Cub prospects in the news

[Guest]

is Happ ineligible? and no Eloy is a slight surprise

 

like, i'd sooner trade Almora with little hesitation

 

Yeah, I'm guessing all 2015 draft picks were ineligible.

[Little Slide Rooter]

is Happ ineligible? and no Eloy is a slight surprise

 

like, i'd sooner trade Almora with little hesitation

 

Absolutely. But it's hard to fault them for allowing Almora's past success at higher levels power him over the shinier, newer Jimenez, who happened to heat up for a few weeks before he went down for a few more.

 

Speaking of which, is there any word on Eloy's condition? It was said to have been minor, and not requiring a DL stint. That was July 3, and he hasn't played since, so he may as well have.

[Guest]

is Happ ineligible? and no Eloy is a slight surprise

 

like, i'd sooner trade Almora with little hesitation

 

Absolutely. But it's hard to fault them for allowing Almora's past success at higher levels power him over the shinier, newer Jimenez, who happened to heat up for a few weeks before he went down for a few more.

 

Speaking of which, is there any word on Eloy's condition? It was said to have been minor, and not requiring a DL stint. That was July 3, and he hasn't played since, so he may as well have.

 

Eugene's roster is allowed 35 players so the DL is only used when the player's injury is severe enough that he is transferred to Arizona for rehab.

[Guest]

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2015/7/12/8940113/top-75-mlb-prospects-mid-season-update

 

John Sickels midseason top 75:

 

6. Kyle Schwarber

25. Gleyber Torres

28. Billy McKinney

[Tryptamine]

For the life of me I can't understand how Brandon Nimmo is a consensus top 60 prospect while Mark Zagunis is an unknown. They're pretty much the exact same guy.

[CubsWin]

Is this a thing now to spell McKinney's last name McKinnie? I mean, Albert is spelled Reinaldo...

[Guest]

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[PackLandVA]

is Happ ineligible? and no Eloy is a slight surprise

 

like, i'd sooner trade Almora with little hesitation

 

Absolutely. But it's hard to fault them for allowing Almora's past success at higher levels power him over the shinier, newer Jimenez, who happened to heat up for a few weeks before he went down for a few more.

 

Speaking of which, is there any word on Eloy's condition? It was said to have been minor, and not requiring a DL stint. That was July 3, and he hasn't played since, so he may as well have.

 

Eugene's roster is allowed 35 players so the DL is only used when the player's injury is severe enough that he is transferred to Arizona for rehab.

 

Eloy playing tonight and is 1 for 1?

[Guest]

BA prospect hot sheet:

 

20. Dylan Cease, rhp, Cubs

 

Team: Rookie-level AZL Cubs (Arizona)

Age: 19.

Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 2 G, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO

 

The Scoop: The Cubs had to be patient with Cease, their 2014 sixth-rounder, after he blew out his elbow during his senior year of high school and needed Tommy John surgery. Back on the mound for his first simulated games by the end of spring training, he reached full speed by the start of the Arizona League season. His stuff has made it all the way back, for he’s touched 98 mph at his best. The Cubs are slowly stretching him out with three-inning stints, but he has the stuff to become one of the team’s best pitching prospects.

[jersey cubs fan]

BA prospect hot sheet:

 

20. Dylan Cease, rhp, Cubs

 

Team: Rookie-level AZL Cubs (Arizona)

Age: 19.

Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 2 G, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO

 

The Scoop: The Cubs had to be patient with Cease, their 2014 sixth-rounder, after he blew out his elbow during his senior year of high school and needed Tommy John surgery. Back on the mound for his first simulated games by the end of spring training, he reached full speed by the start of the Arizona League season. His stuff has made it all the way back, for he’s touched 98 mph at his best. The Cubs are slowly stretching him out with three-inning stints, [glow=red]but he has the stuff to become one of the team’s best pitching prospects.[/glow]

 

Damning with faint praise?

[Guest]

18. Willson Contreras, c, Cubs

 

Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern)

Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .593/.613/.667 (16-for-27), 4 R, 2 2B, 9 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1-for-3 SB

 

The Scoop: Contreras was a notable signing out of Venezuela when the Cubs picked him up on July 2, 2009, but it’s been a slow progression for him to put it all together. That finally has happened this season, with Conteras batting .335/.410/.481 with nearly as many walks (41) as strikeouts (49) in 96 games. He leads the Southern League in batting average and ranks second in on-base percentage. Kyle Schwarber deservedly receives the most attention when it comes to the Cubs’ future behind the plate, but Contreras has worked his way into a legitimate catching prospect himself, and one who’s not far from the big leagues, either.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

18. Willson Contreras, c, Cubs

 

Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern)

Age: 23

Why He’s Here: .593/.613/.667 (16-for-27), 4 R, 2 2B, 9 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1-for-3 SB

 

The Scoop: Contreras was a notable signing out of Venezuela when the Cubs picked him up on July 2, 2009, but it’s been a slow progression for him to put it all together. That finally has happened this season, with Conteras batting .335/.410/.481 with nearly as many walks (41) as strikeouts (49) in 96 games. He leads the Southern League in batting average and ranks second in on-base percentage. Kyle Schwarber deservedly receives the most attention when it comes to the Cubs’ future behind the plate, but Contreras has worked his way into a legitimate catching prospect himself, and one who’s not far from the big leagues, either.

 

So is he trade bait or future Cub?

[shnsajax]

If his defense is what Montero said it was and he his avg and obp are solid he should push Schwarber to LF.

 

No idea if his D is good enough.

[Guest]

So, apparently Almora is turning it around in terms of plate discipline.

[Guest]

So, apparently Almora is turning it around in terms of plate discipline.

 

He's pretty much been scalding hot for like 2 weeks, including lots of walks.

[Rob]

PA per walk for Almora:

 

2012: 72.5

2013: 16.7

2014: 37.8

2015: 13.8

 

Don't get me wrong, he's improved this year. But it looks a lot more impressive because his 2014 was so, so bad.

[Guest]

PA per walk for Almora:

 

2012: 72.5

2013: 16.7

2014: 37.8

2015: 13.8

 

Don't get me wrong, he's improved this year. But it looks a lot more impressive because his 2014 was so, so bad.

it's more about the last couple of weeks

 

he appears to have turned a corner (or is just insanely hot/lucky)

[Guest]

I mean he is still only 21 right?

[Guest]

Basically from 7/21 to 8/10 (I believe that's since he returned from the PanAm games)

 

.308/.382/.462 (.844) on a modest .319 BABIP. 89 PA. 10 BB.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

PA per walk for Almora:

 

2012: 72.5

2013: 16.7

2014: 37.8

2015: 13.8

 

Don't get me wrong, he's improved this year. But it looks a lot more impressive because his 2014 was so, so bad.

 

It's much more than that. Coming into this year, his career walk rate was 3.6% and it is 7.2% this year. He's doing this at AA, also -- a much tougher place to make that adjustment than at the lower levels. He also talked a lot this Spring about working on the mental part of the game and improving his approach at the plate, by being more patient and laying off tough pitches out of the zone in order to see more hittable pitches.

 

Looking at his swing % at minorleaguecentral, he swung at 55.4% of pitches last year in Tennessee and he was at 51.0% in his first 216 PA there this year, which is when they stopped updating these numbers. It is right around this time when his numbers first started to gradually improve. So that isn't even accounting for his recent walk binge, that would certainly be dropping that number even more.

 

What it shows is that he was making a concerted effort to improve his approach, even though it wasn't showing any improvements in his results at the plate.

 

What is happening right now, is that he is being even more patient, and it has coincided with him being scorching hot at the plate. It, obviously, might mean nothing. But, one could surmise, through box score scouting, that what is happening is that something did click. He worked on being more patient, completely refined his game, and now he is comfortable with his new approach, and it has taken to him. As a result, he isn't making weak contact on tough pitches out of the zone, and he is squaring up balls left in the heart of the zone. All the while, now that he is able to recognize pitches and lay off of bad ones, it has resulted in the boatload of walks he has been accumulating.

 

So he is fixed and is a completely different player, and is now one that can have sustained success at the higher levels...

 

Or it could be nothing. But, it certainly is intriguing.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Almora 1-3 with a double. Five straight games with a double.

[Guest]

i had sort of written him off, but this is exciting. he wasn't long for the cubs organization with his former approach.

 

maybe somebody sat him down and said, "here, this is your walk rate. here, this is the percentage of major league players that had a similar walk rate in the minor leagues. so, you can get a real job, or you can improve your approach."

[squally1313]

i had sort of written him off, but this is exciting. he wasn't long for the cubs organization with his former approach.

 

maybe somebody sat him down and said, "here, this is your walk rate. here, this is the percentage of major league players that had a similar walk rate in the minor leagues. so, you can get a real job, or you can improve your approach."

 

Maybe someone can do the same with Javy and his K rate.

[Guest]

BA Prospect Hot Sheet:

 

8. Albert Almora, cf, Cubs

 

Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern)

Age: 21

Why He’s Here: .538/.625/.769 (14-for-26), 7 R, 6 2B, 3 RBIs, 4 BB, 1 SO, 1-for-2 SB

 

Almora has long drawn raves for his outstanding competitive makeup, so the Cubs didn’t sweat it when their 2012 first-rounder endured three rough summer months. He has begun to right the ship in August, collecting a hit in 10 straight games, including seven straight multi-hit games from Aug. 5-11. Perhaps more impressively, Almora has struck out just 35 times this season in 322 at-bats.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

BA Prospect Hot Sheet:

 

8. Albert Almora, cf, Cubs

 

Team: Double-A Tennessee (Southern)

Age: 21

Why He’s Here: .538/.625/.769 (14-for-26), 7 R, 6 2B, 3 RBIs, 4 BB, 1 SO, 1-for-2 SB

 

Almora has long drawn raves for his outstanding competitive makeup, so the Cubs didn’t sweat it when their 2012 first-rounder endured three rough summer months. He has begun to right the ship in August, collecting a hit in 10 straight games, including seven straight multi-hit games from Aug. 5-11. Perhaps more impressively, Almora has struck out just 35 times this season in 322 at-bats.

 

Am I to understand that there are seven minor league baseball players that literally didn't make an out all week?