Chicago Cubs Prospect Matt Mervis Maintains Torrid Pace

Triple-A first baseman Matt Mervis took the Chicago Cubs organizational lead in home runs Sunday after launching his 32nd home run.

Matt Mervis continued his breakout season after launching his 32nd home run of the season, which broke his tie with Alexander Canario for the Chicago Cubs organizational lead. Mervis also raised his Triple-A OPS to .996.

The first baseman has continued to be an absolute force at the plate this season, batting above .300 at all three levels he's played in, as well as posting an OPS of .960 or better. The lefty has also cut down on his strikeouts every step of the way, now going down on strikes in just 15% of his at-bats since his promotion to Triple-A Iowa.

The 24-year-old has proved he has the potential to be a plus major-league bat sooner than later. The Duke product will compete in the Arizona Fall League and barring a disastrous stint in the league, Mervis may be the odds-on favorite for the Chicago Cubs' first base job in 2023.

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs (61-74) at Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (73-61): L 11-9

• Darius Hill went 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot. The outfielder has a .329 batting average with Iowa.
• Tommy Payne went 2-for-4 with four RBI and his first home run of the season. The catcher has a .301 batting average. 
• Ben Leeper surrendered six runs and got just two outs. It was the first time the righty allowed more than a run in an outing since July 1. 

Double-A: Tennessee Smokies (69-62) vs Pensacola Blue Wahoos (67-58): L 7-5

• Yonathan Perlaza went 1-for-3 with two walks. The right fielder has a .845 OPS on the season.
• DJ Herz had a solid return off of the development list. The lefty tossed five innings, allowing two earned runs, striking out seven, and walking three.
• Cole Roederer went 1-for-3 with his sixth Double-A home run and a walk. The left fielder raised his OPS above the .700 mark.

High-A: South Bend Cubs (73-58) at Cedar Rapid Kernels (73-58): W 9-2

• BJ Murray Jr. notched three more hits and a walk. The first baseman has a 145 wRC+ since July 1. 
• Pete Crow-Armstrong knocked in three runs, bringing his total number of RBI to 34 in 63 High-A games. 
• Jordan Nwogu continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the system following a 2-for-4 with two runs knocked in and his 15th home run of the year. Nwogu is slugging .623 since Aug. 1.
• Richard Gallardo pitched four scoreless relief innings, lowering his ERA to 3.73.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans (78-53) vs Carolina Mudcats (69-62): L 9-3

• Kevin Alcantara went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. The outfielder was later subbed out for Felix Stevens.
• Haydn McGeary had the only extra-base hit for Myrtle Beach on his lone knock. The first baseman has a .804 OPS in Single-A. 
• Moises Ballesteros was the only Pelican with multiple hits. The catcher went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Transactions:

• There were no transactions in the organization Sunday.

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