Is Long Time Cubs Farmhand Gearing Up for Call-Up?

Yonathan Perlaza has been playing baseball for the Chicago Cubs organization since 2016. Each year, the Venezuela product has gotten better and better.

Is it finally time for the versatile 24-year-old to get some kind of shot with the Cubs, when the opportunity presents itself?

The Triple-A Iowa Cubs were off on Monday after their 14-9 victory over the Nashville Sounds. In the game Perlaza played left field, went 3-for with a double and a walk. He also extended his hitting streak to nine games.

For the season, Perlaza is slashing .309/.415/.527/.942 with nine doubles, three triples, three home runs and 16 RBI. He’s also scored 28 runs and stolen six bases. His batting average puts him among the Top 25 batters in the International League.

If his season ended today, he would be a .300 hitter for the second time in his minor-league career, after batting .307 with the Cubs’ Arizona Rookie League team and with Class-A short season Eugene in 2018.

Since then, his batting average has been below .300, but other offensive indicators have gone up. From 2021 with High Class-A South Bend and 2022 with Double-A Tennessee he saw an uptick in runs scored (54 to 81), doubles (24 to 36), triples (1 to 3), home runs (15 to 23), RBI (64 to 73), walks (38 to 72) and stolen bases (6 to 15).

While Perlaza broke into pro baseball as a middle infielder, he’s converted to outfield and has split time in the outfield and at designated hitter.

In the outfield, the Cubs have four active players, including Christopher Morel, who is also among the International League leaders in batting average after being recalled in early May. Cody Bellinger remains on the 10-day injured list.

Clearly, Perlaza has played his way into a shot with the Cubs, under the right circumstances. But, for now, he prepares for Iowa’s series with Columbus, which starts on Tuesday.