On Friday afternoon the Chicago Cubs' first round pick (ninth overall) Ian Happ was at Wrigley Field taking battle practice with the big club. 

"He is in the Majors less than two months after being taken with the ninth overall pick?" 

No, but he has earned the first promotion of his professional career.

Happ, who was recruited very little in high school and was "snubbed by all the big schools," just finished a very successful career for the University of Cincinnati. As a Bearcat, the Pittsburgh native was the total package by showcasing speed (averaged about nineteen stolen bases per season), contact hitting (.338 collegiate career average), and power (14 home runs his Junior season). In fact, Happ's campaign was so impressive this spring that he was a second team Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-American thanks to career highs in all three of the major hitting categories (.369 BA, 14 HR, & 44 RBI). Yet unlike most on team, his season did not end when Cincinnati concluded their pathetic 13-30 year as the twenty-year old was the first player taken from a college that failed to make the NCAA Tournament.

With little exposure on the national stage, very few fans knew who Happ was when he made his pro debut on June 19 after agreeing to a contract with a $3 million dollar signing bonus. But after 29 games with the Eugene Emeralds (Rookie), everyone on the North side should know who their newest draft pick is considering he led the team in home runs (4), total bases (52) walks (23), stolen bases (9), and OPS (.408)! Tonight in his Single-A debut, Happ continued to show Chicago (NL) not only that the Cubs made the right decision by selecting him but better competition will not diminish his play.

In his first AB at the new level, the six foot, three inch switch hitter worked a walk out of Western Michigan starter Jeff Johnson. Two innings later, he finally saw a pitch he could handle and smacked a single to center field for his first Midwest League hit. The base knock almost drove in his first RBI but unfortunately Jeffrey Baez was gunned out at the plate to hold the Cubs' to only one run in the third.

Despite grounding into a double play in the sixth inning, Happ had another quality plate appearance in the eighth by drawing his second base on balls, which ended his night batting .500 (one for two).

Although Happ had a very good debut, MLB.com's 85th prospect Gleyber Torres stole the show with three hits and an RBI to lead Chicago (NL)'s affiliate to a 3-1 victory.