Cubs: Next 3 prospects who should be called up
By Drew Koch
Cubs rumors: Prospect Caleb Kilian should be called up
Caleb Kilian has gotten off to a tremendous start with Triple-A Iowa this year and it won’t be long before the Chicago Cubs call upon the right-hander to join the starting rotation. A former eighth-round pick, Kilian was part of the return Chicago received from the San Francisco Giants last season in exchange for Kris Bryant.
Kilian pitched for the Texas Tech Red Raiders in college and has been a dominant strike-thrower in the minors since signing his professional contract. The right-hander does not walk a lot of batters and that will certainly offer a glimmer of hope to Cubs fans who’ve seen Kyle Hendricks, Justin Steele, and Mark Leiter Jr. struggle with command this season.
Kilian, who’s historically been a ground ball pitcher, struggled to keep the ball on the ground a bit last season. However, the 24-year-old appears to be keeping the ball down in the strike zone a bit more this season, and the results have seen a ground ball rate above 60% according to FanGraphs.
Where might Kilian settle in the Cubs’ starting rotation is anyone’s guess, but by season’s end there’s a chance that the right-hander could be one of the top three starting pitchers in Chicago’s rotation.