BP Post Cubs Top 10 Prospects

[JGalt73]

Here's the list...

 

 

Excellent Prospects

None

Very Good Prospects

1. Donald Veal, LHP

2. Felix Pie, CF

Good Prospects

3. Sean Gallagher, RHP

4. Eric Patterson, 2B

5. Tyler Colvin, OF

6. Mark Pawelek, LHP

7. Jeff Samardzija, RHP

8. Chris Huseby, RHP

Average Prospects

9. Scott Moore, 3B

10. Ryan Harvey, RF

[USSoccer]

Ouch

[Bruno7481]

The minor league system needs some additional resources allocated. This is why I felt bidding 25-30 million on Matsuzaka could have been better spent in developing the farm system, Latin America and Pacific scouting, etc.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I agree with Goldstein's general assessment of the prospects (except maybe Samardzija - but ranking him depends on whether you take into consideration the odds that he sticks to baseball).

 

The minor league system needs some additional resources allocated. This is why I felt bidding 25-30 million on Matsuzaka could have been better spent in developing the farm system, Latin America and Pacific scouting, etc.

 

Agreed.

 

Hopefully the extra Pacific scouting this past season wasn't just aimed at Japanese pro players. And hopefully the bigger named signings in Latin America this past summer is a sign of things to come.

[Balsa]

Harvey is still on the list?

 

Also, that list is mighty small, although I guess they can't count Guzman, Mateo, or Marmol since they've played too much at the MLB level? Anyone back me up on this?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Harvey is still on the list?

 

Also, that list is mighty small, although I guess they can't count Guzman, Mateo, or Marmol since they've played too much at the MLB level? Anyone back me up on this?

 

I would rate someone like Ryu ahead of Harvey myself.

 

Correct about those players not being eligible. Cedeño, Guzman, Marmol, Marshall, Mateo (service time - so he would qualify in Baseball America's rankings) and Theriot completed their rookie eligibility last season.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Harvey is still on the list?

 

He's either being extremely overrated, or our farm is really crappy.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Oh, and I sure do love the Don. Sure would be nice if he could make the jump to AAA for 07. Color me selfish.

[Mephistopheles]

The biggest issue I have is this:

 

The Big Picture: Rankings Combined With Non-Rookies 25 Years Old Or Younger (As Of Opening Day 2007)

 

1. Carlos Zambrano, RHP

2. Donald Veal, LHP

3. Felix Pie, CF

4. Carlos Marmol, RHP

5. Sean Gallagher, RHP

6. Angel Guzman, RHP

7. Eric Patterson, 2B

8. Tyler Colvin, OF

9. Mark Pawalek, LHP

10. Jeff Samardzija, RHP

 

Where's Matt Murton? He doesn't turn 26 until after Zambrano does.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Wow, Murton has to be #2. Must be an oversight.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Harvey is still on the list?

 

He's either being extremely overrated, or our farm is really crappy.

 

While I wouldn't say it's "crappy," it's definitely an indictment on the quality of the farm system.

[Balsa]

Whatever happened to Dope? I remember him and Harvey were supposed to be our next "big boppers".

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Whatever happened to Dope? I remember him and Harvey were supposed to be our next "big boppers".

 

Very down year in 2005, broke his foot on in the opening game of 2006. His injury affected his play and he ended up having surgery after a bit of playing.

[Balsa]

Whatever happened to Dope? I remember him and Harvey were supposed to be our next "big boppers".

 

Very down year in 2005, broke his foot on in the opening game of 2006. His injury affected his play and he ended up having surgery after a bit of playing.

Jeez that's awful. Where do you think he'll start next year? AA?

 

Just checked his stats, holy shazbot, 39 homers in A ball?!?! And at age 20 as well....

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Whatever happened to Dope? I remember him and Harvey were supposed to be our next "big boppers".

 

Very down year in 2005, broke his foot on in the opening game of 2006. His injury affected his play and he ended up having surgery after a bit of playing.

Jeez that's awful. Where do you think he'll start next year? AA?

 

Just checked his stats, holy shazbot, 39 homers in A ball?!?! And at age 20 as well....

 

Yeah, he'll probably return to AA and be teamed up with Ryan Harvey.

[Mephistopheles]

Wow, Murton has to be #2. Must be an oversight.

I still think Angel Guzman is going to develop into something quite dominant. He showed more than enough flashes for me to think that last year.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Wow, Murton has to be #2. Must be an oversight.

I still think Angel Guzman is going to develop into something quite dominant. He showed more than enough flashes for me to think that last year.

 

I completely agree.

[Balsa]

Really? I was less than impressed, but then compared to Rich Hill.....anyone's gonna look bad.

[Mephistopheles]

When he first came up he showed a good fastball and a good curveball. His changeup was pretty poor at the time and his command on all three wasn't very good. He would dominate one hitter, struggle against the next and so on. Once he returned from AAA the second time showed the plus changeup with the other two plus pitches. I saw three well above pitchers and given that his command was a strength in the past, I've got to feel eventually the kinks will get worked out. We've got to remember he basically lost two years of development time. There's no question he was rusty, and a pitch like a changeup is a feel pitch so it shouldn't be a surprise if you see it getting stronger over the course of the season. Once he gets his command down, the skys the limit.

 

Which leads me off to a tangent worth bringing up here. The Cubs chances next season are pretty slim even if they reel in several key FA's or trade targets. If anything 2006 was an investment into our future pitching. We let guys like Marshall, Marmol, Guzman and Mateo get their feet wet in the majors. They all struggled and that should have been expected, but they've all got a chance to be at least an averge starter down the road. If the Cubs sign 3 mediocre FA pitchers it's only going to make the 2006 season worse than it was. It chokes off their development.

[ChiCubsFan]

I don't know much about Huseby. Anyone care to give me some info on him?

[Mephistopheles]

He's a big projectable righty. He throws in the low to mid 90s. Because he's 6'7" his projection is through the roof and he throws the ball on an excellent downward plane. His curveball is another plus pitch when it's working. His changeup needs work, but all pitchers his age need to develop their changeups.

 

The issue with him is that he had TJ surgery after his junior season in HS and didnt pitch his senior year until May. He's similar to Nick Adenhart in that respect. Still with his size and stuff the sky's the limit, but hes way way way way way far off at this point.

 

Oh and age wise he was drafted out of HS this year. Not sure what his exact D.O.B. is but he's gotta be 18 or 19. He's probably ticketed to Boise next season while still regaining arm strength.

[ChiCubsFan]

He's a big projectable righty. He throws in the low to mid 90s. Because he's 6'7" his projection is through the roof and he throws the ball on an excellent downward plane. His curveball is another plus pitch when it's working. His changeup needs work, but all pitchers his age need to develop their changeups.

 

The issue with him is that he had TJ surgery after his junior season in HS and didnt pitch his senior year until May. He's similar to Nick Adenhart in that respect. Still with his size and stuff the sky's the limit, but hes way way way way way far off at this point.

 

Thanks!

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Oh and age wise he was drafted out of HS this year. Not sure what his exact D.O.B. is but he's gotta be 18 or 19. He's probably ticketed to Boise next season while still regaining arm strength.

 

1/11/1988, making him age 18 now and 19 for next season.

[Balsa]

Oh and age wise he was drafted out of HS this year. Not sure what his exact D.O.B. is but he's gotta be 18 or 19. He's probably ticketed to Boise next season while still regaining arm strength.

 

1/11/1988, making him age 18 now and 19 for next season.

Jeez, makes me feel old. And I'm only 21!

[Mephistopheles]

Man I had my first "I feel old" moment when I was working a day camp at the local YMCA when I was 19. The 10 and 11 year old kids didn't know what cool runnings, rudy or sandlot were. Then it occurred to me that those movies were made before they were born.