Cub prospects in the news

[TruffleShuffle]

yeah flaherty has to be at tennessee next year. if i understand the rules correctly, he'd be rule 5 eligible at the end of the 2010 season and it seems to me he's a guy who's advanced enough to get taken early and talented enough that you don't want to lose.

[bubblesdachimp]

Here is my thinking... And yall can correct me if I am wrong. I would love our infield at least next year at Tennesee to consist of Castro Flaherty Ridling and someone else.... Ridling is getting old but he has put up solid numbers in the MWL. I would like to see him skip Daytona becasue i think he has more value than opitz or anyone there. Here is the real question. I dont want to rush Vitters and nothing he has done in Daytona would merit him going to Tennesee but at the same time I would like certain prospects to grow together. Consider me on the anti-Burke Tennessee bandwagon. I think he should go to Daytona first and if he does well then he should go to the Smokies quickly.

 

I would really like to know what the organization thinks about Flaherty in the long term. SS? 2B? 3B? He has put up a solid year and i think without a doubt he will start in Tennessee. His prospect status hasnt been diminished in any terms IMO.

 

Also I have been really impressed with B Jax. Just me though.

 

-Tonight was the worst night of the year. I only care about the farm at this point...

 

p.s. Really look forward to contributing to this board!

[toonsterwu]

Ridling at first in Tennessee? Maybe, but he's had such an up and down, streaky season that I think he's better off headed to Daytona. I imagine first base at Tennessee could be Russ Canzler. Maybe Blake Lalli is there again.

[Guest]

Here is my thinking... And yall can correct me if I am wrong. I would love our infield at least next year at Tennesee to consist of Castro Flaherty Ridling and someone else.... Ridling is getting old but he has put up solid numbers in the MWL. I would like to see him skip Daytona becasue i think he has more value than opitz or anyone there. Here is the real question. I dont want to rush Vitters and nothing he has done in Daytona would merit him going to Tennesee but at the same time I would like certain prospects to grow together. Consider me on the anti-Burke Tennessee bandwagon. I think he should go to Daytona first and if he does well then he should go to the Smokies quickly.

 

I would really like to know what the organization thinks about Flaherty in the long term. SS? 2B? 3B? He has put up a solid year and i think without a doubt he will start in Tennessee. His prospect status hasnt been diminished in any terms IMO.

 

Also I have been really impressed with B Jax. Just me though.

 

-Tonight was the worst night of the year. I only care about the farm at this point...

 

p.s. Really look forward to contributing to this board!

 

Rebel Ridling certainly doesn't strike me as the type of player you'd want to skip a level with. He has had contact problems in the past and those are more likely to rear their ugly head as he goes higher and higher in the minors. Remember last year, he struggled mightily when he first got to Peoria (30%+ strikeout rate). Anyways, I don't see a big rush to get him all the way to AA and there's really no one blocking him at Daytona in 2009. He and Jovan Rosa can split time at 1B and DH.

 

I'm with you that Ryan Flaherty should be able to handle a jump up to Tennessee if they want to push him.

 

You could go with (2B/SS/3B):

 

Iowa: Thomas / Barney / Smith

Tenn: Samson / Castro/ Flaherty (who obviously can play all 3 spots)

Daytona: LeMahieu (can switch between 2B and SS) / Marwin Gonzalez (can play all 3 spots) / Vitters

Peoria: Watkins / Lee / Lake (who can play all 3 spots)

[Guest]

BP[/url]"]Where there's smoke . . .

 

Josh Vitters, 3B, Cubs (High-A Daytona)

Monday's stats: 3-for-4, 2B, RBI; 2-for-3

After sitting the Midwest League on fire during the first half of the year, Vitters' Florida State League experience has yet to reach even smoldering stage. In took him 29 games to launch his first home run in the pitching friendly environs of Florida, but he's followed that up with a 5-for-7 double-header and he hasn't struck out for five games.

[Guest]

This was from yesterday but I missed it:

 

Caution: explosives

 

Brett Jackson, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Sunday's stats: 4-for-6, 2B, HR (5), 3 R, 3 RBI, K

While nearly half of this year's first-round picks enter the final day of negotiations unsigned, Midwest League scouts are wondering how Jackson dropped to the 31st overall pick. Now batting .320/.414/.573 with five home runs and eight stolen bases in 17 games, Jackson's power/speed combination is moving him up prospect lists while others wait to get their pro career even started.

[shnsajax]

This was from yesterday but I missed it:

 

Caution: explosives

 

Brett Jackson, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Sunday's stats: 4-for-6, 2B, HR (5), 3 R, 3 RBI, K

While nearly half of this year's first-round picks enter the final day of negotiations unsigned, Midwest League scouts are wondering how Jackson dropped to the 31st overall pick. Now batting .320/.414/.573 with five home runs and eight stolen bases in 17 games, Jackson's power/speed combination is moving him up prospect lists while others wait to get their pro career even started.

 

Wow, with everyone hating the pick he has gotten off to a nice start.

[CubsWin]

This was from yesterday but I missed it:

 

Caution: explosives

 

Brett Jackson, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Sunday's stats: 4-for-6, 2B, HR (5), 3 R, 3 RBI, K

While nearly half of this year's first-round picks enter the final day of negotiations unsigned, Midwest League scouts are wondering how Jackson dropped to the 31st overall pick. Now batting .320/.414/.573 with five home runs and eight stolen bases in 17 games, Jackson's power/speed combination is moving him up prospect lists while others wait to get their pro career even started.

 

Wow, with everyone hating the pick he has gotten off to a nice start.

Yeah, so far, he's been the anti-Colvin...

[CubsWin]

You could go with (2B/SS/3B):

 

Iowa: Thomas / Barney / Smith

Tenn: Samson / Castro/ Flaherty (who obviously can play all 3 spots)

Daytona: LeMahieu (can switch between 2B and SS) / Marwin Gonzalez (can play all 3 spots) / Vitters

Peoria: Watkins / Lee / Lake (who can play all 3 spots)

This is what I'd like to see, too. I'd be okay if Flaherty started at Daytona, but because of his age, I'm hoping that he'll see AA sometime next season.

[bubblesdachimp]

We spent the fourth least of all 30 teams on our top ten selections....

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=1763

 

 

RIP Roi.. One year ago

[Guest]

We spent the fourth least of all 30 teams on our top ten selections....

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=1763

 

 

RIP Roi.. One year ago

We also picked late, so slot would have us paying less than most every other team, too.

[soonercub]

With picking that late, the Cubs should be towards the bottom. Since they signed all 10 I would say they got good value for their money. Considering a couple of those top picks were draft eligible sophomores and could have returned to school. Combine that with their Asian signings and I am very excited about the last couple drafts and free agent signings.

[Guest]

After not having any entries in AA and AAA for BA's best tools lists, the Cubs got quite a bit of love at A-ball:

 

FSL:

 

Best Fastball: Andrew Cashner, Daytona

Best Defensive SS: Starlin Castro, Daytona

 

MWL:

 

Best Batting Prospect: Josh Vitters, Peoria

Best Power Prospect: Josh Vitters, Peoria

Best Defensive 1B: Rebel Ridling

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/best-tools/2009/268704.html

[Guest]

Nice blurb on Kyler Burke from Kevin Goldstein:

 

Patience is a virtue

 

Kyler Burke, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Monday's stats: 2-for-4

A supplemental first-round pick in 2006, Burke has seemingly been around forever (he was traded to the Cubs for Michael Barrett in 2007), but he's only 21 years old, and has always been the kind of guy scouts thought could take a huge step forward, as the size, strength and athleticism were always there. Batting .393 in his last 30 games, including a 12-for-17 mark in his last four, Burke's season line now stands at .303/.389/.479, and if some of his 37 doubles in just 386 at-bats start to turn into home runs, look out.

 

Second time in 8 days Kyler Burke is getting some love from BP - looks like the national publications are picking up on his strong season too:

 

The value of patience

 

Kyler Buke, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Tuesday's stats: 2-for-2, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Burke's second-half explosion continued on Tuesday, as he's now hitting .328/.437/.508 since the All-Star break. Beyond the overall averages, the most striking part of the run is that Burke has suddenly turned into a walk machine as he's drawn a pair of free passes in each of his last four games, and 20 in his last 18. It's the perfect combination, as he's waiting for his pitch, and then doing damage when he gets it.

[TruffleShuffle]

burke's #s by month:

 

April: .327/.403/.600/1.003, 9 2B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 11 K, 11.3 BB%, 17.3 K%, 14 LD%

May: .273/.314/.427/.741, 11 2B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 14 K, 5.9 BB%, 20.3 K%, 11 LD%

June: .250/.393/.405/.797, 8 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 19 BB, 20 K, 17.8 BB%, 18.7 K%, 13 LD%

July: .330/.414/.540/.954, 7 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 14 BB, 25 K, 12.1 BB%, 21.6 K%, 26 LD%

August: .410/.538/.656/1.193, 6 2B, 3 HR, 17 BB, 10 K, 21.3 BB%, 12.5 K%, 20 LD%

 

hard to not be very excited by him. blossoming HR power with projectability, strong improvements in his K rate and BB rate, good athleticism and some ability to play CF. it's not like he's having a fluky month or a good year supported by a ridiculous BABIP; he's got all the peripherals you want to see from someone making a breakthrough as a prospect.

[Guest]

ia

Best Defensive 1B: Rebel Ridling

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/best-tools/2009/268704.html

Maybe I saw him have two bad games in a row or something but from what I saw his defense was pretty bad.

[Outshined_One]

We spent the fourth least of all 30 teams on our top ten selections....

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=1763

 

 

RIP Roi.. One year ago

We also picked late, so slot would have us paying less than most every other team, too.

 

We did, but the Cubs also shied away from guys who dropped due to signability reasons for much of the draft. I look at what the Pirates did this year and find myself quite jealous of them (which is an incredibly bizarre feeling to have towards the Pirates) for what they did after the first day of the draft. Even with their draft as it is, it would have been nice to see the Cubs spend another $1m-$2m to get some of the guys they did draft.

 

Maybe word will leak out about Esquivel/Walker/Sheppard/Whaley/etc in the next few days, but for now, it's a bit of a bummer. Their draft was fairly underwhelming at the time and it's still looking that way now.

[dew1679666265]

We spent the fourth least of all 30 teams on our top ten selections....

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=1763

 

 

RIP Roi.. One year ago

We also picked late, so slot would have us paying less than most every other team, too.

 

We did, but the Cubs also shied away from guys who dropped due to signability reasons for much of the draft. I look at what the Pirates did this year and find myself quite jealous of them (which is an incredibly bizarre feeling to have towards the Pirates) for what they did after the first day of the draft. Even with their draft as it is, it would have been nice to see the Cubs spend another $1m-$2m to get some of the guys they did draft.

 

Maybe word will leak out about Esquivel/Walker/Sheppard/Whaley/etc in the next few days, but for now, it's a bit of a bummer. Their draft was fairly underwhelming at the time and it's still looking that way now.

 

I wonder if/how much the ownership issues factored into the draft strategy and how many/which guys they signed after the draft.

[bubblesdachimp]

From Callis's Chat on ESPN

 

Joe (San Jose)

 

 

Favorite player taken in the 2nd round?

 

Jim Callis (2:29 PM)

 

 

Everett Williams (Padres). I thought he was the best hitter among the best athletic outfielders in the draft. Two others to mention: Marc Krauss (Diamondbacks) was one of the very best college hitters in a draft short on them, and I'm one of the bigger fans of D.J. LeMahieu (Cubs).

 

Mac (Philly)

 

 

Brett Jackson looks very impressive since signing. He's walking more and striking out less than in college all while showing good power. Was he underrated coming into the draft? It looks like the Cubs got a steal.

 

Jim Callis (2:30 PM)

 

 

He is striking out in 25 percent of his AB, but his approach does look better than it did in college. The Cubs say he's toned it down now that he's not trying to play up his power for the draft. He was one of the better athletes in the draft but there were legitimate concerns about his ability to make consistent contact. If he can do that, he will have been a very nice pick

[bubblesdachimp]

Nice blurb on Kyler Burke from Kevin Goldstein:

 

Patience is a virtue

 

Kyler Burke, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Monday's stats: 2-for-4

A supplemental first-round pick in 2006, Burke has seemingly been around forever (he was traded to the Cubs for Michael Barrett in 2007), but he's only 21 years old, and has always been the kind of guy scouts thought could take a huge step forward, as the size, strength and athleticism were always there. Batting .393 in his last 30 games, including a 12-for-17 mark in his last four, Burke's season line now stands at .303/.389/.479, and if some of his 37 doubles in just 386 at-bats start to turn into home runs, look out.

 

Second time in 8 days Kyler Burke is getting some love from BP - looks like the national publications are picking up on his strong season too:

 

The value of patience

 

Kyler Buke, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Tuesday's stats: 2-for-2, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Burke's second-half explosion continued on Tuesday, as he's now hitting .328/.437/.508 since the All-Star break. Beyond the overall averages, the most striking part of the run is that Burke has suddenly turned into a walk machine as he's drawn a pair of free passes in each of his last four games, and 20 in his last 18. It's the perfect combination, as he's waiting for his pitch, and then doing damage when he gets it.

 

Burke torments my soul.. Is it that he has been there three times, or is it that he has turned a corner?? I dont know...

[chattbaseball]

Nice blurb on Kyler Burke from Kevin Goldstein:

 

Patience is a virtue

 

Kyler Burke, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Monday's stats: 2-for-4

A supplemental first-round pick in 2006, Burke has seemingly been around forever (he was traded to the Cubs for Michael Barrett in 2007), but he's only 21 years old, and has always been the kind of guy scouts thought could take a huge step forward, as the size, strength and athleticism were always there. Batting .393 in his last 30 games, including a 12-for-17 mark in his last four, Burke's season line now stands at .303/.389/.479, and if some of his 37 doubles in just 386 at-bats start to turn into home runs, look out.

 

Second time in 8 days Kyler Burke is getting some love from BP - looks like the national publications are picking up on his strong season too:

 

The value of patience

 

Kyler Buke, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Tuesday's stats: 2-for-2, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Burke's second-half explosion continued on Tuesday, as he's now hitting .328/.437/.508 since the All-Star break. Beyond the overall averages, the most striking part of the run is that Burke has suddenly turned into a walk machine as he's drawn a pair of free passes in each of his last four games, and 20 in his last 18. It's the perfect combination, as he's waiting for his pitch, and then doing damage when he gets it.

 

Burke torments my soul.. Is it that he has been there three times, or is it that he has turned a corner?? I dont know...

 

I don't know if it ultimately matters. The first time was when he was 18 with Fort Wayne (Padres). It was ridiculous to send him there straight out of high school in the first place - especially as "raw" has he supposedly was. I think with Burke it has to keep going back to being young and inexperienced. Comparing the successes of him the last two years to a Flaherty/Jackson type is like comparing apples and oranges. Burke entered the MWL after playing four years at a high school in Southeast Tennessee. The others played at large universities in top tier conferences in college.

 

Just my two cents.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'm not sure why Callis is using ABs as a denominator for K rate. Jackson hasn't been difficult to strike out, but his K rate is right about 20% as a pro, which is fine with his outstanding walk rate and decent to good power so far.

[bubblesdachimp]

Nice blurb on Kyler Burke from Kevin Goldstein:

 

Patience is a virtue

 

Kyler Burke, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Monday's stats: 2-for-4

A supplemental first-round pick in 2006, Burke has seemingly been around forever (he was traded to the Cubs for Michael Barrett in 2007), but he's only 21 years old, and has always been the kind of guy scouts thought could take a huge step forward, as the size, strength and athleticism were always there. Batting .393 in his last 30 games, including a 12-for-17 mark in his last four, Burke's season line now stands at .303/.389/.479, and if some of his 37 doubles in just 386 at-bats start to turn into home runs, look out.

 

Second time in 8 days Kyler Burke is getting some love from BP - looks like the national publications are picking up on his strong season too:

 

The value of patience

 

Kyler Buke, OF, Cubs (Low-A Peoria)

Tuesday's stats: 2-for-2, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Burke's second-half explosion continued on Tuesday, as he's now hitting .328/.437/.508 since the All-Star break. Beyond the overall averages, the most striking part of the run is that Burke has suddenly turned into a walk machine as he's drawn a pair of free passes in each of his last four games, and 20 in his last 18. It's the perfect combination, as he's waiting for his pitch, and then doing damage when he gets it.

 

Burke torments my soul.. Is it that he has been there three times, or is it that he has turned a corner?? I dont know...

 

I don't know if it ultimately matters. The first time was when he was 18 with Fort Wayne (Padres). It was ridiculous to send him there straight out of high school in the first place - especially as "raw" has he supposedly was. I think with Burke it has to keep going back to being young and inexperienced. Comparing the successes of him the last two years to a Flaherty/Jackson type is like comparing apples and oranges. Burke entered the MWL after playing four years at a high school in Southeast Tennessee. The others played at large universities in top tier conferences in college.

 

Just my two cents.

 

I think you are mostly correct. I really do. I am really hoping he turned a corner. That would be awesome. That is something I didnt really expect from him. I really like the coaching our kids are getting at Peoria.

[bubblesdachimp]

I'm not sure why Callis is using ABs as a denominator for K rate. Jackson hasn't been difficult to strike out, but his K rate is right about 20% as a pro, which is fine with his outstanding walk rate and decent to good power so far.

 

Yea he should definitely do it by plate appearences

[Outshined_One]

I think you are mostly correct. I really do. I am really hoping he turned a corner. That would be awesome. That is something I didnt really expect from him. I really like the coaching our kids are getting at Peoria.

 

Frankly, I don't blame you for wondering whether Burke has finally turned the corner. There is a legitimate point in saying that this is his third go-round in the MWL and that he fell on his face both times. Yes, he was fresh out of high school in his first go-round, but remember that he was a supplemental first round pick by the Padres who was highly touted as a five tool OFer. You would expect someone like him to move quickly through a system, but he has not done that.

 

If he produces like this next season in Daytona or Tennessee, then there will be legitimate reason to be excited. For now, cautious optimism seems to be the order of the day for him.