July 31, 2024

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

With the all-star festivities, July 15 to July 21 was a short week in the big leagues and in the minors for affiliated clubs from coast to coast.

Even with the brief pause, the Canadian Baseball Network Minor League Player of the Week honour continues to chug along with Chicago Cubs prospect Jordan Nwogu taking home the glory this go around.

Nwogu (Ottawa, Ont.) was one of the top Canuck batters in the minors and the only one to collect double-digit bases (13) and boasted a top slugging percentage at 1.083 in the shortened week.

A third-round pick by Chicago during the shortened 2020 draft, Nwogu, 25, is currently at high-A with the South Bend Cubs where he predominantly works out of left field with some starts in the DH spot.

The Cubs were at home in Four Winds Field in downtown South Bend, Ind. welcoming the Quad City River Bandits (high-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals) for a three-game weekend set during the abbreviated homestand. Slotting into the eighth spot in the batting order, Nwogu’s day on the base paths began in the bottom of the fourth inning when he worked a seven-pitch walk off opposing pitcher Ben Kurdna to put runners on first and second with nobody out – he was forced at second on a double play grounder.

The righty-batter logged his first hit of the series in the bottom of the sixth, a double to centre that also moved a Cubs runner to third base. Nwogu would later score from second, giving the Cubs a 6-1 lead.

Continuing the trend, Nwogu collected another double in the seventh, driving a 0-1 pitch low in the zone to left field. He would finish the day 2-for-3 while also playing solid defence, contributing on a double play by catching a fly ball and throwing out a runner at home in the top of the third. It was his ninth outfield assist of the season.

On Saturday, Nwogu was slotted into the eighth spot and found a way to contribute as the Cubs were down early. In the bottom of the fourth with runners on first and third with nobody out, Nwogu battled to a 1-2 count in his plate appearance before capitalizing on a mistake pitch from the River Bandits starter – a ball not low enough in the zone and over the heart of the plate. Nwogu quickly deposited the offering to centre, a triple that plated both runs and gave the Cubs a 4-3 lead.

With a triple in hand, Nwogu’s next plate appearance saw the Michigan alum put a run on the board – a fly ball to centre – that plated a runner from second to extend the Cubs lead to 5-3. He finished 2-for-5 with River City mounting a late comeback to win 8-7.

With the series on the line, Nwogu took his position in left and was one of the bright spots in the Cubs’ lineup that day – collecting two of the seven hits by South Bend.

The Canuck hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second, a 2-1 offering that caught the heart of the plate, depositing the pitch over the left-centre field wall. It was his sixth home run of the season for the Cubs. Nwogu had his second hit of the day in the seventh, a ground ball single through the left side. The Cubs prospect then quickly stole second base – his 10th steal of the season. While the Canadian was one of the better players in the contest, South Bend dropped the final game by a score of 12-2.

While Nwogu tied with a few other Canadians during the week from July 15 to July 21 with his four RBIs, he was the only batter to collect an extra-base hit of each form, an even more impressive feat considering he did so in just three games.

Former Winners

Opening Day to May 6 – LHP Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, BC), Guardians.

May 7- May 12 – INF Charles LeBlanc (Laval, Que.), Angels.

May 13- May 19 – RHP Adam Maier (North Vancouver, BC), Braves.

May 20- May 26 – INF Trei Cruz (Toronto, Ont.), Tigers.

May 27 – June 2 – RHP Lucas Wepf (Georgetown, Ont.), Dodgers.

June 3 – June 9 – C/DH Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), Rangers.

June 10 – June 16 – OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.), Athletics.

June 17 – June 23 – OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.), Athletics.

June 24 – June 30 – RHP Jonah Tong (Markham, Ont.), Mets.

July 1 – July 7 – OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.), Athletics.

July 8 – July 14 – LHP Matt Wilkerson (Ladner, BC), Guardians.

July 15 – July 21 – Jordan Nwogu (Ottawa, Ont.), Cubs

Statistics for Top Canadian Performers July 15 to July 21 Compiled by Pete Berryman

Hitters

Pitchers