Revised Cubs Top 10

[craig]

..

Mine:

1. Vitters

2. Jackson

3. Castro

....

....

4. Lee

5. Samardzija

6. Cashner

7. Carpenter

8. Burke

9. Rhee

10. Thomas

Other: B. Parker, B. Jackson, Flaherty, LaMatheiu, Jung, Clevenger, Searle

I'm sure I'm missing some

 

I'd put Cashner in my upper group. He seems to be healthy enough, he's been throwing strikes, he throws pretty fast, and he's in A+ already. I certainly like him ahead of Samardz. Heh, our totally objective farm boss Fleita, who never exaggerates about anybody, has compared him to Kerry wood!

[Outshined_One]

I don't feel the Castro love, im just kinda eh on him, maybe im missing something.

 

The reason why I really like him is that he's a very toolsy SS who is in his first full season of professional baseball in the US and is doing that in A+ as a 19 year old. He's been doing well enough at the plate that it's clear the pitching is not overwhelming him. He also has a very good 14/4 SB/CS ratio. The only knocks on him are his lack of power (excusable given his age), his patience (25/9 K/BB in 222 ABs is reasonable, but more walks would be welcome; a tad bit worrying), and his errors (somewhat worrying, but reportedly he looks very good in the field and just needs more reps/coaching).

 

While the arguments in his favor are mostly upside-based, he already has acquitted himself pretty well in Daytona.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

1. Vitters

2. J. Jackson

3. Samardzija

4. Cashner

 

5. Searle

6. Lee

7. Coleman

8. Castro

9. Rhee

10. Carpenter

Pretty low for Castro. Also, why Searle so high?

 

Castro hasn't done a ton to impress me. His tools and age for level put him in the top 10, but with no walk rate and no power, plus a ton of errors for the second year running, he doesn't beat out guys like Coleman or Searle who have better results. Lee is in front of him primarily because he hasn't had a chance to screw up yet and show his flaws. Hitting nearly .500 his first few games at Boise didn't hurt either. Rhee would be up with Searle if his stuff is similar after TJS, and probably pushing the upper echelon I separated.

 

Speaking of Searle, I have him high because he's doing very well in High A as a 19 year old. I feel his stuff and style will help him better as he ascends. His sinker is a rarity and improved defenses will get him more outs. Also, since he's new to this level of pitching as he adjusts(maturity goes with this for him) I think you'll see improvement as well. It may seem hypocritical to justify Searle that high and Castro that low, but can see Searle taking steps forward beyond his current production a lot easier than I can Castro.

[Guest]

I asked Arizona Phil about Rhee's rehab today:

 

RAISIN: As far as I know, Rhee is still just throwing bullpen sessions. I don't know if it is an arm strength issue or command/control or more related to soreness, but hopefully he will be able to throw a sim game or two pretty soon and then see some action in the AZL. But his rehab has definitely been a bit longer than average for a TJS case. It's been almost a year since he had the surgery.

 

Rhee had his surgery on July 15 of last year.

[Outshined_One]

Searle and Coleman both strike me as back end of the rotation guys, although I think Searle has a better chance to be a 3/4.

 

Searle's bouts of wildness and lack of Ks are a tad bit problematic. Moreover, he's apparently brushed people the wrong way to the point where I've heard some people refer to him as being a bit of a coaching headache. There were reports last year that he was out of shape and then there was the article about him a few days ago talking about how cocky and arrogant he's been coming off in the clubhouse. I love the age and love the sink, but if he doesn't develop worthwhile secondary stuff, he might end up like Justin Berg. Can't say that makes me excited.

 

Coleman is a personal favorite...but I just didn't get a great feeling from him when I saw him. He fit the profile of guys who are sons of former baseball players in terms of his personality and approach. He's very confident on the mound and projects it when he's pitching. He got into and out of trouble, but didn't let it get to him. Plus, his secondary stuff is alright. He locates well and gets decent movement on his pitches. However, his velocity...eh.

[Guest]

Searle's offspeed stuff is already better than Berg's will ever be.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Tyler Colvin seems to be working his way back up there.

[sandbergcubs]

Searle and Coleman both strike me as back end of the rotation guys, although I think Searle has a better chance to be a 3/4.

 

Searle's bouts of wildness and lack of Ks are a tad bit problematic. Moreover, he's apparently brushed people the wrong way to the point where I've heard some people refer to him as being a bit of a coaching headache. There were reports last year that he was out of shape and then there was the article about him a few days ago talking about how cocky and arrogant he's been coming off in the clubhouse. I love the age and love the sink, but if he doesn't develop worthwhile secondary stuff, he might end up like Justin Berg. Can't say that makes me excited.

 

Coleman is a personal favorite...but I just didn't get a great feeling from him when I saw him. He fit the profile of guys who are sons of former baseball players in terms of his personality and approach. He's very confident on the mound and projects it when he's pitching. He got into and out of trouble, but didn't let it get to him. Plus, his secondary stuff is alright. He locates well and gets decent movement on his pitches. However, his velocity...eh.

 

 

being a daytona resident i read this article and was a bit surprised.. talkin to him in the stands he seems like a very nice young man, confident although not to the point of being cocky..

 

and also on the note of offspeed stuff, i have not seen berg, BUT i have seen searle 79-83mph almost a slurve and he has relative control.. same with the change.. i have seen alot of those fool even right handers.. he says he doesnt try to strike people out, rather pitch to contact.. an excuse? maybe.. although i do believe it considering his 2.4 GO/AO.

[Guest]

I don't know enough about the minors to have a list, however I do have some questions.

 

1> has anyone put B. Jackson on a top 10 list and if so, why? He's not done anything in professional baseball.

 

2> Is Kevin Hart not considered a prospect? He's done pretty well for the last couple of years.

 

3> Is Jake Fox no longer considered a prospect?

[Outshined_One]

1> has anyone put B. Jackson on a top 10 list and if so, why? He's not done anything in professional baseball.

 

I'd probably put him in the Top 15 and perhaps in the back half of the Top 10 at the moment. Despite our misgivings about Jackson, he has a very well-established history since scouts have been following him closely at Cal. He has excellent physical tools and reportedly has the goods to stick in CF and be pretty good at it. If (and that's a big if) he can fix his contact issues, he'd be a fantastic prospect.

[Guest]

Jackson signed so he's part of the Cubs system. Just because he hasn't done anything professionally doesn't preclude one from rating his chances of success in the big leagues.

[Guest]

Jackson signed so he's part of the Cubs system. Just because he hasn't done anything professionally doesn't preclude one from rating his chances of success in the big leagues.

It seems terribly premature to me. I guess it doesn't matter much though.

[Outshined_One]

Jackson signed so he's part of the Cubs system. Just because he hasn't done anything professionally doesn't preclude one from rating his chances of success in the big leagues.

It seems terribly premature to me. I guess it doesn't matter much though.

 

Eh, people were putting Vitters in their Top 5 in 2007 after he was drafted, despite him having 58 plate appearances between Boise and Mesa that saw him put up a .118/.164/.118 line. Heck, BA had him as the Cubs' #1 prospect after that season.

[Guest]

The second strasburg signs he's the best prospect in baseball. Professional track record or no.

[illiniguy]

The second strasburg signs he's the best prospect in baseball. Professional track record or no.

So where does this put a guy like Harper? In your mind is he number 2 right now? Or does he have to sign?

[Outshined_One]

The second strasburg signs he's the best prospect in baseball. Professional track record or no.

So where does this put a guy like Harper? In your mind is he number 2 right now? Or does he have to sign?

 

You could make a pretty good argument for that if he were drafted this season.

[Guest]

The second strasburg signs he's the best prospect in baseball. Professional track record or no.

So where does this put a guy like Harper? In your mind is he number 2 right now? Or does he have to sign?

 

I think he has to sign. Otherwise, what's to stop me from considering Yu Darvish or Aroldis Chapman, neither of whom might ever pitch in the MLB?

[illiniguy]

The second strasburg signs he's the best prospect in baseball. Professional track record or no.

So where does this put a guy like Harper? In your mind is he number 2 right now? Or does he have to sign?

 

I think he has to sign. Otherwise, what's to stop me from considering Yu Darvish or Aroldis Chapman, neither of whom might ever pitch in the MLB?

True, I just figure with the American kids its kind of different? Where does the kid the Cardinals are going to sign fit in?

[Outshined_One]

The second strasburg signs he's the best prospect in baseball. Professional track record or no.

So where does this put a guy like Harper? In your mind is he number 2 right now? Or does he have to sign?

 

I think he has to sign. Otherwise, what's to stop me from considering Yu Darvish or Aroldis Chapman, neither of whom might ever pitch in the MLB?

True, I just figure with the American kids its kind of different? Where does the kid the Cardinals are going to sign fit in?

 

Same place as Michael Inoa when the Athletics signed him.

[illiniguy]

The second strasburg signs he's the best prospect in baseball. Professional track record or no.

So where does this put a guy like Harper? In your mind is he number 2 right now? Or does he have to sign?

 

I think he has to sign. Otherwise, what's to stop me from considering Yu Darvish or Aroldis Chapman, neither of whom might ever pitch in the MLB?

True, I just figure with the American kids its kind of different? Where does the kid the Cardinals are going to sign fit in?

 

Same place as Michael Inoa when the Athletics signed him.

So fairly high right away? That sucks for us.

[Guest]

The second strasburg signs he's the best prospect in baseball. Professional track record or no.

So where does this put a guy like Harper? In your mind is he number 2 right now? Or does he have to sign?

 

I think he has to sign. Otherwise, what's to stop me from considering Yu Darvish or Aroldis Chapman, neither of whom might ever pitch in the MLB?

True, I just figure with the American kids its kind of different? Where does the kid the Cardinals are going to sign fit in?

 

Wagner Mateo?

 

No idea, I imagine top 5 in their system. BP rated him the 2nd or 3rd best IFA prospect (I forgot) behind Sano and maybe Gary Sanchez but those ratings are really questionable. The kid is really, really raw even compared to Sano and Sanchez.

[Tony Thomas]

1. Josh Vitters

2. Jay Jackson

3. Andrew Cashner

4. Casey Coleman

5. Starlin Castro

6. Hak Ju Lee

7. Ryan Searle

8. Brett Jackson

9. Jeffry Antigua

10. Tyler Colvin

 

Sleeper: Richard Jones the Catcher we just drafted from the Citadel.

[Outshined_One]

After seeing some early results from the draft and the results of various promotions...

 

1) Josh Vitters: A- (easy pick)

2) Jay Jackson: B+ (A- if he finishes the season healthy and productive)

3) Starlin Castro: B+ (still going strong)

4) Andrew Cashner: B (climbing towards B+ with his recent outings)

5) Jeff Samardzija: B (falling towards B-)

6) Chris Carpenter: B- (B if he finishes the season healthy and productive)

7) Hak-Ju Lee: C+ (probably will be a B- at season's end, but I'm holding back for now)

8) Ryan Searle: C+ (fluctuating, hard to get a read on him sometimes)

9) Tyler Colvin: C+ (debating dropping him to a C, but I'm cutting him slack for his injuries)

10) Brett Jackson: C+ (based mostly on his tools and draft position)

 

Right now, there are about 11 guys I'd think about putting in the C+ range (In addition to the four above, Flaherty, Burke, Coleman, Lake, Archer, Thomas, McDaniel, and Guyer) who could be slotted in my last four slots. There are also a bunch of guys in Boise and the AZ League who could establish themselves (I'm focusing on Nagel, Matchulat, Antigua, Ha, Jung, Watkins, Cerda, and Suarez, but others could make themselves known). Plus, we still haven't seen much out of this draft class, both guys who haven't signed (LeMahieu, Raley, Kirk, etc.) and who have signed (Jackson, Whitenack, Mincone, Jones, etc.). Moreover, I haven't even mentioned Rhee (I'd give him an incomplete until he recovers fully).

 

It's fairly fluid, but, at the very least, it seems like our farm system is climbing out of the cellar.

[karenmac]

Right now, there are about 11 guys I'd think about putting in the C+ range (In addition to the four above, Flaherty, Burke, Coleman, Lake, Archer, Thomas, McDaniel, and Guyer) who could be slotted in my last four slots.

 

So the Chiefs have been on the road for the last little bit, and didn't really get to see a lot of the games on Sat / Sun, but here are my opinions on Flaherty, Burke, Lake, Archer so far:

Burke has been hitting the ball hard a *lot* - saw him last year when he was here and he has truly started to grow into the power they anticipated. He has been hitting more consistently than either Lake or Flaherty, from my point of view anyway (not sure what the stats say)

Flaherty started the year hitting the ball quite well, but has seemed to be flailing a bit more lately. Not sure if that's the variety of different defensive positions he's been playing, but his approach doesn't seem as sound as it did at the start of the year.

Lake is my least favorite to watch of the 3. He can connect, but swings and misses a bunch - perhaps it's just learning the patience he needs, but it's not good right now. Lake has also consistently struggled defensively, which makes it tough when I know we have folks that can handle things much more effectively in that space. His arm is very good, but again, not always accurate.

 

Just my 2 cents on the hitters currently with the Chiefs - I haven't seen Archer pitch much lately, but will again soon enough :)

[Outshined_One]

Right now, there are about 11 guys I'd think about putting in the C+ range (In addition to the four above, Flaherty, Burke, Coleman, Lake, Archer, Thomas, McDaniel, and Guyer) who could be slotted in my last four slots.

 

So the Chiefs have been on the road for the last little bit, and didn't really get to see a lot of the games on Sat / Sun, but here are my opinions on Flaherty, Burke, Lake, Archer so far:

Burke has been hitting the ball hard a *lot* - saw him last year when he was here and he has truly started to grow into the power they anticipated. He has been hitting more consistently than either Lake or Flaherty, from my point of view anyway (not sure what the stats say)

Flaherty started the year hitting the ball quite well, but has seemed to be flailing a bit more lately. Not sure if that's the variety of different defensive positions he's been playing, but his approach doesn't seem as sound as it did at the start of the year.

Lake is my least favorite to watch of the 3. He can connect, but swings and misses a bunch - perhaps it's just learning the patience he needs, but it's not good right now. Lake has also consistently struggled defensively, which makes it tough when I know we have folks that can handle things much more effectively in that space. His arm is very good, but again, not always accurate.

 

Just my 2 cents on the hitters currently with the Chiefs - I haven't seen Archer pitch much lately, but will again soon enough :)

 

On each...

 

-I really like what Burke's been doing at Peoria and he's age-appropriate, which is fantastic. However, this is his third go-round in the MWL and his BABIP is still a notch above what I'd like to see (.337), which means he might be getting a bit lucky. I like him, but I'd like to see him keep doing this at higher levels.

 

-The only thing about Flaherty that bothers me right now is his batting average, and from what I've been seeing in terms of his BABIP, he's been unlucky. The guy's had a lower than expected LD%, but he's still hitting for good power. Plus, his ability to draw walks and not strike are promising. He reminds me of Josh Donaldson last year, who got off to a really slow start in Peoria but had good peripherals.

 

-I'm probably higher on Lake than a lot of people (save for Ping!), but that's because he's an athletic toolsy 19 year old playing in his first full season who's showing some pop. The results now aren't that great, but I think he could make some adjustments and be an excellent prospect in a hurry.