Cubs Minor League News: Tough start continues for Mesa |
Dustin Riese
· · 1 day ago
SCOTTSDALE - Four games into the 2025 Arizona Fall League season, and the Mesa Solar Sox are still searching for consistency as wins have been tough to come by. It has been a painful start to the year for the Solar Sox as they had their chances in all three of the previous games, with all of them being determined by one or two plays.
Friday was a much different story as the Solar Sox were back on the road to take on the Scottsdale Scorpians with thoughts of grabbing a win on their mind. Unlike their previous three games, which all came down to the wire, this was one of those games that ended in the blink of an eye as the eight-run sixth inning was the difference in the Scorpions' 10-2 win. To make matters worse, the Solar Sox grabbed a quick 2-0 lead, scoring a run in each of the first two innings before letting the Scorpions end the game with 10 unanswered runs for the victory. As expected, several of the Cubs' prospects were back in action, including right-hander JP Wheat, who was looking to make an impression in his first opportunity of the season. There is no denying that Wheat has all the arm talent in the world to become a massive piece of the Cubs' future, but an injury history and command issues have hindered him from realizing his full potential. He actually has more walks than strikeouts at this stage in his career, and that has to be a concern for the entire organization. That was a significant reason why the Cubs sent him to the Arizona Fall League, as they want him to refine his command while still competing in a competitive setting. Wheat gave the Solar Sox a strong first inning of work in the fifth, earning a second inning of work in the sixth. That was when things began to come undone for the Solar Sox as Wheat allowed four of the eight runs to score in that inning for a rough first appearance of 2025. Once again, the command was an issue as he walked three compared to just one strikeout, as that is one area of his game that he needs to address sooner rather than later. While Wheat may have struggled on the mound, both Owen Ayers and Cole Mathis continued to do their thing at the plate as they look locked in right now. Granted, Ayers failed to record a hit for the first time this season, but with one walk and two strikeouts in a 0-3 effort, his average fell to .455 as he remains one of the better hitters in the league. Mathis, on the other hand, was always viewed as a potential breakout candidate, and so far, he is living up to those expectations. Like Ayers, Mathis has gotten off to a fast start, hitting .667 in two games, including another 1-3 day in this one. One of those hits resulted in a second-inning RBI single that brought home the Solar Sox's final run, as he now has three RBIs for the season. Mesa was expected to be in Peoria on Saturday, but due to Inclement Weather and wet grounds, their game will be postponed and they will return to action on Sunday.
