Now that the season is over, the Chicago Cubs have to start looking at what went wrong and preparing for the next season. Some free agency names will of course come to the talks, but some names from the minor league team, the Iowa Cubs are also going to be in the conversation of whether or not they deserve a chance to at least play in the Summer League next year.
One of the names that will for sure be in those talks is Canadian native, Jared Young, who thanks to some injuries, had some playing time for the Chicago Cubs at the end of this season.
The Chicago Cubs manager, David Ross said “You always love that stuff, letting guys show you what they can do. It’s a great opportunity for him” when talking about Jared Young getting an opportunity with the Cubs having some injuries problems.
Ross concluded: “I think he’s really excited about this opportunity and we’re excited to watch him play.”
So, before getting a little bit deeper into why Jared Young could get some playing time for the Cubs next season, let’s find out who Jared Young is.
Who Is Jared Young?
Jared M. Young was born on July 9, 1995, and is a Canadian professional baseball player, from the city of Prince George. He currently plays both as a second baseman and as a first baseman, mainly for the Chicago Cubs affiliate team, the Iowa Cubs.
Jared Young was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft from Old Dominion University ( Norfolk, Virginia ). Young played in Double-A Tennessee and in the Arizona Fall League in 2019, just before the pandemic, he wiped out the minor league season in 2020.
So far during his years in the minors since 2017, Jared Young played in over 463 games averaging .261 with 443 hits, 48 Home Runs, and also a .738 OPS.
Jared Young becomes first PG boy to be called up to the MLBhttps://t.co/x3R5g7SfAq | #CityOfPG #MLB @Cubs pic.twitter.com/jwBBKC5qZP
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) September 15, 2022
Joining The Cubs
Jared Young got called up by the Chicago Cubs a couple of weeks before the end of the season because cubs outfielder, Rafael Ortega broke his finger during a game against the New York Mets.
The Cubs saw in Young, a left-handed hitter who can play in all of the diamond positions ( first base, second base, third base, outfield).
A funny story about Young’s first game in the MLB is that Jared was preparing for a game in Iowa, with the Iowa Cubs, when he found out 20 minutes before his first pitch that he was being pulled.
In an interview Jared Young said “ Marty Pevey ( Iowa Cubs manager ) came up to me and he was like, hey I can’t play you today because you’re going to the big leagues. “
But things didn’t go well for Jared as his flight got delayed and he didn’t make it to the Citi Field ( New York Mets Stadium ) until the 5th inning of the game against the Mets.
PG born #74 Jared Young with a Double in his 1st MLB game with @Cubs!!!
🇨🇦 @GlobalBC @TSN_Sports @Sportsnet @Dooneroo @rancepg pic.twitter.com/38BS5ObbzL
— Coach Sean Dolynski (@SDolynski) September 16, 2022
First MLB Hit For Jared
Jared got to play his first game in the MLB 2 days later, playing as a first base and hitting 6th in the batting order, against the Colorado Rockies. He went 1 for 4, getting his first MLB hit in the 8th inning, with a double to right field.
Young also showed stellar defensive skills during the 2 games where he played as a first baseman, recording 17 put-outs on 17 total chances and had no errors. Jared also played three error-free innings as a right fielder and was the Cubs’ DH in 2 games.
That hit got Young a standing ovation from the 31,775 fans in the Stadium.
About that first hit, Jared Young said “A lot of excitement and a lot of relief “ he added “ It felt great… It´s probably the loudest building I´ve ever been in. That was pretty cool. It was a surreal day.”
First major league hit for Jared Young! 👏 pic.twitter.com/XWRTn3N5EN
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 16, 2022
Return To Iowa
Jared Young ended up staying two weeks on the Chicago Cubs roster before returning to the Iowa Cubs for their last game of the season. Since the Cubs are one of the most followed MLB teams by Iowans it was a cheerful comeback.
And what a return it was as Jared ended up walking off the game with a 2-run Home Run over the center field wall in the ninth inning to score the final two runs and secure the 4-2 victory for the Iowa Cubs.
That victory didn’t mean a lot for the Iowa Cubs, as the minor league team finished ranked ninth in the International League´s West Division with a 67-81 record, and did not advance to the playoffs.
JARED YOUNG WITH THE WALK-OFF WINNER TO END THE YEAR! pic.twitter.com/7ytm5uNH4a
— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) September 28, 2022
Final Thoughts
Jared Young is one of the bunch of players that the Chicago Cubs want to get a look at in the big leagues before deciding whether or not to protect him on the 40-man roster all off-season because of the Rule 5 Draft this winter.
He had his chance in the big leagues and proved to be a great defender and a good offensive player that a roster like the Chicago Cubs could use.
Jared is definitely a player that David Ross and his crew are going to have in mind to whether or not he deserves a spot in the Chicago Cubs for the next season, and even if he ends up not staying at the Cubs, he has the talent to be a major league player at any other team in the MLB.
What do you do when a #PrinceGeorge-raised, turned @Cubs player, hits the major leagues?! You proudly air the game at the Visitor Info Centre to showcase that PG has, not only amazing sights but, amazing talent!
Congrats Jared Young on your first #MLB game! pic.twitter.com/z9Wy4BgYKV
— Tourism PG (@tourismpg) September 16, 2022
Credits on Featured Image: Joel Dinda, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
