Cub prospects in the news

[Guest]

Dustin Geiger is the Cubs minor league player of the month for May. Kyle Hendricks is the minor league pitcher of the month.

[Guest]

Dustin Geiger is the Cubs minor league player of the month for May. Kyle Hendricks is the minor league pitcher of the month.

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today named Single-A Daytona infielder Dustin Geiger and Double-A Tennessee right-handed pitcher Kyle Hendricks the organization’s minor league player and pitcher of the month for May, respectively.

 

Geiger, 21, batted .307 (31-for-101) with eight doubles, one triple, three home runs and 23 RBI in 27 May contests. He drew 11 walks that contributed to a .368 on-base percentage, and recorded a .495 slugging mark. His 23 RBI ranked tied for third-most in the Florida State League while his eight doubles ranked sixth and his 31 hits were tied for seventh. He was named the league’s Player of the Week for May 13-19, hitting .469 (15-for-32) with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI in eight games.

 

Geiger is hitting .310 (61-for-197) with 15 doubles, one triple, six home runs and 47 RBI in 53 games for Daytona this season. His 47 RBI rank second in the league while his 61 hits lead the club. The right-handed hitter has drawn 21 walks, sports a .377 on-base percentage and owns a .357 batting average (15-for-42) against left-handed pitching. Additionally, Geiger has a .998 fielding percentage (1 E/429 TC) in 45 games at first base.

 

Originally selected by the Cubs in the 24th round of the 2010 draft, Geiger owns a .267 career batting average (231-for-865) with 57 doubles, five triples, 27 home runs and 148 RBI in 225 minor league contests.

 

Hendricks, 23, went 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA (7 ER/32.1 IP) in five May starts for Tennessee, striking out 25 compared to just five walks. He surrendered one home run in 32.1 innings pitched and limited the opposition to a .230 batting average (28-for-122). Hendricks’ four May victories tied for the Southern League lead while his 1.02 WHIP ranked tied for fifth and his 1.95 ERA was seventh.

 

Acquired from Texas with infielder Christian Villanueva for pitcher Ryan Dempster on July 31 of last season, Hendricks is 5-2 with a 2.47 ERA (16 ER/58.1 IP) in 10 starts for Tennessee this year, his first at the Double-A level. He has allowed just two home runs and 13 walks while striking out 48, good for an average of 7.4 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. Seven of his 10 outings have been quality starts, and he has pitched into the seventh inning in five starts.

 

Hendricks was originally selected by Texas in the eighth round of the 2011 draft, and has gone 13-12 with a 2.72 ERA (73 ER/241.2 IP), two complete games and three saves in 56 career minor league games, including 35 starts. With 209 strikeouts and just 37 walks, Hendricks has a 5.65 strikeout-to-walk ratio while allowing just 13 home runs in 241.2 innings.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I could see Hendricks and Geiger earning the dreaded Cubs Minor League Pitcher and Player of the year awards. Man, those lists are like a who's who of sorrow and despair. You've got Kerry Wood, Geovany Soto, and then a steep decline into oblivion.

[BeerHere]

I could see Hendricks and Geiger earning the dreaded Cubs Minor League Pitcher and Player of the year awards. Man, those lists are like a who's who of sorrow and despair. You've got Kerry Wood, Geovany Soto, and then a steep decline into oblivion.

You're not kidding.

 

2012

Position Player of the Year – Logan Watkins

Pitcher of the Year – Nick Struck

2011

Position Player of the Year – Bryan LaHair

Pitcher of the Year – Jeff Beliveau

2010

Position Player of the Year – Brandon Guyer

Pitcher of the Year – Chris Archer

2009

Position Player of the Year – Kyler Burke

Pitcher of the Year – Casey Coleman

2008

Position Player of the Year – Micah Hoffpauir

Pitcher of the Year – Mitch Atkins

2007

Position Player of the Year – Geovany Soto

Pitcher of the Year – Kevin Hart

2006

Players of the Year – Rich Hill and Donald Veal

2005

Position Player of the Year – Eric Patterson

Pitcher of the Year – Sean Gallagher

2004

Position Player of the Year – Brian Dopirak

Pitcher of the Year – Renyel Pinto

2003

Player of the Year – Chadd Blasko

 

 

 

2002

Player of the Year – Hee-Seop Choi

2001

Player of the Year – Nic Jackson

2000

Player of the Year – Ben Christensen

1999

Player of the Year – Corey Patterson

1998

Player of the Year – Brian McNichol

1996

Player of the Year – Kerry Wood

1995

Player of the Year – Brooks Kieschnick

1994

Player of the Year – Scott Bullett

1993

Player of the Year – Eddie Zambrano

1992

Player of the Year – Steve Trachsel

1991

Player of the Year – Pedro Castellano

1990

Player of the Year – Gary Scott

http://chicagocubsonline.com/cubs-minor-league-player-and-pitcher-of-the-year#.UazTS0Dkvzx

[jersey cubs fan]

That looks like the Tim Wilkin/Jim Hendry Memorial 'Atta Boy Award

[Guest]

I was just noticing something about Geiger...

Geiger, 21, batted .307 (31-for-101) with eight doubles, one triple, three home runs and 23 RBI in 27 May contests. He drew 11 walks that contributed to a .368 on-base percentage, and recorded a .495 slugging mark. His 23 RBI ranked tied for third-most in the Florida State League while his eight doubles ranked sixth and his 31 hits were tied for seventh. He was named the league’s Player of the Week for May 13-19, hitting .469 (15-for-32) with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI in eight games.

 

Geiger is hitting .310 (61-for-197) with 15 doubles, one triple, six home runs and 47 RBI in 53 games for Daytona this season. His 47 RBI rank second in the league while his 61 hits lead the club. The right-handed hitter has drawn 21 walks, sports a .377 on-base percentage and owns a .357 batting average (15-for-42) against left-handed pitching. Additionally, Geiger has a .998 fielding percentage (1 E/429 TC) in 45 games at first base.

So, April vs May:

April: .313, 7 2B, 3HR, 30 H, 24 RBI, 10 BB

May: .307, 8 2B, 3HR, 31 H, 23 RBI, 11 BB

 

That's...almost freaky.

[wekim81]

I was just noticing something about Geiger...

Geiger, 21, batted .307 (31-for-101) with eight doubles, one triple, three home runs and 23 RBI in 27 May contests. He drew 11 walks that contributed to a .368 on-base percentage, and recorded a .495 slugging mark. His 23 RBI ranked tied for third-most in the Florida State League while his eight doubles ranked sixth and his 31 hits were tied for seventh. He was named the league’s Player of the Week for May 13-19, hitting .469 (15-for-32) with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI in eight games.

 

Geiger is hitting .310 (61-for-197) with 15 doubles, one triple, six home runs and 47 RBI in 53 games for Daytona this season. His 47 RBI rank second in the league while his 61 hits lead the club. The right-handed hitter has drawn 21 walks, sports a .377 on-base percentage and owns a .357 batting average (15-for-42) against left-handed pitching. Additionally, Geiger has a .998 fielding percentage (1 E/429 TC) in 45 games at first base.

So, April vs May:

April: .313, 7 2B, 3HR, 30 H, 24 RBI, 10 BB

May: .307, 8 2B, 3HR, 31 H, 23 RBI, 11 BB

 

That's...almost freaky.

yay consistency! That is pretty nuts, though.

[craig]

Geiger's a weird case. I suspect he's due for a slump and his numbers will drop a bunch, kind of like two years ago when Justin Bour was so great at Daytona for a couple of months. But, I also wonder whether he might not be due for a hot streak that could make his numbers look even better. Last year he hit 17 HR's in 75 games, but my recall is that he had a couple of flurries, weeks in which he hit 5 HR's in a week. For a guy who hit 17 in 75 games last year, having only 6 thus far this year seems kinda low. If he had an extra 4 HR's on his record, he'd be up around .950 OPS or something like that.

 

His profile is radically different. He had 79K/20BB/17HR/303 AB; this year it's 33K/21BB/6HR/197 AB. So his K-rate is not even 2/3 of last year. Probably why his HR rate is barely 50% of what it was last year. Still, pretty rare to have a guy drop his K-rate that dramatically.

 

If he could recover more/most of his HR rate from last year, while keeping the K/BB/AB rates he's shown this year, he might look pretty interesting.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I could see Hendricks and Geiger earning the dreaded Cubs Minor League Pitcher and Player of the year awards. Man, those lists are like a who's who of sorrow and despair. You've got Kerry Wood, Geovany Soto, and then a steep decline into oblivion.

You're not kidding.

 

2012

Position Player of the Year – Logan Watkins

Pitcher of the Year – Nick Struck

2011

Position Player of the Year – Bryan LaHair

Pitcher of the Year – Jeff Beliveau

2010

Position Player of the Year – Brandon Guyer

Pitcher of the Year – Chris Archer

2009

Position Player of the Year – Kyler Burke

Pitcher of the Year – Casey Coleman

2008

Position Player of the Year – Micah Hoffpauir

Pitcher of the Year – Mitch Atkins

2007

Position Player of the Year – Geovany Soto

Pitcher of the Year – Kevin Hart

2006

Players of the Year – Rich Hill and Donald Veal

2005

Position Player of the Year – Eric Patterson

Pitcher of the Year – Sean Gallagher

2004

Position Player of the Year – Brian Dopirak

Pitcher of the Year – Renyel Pinto

2003

Player of the Year – Chadd Blasko

 

 

 

2002

Player of the Year – Hee-Seop Choi

2001

Player of the Year – Nic Jackson

2000

Player of the Year – Ben Christensen

1999

Player of the Year – Corey Patterson

1998

Player of the Year – Brian McNichol

1996

Player of the Year – Kerry Wood

1995

Player of the Year – Brooks Kieschnick

1994

Player of the Year – Scott Bullett

1993

Player of the Year – Eddie Zambrano

1992

Player of the Year – Steve Trachsel

1991

Player of the Year – Pedro Castellano

1990

Player of the Year – Gary Scott

http://chicagocubsonline.com/cubs-minor-league-player-and-pitcher-of-the-year#.UazTS0Dkvzx

 

Literally seconds after reading this and wondering whatever happened to some of these guys, this came up on Twitter

 

@ajcbraves: Braves signed RHP Mitch Atkins out of independent league (3-2, 3.97 ERA in 7 starts for Somerset) and assigned him to Double-A Miss.

[TruffleShuffle]

from bp today:

 

Javier Baez, SS, Cubs (High-A Daytona)

 

Of all the prospects in the minors, Baez’s status might have the most volatility, with the skill set to blossom into a superstar and the deficiencies that could terminate the dream before it begins. With elite bat speed and the type of raw power that can find a home in the middle of any major-league lineup, Baez could end up as the top prospect in the game. But his one-speed-fits-all approach on both sides of the ball can be limiting: His aggressive, see-ball-hit-ball mentality at the plate often puts him behind in counts and vulnerable to offerings out of the zone, and his tendency to rush the actions and the throws makes him error prone despite his exquisite hands at shortstop. Baez is warming up and is a good candidate to explode this summer, with a chance to sneak into the top 10 prospects in the game. But the Double-A test is looming on the horizon, and without more nuance to his game and a more refined approach, Baez could take a big step back against better competition. The talent is extreme. The risk is just as extreme. —Jason Parks

[imb]

a month ago we were making grim faced jokes about this, but as of earlier today we were at:

 

Baez - .281/.322/.519/.841 as a 20-year-old in A+

Lindor - .306/.375/.427/.802 as a 19-year-old in A+

[Cubswin11]

a month ago we were making grim faced jokes about this, but as of earlier today we were at:

 

Baez - .281/.322/.519/.841 as a 20-year-old in A+

Lindor - .306/.375/.427/.802 as a 19-year-old in A+

23/26 bb/k to 9/56 bb/k as well.....

 

So other than the younger guy not hitting for as much power he's doing everything better after it took Baez a crazy hot stretch recently just to get here.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

a month ago we were making grim faced jokes about this, but as of earlier today we were at:

 

Baez - .281/.322/.519/.841 as a 20-year-old in A+

Lindor - .306/.375/.427/.802 as a 19-year-old in A+

23/26 bb/k to 9/56 bb/k as well.....

 

So other than the younger guy not hitting for as much power he's doing everything better after it took Baez a crazy hot stretch recently just to get here.

 

Yeah. Lindor's line and K/BB rate are way more indicative of an ability to move up to higher levels and succeed.

[Guest]

a month ago we were making grim faced jokes about this, but as of earlier today we were at:

 

Baez - .281/.322/.519/.841 as a 20-year-old in A+

Lindor - .306/.375/.427/.802 as a 19-year-old in A+

23/26 bb/k to 9/56 bb/k as well.....

 

So other than the younger guy not hitting for as much power he's doing everything better after it took Baez a crazy hot stretch recently just to get here.

 

i wouldn't call this a "crazy hot stretch" for baez

[Guest]

Seems like that comparison is right back where it was before the season started.

 

Baez has the insane offensive potential, but plate discipline issues that could derail him. Lindor is the safer pick, but had worries that he wouldn't hit for enough extra bases to be a difference maker.

 

They got off to opposite starts in that aspect. Lindor hit .341/.406/.505 in April with the same plate discipline numbers as last year, while Baez scuffled a bit to hit .262.295/.515 with a 28% K rate.

 

In the last month though, their fortunes have flipped. Lindor now has a .233/.300/.300 line in his last 107 PAs, while Baez has hit .304/.354/.539 and cut his K rate to a more respectable 20% in the last month.

 

So both players' strengths(Lindor's plate discipline, Baez's power) have stayed pretty constant throughout, and both have had significant stretches of improvement in the other half of that equation. Leaving the comparison out of it, looking strictly at the numbers it looks like Lindor's power surge is a bit of a BABIP mirage. He might make an adjustment and return to that level, but combined with his A ball numbers it doesn't necessarily portend a lot of XBH in his future. Baez we've talked to death over, and he still has some further strides to go, but he also has recency on his side, meaning his adjustment may still bring future dividends.

 

All of this is a way too long way to say that whoever you preferred before the season you should probably prefer now. Neither have done enough to convince their doubters to make you change your mind.

[BeerHere]

From the Tuesday Prospect notebook (BA)

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/tuesday-prospect-notebook-billy-hamilton-takes-off/

 

Dillon Maples, rhp, Cubs: The Cubs spent $2.5 million to sign Maples out of the 14th round of the 2011 draft, his power fastball and curveball outweighing concerns about his delivery. They haven’t seen much of him yet, as a tweaked elbow limited him to just 10 innings last year and he didn’t join low Class A Kane County this season until mid-May. The 21-year-old got hit hard in his fourth start on May 28, allowing seven earned runs in three innings, but he bounced back with his best outing on Monday. The righthander struck out seven over five shutout innings against Cedar Rapids. Granted, Cedar Rapids’ lineup was without Byron Buxton, still held out with a sore thumb, but Maples did limit them to two hits and three walks. Two rough outings have his ERA still at a lofty 7.06, but the good news is he’s struck out 23 in 21 2/3 innings with a 2.07 ground out-to-air out ratio.

 

Christian Villanueva, 3b, Cubs: Continuing with the Cubs theme, Villanueva’s prospects for career advancement improved greatly when he got out from behind Adrian Beltre and Mike Olt once the Rangers dealt him to the Cubs in last year’s Ryan Dempster trade. Opening his first full year in his new organization, Villanueva had a quiet April for Double-A Tennessee, batting .205, but he turned around to hit .304 in May and went 3-for-7 in yesterday’s doubleheader against Jacksonville. The 21-year-old’s offensive game is more geared toward line drives than homers (he leads the Southern League with 18 doubles), but he’s gone deep in two of his last three games, including one in the second game yesterday, to bring his season’s total to five.

[BeerHere]

Does anyone have any defensive information for Christian Villanueva? He wasn't listed as a 2013 top 10 prospect by BA but he's performing reasonably well for a 21 year old in AA this year. Is the lack of power the knock on him?

[Guest]

Does anyone have any defensive information for Christian Villanueva? He wasn't listed as a 2013 top 10 prospect by BA but he's performing reasonably well for a 21 year old in AA this year. Is the lack of power the knock on him?

 

He's a plus defender. Yes, power is probably the biggest concern with him.

[BeerHere]

Does anyone have any defensive information for Christian Villanueva? He wasn't listed as a 2013 top 10 prospect by BA but he's performing reasonably well for a 21 year old in AA this year. Is the lack of power the knock on him?

 

He's a plus defender. Yes, power is probably the biggest concern with him.

I did a little digging on BA and found this:

 

Ranked Chicago Cubs #12 prospect after the 2012 season

Blocked by Adrian Beltre and Mike Olt in Texas, Villanueva's chances for future playing time improved dramatically when the Rangers dealt him and strike-throwing righthander Kyle Hendricks to the Cubs for Ryan Dempster. He still has to worry about Jeimer Candelario and perhaps Javier Baez (if he moves to third base), but Villanueva suddenly has a lot more upward mobility. On the 20-80 scouting scale, one Cubs official described him as having 80 makeup, 70 defense and questionable power. Villanueva's short stroke is conducive to line drives more than longballs, and he tends to inside-out quality fastballs and serve them to the opposite field. He has the potential for average power, but he'll have to get stronger and turn on more pitches to get there. He can hit for solid average and provide some doubles. He has fringy speed but has the instincts to steal bases if the defense doesn't pay attention to him. Defense is where Villanueva really shines. He has the first-step quickness, hands, arm strength and savvy to make tough plays look routine. Chicago added him to its 40-man roster and will send him to Double-A in 2013. He could get a big league audition sometime the following year.

[Guest]

Dustin Geiger, Javier Baez, John Andreoli and Jorge Soler named to the FSL All-Star game.

[mul21]

Does anyone have any defensive information for Christian Villanueva? He wasn't listed as a 2013 top 10 prospect by BA but he's performing reasonably well for a 21 year old in AA this year. Is the lack of power the knock on him?

 

He's a plus defender. Yes, power is probably the biggest concern with him.

I did a little digging on BA and found this:

 

Ranked Chicago Cubs #12 prospect after the 2012 season

Blocked by Adrian Beltre and Mike Olt in Texas, Villanueva's chances for future playing time improved dramatically when the Rangers dealt him and strike-throwing righthander Kyle Hendricks to the Cubs for Ryan Dempster. He still has to worry about Jeimer Candelario and perhaps Javier Baez (if he moves to third base), but Villanueva suddenly has a lot more upward mobility. On the 20-80 scouting scale, one Cubs official described him as having 80 makeup, 70 defense and questionable power. Villanueva's short stroke is conducive to line drives more than longballs, and he tends to inside-out quality fastballs and serve them to the opposite field. He has the potential for average power, but he'll have to get stronger and turn on more pitches to get there. He can hit for solid average and provide some doubles. He has fringy speed but has the instincts to steal bases if the defense doesn't pay attention to him. Defense is where Villanueva really shines. He has the first-step quickness, hands, arm strength and savvy to make tough plays look routine. Chicago added him to its 40-man roster and will send him to Double-A in 2013. He could get a big league audition sometime the following year.

 

He sounds like right handed Bill Mueller to me.

[craig]

Does anyone have any defensive information for Christian Villanueva? He wasn't listed as a 2013 top 10 prospect by BA but he's performing reasonably well for a 21 year old in AA this year. Is the lack of power the knock on him?

 

He's a plus defender. Yes, power is probably the biggest concern with him.

 

I think hitting in general is my biggest concern. He's hitting .265 this year, and hit .250 at Daytona. He's got 45K/13BB/196 AB, and had over 100K's last year, so he's kind of a high-K-low-walk guy. They can say line-drive swing, but it's not like he's a notably good contact hitter.

 

He hit 17 HR two years ago, 14 last year, 5 in 53 games so far, and he hit a bunch in camp, so his power seems fine. Nothing great, but not a liability, I don't think.

[Guest]

Dan Vogelbach, Rock Shoulders, Bijan Rademacher, Tayler Scott, Felix Pena and Nathan Dorris made the MWL All-Star game.

 

@TheCCO_Minors: Congrats to D Vogelbach @Flowbro3, @RockBigFly24 Shoulders, @taylerscottsa, @BijanRad24, Felix Pena, & Nathan Dorris named MWL All-Stars

 

I'm guessing Pierce Johnson was just an omission on this tweet.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

With Villanueva, I can't look at any one thing on his resume and discount him. He isn't too old for his league. 20-21% Ks isn't unacceptable. 15 home runs a year isn't terrible power. 6-7% BBs in the minors isn't great, but it's not Baez territory.

 

But when I take where he is and project him out to the majors in two or three years, I come up with something like 235/273/330.

 

He just falls into that big pile of guys who is good enough to be kept around and intrigued by, but he'll need to take a step forward beyond just normal aging improvement if he wants to be a big leaguer.

[sneakypower]

But when I take where he is and project him out to the majors in two or three years, I come up with something like 235/273/330.

i'd love to hear how you came up with that Nate Silver