2007 Cubs Pick Discussion

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Doolittle was the one that was compared to Magadan, not Vitters.

[UK1679666180]

Magadan didn't have near the raw power as Vitters, different type of players.

[jersey cubs fan]

Boooo to the lack of Vitters talk. I want to learn more about him.

[Brendan]

I know we are not supposed to pencil these kids in for the future since its such an inexact science, but why would we choose a HS kid who plays 3B (and only hit .371 in HS--which isn't that great) when we have Aramis there for AT LEAST 4 more years after this one and hopefully 10 more after that when he is on his way to the HOF.

 

Why not go after a college catcher in Wieters who is a switch hitter (satisfying Hendry's man-love for LH bat) and would be ready in 2 years or so? Barrett is probably not a long-term Cub, Blanco isn't the answer, and Hill and Soto will be Blanco-like in their careers if they're lucky.

 

i thought i read that he got pneumonia this year, explaining the low BA

 

plus, according to my rudimentary calculations, he slugged like 0.740. (of course, this is from the site that said he walked a grand total of ZERO times this year, which can't be right. if it is, it does explain the organization's fascination.)

 

Cypress Baseball Stats

[UK1679666180]

Boooo to the lack of Vitters talk. I want to learn more about him.

 

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2007/tracker.jsp?mc=vitters

 

Probably be a slightly better hitter than Wallach, but worse defensively.

[hawkeyecub]

I'm not a draft wonk and hadn't read up much on these guys until recently, but it seems like espn.com and some other sources think he has a pretty high ceiling. A lot of what I've read has him projected to have plus average and plus power, with average plate discipline and average (with some saying he could develop slightly above average) fielding.

 

What are others saying that gives him a low ceiling? Just the defensive questions and that he may not have major power?

[Brendan]

a couple of choice quotes from a post at bcb

 

I think Josh Vitters, a high school third baseman from California, is a great fit for the Pirates at No. 4. He's the best pure hitter in this draft.

 

Ranked as the top high school hitter in the class this year by Baseball America, Vitters is a product of Cypress High School in California, and has been a monster on the showcase circuit the last year. I like his size at 6-3, 195 pounds: not too small, but not so large that his strike zone gets unmanageable. He has plus power to all fields, and scouts expect he'll be able to hit for average as well. No one questions his bat; about the only doubt is if he's a 20 homer guy or a 30+ homer guy in the long run. His swing isn't long and he handles both breaking stuff and fastballs well according to scouts.

 

Physically, his speed is just average. He has a strong arm but has to keep working on his defense at third base; it should be OK in the long run as long as his legs don't get thick. He could end up as a right fielder if hot corner defense becomes an issue.

 

Trying to think of some comps here....Best Case : Chipper Jones without the steals early in his career.. Medium Case: Mike Cuddyer. Worst Case: hmm....someone who gets injured or tops out as a Triple-A slugger.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

I've made it well known I wanted one of either Porcello or Parker, but Vitters is a solid bet to at least make the Major Leagues.

 

Still...I can't say I'm not disappointed. This was a high talent draft and there was way better talent there IMO.

 

But whatever, at least we have a decent position prospect in the minors now.

 

Heres hoping for something nice at 48.

[jersey cubs fan]

Boooo to the lack of Vitters talk. I want to learn more about him.

 

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2007/tracker.jsp?mc=vitters

 

Probably be a slightly better hitter than Wallach, but worse defensively.

 

So hopes of Wright or Chipper are not warrented?

 

Wallach huh. So he won't be somebody worth hanging onto once he's making free agency money.

[cubweiser03]

Using outstanding hitting tools at the plate, Vitters was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cape Cod All-Star Game last summer...Widely considered the best high school hitter available...Has a compact swing that will develop power down the road with strong ability to get the bat on the ball with consistency...Right-handed hitter who can handle any type of pitch like Vladimir Guerrero. Has amazing instincts and is very polished...Has the arm strength to play third in the big leagues, but will need to develop in the field. Could eventually land in the outfield if defensive skill at third doesn't progress..Brother Christian was drafted by Oakland in 2006.

 

This could be good or very bad.

[YearofDaCubs]

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story/2007/5/25/155416/658

[Brian]

nothing really new, but here's the official article from cubs.com

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070607&content_id=2011510&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

[Have a seat, Neifi]

Sounds like he'd be a good fit for our future RFer to me, assuming Aramis remains productive for another 4-5 years.

[jersey cubs fan]

Sounds like he'd be a good fit for our future RFer to me, assuming Aramis remains productive for another 4-5 years.

 

He'll be lucky to make the majors in 4-5 years. There's no conflict with his position at 3B.

[jersey cubs fan]

Using outstanding hitting tools at the plate, Vitters was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cape Cod All-Star Game last summer...Widely considered the best high school hitter available...Has a compact swing that will develop power down the road with strong ability to get the bat on the ball with consistency...Right-handed hitter who can handle any type of pitch like Vladimir Guerrero. Has amazing instincts and is very polished...Has the arm strength to play third in the big leagues, but will need to develop in the field. Could eventually land in the outfield if defensive skill at third doesn't progress..Brother Christian was drafted by Oakland in 2006.

 

This could be good or very bad.

 

That's a huge red flag for me. The guy isn't going to learn plate discipline with the Cubs, and he isn't going to handle those pitches against pros. If we have another 4:1 K:BB guy on our hands, he won't help at all.

[Brendan]

Sounds like he'd be a good fit for our future RFer to me, assuming Aramis remains productive for another 4-5 years.

 

He'll be lucky to make the majors in 4-5 years. There's no conflict with his position at 3B.

 

he's got a few years before he has to be in 40-man and then, what, 4 years of options left? i'm not worried about aramis blocking him at all.

Edited June 7, 2007 by Brendan

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Guys I would have prefered:

 

Porcello

Parker

Heyward

Detweiler

Weiters

[hawkeyecub]

Using outstanding hitting tools at the plate, Vitters was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cape Cod All-Star Game last summer...Widely considered the best high school hitter available...Has a compact swing that will develop power down the road with strong ability to get the bat on the ball with consistency...Right-handed hitter who can handle any type of pitch like Vladimir Guerrero. Has amazing instincts and is very polished...Has the arm strength to play third in the big leagues, but will need to develop in the field. Could eventually land in the outfield if defensive skill at third doesn't progress..Brother Christian was drafted by Oakland in 2006.

 

This could be good or very bad.

 

That's a huge red flag for me. The guy isn't going to learn plate discipline with the Cubs, and he isn't going to handle those pitches against pros. If we have another 4:1 K:BB guy on our hands, he won't help at all.

 

FWIW Keith Law and espn.com has his plate discipline graded out higher than Dominquez, Moustakas and Heyward (although they were just raving about his discipline earlier).

[jersey cubs fan]

So, who are the likely candidates for the Cubs' next pick?

[Soriano12]

So, who are the likely candidates for the Cubs' next pick?

 

Someone from Notre Dame.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Using outstanding hitting tools at the plate, Vitters was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cape Cod All-Star Game last summer...Widely considered the best high school hitter available...Has a compact swing that will develop power down the road with strong ability to get the bat on the ball with consistency...Right-handed hitter who can handle any type of pitch like Vladimir Guerrero. Has amazing instincts and is very polished...Has the arm strength to play third in the big leagues, but will need to develop in the field. Could eventually land in the outfield if defensive skill at third doesn't progress..Brother Christian was drafted by Oakland in 2006.

 

This could be good or very bad.

 

That's a huge red flag for me. The guy isn't going to learn plate discipline with the Cubs, and he isn't going to handle those pitches against pros. If we have another 4:1 K:BB guy on our hands, he won't help at all.

 

FWIW Keith Law and espn.com has his plate discipline graded out higher than Dominquez, Moustakas and Heyward (although they were just raving about his discipline earlier).

 

Yeah, "can handle" doesn't necessarily mean "will swing at".

[Guest]

Using outstanding hitting tools at the plate, Vitters was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cape Cod All-Star Game last summer...Widely considered the best high school hitter available...Has a compact swing that will develop power down the road with strong ability to get the bat on the ball with consistency...Right-handed hitter who can handle any type of pitch like Vladimir Guerrero. Has amazing instincts and is very polished...Has the arm strength to play third in the big leagues, but will need to develop in the field. Could eventually land in the outfield if defensive skill at third doesn't progress..Brother Christian was drafted by Oakland in 2006.

 

This could be good or very bad.

 

That's a huge red flag for me. The guy isn't going to learn plate discipline with the Cubs, and he isn't going to handle those pitches against pros. If we have another 4:1 K:BB guy on our hands, he won't help at all.

 

I've heard good things about his plate discipline.

 

It seems awful tough to judge plate discipline amongst HS hitters - even an area with immense talent like Los Angeles - because hitters can beat up on lesser pitchers and also are more likely to get intentionally walked.

 

I'd have preferred Wieters, Porcello or Parker but I certainly can't complain. It's a good pick at 3.

 

I think a lot of the people who think Vitters will bust are just saying that because of the Cubs poor development of position players and the fact the Cubs passed on Wieters. I hope Vitters can stick at 3B, his defense is the thing I'm most concerned about.

[Soriano12]

I think a lot of the people who think Vitters will bust are just saying that because of the Cubs poor development of position players and the fact the Cubs passed on Wieters.

 

ducks

[YearofDaCubs]

Sounds like some people are split half and half on Vitters but I liked what the last post had to say.

 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story/2007/5/25/155416/658

[jersey cubs fan]

Sounds like some people are split half and half on Vitters but I liked what the last post had to say.

 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story/2007/5/25/155416/658

 

Why do you keep putting up that same thing?