Chicago Cubs Prospect Chase Strumpf Hits 20th Home Run of the Season

The former second-round pick has been one of the most consistent hitters in the Chicago Cubs organization, and he earned a nice achievement Thursday.

Former Chicago Cubs second-round pick Chase Strumpf had a 1-for-4 day with the Tennessee Smokies Thursday, but he made his one knock count. The second baseman smacked a three-run home run to left field, reaching the 20 home run benchmark for the first time in his Major League career.

Strumpf became the fifth Cubs minor leaguer to reach the 20-homer mark, joining Alexander Canario (31), Matt Mervis (30), Yonathan Perlaza (23), and Jake Slaughter (22). 

The UCLA product has a very solid .836 OPS through 107 games. While the second baseman likely won't be able to stick in the middle of the infield given logjam of middle infielders in the Cubs' system, it could behoove the club to keep Strumpf at corner infield, as he'll likely have a better chance of getting to the majors that way. 

Triple-A: Iowa Cubs (61-70) at Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (69-61): SUSPENDED

• The game was suspended in the bottom of the first and will be resumed Friday. 

Double-A: Tennessee Smokies (68-59) vs Pensacola Blue Wahoos (64-57): L 11-6

• Zach Davis went 3-for-4 with a walk. The 28-year-old is batting .365 in 15 games with Tennessee. 
• Miguel Amaya went 2-for-4, knocking in two runs. The righty has a .783 OPS in Double-A.
• Riley Thompson pitched five shutout innings. The righty also struck out five batters and didn't issue any free passes.

High-A: South Bend Cubs (71-58) at Cedar Rapid Kernels (73-56): L 2-1

• South Bend had three hits, courtesy of BJ Murray Jr., Owen Caissie, and Jordan Nwogu, all of whom have been red-hot this month. 
• Nwogu had the Cubs' only extra-base hit, a double. The outfielder has 17 extra-base hits since Aug. 1.
• Porter Hodge allowed two runs in five innings while punching out six in his return from injury. The righty has an ERA of 2.01 with South Bend.

Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans (77-51) vs Carolina Mudcats (67-61): W 8-2

• Parker Chavers went 3-for-5 with two doubles, knocked in one run, and made a highlight reel catch in center field. 
• Haydn McGeary also went 3-for-5 with two doubles. The Cubs 2022 15th-round pick is batting .297 since his promotion to Single-A. 
• James Triantos had two hits, one of which was his seventh home run of the season. The third baseman has a .933 OPS in his last 16 games. 
• Moises Ballesteros also went deep, hitting his third Single-A home run.
• Cubs tenth-round pick Brody McCullough pitched 1.1 perfect innings, striking out three. The righty has appeared in four games with Myrtle Beach. 
• Grant Kipp pitched 4.2 solid innings. The undrafted free agent gave up two runs, struck out four, and allowed just three baserunners. 

Transactions:

• There were no transactions on Thursday. 

More From SI's Inside The Cubs

1. Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Chicago Cubs?
2. Did David Robertson Net the Cubs a Future Star in Ben Brown?
3. Hoerner is the Cubs Shortstop of the Future
4. Cubs Could Give Canario a Shot in September
5. Could the Cubs Land Trea Turner in the Offseason?
6. Chicago Cubs Have a New Top Prospect in Their Rankings
7. Is This Top Cubs Prospect Destined for the Mound at Wrigley?
8. Steele Offers Glimpse Into Future of Cubs Rotation
9. Do the Chicago Cubs Have the National League's Best Bullpen?
10. Can Christopher Morel be a Long-Term Solution in Center Field?

---

Make sure to follow Inside the Cubs on Twitter!