PITTSBURGH — One aspect of first-base prospect Matt Mervis’ game reminds Triple-A Iowa hitting coach Desi Wilson of the last championship core — homegrown players such as Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, Kyle Schwarber and Willson Contreras. The power-hitting first baseman has the ability to change the course of a game.
“He’s a game-changer,” Wilson said, citing his hitting ability.
But the Cubs’ 40-man roster crunch makes it unlikely that Mervis, who isn’t Rule 5 Draft eligible, will debut this year. The Cubs need those roster spots to protect other players. But he has a clear path to competing for a spot out of spring training next year.
“That’s definitely on the radar,” manager David Ross said. “There’s a big hole, for me, at first base and the production we’re getting out of that. From my knowledge, he’s having one of the better minor-league seasons for any player. There’s no doubt he’ll have a great opportunity in front of him moving forward, unless something transpires in the offseason that would negate that.”
Mervis has rocketed through the Cubs’ farm system this year, from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A. He entered Saturday with 35 home runs, tied with teammate Alexander Canario for third-most in the minors. In the last 15 years, only Bryant (43, 2014), Bryan LaHair (38, 2011) and Baez (37, 2013) have hit more home runs in a Cubs minor-league season.
Mervis signed with the Cubs as an undrafted free agent in 2020. But even calling him that feels unfair in a year when MLB cut the draft to five rounds mid-pandemic. His senior season at Duke also had been trimmed.
Even so, he said a couple teams called him the day before the draft — and even one or two during the draft — to tell him he was on their boards.
“That, honestly, made it worse, knowing that I was in the conversation and didn’t get drafted,” he said. “But once it happened, it happened. And I had to refocus on the free-agent period.”
Cubs scout Billy Swoope had been in contact with Mervis since high school, he said. Mike Roberts, a former roving minor-league consultant for the Cubs, was Mervis’ Cape Cod League coach in 2019. And Cubs director of hitting Justin Stone made a pitch that resonated with him, analyzing his swing and laying out a plan for him as if he already was in the organization.
“It just felt like a good fit,” Mervis said.
And even though Mervis was also a relief pitcher in college, the Cubs wanted him for his bat.
“I’ve always been a hitter in my head,” he said. “I pitched because it got me on the field and into college. It just took the free-agent opportunity to decide that I wanted to be a hitter only instead of a two-way.”
In the instructional league that year, Mervis made an immediate impression on Wilson, even though his mechanics weren’t as polished then.
“I know we had [Anthony] Rizzo at the time,” Wilson said, “but I was just like, man, this kid can really swing the bat.”
Mervis had bat speed and power, but he had a tendency of pulling off the ball. He went to work on lengthening the amount of time his bat spent in the strike zone.
He struggled at the plate in his first professional season, playing mostly with Single-A Myrtle Beach. He hit .209 with nine home runs.
“Obviously, the path is a little untraditional,” he said, “to struggle last year in low-A and then move up to Triple-A by the end of this year. It’s kind of where I expected to be given that this is the end of my second season.”
Next, Mervis is headed to the Arizona Fall League. Then, he’s expected to join the Cubs in spring training with a “great opportunity.”