Manuel Rodriguez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #27 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Rodriguez won the Mexican League’s rookie of the year award as Yucatan’s closer in 2015 and signed with the Cubs a year later for $400,000. He began to trend upward before the coronavirus pandemic hit and continued that rise when the minor leagues resumed in 2021. Rodriguez earned Futures Game selection and rose from Double-A to the majors, receiving his first big league callup in July. He made 20 relief appearances for the Cubs before finishing the year on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
  
  Scouting Report: Rodriguez is a short, stout righthander with a big right arm. Both his four-seam and two-seam fastballs sit 97 mph and touch 99 with late life. His four-seamer cuts and rides above barrels and his heavy two-seamer drops below them. His fastball command can be scattered, which led to both of them getting hit in the majors. Rodriguez’s vertical 87-90 mph slider is a swing-and-miss pitch when he gets it below the strike zone. His fastball-slider combination shuts down righthanded batters, but he doesn’t have a changeup and struggles against lefties. He held righties to a .137 batting average and .430 OPS in the minors in 2021 compared to a .324 average and .960 OPS against lefties.
  
  The Future: Rodriguez is ready to take over as a situational reliever who handles righties. He’ll compete for an Opening Day roster spot.
  

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Rodriguez won the Mexican League’s rookie of the year award as Yucatan’s closer in 2015 and signed with the Cubs a year later for $400,000. He began to trend upward before the coronavirus pandemic hit and continued that rise when the minor leagues resumed in 2021. Rodriguez earned Futures Game selection and rose from Double-A to the majors, receiving his first big league callup in July. He made 20 relief appearances for the Cubs before finishing the year on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
  
  Scouting Report: Rodriguez is a short, stout righthander with a big right arm. Both his four-seam and two-seam fastballs sit 97 mph and touch 99 with late life. His four-seamer cuts and rides above barrels and his heavy two-seamer drops below them. His fastball command can be scattered, which led to both of them getting hit in the majors. Rodriguez’s vertical 87-90 mph slider is a swing-and-miss pitch when he gets it below the strike zone. His fastball-slider combination shuts down righthanded batters, but he doesn’t have a changeup and struggles against lefties. He held righties to a .137 batting average and .430 OPS in the minors in 2021 compared to a .324 average and .960 OPS against lefties.
  
  The Future: Rodriguez is ready to take over as a situational reliever who handles righties. He’ll compete for an Opening Day roster spot.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez won the Mexican League's rookie of the year award in 2015 as Yucatan's closer and signed with the Cubs for $400,000 after the 2016 season, the largest international bonus the club awarded that year. Rodriguez averaged 12.4 strikeouts-per-nine at high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2019 and was added to the Cubs' 40-man roster before the 2020 season. He turned heads in spring training, but suffered a forearm strain just before camps shut down.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Rodriguez has a power arsenal befitting a late-game reliever. His four-seam fastball checks in at 95-98 mph with cut and ride and his heavy two-seamer sits 94-97 mph, giving him two power offerings to overpowers hitters. He complements his fastballs with a power, downer curveball in the mid 80s that generates a lot of swing-and-misses, as well as a softer, sweepier breaking ball to disrupt batters' timing. Rodriguez struggled to throw strikes when he was younger, but a more consistent delivery has helped him pound the strike zone and cut his walks significantly.
  
  THE FUTURE: Rodriguez emerged fully healthy after rehabbing at the Cubs complex in Arizona. He has the stuff to join the Cubs bullpen in the near future.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez won the Mexican League's rookie of the year award in 2015 as Yucatan's closer and signed with the Cubs for $400,000 after the 2016 season, the largest international bonus the club awarded that year. Rodriguez averaged 12.4 strikeouts-per-nine at high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2019 and was added to the Cubs' 40-man roster before the 2020 season. He turned heads in spring training, but suffered a forearm strain just before camps shut down.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Rodriguez has a power arsenal befitting a late-game reliever. His four-seam fastball checks in at 95-98 mph with cut and ride and his heavy two-seamer sits 94-97 mph, giving him two power offerings to overpowers hitters. He complements his fastballs with a power, downer curveball in the mid 80s that generates a lot of swing-and-misses, as well as a softer, sweepier breaking ball to disrupt batters' timing. Rodriguez struggled to throw strikes when he was younger, but a more consistent delivery has helped him pound the strike zone and cut his walks significantly.
  
  THE FUTURE: Rodriguez emerged fully healthy after rehabbing at the Cubs complex in Arizona. He has the stuff to join the Cubs bullpen in the near future.