When the Cubs signed 22-year-old righty Max Bain in January, most of the focus was on his name. He sounded like a comic book character and, at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, sort of resembled one as well. But the man the Cubs signed was not the same one who finished the season in independent ball after going undrafted out of Northwood University. Over a four-month span, Bain reshaped his body, mind, and arsenal to earn a deal with a big-league organization.
After a senior season at Northwood that ended without much fanfare, Bain had a brief stint with the Utica Unicorns of the United Shore Professional Baseball League in Michigan.