2010 Cubs Picks & Signings Thread

[Tim M]

Law: Micah Gibbs at 97 is a STEAL for the Cubs

[Outshined_One]

60. Micah Gibbs, c

Louisiana State

Gibbs has the best receiving skills among catchers in the 2010 draft, and those and his ability to handle a pitching staff earn repeated comparisons to Jason Varitek. He doesn't have a cannon behind the plate, but his arm strength is average and he enhances it with a quick release and good accuracy. However, he had thrown out just 15 percent of basestealers through mid-May, down from 32 percent in his first two seasons. His hitting has gone in the other direction, as he was batting .424, up from .306 the previous two years and .212 with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. A 5-foot-11, 207-pound switch-hitter, Gibbs has spread out his stance, added more balance and simplified his swing. He has strength, but his swing can get loopy at times and he doesn't have an abundance of bat speed or power. He may not be more than a .260 hitter with 10-12 homers annually in the majors, but his defensive ability should make him a starter. The scarcity of catchers often enhances their draft status, so Gibbs could sneak into the first or sandwich round.

[Guest]

So will there be a signability issue with him? I read he expected to go within the first 35 picks and that he's already committed to Alabama.

 

99.9% of HS kids are committed somewhere so that in and of itself isn't a big deal. He's not advised by Boras and no publication mentioned much about his Alabama commitment so I can't see it being an issue. He was rated around 100 by BA so he should probably have tempered his top-35 illusions.

[Guest]

Good value at rd 3. Much needed C pick.

[KingCubsFan]

Is that at all similar to a Marlon Byrd description?

He actually kind of looks like him and has a similar swing but I think he could have more power than Byrd.

Given this organization's track record, he sounds like the next Mike Mallory

[JonJayCutler]

Gibbs had a .388/.458/.592/1.050 final line at LSU this year against top competition. It's hard not to like that.

 

Meanwhile I think it's interesting that with each passing round we've drafted a guy with a better ranking. 191 for Simpson, 96 for Golden, 60 for Gibbs, right? Just shows that Wilken doesn't give a damn what other people think.

[davell]

I have zero clue who Hunter Ackerman is.

[Outshined_One]

From Seiler:

 

“Hunter Ackerman is a short left-handed junior college pitcher from Louisburg Junior College in North Carolina. Ackerman originally came to Louisburg from Cosby High School in Midlothian, Virginia, which is just outside of Richmond. He wasn’t much of a prospect at all coming out of high school, and most teams barely gave him a second thought last spring, so he went undrafted. He landed at Louisburg, where he’s put together an excellent freshman campaign. That campaign has gotten him more scouting attention, and he’s no longer an unknown name. As with most junior college freshmen, the leverage he has is enormous, so he could easily fall down draft boards, but there’s plenty of reason to think that he could start his career as soon as the draft is over. He has a ceiling as a possible number five starter or middle reliever, and that is quite obtainable in fairly short order. His fastball is an average pitch that sits 87-89, and he gets good sink on it, making him a groundball pitcher. He adds in a potential average curveball that needs more zip behind it, and his last pitch is a potential solid-average changeup, meaning he shouldn’t be useless against right-handed hitters if he ends up having a career in the bullpen. This is no LOOGY. He has built up enough draft stock to become a seventh to twelfth round pick on talent, but if his leverage as a freshman comes into play, he’ll likely be a late-round pick with interest for next year.”

[Outshined_One]

Matthew Szczur

 

174. Matt Szczur, of

Villanova

A wide receiver for Villanova's football team, Szczur led the Wildcats to a Football Championship Subdivision national title last fall, earning MVP honors in the championship game after racking up 270 all-purpose yards. He is a legitimate NFL draft prospect as a receiver in the Wes Welker mold, which clouds his baseball signability, but he also could be drafted as early as the fifth round in baseball. Szczur is an electrifying athlete with true 80 speed on the 20-80 scouting scale. He is still learning to put his speed to use in the outfield—he arrived at Villanova as a catcher and has never concentrated on baseball full-time—and has played right field for the Wildcats, but he could become an adequate defender in center or left with work. His arm is well-below-average. Offensively, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Szczur has an unorthodox, slashy swing, but he has a knack for barreling up balls consistently, and he projects as an average hitter with below-average power. He has a patient approach, and he can use all fields and make adjustments from at-bat to at-bat. Scouts love Szczur's intensity on the field, and coaches rave about his work ethic and ability to learn. He also has special makeup off the field; days after hitting for the cycle on April 27, Szczur donated bone marrow to a 1-year-old girl with leukemia, sidelining him for the next three weeks.

 

Love that story.

[nick23]

He doesn't sound very good at baseball.

[davell]

He seems like a good kid and all, but does he profile as much more than another Tony Campana for us honestly? Maybe a touch more power is about all I can see anyway.

[Tony Thomas]

He seems like a good kid and all, but does he profile as much more than another Tony Campana for us honestly? Maybe a touch more power is about all I can see anyway.

He hasn't focused a lot on baseball and i think that Tony Campana is his most likely outcome but I see him having a lot more potential than Campana. He also hit 4 home runs this year so that doesn't seem to bad.

[Guest]

But he does have a hell of a last name.

[Sever82]

The point is it's idiotic to say, well Colvin has started well, everybody was wrong about him and Wilken was right, therefore you cannot question a pick regardless of whether or not it was a huge reach.

 

Wilken seems more interested in proving people wrong than drafting the best player.

 

Well its pretty idiotic to say colvin was a bad pick when he has had limited time in the majors. When you sign as a pick it does not make you a pro. Its until you're in the majors in my book. The book is still out on wilken, i dont think you can say his picks have busted either way yet, until we officially see how good they become.

 

As for saying cashner isn't a good pick because he's a reliever? so i'm guessing you think David price was also a bad pick since he was brought up for a bullpen role to start off his major league career.

[Guest]

Why are so many people so willing to assume he was right with colvin? Tyler has been a bad pro for most of his career, and he has a handful of quality pa in selected opportunities this year. Let's give it some time before we just assume it all worked out for the best. Shark is still terrible, bitters has done nothing except convince them to keep promoting him without the numbers to justify the fast track. Cashner looks great but we knew he could relieve, and he hasn't started much. Jackson looks good, but I believe not quite what he was on first impression last year. The cubs have drafted lots of guys who can make the majors but the top of the draft is for impact players, not people you think have a chance to be a starter.

 

yeah, i don't get the "well, i trust wilken, he hasn't let us down so far" line. if his 1st round success stories are a fourth outfielder and a middle reliever, i'm not going to be too wowed.

Tyler Colvin could and should be starting and Cashner is about to become are setup man and he's only been up for a week. And Brett Jackson is already one of our better prospects. I would say he's done a pretty good job so far.

Tyler Colvin could and should be playing in Iowa. The Cubs aren't going anywhere so Cashner being a "set up man" is a waste of his development as a starter (where his real value lies).

 

I'm not happy with Wilken and I don't think six or seven average ML ballplayers and two, maybe three above average ones, is a good track record for a guy who's been doing the same job for over 10 years.

 

I will say this though, their main problem is developing talent and that's not Wilken's fault.

[Sever82]

The point is it's idiotic to say, well Colvin has started well, everybody was wrong about him and Wilken was right, therefore you cannot question a pick regardless of whether or not it was a huge reach.

 

Wilken seems more interested in proving people wrong than drafting the best player.

 

Who said you can't question Wilken's pick? Basically everybody has done nothing but question the Simpson pick. However, most realize he's brought in some very talented players with high upsides into our system, know his track record of bringing in guys like Halladay, Carpenter and Rios into the Blue Jays' system, and are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

I don't see why questioning a pick, but giving a guy with a very good track record the benefit of the doubt is that bad.

 

all the media stories leading up to today were, colvin made it, we were wrong. And a lot of what people have written in the last 18 hours is, well, he has earned the benefit of the doubt.

 

What media story said Colvin made it? I think you're just pulling that out of your ---. From what i've read the media has said Colvin deserves a chance to play everyday to see what he has which is a valid point since he's played well in his limited time.

[UK1679666180]

I'm not happy with Wilken and I don't think six or seven average ML ballplayers and two, maybe three above average ones, is a good track record for a guy who's been doing the same job for over 10 years.

 

His track record is a little better than that.

[Outshined_One]

But he does have a hell of a last name.

 

Assuming he signs, I'm going to hate typing his name into the minor league box scores. It took me forever to learn Samardzija.

[abuck1220]

The point is it's idiotic to say, well Colvin has started well, everybody was wrong about him and Wilken was right, therefore you cannot question a pick regardless of whether or not it was a huge reach.

 

Wilken seems more interested in proving people wrong than drafting the best player.

 

Well its pretty idiotic to say colvin was a bad pick when he has had limited time in the majors. When you sign as a pick it does not make you a pro. Its until you're in the majors in my book.

 

well, your book is wrong.

[Sever82]

He's got a nice resume, mostly from over a decade ago. But again, give me an impact Chicago Cub before I ignore the craziness of drafting a 4-7 round guy that might go in round 2, in the middle of round 1.

 

You do realize Wilken has only been with the cubs 3-4 years right? I just find it funny that you want a guy to pull out all star in that span. For the time he's been here, he has certainly done an excellent job. 4 years ago the cubs farm system was a joke and now, its actually one of the best. I think it was Keith Law who mentioned their system was in the bottom 5 a few years ago, to have such a turnaround is actually pretty good.

[Tony Thomas]

Who is the guy who did really good in the extended spring training game?

[UK1679666180]

Who is the guy who did really good in the extended spring training game?

 

Nate Roberts...

[Outshined_One]

Ivan DeJesus

 

Center fielder Ivan DeJesus doesn't have one standout tool but can do a little bit of everything, with average tools across the board. He's a good athlete at 6 feet and 170 pounds and can play all three outfield spots. He's a gap hitter now, and he offers some projection as he gains strength. DeJesus is a hard worker who has committed to Alabama-Birmingham.

[abuck1220]

He's got a nice resume, mostly from over a decade ago. But again, give me an impact Chicago Cub before I ignore the craziness of drafting a 4-7 round guy that might go in round 2, in the middle of round 1.

 

You do realize Wilken has only been with the cubs 3-4 years right? I just find it funny that you want a guy to pull out all star in that span. For the time he's been here, he has certainly done an excellent job. 4 years ago the cubs farm system was a joke and now, its actually one of the best. I think it was Keith Law who mentioned their system was in the bottom 5 a few years ago, to have such a turnaround is actually pretty good.

 

i don't know that anyone thinks wilken is a buffoon or anything. i'm just not like "well, wilken can do no wrong...look at how awesome tyler colvin is."

[CUBZ99]

The point is it's idiotic to say, well Colvin has started well, everybody was wrong about him and Wilken was right, therefore you cannot question a pick regardless of whether or not it was a huge reach.

 

Wilken seems more interested in proving people wrong than drafting the best player.

 

Well its pretty idiotic to say colvin was a bad pick when he has had limited time in the majors. When you sign as a pick it does not make you a pro. Its until you're in the majors in my book.

 

well, your book is wrong.

 

 

Please explain?