Cubs Top Prospect Lists (NSBB, BA, etc.)

[Clem Fandango]

Did someone post Law's Cubs top 10 and I just missed it?

 

He didn't do organizational Top 10's. Only Top 100 prospects and Top Farm System Rankings. At least so far, don't think he's doing a Top 10 organizational rankings list

[Tim M]

Did someone post Law's Cubs top 10 and I just missed it?

 

He didn't do organizational Top 10's. Only Top 100 prospects and Top Farm System Rankings. At least so far, don't think he's doing a Top 10 organizational rankings list

 

He did post organizational top 10's. I don't have insider access so I have no idea what it was for the Cubs.

[TruffleShuffle]

this is law's top 10:

 

1. Starlin Castro, SS

2. Josh Vitters, 3B

3. Jay Jackson, RHP

4. Andrew Cashner, RHP

5. Brett Jackson, OF

6. Lee Hak-Ju, SS

7. Kyler Burke, OF

8. Chris Carpenter, RHP

9. Ryan Flaherty, IF

10. Brooks Raley, LHP

[toonsterwu]

intriguing that Raley is in there. I like Raley's upside a lot, but 10th seems a bit high for me.

[craig]

By spot 10 it's kind of a reach regardless. Law has Raley; BA includes Watkins and Lemahieu; on my personal list I'd included Antigua; IIRC some posters had included Rhee or even Archer.

 

Seems like whoever we put at the back of our top ten, there's going to be a lot of projecting and guessing involved, since this type players have little or no strong success in full-season.

[Guest]

By spot 10 it's kind of a reach regardless. Law has Raley; BA includes Watkins and Lemahieu; on my personal list I'd included Antigua; IIRC some posters had included Rhee or even Archer.

 

Seems like whoever we put at the back of our top ten, there's going to be a lot of projecting and guessing involved, since this type players have little or no strong success in full-season.

 

Agreed. I went with Rhee in my top 10. There are no clear-cut guy for those last two spots (including Flaherty at 9, imo).

[craig]

A friend passed on some of the BA book comments on some guys. Pretty gushy about Dolis's stuff, and claimed that Rhee supposedly was looking good in instrux, good velocity back and close to getting his feel back.

 

Had Alberto Cabrera as the #31 guy.

[Clem Fandango]

There was just too much prospect stuff on ESPN Insider that I wanted to read so I bit the bullet and got and paid for the month. Law listed Hak-ju Lee (or Lee Hak-Ju, whatever floats your boat) as our team's 2011 sleeper prospect that should make strides in 2010. He doesn't say much scouty type stuff, but here it is fwiw...

 

Korean shortstop Lee Hak-Ju shone in his first year in pro ball, making contact, hitting for average, showing 70 speed and showing the potential for plus defense at shortstop. He even hit left-handed pitchers well despite being a left-handed hitter.

[toonsterwu]

A friend passed on some of the BA book comments on some guys. Pretty gushy about Dolis's stuff, and claimed that Rhee supposedly was looking good in instrux, good velocity back and close to getting his feel back.

 

Had Alberto Cabrera as the #31 guy.

 

cabrera at 31? That one is sort of surprising, even if it's a gigantic cluster down there. He didn't even really register for me. I'll have to go revisit that ... nothing too impressive statistically. I know he's got a live arm.

[Guest]

A friend passed on some of the BA book comments on some guys. Pretty gushy about Dolis's stuff, and claimed that Rhee supposedly was looking good in instrux, good velocity back and close to getting his feel back.

 

Had Alberto Cabrera as the #31 guy.

 

cabrera at 31? That one is sort of surprising, even if it's a gigantic cluster down there. He didn't even really register for me. I'll have to go revisit that ... nothing too impressive statistically. I know he's got a live arm.

 

Cabrera has good stuff and is kinda of young. Obviously, he has to put it together and increase his strikeout rate but he's definitely a sleeper.

[craig]

"The Cubs apparently believe he can be a mid-rotation starter, and his fastball is around 89-94."

 

Cabrera is 6'4", 21. 94H/6HR/73K/54BB/96 innings. Nothing very outstandingly good or bad or eye-catching there. Seems fairly typical for the young prospect with good velocity, so-so fastball command, and unrefined breaking ball. Walks are the only thing that is too high. If the command of everything gets better, the K's will rise and the walk decline.

 

Kind of like the #10 prospect situation; for a #31, you're guessing and projecting either way, whether you're putting Cabrera or Searle or Justin Bristow or one of those kinds of guys there.

[craig]

Of BA's top 30, ten are internationals. Nine signed by Cubs (Mateo acquired in trade, so he doesn't really credit to the international scouting operation.)

1. castro

6 Lee

12 Rhee

13 Dolis

19 Antigua

22 Caridad (somewhat special case...)

24 Mateo (not really an international scout and sign...)

26 Chirinos

27 Castillo

29 Lake

31 Cabrera

 

Obviously a lot of those are back-end guys. But that's a better dose of internationals than was true a few years go. And I believe is closer to the distribution that strong organizations tend to have.

 

Nice to see some progress there.

 

That could go either way a year from now. Other than Caridad, Castro is the only guy with good chance to graduate, and that is not strongly probable IMO. One could easily envision this list next year again having Castro high; Rhee, Lee, Dolis, and Antigua all have a chance to be much more highly respected. Castillo, Cabrera, Searle, some of the recent Korean dollar signs, who knows which Latins, there are candidates to emerge more strongly.

 

Might also go the other way, of course. If they don't step up, Cabrera, Lake, Castillo, they could all be totally forgotten. If Dolis doens't show much, and when it comes to the real season is just an ineffective wildman who is throwing 92 more often than 98, he might be way back. Castro probably isn't likely to have as much "list" value; if he has a great season, fair chance that he'll have graduated and not be included in lists like these. And if he doesn't have a season good enough to graduate, he won't be as valued a prospect. If Rhee's stuff/feel doesn't come back; if Lee keeps making errors, having zero power, and striking out as often, he may have less list value too.

 

Regardless, it's very good to see the international efforts showing up in this list, and I'm hopeful that a fair dose will work out and that next year the value of our international prospects will be even stronger.

[CUBZ99]

BA is out with their top 100 list. 5 Cubs on the list Castro, Vitter, B. Jackson, Cashner, and J. Jackson (in order). I will post a link.

 

Castro was top 25, Vitters 70 and the rest lower.

[Outshined_One]

BA Top 100 Rankings:

 

Starlin Castro - 16

Josh Vitters - 70

Brett Jackson - 74

Andrew Cashner - 95

Jay Jackson - 98

[Ryno12]

BA Top 100 Rankings:

 

Starlin Castro - 16

Josh Vitters - 70

Brett Jackson - 74

Andrew Cashner - 95

Jay Jackson - 98

 

I'm definitely pleased to see 5 guys on there. Castro at 16 is somewhat surprising, but I won't argue with it. Also, I'm a little surprised that Hak-Ju Lee didn't sneak in there since BA loves tools so much.

[toonsterwu]

in terms of cubs, i think they are all placed roughly where i had them in my mind. I would've had both Jacksons a few slots higher, but small quibbles. I too was mildly surprised that Lee didn't sneak in there, but it isn't that shocking.

 

Overall, seems fair for the Cubs.

[Northside Blues]

So Starlin Castro's best tool is his bat where he's a very risky bet to hit .300/.350/.450 at any point of his career and is more than likely going to be way below that? BA is saying his best tool is hitting singles. Still a little too high. I just see too many names below him that have equivalent or better upside and more of a chance of hitting it.

[Guest]

So Starlin Castro's best tool is his bat where he's a very risky bet to hit .300/.350/.450 at any point of his career and is more than likely going to be way below that? BA is saying his best tool is hitting singles. Still a little too high. I just see too many names below him that have equivalent or better upside and more of a chance of hitting it.

bat is for batting average, not power. What makes you think that the peak season in Starlin's career is going to be way below .300?

[Guest]

The Cubs are tied for 2nd most prospects in the top 100 along with the Indians. Of course, the Cubs' 5 are homegrown, unlike the Indians (Santana, Knapp and Hagadone come from different systems).

 

The Rays lead the pack with 7 in the top 100.

[toonsterwu]

Couple things I found mildly interesting:

 

Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters both had 65 power grades.

 

Jay Jackson's fastball was rated as his best tool.

 

Hak-ju Lee made the back end of the top 100 for Conor Glassey and Jim Callis, but failed to make the top 150 for John Manuel and Will Lingo (and thus, missed their overall top 100)

[Cubs Fan Dan]

I think with Lee it hinges on how he does this next season, with the ability he has if he puts up even close to the numbers he did last season at a higher level, he will be right there in the top 50.

[Cubswin11]

I think with Lee it hinges on how he does this next season, with the ability he has if he puts up even close to the numbers he did last season at a higher level, he will be right there in the top 50.

Agreed, with a good year this year he could have a Castro like rise.

[sneakypower]

looking through the lists, i found it interesting ProjectProspect rated Fernando Martinez 10th, while BA ranked him 77th

 

Decker (18 & 82), Darnell (22 & 90) had a similar chasm in the rankings

[toonsterwu]

In Darnell's case, I think it's an issue where his floor is quite high, but some debate how high his ceiling is. For PP, though, a site that declares how much they value the floor, he's the type that can go higher.

 

Decker is an issue of performance vs. tools, in all likelihood. He's a good hitter, but scouts don't love his tools, so he doesn't get rated as highly as his bat plays.

[Guest]

Martinez surprises me. I need to read what PP says there. The difference in rankings on Darnell and Decker are some of the best examples of the different thought processes on rating prospects between BA and someone like Project Prospect. I've felt that BA has been slow to like Decker for a while now. Who cares if he doesn't look like an athlete? Dude can hit and control the strike zone. Not every successful big league hitter has plus speed and 5% body fat.