It is great to see Cody Bellinger finally healthy again and well it’s great because he’s starting to look like the great version of himself and he’s doing it with the Cubs. However, this is a good reminder that if Bellinger does continue on this path for the rest of 2023, then he is going to opt out of his deal after this year to explore free agency. It would be a bummer because it means Bellinger was great and would most likely sign elsewhere, but then you remember that the Cubs number one prospect plays center field and all of a sudden Bellinger leaving hurts a lot less.

Basically the entire Pete Crow-Armstrong experience was on full display Tuesday night, when the Tennessee Smokies beat the Chattanooga Lookouts 9-5. What is the PCA experience? How about getting the whole package, the five-tool player who is still proving why he’s the top prospect in the Cubs minor league system.

Crow-Armstrong hit a leadoff home run to right-center field, his first of the season at Double-A, on Tuesday.

The center fielder finished the game 2-for-4, with his solo home run, a walk, stole a base and scored three runs, leading off for the Smokies.

Oh and Crow-Armstrong also made a nice, sliding catch in center field to rob a hit in the second inning. Besides his sixth stolen base of the season, Crow-Armstrong also scored fairly easily from first base in the eighth inning on a Miguel Amaya double to left field.

The 21-year-old center fielder is now slashing .343/.395/.571, with a home run, double, two triples, four RBI, nine runs scored and he’s 6-for-7 in stolen base attempt in nine games.

Cubs Prospects Notes

Jordan Nwogu homered for the Tennessee Smokies on Tuesday. The right-handed hitting outfielder hasn’t gotten a roll quite yet, going 6-for-27 at the plate in eight games at Double-A, but half of his hits have been home runs.

Right-handed starting pitcher Ryan Jensen allowed one run on two hits and a walk in five innings for the Smokies, striking out five Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Kohl Franklin struck out six hitters in 3.2 innings, allowing three hits, two walks, but no runs for the South Bend Cubs. Franklin now has pitched 7.2 shutout innings through his first two starts this season.

However, it was 21-year-old Michael Arias, who had the most impressive start of the night for Cubs prospects. The young right-hander gave up two hits and walked one, while striking out eight in four innings for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Arias was first signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018. He was in their system for a few years before the Cubs signed him during spring training in 2021.

Finally, Haydn McGeary has been a monster with the South Bend Cubs. Maybe you remember him from a few spring training at-bats, but McGeary is a big dude, standing at 6-foot-4, and so far the 23-year-old who was drafted in the 15th round last year has a 1.132 OPS in 46 plate appearances at A-Ball.

McGeary went 1-for-3, with a double, a run scored and two walks on Tuesday, raising his slash line to .375/.457/.675 in 10 games.