Chicago Cubs: Predicting 5 Impact September Call-Ups for 2017

The final month of the 2017 MLB season is right around the corner, and with that rosters are set to expand from 25 to 40 players.

The bulk of September call-ups consist of players who have spent the season shuttling between Triple-A and the majors—the fringe middle relievers, spot starters, utility infielders and fifth outfielders of the world.

For the most part, those players will be relegated to mop-up duty in blowout games and pinch-hitting in low-leverage situations.

However, there are always a handful of September additions who wind up making impacts.

Here's a look at five Chicago Cubs players who could join the roster in September and make their presence known.

OF Mark Zagunis

G Fiume/Getty Images

Stats (AAA): 408 PA, .267/.404/.455, 88 H, 35 XBH (13 HR), 55 RBI

Stats (MLB): 18 PA, .000/.222/.000, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB

September Role: Bench bat

Outlook

Outfielder Mark Zagunis has steadily climbed the organizational ladder since the Chicago Cubs selected him in the third round of the 2014 draft.

The 24-year-old sports a .402 on-base percentage and a 15.2 percent walk rate over parts of four minor league seasons, and that advanced approach at the plate might be the biggest chip in his favor as he looks to carve out a role in the majors.

While he might never be a serious power threat, his 13 home runs and .455 slugging percentage for Triple-A Iowa this season both represent career highs.

The Cubs already have a crowded outfield situation, with Jason Heyward, Jon Jay, Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora Jr. and Ian Happ already vying for playing time, so opportunities will be few and far between for Zagunis in September.

Still, he would be another viable pinch-hit option.

RHP Eddie Butler

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Stats (AAA): 45.2 IP, 2-0, 2.17 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 2.4 BB/9, 5.9 K/9

Stats (MLB): 54.2 IP, 4-3, 3.95 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 4.6 BB/9, 4.9 K/9

September Role: Long reliever/spot starter

Outlook

Things never panned out for Eddie Butler during his time with the Colorado Rockies, but his top-prospect pedigree was enough for the Cubs to take a chance on him when he was designated for assignment this past offseason.

The 2012 first-round pick appeared on Baseball America's top 100 prospects list in both 2014 (No. 24) and 2015 (No. 77), and the hope was that he'd join Jon Gray in anchoring the Colorado staff long term.

Instead, he went 6-16 with a 6.50 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in 159.1 innings over parts of three seasons before the organization cut him loose.

He's been a useful depth piece this season, posting a 3.95 ERA while making 11 starts and two relief appearances.

His biggest issue was an inability to pitch deep into games, as he completed the sixth inning just once. That won't be an issue in a September long-relief role, and his stuff could play up well in shorter stints.

C Victor Caratini

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Stats (AAA): 302 PA, .344/.387/.557, 94 H, 36 XBH (10 HR), 59 RBI

Stats (MLB): 44 PA, .268/.318/.415, 11 H, 4 XBH (1 HR), 2 RBI

September Role: Backup catcher

Outlook

The Cubs acquired Victor Caratini in the 2014 trade deadline deal that sent reliever James Russell and utility man Emilio Bonifacio to the Atlanta Braves.

The 24-year-old made his MLB debut on June 28 and hit his first big league home run off Zach Davies on July 30 in his second stint with the big club. He also has a pair of three-hit games to his credit.

While his .344 average over 302 plate appearances in Triple-A shows the kind of offensive potential he possesses, his receiving skills are still a work in progress. That's part of the reason why the Cubs acquired veteran Rene Rivera after Willson Contreras landed on the disabled list.

He'll rejoin the roster in September as the team's third catcher and a useful left-handed bat off the bench before presumably taking over the backup catcher job next season.

LHP Rob Zastryzny

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Stats (Rk/AAA): 45.2 IP, 1-3, 5.52 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 2.8 BB/9, 6.7 K/9 

Stats (MLB): 4.0 IP, 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 9.0 BB/9, 2.3 K/9

September Role: Middle relief

Outlook

Rob Zastryzny gave the Cubs bullpen a nice boost in the second half last season with a 1.13 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 16 innings of work―even earning a spot on the National League Championship Series roster against the lefty-heavy Los Angeles Dodgers.

That made him a prime candidate to take over as the bullpen's primary lefty this season, but he lost out to veteran Brian Duensing in spring training and then missed nearly two months with a lat strain.

Since returning to action in the middle of July, he's posted a respectable 4.13 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with a 21-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 28.1 innings.

Given how wildly inconsistent the Cubs bullpen has been of late, Zastryzny's track record could give him a chance to pitch his way into a meaningful role down the stretch.

RHP Dillon Maples

Stats (A+/AA/AAA): 61.0 IP, 6-3, 13 SV, 2.36 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 5.3 BB/9, 14.3 K/9

Stats (MLB): N/A

September Role: Middle relief with late-inning upside

Outlook

Here's what I wrote about Dillon Maples earlier in August in an article highlighting the one prospect each team should promote immediately:

"The Cubs signed Dillon Maples to a $2.5 million bonus as a 14th-round pick in 2011—still the largest bonus ever given to a player selected after the third round.

"Control problems and some minor arm issues kept him from advancing beyond the High-A level in his first five pro seasons, but he's taken off this year and could be a legitimate X-factor down the stretch.

"Still just 25, he's posted a 2.57 ERA and .198 opponents' batting average with 91 strikeouts in 56 innings while reaching Triple-A. He's still walking batters at a 4.8 BB/9 clip, but his stuff is electric with a fastball that touches triple digits, a wipeout slider and a nasty power curve.

"MLB.com wrote: 'If he can acquire even average control, he could become a closer. While that may be too much to ask, he has the pure stuff to help the Cubs in the near future.'"

Even with his level of effective wildness, Maples could quickly emerge as a key contributor in the late innings, similar to what we saw from Carl Edwards Jr. down the stretch a year ago.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs and accurate through Wednesday's games.