The Knoxville Smokies, the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, take the field Friday night in Birmingham, followed by a six-game series at Rocket City. But the real excitement starts on April 15, when the Smokies will have their home opener against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
In my preview of the Iowa Cubs, I noted that the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate is loaded with top 100 prospects and Top 30 Cubs prospects. There’s a price to be paid for that, and the Knoxville Smokies are definitely not loaded with top 100 prospects. But there are some Top 30 Cubs prospects and lots of interesting arms that could end up pitching at Wrigley Field one day.