Iowa Cubs infielder Luis Vazquez making strong case for promotion to MLB
Iowa Cubs shortstop Luis Vazquez began making his biggest strides toward becoming a major leaguer when the Minor League Baseball season was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vazquez and his dad, also named Luis, ventured to a stadium back in his home country of Puerto Rico to work on his game as many as three days a week.
During each of those trips, Vazquez’s father hit him ground balls and threw him round after round of batting practice. Vazquez, who fielded 200 ground balls a day, went from a strong infielder to an elite, possible future Gold Glove winner thanks to the work.
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“(It helped) a lot,” Vazquez said.
So much so that the 24-year-old is now potentially on the verge of making his major league debut. Vazquez, who is back for his second stint in Triple-A, believes this is the season he makes it to Chicago. And after a strong start to the season, it’s hard to argue with him.
“This is my year to go to the big leagues, “Vazquez said.
It certainly seems like that could be the case. Vazquez, a 14th-round pick by the Cubs back in 2017, has rapidly turned into one of the most intriguing prospects in the organization. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the 18th-best prospect in the Cubs system. A big reason for that is his elite glove, which has produced tons of highlight-reel plays.
The only question for Vazquez has been about his bat. Could he hit at the next level? Or even this level? Vazquez struggled at the plate during his first five seasons in the minors and hadn’t produced much power. But he quickly showed he was up for the challenge last season.
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He started the season in Double-A, ended it in Iowa and hit at every stop along the way, compiling a slash line of .271/.361/.456 with a career-high 24 doubles and 20 homer runs across the two different levels. But to take the next step, Vazquez had to show it wasn’t a fluke. The Cubs wanted to see him hit again this season.
“I think that that is important that he just continues what he did,” said Iowa manager Marty Pevey.
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So, Vazquez went to work again in the offseason, this time on his swing. He lowered his hands and shortened his leg kick. The changes have worked well for Vazquez, who is off to another great start this season. In his first 14 games with Iowa, Vazquez hit .375/.446/.583 with a double and three home runs. All three of those came on a huge road trip to St. Paul which included a two-homer day on April 9.
“My bat’s next level,” Vazquez said. “My defense is big league. The Cubs are waiting for the bat, but I have it now.”
That combination could finally lead Vazquez to the big leagues. The path there is as clear as ever after the Cubs put him on the 40-man roster during the offseason. Now, all Vazquez has to do is keep hitting, keep playing great defense and wait for his opportunity to come.
“I’m ready to play in the big leagues,” he said.
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Chicago Cubs prospect Luis Vazquez making promising push toward MLB
