BA's NWL Top 20

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Four Cubs make the top 20, no surprises here:

 

1. Matt Latos, rhp, Eugene (Padres)

2. Josh Donaldson, c, Boise (Cubs)

3. Juan Ramirez, rhp, Everett (Mariners)

4. Tony Thomas, 2b, Boise (Cubs)

5. Fabio Castillo, rhp, Spokane (Rangers)

6. Kellen Kulbacki, of, Eugene (Padres)

7. Tommy Hunter, rhp, Spokane (Rangers)

8. Greg Halman, of, Everett (Mariners)

9. Helder Velazquez, ss, Tri City (Rockies)

10. Matt Mangini, 3b, Everett (Mariners)

11. Corey Brown, of, Everett (Mariners)

12. Bruce Billings, rhp, Tri City (Rockies)

13. Cory Riordan, rhp, Tri City (Rockies)

14. Mitch Canham, c, Eugene (Padres)

15. Robinson Fabian, rhp, Tri City (Rockies)

16. Kyler Burke, of, Boise (Cubs)

17. Edward Paredes, lhp, Everett (Mariners)

18. Chris Huseby, rhp, Boise (Cubs)

19. Brian Rike, of, Tri City (Rockies)

20. Jake Brigham, rhp, Spokane (Rangers)

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/features/264930.html

 

Donaldson: offensive-minded catcher w/ aggressive approach and unproven defense. Geared to pull, feasts on FBs, has above-average bat speed and raw power. One scout said he showed agility behind the plate and his throws were online but he still has work to do behind the plate (threw out 40% of basestealers but had 11 PBs).

 

Thomas: Mature approach w/ solid-average bat speed and a knack for squaring up on the ball. Flat swing isn't conducive for power but uses all fields and can pepper the alleys with doubles. His basestealing (28/30 in SBs) is due to using his instincts to enhance his above avg. speed. Below-average defender w/ below-average arm.

 

Burke: Was shellshocked when he came to the Hawks - a year after being a first rounder, he was sitting in someone else's locker room. But after that, he became one of the most improved players on the Hawks. Pull-oriented and at times overaggressive, has major power thanks in part to his muscular frame. Fringe average runner, plus arm, should be a dependable RF with offensive upside.

 

Huseby: Cubs have used kid gloves and his stuff was underwhelming. His upside lies in athleticism and projection at this point. Was at 88-91 for most of the season, dipping to 86-88. Inconsistent breaking ball...he was sharpening a slider which is better than the curve he used in HS. Shwoed avg. control but below-avg. command, delivery and arm action are sound for a 6-7 guy.

[YearofDaCubs]

Interesting. I though Huseby threw harder than that.

[Guest]

Interesting. I though Huseby threw harder than that.

 

He was in the low 90s last year and he was in the 90s in a few of his starts this season and in the 80s the rest of the time. It sounds like his velocity is very inconsistent right now (just like the rest of his stuff). Hopefully the good news in regards to him in Instructs continues.

 

Anways, send in chat questions, people: http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/chat/chat.php?id=2007092701

 

Alan Matthews will do the chat at 2:30 ET.

[Guest]

Q: JAYPERS from IL asks:

No Josh Vitters? Did he not have enough ABs to qualify? If so, where would he ranked if he had?

 

A: Alan Matthews: Vitters spent just seven games in the AZl and seven more in the NWL, so he did not qualify for either league's Top 20 list. In my opinion, the best pure hitter available in this year's draft, including Matt Weiters, Vitters has tremendous upside. His debut, though, was forgettable. He wanted to sign right away and get out and play, but based on his high draft status, he and his agent played the waiting game, got a reasonable signing bonus and then reported to pro ball. He's going to have to work on his approach as a pro, showing patience and willingness to use all fields, but he has great eye-hand coordination, bat speed, power, and all the intangibles to become a top-flight run producer down the line.

 

Q: Jeff from NoCal asks:

Will Tony Thomas be able to stick at 2B or will he have to move positions? What type of player do you see him becoming or do you see a MLB player that would be a good comp for his style of play?

 

A: Alan Matthews: Back-to-back ACC player questions . . . I can hear the Cali contingent groaning already . . . Thomas was a steal, in my opinion, in the third round. Tim Wilken considered taking him with an earlier pick in the Cubs draft room, but when he was still there in the third, he might have done a cartwheel or two. He's a good--not great--athlete with good aptitude and a strong work ethic. He's not going to be a fluid defender and he's not light on his feet, so he's going to tick off some managers with his lack of mobility in the middle of the diamond, but he might hit enough to makeup for his defensive shortcomings, and I think he can stay at second base in pro ball.

 

Q: Jeff from California asks:

Seeing Donaldson at #2 and Canham at #14 and knowing they were drafted around the same spot, did the cubs do well by selecting Donaldson where they did and is he that much better of a prospect than Canham after a year in the league?

 

A: Alan Matthews: We have an early leader for the best question of the chat . . . Both guys are offensive-minded catchers out of good college programs. Donaldson shows more natural feel for the position than Canham, yet he played third base as a freshman at Auburn in 2005, began catching as a sophomore and boosted his reputation with a strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer. A right thumb injury limited his action behind the plate as a junior, too, but I like his chances to develop into a solid-average defender. He has a slightly better approach and a better feel for hitting than Canham.

 

Q: Navin from Pasadena, CA asks:

Thanks for doing these chats, they're great. What did you think about Boise pitcher Alberto Cabrera? He's young (18), has good height and size and put together some really good starts before slowing down and finishing the season injured.

 

A: Alan Matthews: Cabrera was one of a handful of Latin arms in Boise to show some promise this summer. He was shut down with shoulder fatigue, but has a live arm and sticks with his best pitch--a plus fastball with some life down in the zone. He's a 6-foot-4, a8-year-old from the D.R.

 

Q: Navin from Pasadena, CA asks:

That wasn't the most encouraging report on Huseby. In your writeup in the Prospect Handbook, you had Huseby clocked 90-95. I know he's young and very projectable but is the drop in velocity cause for concern given his injury history?

 

A: Alan Matthews: Having seen Huseby pitch as a high school underclassman at a tournament in Fort Myers way back in 2004, when he was already touching 92s, I was surprised to hear that his velocity was down at times this year. One report from Cubs camp had him touching 95 mph at one point, but three scouts who saw him said he was anywhere from 86-90 mph or the 88-91 range, depending on who saw him when. They all liked his delivery, though, and said he did it easy, so there's reason to be confident that he'll rediscover his velocity. He hasn't pitched much, having missed a year following Tommy John surgery, so there's no reason to think there are additional health concerns with this kid.

 

Q: Gary from New Jersey asks:

How does a guy like Kyler Burke crack the top 20? Is this league that weak? How high can Kulbacki project?

 

A: Alan Matthews: What's wrong with Burke? This guy is a physical body of art, with strength and power to his game, as well as above-average athleticism. He's raw, but has lots of upside. He needs to hone his feel for hitting and control the strike zone better, but with his tools, it wasn't a stretch to rank him, and wasn't an indictment of the league in doing so. Kulbacki, while coincidentally drafted and signed by the same Padres area scout, Ash Lawson, is a completely different player. He lacks fluidity, but simply knows how to hit, and has a track record for doing so. A lot of people were down on his ability to hit with wood in the amateur scouting world after the Cape Cod League season last summer, but he actually came on relatively well late in the summer, and that was duly noted by San Diego. He can play everyday in the big leagues if he continues to develop his power and takes his defense more seriously.

 

Q: Matt from Wheaton asks:

How does Donaldson prject as a major league catcher? do you believe he will stay at the position or move to a corner spot?

 

A: Alan Matthews: I think he's got the aptitude and tools to become a front-line catcher. He already has the arm strength and exchange, he needs work on receiving and some of the nuances of the position.

 

Q: Navin from Pasadena, CA asks:

Can you talk about a few of these Latin arms in Boise who showed promise?

 

A: Alan Matthews: We've already touched on Alberto Cabrera, and righthanders Audy Santana and Al Alburquerque are two others worthy of mention. Santana works off an 89-93 mph fastball and a solid-average breaking ball. he attacked hitters when he came in out of the pen. He's got lots of arm strength and some room for projection. Alberto Alburquerque is another 21-year-old Dominican who was 88-92 mph most of the summer and also has an aggressive approach and ability to get a breaking ball over for strikes.

[NCCubFan]

There's this "Navin" guy again. :D

[B]

There's this "Navin" guy again. :D

 

:D

[YearofDaCubs]

Alan Matthews must be a Cubs fan, he has said a lot of positive things about our prospects. Let's hope he's right.

[badnews]

I like the decent Cubs representation on that list (two of the top four picks), but is anyone surprised Salem-Keizer and Yakima aren't anywhere on there? The Giants and the Diamondbacks have had some really productive drafts lately, it's a surprise none of those talents have been showcased in shortseason.

 

Remember the debate over Wes Roemer? Is he the next Greg Maddux or the next Tim Stauffer? Sean Morgan from Yakima was lauded as a great pick at that # pick, not a great showing for him, but the omission of Roemer is kind of surprising considering how fringey the list gets towards the bottom. I haven't had the time to pay as much attention as I would've liked, but I'm guessing Roemer's senior season wasn't as good as his junior one.

 

I just checked the Salem-Keizer roster and I don't see any of their prized draft picks from the last two years on there. Huh.

 

I will be interested to see how Huseby pans out compared to some of the other bonus babies in the draft, because I thought if you're going to throw around that kind of money they should've gotten a bigger name like Jordan Walden, Matt Latos (#1, incidentally), or Alex White.

 

All were top two round talents who went in later rounds for big money. The Dodgers didn't offer White enough money, I think Walden signed for less money than Huseby and Latos signed for around the same money.

 

Or we could've used Jeff the Shark's money to grab all the bonus babies... we'll see how it looks in the future.

[Outshined_One]

Remember the debate over Wes Roemer? Is he the next Greg Maddux or the next Tim Stauffer? Sean Morgan from Yakima was lauded as a great pick at that # pick, not a great showing for him, but the omission of Roemer is kind of surprising considering how fringey the list gets towards the bottom. I haven't had the time to pay as much attention as I would've liked, but I'm guessing Roemer's senior season wasn't as good as his junior one.

 

Roemer didn't have enough IP to qualify. He only pitched 12 innings in relief this season.

[WrigleyField 22]

Heh, so I just went to baseballcube to check out Kyle Burke's stats. He has the SAME EXACT birthday as me. Month, day, year. He's my new favorite prospect, obviously. Oh, and what trade/transaction brought him to us?

[Guest]

Heh, so I just went to baseballcube to check out Kyle Burke's stats. He has the SAME EXACT birthday as me. Month, day, year. He's my new favorite prospect, obviously. Oh, and what trade/transaction brought him to us?

 

Part of the Michael Barrett trade.

[Guest]

I will be interested to see how Huseby pans out compared to some of the other bonus babies in the draft, because I thought if you're going to throw around that kind of money they should've gotten a bigger name like Jordan Walden, Matt Latos (#1, incidentally), or Alex White.

 

All were top two round talents who went in later rounds for big money. The Dodgers didn't offer White enough money, I think Walden signed for less money than Huseby and Latos signed for around the same money.

 

Or we could've used Jeff the Shark's money to grab all the bonus babies... we'll see how it looks in the future.

 

Yeah, I would have preferred Latos or Walden if only because they didn't fall due of a major injury with questions surrounding their recovery (although Walden's drop in velocity his senior year is mysterious). We're still not sure if Huseby can get his stuff and velocity back to where it was his sophomore year (though Huseby was in the low 90s in the AZL last season), while Latos and Walden are already looking good in the pros.

 

In terms of big names, I think Huseby would be just as big a name if not for the timing of his TJS, he was more well known as a sophomore than any of the others were their sophomore year in HS.

[cubweiser03]

Donaldson: offensive-minded catcher w/ aggressive approach

Hmmm..ok

[TruffleShuffle]

Donaldson: offensive-minded catcher w/ aggressive approach

Hmmm..ok

 

puzzling considering that he walked 37 times in 47 games at boise

[CubinNY]

Q: JAYPERS from IL asks:

No Josh Vitters? Did he not have enough ABs to qualify? If so, where would he ranked if he had?

 

A: He's going to have to work on his approach as a pro, showing patience and willingness to use all fields, but he has great eye-hand coordination, bat speed, power, and all the intangibles to become a top-flight run producer down the line.

 

Kiss of Death. If they're intagible how does this guy know he has them?

[UK1679666180]

Q: JAYPERS from IL asks:

No Josh Vitters? Did he not have enough ABs to qualify? If so, where would he ranked if he had?

 

A: He's going to have to work on his approach as a pro, showing patience and willingness to use all fields, but he has great eye-hand coordination, bat speed, power, and all the intangibles to become a top-flight run producer down the line.

 

Kiss of Death. If they're intagible how does this guy know he has them?

 

Work ethic is considered an intangible quality, it's very easy to see. So is the ability to stay mentally tough as a hitter, which is simply how you respond to when pitchers start attacking your weakness and how you're able to adjust.

 

Would you rather not see him have those intangibles?

[CubinNY]

Q: JAYPERS from IL asks:

No Josh Vitters? Did he not have enough ABs to qualify? If so, where would he ranked if he had?

 

A: He's going to have to work on his approach as a pro, showing patience and willingness to use all fields, but he has great eye-hand coordination, bat speed, power, and all the intangibles to become a top-flight run producer down the line.

 

Kiss of Death. If they're intagible how does this guy know he has them?

 

Work ethic is considered an intangible quality, it's very easy to see. So is the ability to stay mentally tough as a hitter, which is simply how you respond to when pitchers start attacking your weakness and how you're able to adjust.

 

Would you rather not see him have those intangibles?

Those are pretty tangible things.

[badnews]

I will be interested to see how Huseby pans out compared to some of the other bonus babies in the draft, because I thought if you're going to throw around that kind of money they should've gotten a bigger name like Jordan Walden, Matt Latos (#1, incidentally), or Alex White.

 

All were top two round talents who went in later rounds for big money. The Dodgers didn't offer White enough money, I think Walden signed for less money than Huseby and Latos signed for around the same money.

 

Or we could've used Jeff the Shark's money to grab all the bonus babies... we'll see how it looks in the future.

 

Yeah, I would have preferred Latos or Walden if only because they didn't fall due of a major injury with questions surrounding their recovery (although Walden's drop in velocity his senior year is mysterious). We're still not sure if Huseby can get his stuff and velocity back to where it was his sophomore year (though Huseby was in the low 90s in the AZL last season), while Latos and Walden are already looking good in the pros.

 

In terms of big names, I think Huseby would be just as big a name if not for the timing of his TJS, he was more well known as a sophomore than any of the others were their sophomore year in HS.

 

Is it just me, or did Huseby's TJS keep him out way longer than Nick Adenhart's? Huseby didn't pitch his junior season, then threw like 5 innings his senior season, and barely pitched for the Cubs that year. Adenhart only seemed to lose 6 months, and Huseby seemed to lose two years.

[chattbaseball]

Heh, so I just went to baseballcube to check out Kyle Burke's stats. He has the SAME EXACT birthday as me. Month, day, year. He's my new favorite prospect, obviously. Oh, and what trade/transaction brought him to us?

 

You two also share that birthday with Adolf Hitler (1889), Don Mattingly (1961) and the Prophet Muhammed (570). Columbine was on 4/20 as well...and we all know what 4/20 stands for! :)