball as they get back over .500, and look to push up the NLC standings. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-north-side-baseball-podcast/id1798599313  Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75w...8102Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:37:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/outfield-defense-is-a-rising-tide-pete-crow-armstrong-is-an-airplane-r8078/Pete Crow-Armstrong is the best defensive center fielder in baseball. As recently as last season, there was at least a modicum of debate about that—Ceddanne Rafaela of the Red Sox won the prestigious Fielding Bible Award for center field, and might even have deserved it. Now, though, Crow-Armstr...8078Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:40:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/baseballs-best-division-cubs-staring-down-unfriendly-gauntlet-in-nl-central-r8072/With roughly a week and change left in April, and roughly 90% of the MLB regular season left to go, it’s time to check in on how the rest of the NL Central is doing. As of 4/21, here are the current standings:  Reds: 15-8 Pirates: 13-9 Cubs: 13-9 Cardinals: 13-9 Brewers:...8072Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:00:03 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/the-cubs-zombie-closer-and-his-immortal-fastball-r8051/The Chicago Cubs might not have their closer, Daniel Palencia, and an army of useful relievers at the moment, but don’t fret: Caleb Thielbar is here. Nobody in the Cubs’ bullpen can replace Palencia’s sheer power and upside, but Thielbar has certainly given fans some peace of mind with his perfo...8051Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:12:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/cubs-week-in-review-wins-pile-up-but-so-do-injuries-r8041/You could call the Cubs' rash of injury troubles a bug, but lately, that feels insufficient. With the club's fiery closer Daniel Palencia the latest to go down with an oblique strain, the "bug" this squad is up against is more akin to one of Godzilla's adversaries than a gnat you swat away while...8041Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:25:00 +0000