Cub prospects in the news

[Hairyducked Idiot]

MLB average is 16 HRs per 600 PAs. So 15-20 is average and MLB average is enough to check off the "tool" box.

 

Nobody would call somebody who is average at those 5 tools a 5 tool player.

 

That's just dumb.

 

The entire concept of five tools is dumb. If we're dumbing, we're dumbing.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

The concept of a 5-tool player to me is basically having no below average tools. Consensus on Almora's potential is 65-70 hit, 70 defense, 60 arm, 50 speed, and 50 power. Label him as you will.

[ctcf]

Or have a pissing match about whether your definition is correct or not. Whatever works.

[jersey cubs fan]

MLB average is 16 HRs per 600 PAs. So 15-20 is average and MLB average is enough to check off the "tool" box.

 

Nobody would call somebody who is average at those 5 tools a 5 tool player.

 

That's just dumb.

 

The entire concept of five tools is dumb. If we're dumbing, we're dumbing.

 

touche

[Guest]

The concept of a 5-tool player to me is basically having no below average tools. Consensus on Almora's potential is 65-70 hit, 70 defense, 60 arm, 50 speed, and 50 power. Label him as you will.

 

I agree. Definitely a dumb concept, but I think if you are at least average at that thing, then you have that "tool." If you're better than that I guess you call it a plus tool or something.

[BeerHere]

This week's Prospect Notebook from BA featured Vogelbach and Almora:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/prospect-notebook-dan-vogelbach-gets-best-of-former-teammate/

 

Dan Vogelbach, 1b, Cubs: At Fort Myers, Fla.’s Bishop Verot High, first baseman Dan Vogelbach hit the home runs and righthander Hudson Boyd picked up the wins. Now two years later, Vogelbach is still hitting home runs, they just sometimes come against Boyd.

 

Vogelbach, a 2011 second-round pick of the Cubs, is now playing for low Class A Kane County. Boyd, the supplemental first-round pick of the Twins in 2011, plays for Cedar Rapids, which gives the two former teammates plenty of chances to challenge each other.

 

“When you see him on the mound in warmups it’s definitely different—you’re used to seeing him on your side,” Vogelbach said. “But when you step into the box and everything changes and he’s just another pitcher and you zone everything out.”

 

When the two face off, we’ve learned that Vogelbach has the advantage. The first time Boyd faced Vogelbach last week, Vogelbach hit a home run and a double against him. When they went head-to-head again yesterday afternoon, Vogelbach again hit a home run and a double.

 

“I don’t try to overthink it, because he has a scouting report on me, so it would be scouting report on scouting report,” Vogelbach said. “I just try to go out there and get good pitches to hit and be aggressive and selective.”

 

Vogelbach hit his 11th home run of the season, but his double on Sunday was arguably more impressive. Boyd got ahead in the count and seemed to have Vogelbach where he wanted him, but even when he made a solid two-strike pitch, Vogelbach stayed back and didn’t try to do too much.

 

“I pride myself on not striking out,” he said. “It’s going to happen, everyone strikes out, but I want to control that. I try to shorten up and use the whole field. He made a good pitch with a two-seamer away. I was just able to shorten up and get the barrel there.”

 

Vogelbach had shortened up his swing, but he doesn’t need to take a big cut to drive the ball. With a short swing, Vogelbach lined the ball the opposite way to the left field wall.

 

Vogelbach’s 2-for-3 day improved his numbers to .277/.347/.472. It was his second consecutive day hitting a home run.

 

Albert Almora, cf, Cubs: With Jorge Soler and Javier Baez in high Class A Daytona and No. 2 overall pick Kris Bryant on the way, the Cubs are on the verge of having three of the elite power-hitting prospects in baseball in their farm system. Almora doesn’t fit that profile, but his hit tool has the chance to be special. A broken hamate bone kept Almora off the field until May 22, but in the 16 games he’s been on the field for Kane County he’s hit .433/.466/.567 while showing outstanding bat control and rhythm at the plate.

[Guest]

Vogelbach jumped up to an .820 OPS pretty quickly. He now has 29 HR in 575 professional PAs.

[ctcf]

Jason Parks ‏@ProfessorParks 24m

The #Cubs could have four prospects ranked in the top 20 in the game when the Baseball Prospectus mid-season top 50 is released. #could

 

Holy [expletive]. Clarified that it is indeed mix of Almora, Baez, Bryant, and Soler.

 

Damn, Parks really, really likes the Cubs system right now.

Edited June 10, 2013 by ctcf

[Thed Hoyerstein]

@ProfessorParks: #Cubs could have 4 prospects ranked in the top 20 in the game when the Baseball Prospectus mid-season top 50 is released

 

Holy [expletive]

 

fap?

 

With Alcantara making some moves, and Vogelbach in the fold, the Cubs have a pretty impressive array of position prospects... Now just need Pierce to continue progressing, and hopefully have an infusion of young pitching during the July sell-off.

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Safe to say, we could probably pull of a Stanton trade if we really wanted to?

[Guest]

Jason Parks ‏@ProfessorParks 24m

The #Cubs could have four prospects ranked in the top 20 in the game when the Baseball Prospectus mid-season top 50 is released. #could

 

Holy [expletive]. Clarified that it is indeed mix of Almora, Baez, Bryant, and Soler.

 

Damn, Parks really, really likes the Cubs system right now.

 

Did that really need clarifying? lol

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Jason Parks ‏@ProfessorParks 24m

The #Cubs could have four prospects ranked in the top 20 in the game when the Baseball Prospectus mid-season top 50 is released. #could

 

Holy [expletive]. Clarified that it is indeed mix of Almora, Baez, Bryant, and Soler.

 

Damn, Parks really, really likes the Cubs system right now.

 

I'm sure it won't be universal, but he won't be alone that limb either.

[Warpticon]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Alcantara start breaking top 50s soon.

[jersey cubs fan]

It would be so awesome if they actually wound up with a really good lineup some day.

[Guest]

It would be so awesome if they actually wound up with a really good lineup some day.

 

A bunch of early-mid 20's cost controlled guys with at least 15-20HR power. Hngggggg...

[Hairyducked Idiot]

It would be so awesome if they actually wound up with a really good lineup some day.

 

Short of intentional sabotage, I'm not sure how they could avoid it.

[wekim81]

Or have a pissing match about whether your definition is correct or not. Whatever works.

hilarious. He's right.

[Little Slide Rooter]

@PWSullivan: Hoyer to WSCR on Stewart tweets: "really unprofessional and there will be consequences."

 

Not sure what consequences they can take at this point. He's already buried in Iowa for the foreseeable future. All they can really do is cut him and eat the remainder of his salary.

[Guest]

Discussed in detail in Baseball Discussions.

[Clem Fandango]

From Callis' Ask BA today, didn't see it posted anywhere...

 

This year, I see only two draftees who project to become their organization’s top prospect, and one of those is highly debatable. Third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant (No. 2) had the best power in this year’s draft, and though it’s an extremely close call, I’d take him over shortstop Javier Baez and outfielders Albert Almora and Jorge Soler in the Cubs system.

[Clem Fandango]

Also from the Prospect Notebook, in regards to Baez' game...

 

Javier Baez, ss, Cubs: Baez has the kind of difference-making power that’s such a rare commodity at the shortstop position, but his feat Monday was beyond rare. Baez became just the second player in the 94-year history of the Florida State League to homer four times in a game, going 4-for-4 with 7 RBIs in high Class A Daytona’s 9-6 win against Fort Myers.

 

Baez homered off three different Fort Myers pitchers and to all parts of the park. The 20-year-old righty swinger hit a two-run shot to right-center field in the first inning, a solo to left-center in the third and a three-run blast to left in the fifth. He wrapped up his night by pulling one down the left field line that stayed just fair.

 

“He only over-swung at one, maybe two pitches tonight, and that was during his fourth at-bat where he fouled them off,” D-Cubs manager Dave Keller told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “He was under control with his swings. He got good pitches to hit, and he hit them hard.”

 

Former Cubs prospect Ryan Harvey is the only other player to go deep four times in an FSL game, pulling it off in 2006. Baez now has 13 long balls for the season and just exceeded his May total (three) in a single night. He upped his slash line to .291/.339/.570, and he moved up to third in the FSL in both homers and slugging percentage.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

I'm sorry, I can't put Bryant number one until I see some professional PA.

[Guest]

I'm sorry, I can't put Bryant number one until I see some professional PA.

 

but you can put him 2 or 3?

[Guest]

I'm sorry, I can't put Bryant number one until I see some professional PA.

 

BA is pretty well known/consistent with that. They'll put draftees ahead of guys you wouldn't with regularity, even before they've played a game.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm sorry, I can't put Bryant number one until I see some professional PA.

 

but you can put him 2 or 3?

 

For me it's not a hard and fast rule. If you have a really weak system with no top end guys, it would be easy to put a newly drafted player at the top of the list. But when you have two guys doing what they are doing at their age, and with their scouting reports, in the FSL then it should be much harder to just insert an amateur ahead of them.