BA's 2009 Top 20 PCL Prospects

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Baseball America[/url]"]1. Buster Posey, c, Fresno (Giants)

2. Neftali Feliz, rhp, Oklahoma City (Rangers)

3. Travis Snider, of, Las Vegas (Blue Jays)

4. Michael Saunders, of, Tacoma (Mariners)

5. Cameron Maybin, of, New Orleans (Marlins)

6. Alcides Escobar, ss, Nashville (Brewers)

7. Brett Wallace, 3b/1b, Memphis (Cardinals)/Sacramento (Athletics)

8. Kyle Blanks, 1b/of, Portland (Padres)

9. Justin Smoak, 1b, Oklahoma City (Rangers)

10. Vin Mazzaro, rhp, Sacramento (Athletics)

11. Bud Norris, rhp, Round Rock (Astros)

12. Esmil Rogers, rhp, Colorado Springs (Rockies)

13. Mat Gamel, 3b, Nashville (Brewers)

14. Brandon Allen, 1b, Reno (Diamondbacks)

15. Gio Gonzalez, lhp, Sacramento (Athletics)

16. Jeff Samardzija, rhp, Iowa (Cubs)

17. Adam Moore, c, Tacoma (Mariners)

18. Angel Salome, c, Nashville (Brewers)

19. Adrian Cardenas, 2b, Sacramento (Athletics)

20. Gaby Sanchez, 1b/3b, New Orleans (Marlins)

 

16. Jeff Samardzija, rhp, Iowa (Cubs)

 

B-T: R-R Ht.: 6-5 Wt.: 220 Age: 24 Drafted: Cubs '06 (5)

 

Samardzija bounced back and forth between starting in Iowa and relieving in the majors as the Cubs continued to try to find him a role. The former Notre Dame football star wasn't as successful in either job as he had been in 2008.

 

His best pitch is a 90-94 mph fastball with armside run and sink, but Samardzija doesn't command it or throw his secondary pitches with much consistency. His 80-82 mph slider can be a plus pitch and his changeup can be an average offering, but neither is reliable.

 

Samardzija's best fit may be in the bullpen, even if he can improve his command and secondary pitches. He has an unorthodox arm action that makes him a higher risk for injury, and his stuff seemed to regress after 60 pitches, though that may have been a result of constantly switching roles.

[toonsterwu]

Was mildly surprised that Shark made it, but guess it's an upside nod (and the fact that it was the PCL).

 

Was mildly surprised that Jake Fox didn't get a "number 20" nod, although

 

a) Don't know if he qualified.

b) He's not talented enough to force his way onto these types of list anyways.

[javy knows my name]

Weren't people really high on Cardenas not too long ago?

[Serge]

So is Shark's pitch a change or a splitter? I've heard it both ways and so I don't really know which to believe.

[CUBZ99]

It is too bad that Hendry gave Shark a no trade clause. It seems like he is the type of prospect that scouts love because of the velocity and potential, but he has yet to show any signs of putting it all together. I'm amazed to see that he was ranked at all on this list, and wonder if his ranking was due to the lack of top talent or his tools. Either way, while there is still some shine, it would be nice to maximize his value and get something in return.

[toonsterwu]

So is Shark's pitch a change or a splitter? I've heard it both ways and so I don't really know which to believe.

 

I think his 3rd offering is sort of a tweener split-change pitch, IIRC, and thus, that's why you see it listed both ways. Could be way off base, though.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I thought he was a two fastball guy, with a 4 seamer that pushed 98 in relief and the splitter that sits around 90. Not sure though.

[Serge]

So is Shark's pitch a change or a splitter? I've heard it both ways and so I don't really know which to believe.

 

I think his 3rd offering is sort of a tweener split-change pitch, IIRC, and thus, that's why you see it listed both ways. Could be way off base, though.

 

Oh okay, that would explain it. Thanks.

[toonsterwu]

Weren't people really high on Cardenas not too long ago?

 

yes, and I think BA's Cardenas rankings have been harsher than expected. Now, I think he was a bit exposed this year, but he's still an intriguing prospect.

[toonsterwu]

I thought he was a two fastball guy, with a 4 seamer that pushed 98 in relief and the splitter that sits around 90. Not sure though.

 

tbh, I've seen Shark mentioned with a ton of pitches. Another answer to the above comment from Serge could be a simple case of him toying around with a variety of pitches, trying to find consistency on some. Although I'm pretty sure that it is a split-change tweener type pitch (can a split-change be called a tweener ... combination is probably the better word).

[Guest]

Dan (Chicago): What other Iowa Cubs; if any, were considered for this list? Darwin Barney possibly?

 

Jim Shonerd: Jake Fox was actually pretty close, age and all. Lack of a defensive home and, obviously, his age hurt him, but he's got good leverage, a short stroke and power to all fields, and he seemed to adjust better on sliders away, which had hurt him before. He'll just have to be hidden defensively, but can at least be a platoon guy.

 

Jeff (NoCal): I need an honest answer to this question......take away the background story of Samardizja (football star, $10MM MLB contract) and change his name to John Doe.......would he even worth being discussed? I am pulling for him (since I am a Cub fan) but it seems to me that the Cubs are just praying his athleticism is going to kick in at some point and improve his consistency and quality of stuff........what odds to you give him to be successful in some kind of capacity in the future?

 

Jim Shonerd: Some of the shine has come off Samardzija for sure, but he's still got the potential for three average to above-average pitches. He's just got to get his fastball command down though. Until that happens, it's hard to project him having sustained success in either the rotation or the bullpen, though I think he's got a better chance as a reliever.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/chat/?1255624300

[Guest]

I thought he was a two fastball guy, with a 4 seamer that pushed 98 in relief and the splitter that sits around 90. Not sure though.

When I've watched him pitch his fastball has a lot of arm-side run + dive, which would lead me to believe it's a typical two-seam fastball. And what made me excited about him was that I've seen him get great movement on the pitch even at 97-98 in relief.

 

As for the change / split question - many pitchers use the splitter as a changeup.

[Guest]

I know Samardzija calls it a change but it looks more like a split. But as Tim said, a lot of pitchers use their splitter as a change.

 

Also, every time you get a report on Dae-Eun Rhee's out pitch, it's referred to as something different - change, split or even a slider.