Pitching Anyone?

[CubsWin]

What is it with the Cubs and producing successful pitching prospects? As much as they struggle to produce succesful position players, they seemingly don't even have to try to produce successful pitching prospects.

 

The 20-year-old Sean Gallagher is at AA now and went 8-1, 2.33 while averaging 6 innings per start, striking out 111 while walking 38 for a WHIP of 1.26 in the first half.

 

The 21-year-old southpaw Donald Veal is now at High-A and has gone 6-3, 2.14 averaging 5 1/2 innings over 17 starts striking out 99 while walking 48 for a WHIP of just 1.13. Does he have some control issues? Yes. But he has also been very difficult to hit. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Marmol has already been called up. Marshall was supposed to start this season in AA. Angel Guzman continues to get ready in Iowa. Rich Hill is making a mockery of AAA hitters again this year with consistency.

 

But then there is Randy Wells. Who came out of nowhere to dominate AA hitters and is now starting to do the same in AAA. Juan Mateo is just 23 and his numbers at AA (2.50 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) aren't too shabby. And what about the 6'7" lefty Chris Shaver who has put up a 2.20 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP in the first half also at AA.

 

Jae Kuk Ryu, Scott Taylor and lets not forget Mark Pawelek. Mark Holliman, a 3rd rounder last year, has been pretty darn good at Daytona. The 20-year-old Todd Blackford started the season terribly, but has been really good over the last two months. He has the frame to add some velocity and the guy can induce groundball outs pretty consistently already.

 

The Cubs traded away some really good pitching prospects to get Juan Pierre, but do they really miss them? They've got so many more in the pipeline. How do they do it? Its just as mind-boggling as why they can't produce an all-star position prospect.

[sporrer17]

And yet I'd give anything for it to be a happy balance between the two. They do have a large number of youngsters that look to be solid major leaguers some day, but still don't have that sure-fire stud. Gallagher is getting there as he's 20 and in AA absolutely dominating, but give him the rest of the year before we start hyping him up. He could conceivably be our best prospect by season's end, with the way Pie, Dopirak, Guzman have played.

 

We need to see a position player or two succeed at the big league level. We've got 2 of them in the everyday lineup right now, but Cedeno is fading fast and Murton is still lacking any form of power. Hopefully this recent surge by Murton is a sign of things to come, because I really like him as a hitter.

[otis89]

Speaking of Scott Taylor, I'm going up to Peoria today to watch myself pitch.

[craig]

Speaking of Scott Taylor, I'm going up to Peoria today to watch myself pitch.

 

Great. Have there actually been any scouting reports posted on him by people who have seen him this year? You can post one tomorrow!

 

I really don't have a feel for what he is. Is he a big-time arm that doesn't have much breaking ball yet, but if he comes up with one he could be a big-time prospect? Or is this a guy with a decent but nothing-special fastball at present and very little breaking ball? A guy who'll need to come up with a breaking pitch and add 5 mph to become a #2 big-leaguer starter?