Minor League Discussion & Boxes 7-24-10

[Outshined_One]

Box Scores

 

Iowa won 4-2 in the 13th Box Score

 

CF S. Fuld 2/6, RBI

SS D. Barney 1/6, 2B (21), 2 E (13, fielding x 2)

RF/1B M. Hoffpauir 1/5, BB, 2 R, RBI, HR (14)

LF J. Dubois 1/4, K

PH/RF B. Snyder 1/2, R, 2 RBI, HR (15), K

1B B. LaHair 0/5, K

2B B. Scales 2/5, R, 2B (21)

C C. Robinson 2/5

3B M. Camp 1/5, K

LF T. Wright 0/2

SP T. Diamond 6 scoreless, 2 H, 6/3 K/BB, 7-5 GO-FO, E (1, pickoff)

RP C. Zambrano 2 scoreless, 1 H, 3/0 K/BB, 2-1 GO-FO

RP D. Cales 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2-1 GO-FO

RP J. Stevens 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, WP, 2-1 GO-FO

RP A. Bibens-Dirkx 3 scoreless, 0 H, 2/1 K/BB, 5-2 GO-FO

 

Tennessee PPD

 

Daytona won 10-3 Box Score

 

2B DJ LeMahieu 2/4, BB, 2 R, 2B (16), K, CS (6)

3B R. Flaherty 2/4, BB, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B (25), HR (3)

DH M. Brenly 2/5, R, RBI, K

RF K. Burke 1/4, BB, R, RBI, K, SB (3)

1B R. Ridling 1/2, 2 BB, R, RBI

1B J. Opitz 0/1

SS J. Lake 0/3, 2 BB, K

SP A. Cabrera 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 9/2 K/BB, HR, 2 WP, 6-2 GO-FO

RP C. Lambert 2 scoreless, 1 H, 2/0 K/BB, 3-1 GO-FO

RP D. Patton 1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB, 2-0 GO-FO

 

Peoria lost 3-0 Box Score

 

SS HJ Lee 1/4, K

2B L. Watkins 0/4, K

3B M. Cerda 1/3, BB, K

1B J. Bour 1/4

LF N. Perez 1/3, K

RF JH Ha 0/3

SP F. Batista 4.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 10/0 K/BB, HR, HBP, 2-1 GO-FO

RP M. De Leon 2.1 scoreless, 0 H, 1/2 K/BB, WP, 4-1 GO-FO

RP D. Keefe 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, WP, 2-1 GO-FO

 

Boise lost 6-5 in the 11th Box Score

 

PR/CF KM Na 0/1

2B P. LePage 2/4, R

CF/RF M. Szczur 2/5, 2 R, K

1B R. Jones 1/4, BB, R, 2B (13), K, E (4, fielding)

LF J. Morelli 2/5, 3 RBI, 2 2B (10)

SS E. Soto 0/2, BB, R, 2 K, 2 HBP, E (3, fielding)

C J. Vigurs 0/4, BB, K, PB (2)

DH C. Huseby 1/5, 2 RBI, 2B (3), 2 K

3B W. Darvill 0/5, K, 2 E (5, fielding x 2)

SP C. Greathouse 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3/2 K/BB, 8-1 GO-FO

RP B. Ebinger 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 6/0 K/BB, Balk, 2-2 GO-FO

RP A. Kurcz .2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1/0 K/BB, 2 HBP, 0-1 GO-FO

 

AZL Cubs won 7-2 Box Score

 

2B V. Bieneme 1/4, R, 2 K, 2 SB (8)

1B R. Cuneo 1/2, 2 BB, R, 2 RBI, CS (2)

3B D. Geiger 2/4, R, RBI, 2B (1)

C C. Romero 1/3, RBI, K, E (2, throw), PB (3)

SS D. Harrington 3/4, R, RBI, 2 2B (7), K

SP J. Nagel 1 scoreless, 3 H, 1/0 K/BB, 2-0 GO-FO

RP R. Hartman 1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB, 1-0 GO-FO

RP L. Liria 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2/1 K/BB, WP, 3-3 GO-FO

RP C. Hams 1 scoreless, 0 H, 1/2 K/BB, 1-0 GO-FO

RP A. Jimenez 2 scoreless, 1 H, 3/2 K/BB, WP, 2-1 GO-FO

RP E. Rice 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1/0 K/BB, 1-1 GO-FO

 

DSL Cubs 1 won 3-1 Box Score

 

CF O. Zapata 2/4, RBI, K, SB (10)

SS G. Amaya 1/3, R, K, SB (13)

2B M. Hernandez 0/3, RBI, E (13, fielding)

RF D. Arcila 1/4, R, 3B (2), K

RP R. Garcia 2 perfect, 3/0 K/BB, 0-3 GO-FO

RP R. Diplan 1 scoreless, 1 H, 0/1 K/BB, 3-0 GO-FO

 

DSL Cubs 2 won Game 1 of their DH 5-3 (Completion of a suspended game) Box Score

 

DH D. Arcila 0/3

SP A. Paulino 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2/1 K/BB, 5-5 GO-FO

 

DSL Cubs 2 lost Game 2 of their DH 4-3 Box Score

 

1B G. Jimenez 1/3, RBI, K

 

OVERALL: 5-3

[Guest]

Probable Starters

 

Iowa: RHP Thomas Diamond (5-4, 3.48 ERA, 98.1 IP, 96 K, 41 BB)

Tennessee: LHP Jeremy Papelbon (1-2, 5.26 ERA, 49.2 IP, 37 K, 5 BB)

Daytona: RHP Alberto Cabrera (3-3, 3.73 ERA, 50.2 IP, 43 K, 15 BB; Daytona & Tenn: 3-7, 4.93 ERA, 91.1 IP, 78 K, 38 BB)

Peoria: RHP Frank Batista (1-1, 3.25 ERA, 27.2 IP, 27 K, 8 BB)

Boise: LHP Brett Ebinger (1-0, 6.97 ERA, 10.1 IP, 7 K, 3 BB: Boise & Mesa: 1-0, 4.15 ERA, 17.1 IP, 16 K, 4 BB)

AZL Cubs: RHP Luis Liria (0-1, 2.59 ERA, 24.1 IP, 25 K, 9 BB)

[Little Slide Rooter]

Ive never heard of Frank Batista before today, but the guy Kd 10 through 4.2 IP with 0 BB. However, he did leave down 0-2, but still thats pretty impressive.

[Outshined_One]

Jon Nagel's back from the dead and pitching in Mesa. He was pitching okay down in Peoria earlier in the season and looked like he could have been intriguing, but got sidelined with an injury. With any luck, he's back on track.

[TruffleShuffle]

Ive never heard of Frank Batista before today, but the guy Kd 10 through 4.2 IP with 0 BB. However, he did leave down 0-2, but still thats pretty impressive.

 

only 21 years old, had a 63/7 K/BB ratio in the DSL last summer and has 37 K's this year in 32 innings. seems like a guy worth keeping an eye on.

 

tough day for darwin barney, made errors in the 9th and 10th innings to allow unearned runs (iowa led each time by a run)

 

high school draftee ryan hartman pitched another perfect inning for arizona, striking out 1. he now has 3 k's in 2 ip, and has allowed no hits. call him up.

[Guest]

Carlos goes two scoreless innings, gets three k's and no walks. Diamond with another solid outing, too.

[davell]

Anybody got ANYTHING on Alvido Jimenez yet? I know it's early, but he put up solid numbers in the DSL last year and is continuing to do so in Arizona at 18 years old. Just curious if anyone has heard anything about his stuff?

 

 

On a side note, with Simpson going to miss the entire season now, who can we see out of this draft class making to full season ball THIS year? I would have thought Gibbs was a lock, but with as horrible as he's hit so far, I don't see him as a lock anymore, maybe a 50/50 shot. I'm thinking Aaron Kurcz is a lock, maybe even making it to Daytona possibly. Only other possibility I can see is Szczur, I suppose.......

[Outshined_One]

On a side note, with Simpson going to miss the entire season now, who can we see out of this draft class making to full season ball THIS year? I would have thought Gibbs was a lock, but with as horrible as he's hit so far, I don't see him as a lock anymore, maybe a 50/50 shot. I'm thinking Aaron Kurcz is a lock, maybe even making it to Daytona possibly. Only other possibility I can see is Szczur, I suppose.......

 

I'd put Pierre LePage and maybe Reggie Golden into that discussion. I could see Golden getting a few games in at Peoria at the end of the season.

 

Also, with Golden signed, I'm seriously considering putting him ahead of Simpson on my Top 10. Heck, even before news of Simpson's mono came out, I was debating doing it.

[CUBZ99]

Carlos goes two scoreless innings, gets three k's and no walks. Diamond with another solid outing, too.

 

Sounds like he had more success tonight than he did last night. That is good to see. It will be interesting to see how the Cubs handle Z if Lilly gets traded. Presumably Z would stay in Iowa for another week or so until he was stretched out to take a rotation spot.

[davell]

On a side note, with Simpson going to miss the entire season now, who can we see out of this draft class making to full season ball THIS year? I would have thought Gibbs was a lock, but with as horrible as he's hit so far, I don't see him as a lock anymore, maybe a 50/50 shot. I'm thinking Aaron Kurcz is a lock, maybe even making it to Daytona possibly. Only other possibility I can see is Szczur, I suppose.......

 

I'd put Pierre LePage and maybe Reggie Golden into that discussion. I could see Golden getting a few games in at Peoria at the end of the season.

 

Also, with Golden signed, I'm seriously considering putting him ahead of Simpson on my Top 10. Heck, even before news of Simpson's mono came out, I was debating doing it.

 

 

Unless Simpson is very solid in the AFL, I doubt he makes my end of the year top 10. Golden probably will actually.

 

 

Our system has gotten very deep with decent prospects, but we have a fairly large dropff after our top 6(almost a definite consensus of B Jackson, Lee, Vitters, J Jackson, Archer, and McNutt), maybe 7(if Carpenter is still in there).......Our 8,9, and 10 guys will NOT be a consensus, we probably have 10-12 guys who could conceivably wind up there, if you ask me.

 

I could see Rhee, Dolis, Golden, Simpson, Y-J Kim, Barney(and I know most won't put him there but with his closeness to the majors, i bet BA will have him high anyway), Coleman, Chirinos and Diamond( both same with Barney), Lake, Ha, and Rusin all getting consideration from different people here.

 

In the end, maybe this hurts our system's overall grade this offseason? Very deep, but mostly C's and C+'s, after the top 6-7. With the graduations of Castro and Cashner(Colvin wasn't all that important to last year's grade, since he was not even top 15) I had still expected us to be move up a little, but looking at it more and more, I could see us around the 20ish area overall next year......Very much because our draft isn't going to help out our top 10 much and probably won't put more than Simpson and Golden(maybe Gibbs and possibly Kurcz) anywhere near our overall top 30's either.

[toonsterwu]

pretty sure frank batista is a fastball/slider guy that can run it into that 92-93 range. Someone correct me if I'm off on that. IIRC, the slider was considered fairly solid.

 

I'm hoping Nagel can give a nice run of it. I liked him as a starter, but even out of the pen, he had a shot to be a Justin Berg type.

[Guest]

IF Lake keeps hitting like he has post-all star break in the DSL, I guarantee he's top 10. In 113 AB's now, he has a .911 OPS in the most pitcher-friendly league in baseball. He's still one of the younger guys in the league, too.

[Outshined_One]

Unless Simpson is very solid in the AFL, I doubt he makes my end of the year top 10. Golden probably will actually.

 

Will he even pitch in the AFL? I get the sense he'll be in instructs and make his professional debut in Peoria next season.

 

The way I see it, if the Cubs had gone Golden-Gibbs-Simpson as their 1-2-3, I don't think Simpson would have gotten much consideration for the Cubs' Top 10 following the draft. While Wilken gushed about him and some of the post-draft stuff on Simpson was fairly positive, the vibe on him leading up to the draft and when he was drafted was not the sort of thing you'd like to see in the Cubs' Top 10. The way I saw it, people were putting him in their Top 10 lists mostly because he was a first round pick and because of Wilken's track record. Those aren't necessarily bad reasons, but I don't like evaluating a prospect in that respect.

 

Right now, my Top 7 is pretty much set in stone and looks like: Brett Jackson, Hak-Ju Lee, Jay Jackson, Josh Vitters, Chris Archer, Trey McNutt, and Chris Carpenter. After that, I'd probably put Rhee at 8 and Golden at 9. I'm not totally comfortable with those two in those spots, but it works. At #10...I have absolutely no idea who to put there.

[Guest]

On a side note, with Simpson going to miss the entire season now, who can we see out of this draft class making to full season ball THIS year? I would have thought Gibbs was a lock, but with as horrible as he's hit so far, I don't see him as a lock anymore, maybe a 50/50 shot. I'm thinking Aaron Kurcz is a lock, maybe even making it to Daytona possibly. Only other possibility I can see is Szczur, I suppose.......

 

I'd put Pierre LePage and maybe Reggie Golden into that discussion. I could see Golden getting a few games in at Peoria at the end of the season.

 

Also, with Golden signed, I'm seriously considering putting him ahead of Simpson on my Top 10. Heck, even before news of Simpson's mono came out, I was debating doing it.

 

I think Golden will go with the more traditional HS player route of Mesa all summer and a week in Boise.

 

I think Kurcz is a lock for Peoria. Szczur should get a taste of Peoria as more incentive to return to baseball after his senior year.

[Guest]

Unless Simpson is very solid in the AFL, I doubt he makes my end of the year top 10. Golden probably will actually.

 

I'd be surprised if Simpson pitches in the AFL. He better pitch in Instructs. Damn floozies giving him mono.

[craig]

pretty sure frank batista is a fastball/slider guy that can run it into that 92-93 range. Someone correct me if I'm off on that. IIRC, the slider was considered fairly solid....

 

Thanks, I've wondered and have never seen any scouting comment before.

 

Of the 19 Batista's in the minors, none lists shorter than Franky.

[toonsterwu]

I have my current top 15 as roughly

 

1. Brett Jackson.

 

2. Hak-ju Lee.

3. Jay Jackson.

4. Chris Archer.

5. Josh Vitters.

6. Kenneth McNutt.

 

7. Chris Carpenter.

8. Hayden Simpson.

 

9. Chris Rusin.

10. Reggie Golden.

11. Dae-Eun Rhee.

12. Rafael Dolis.

13. Robinson Chirinos.

14. Ryan Flaherty.

15. DJ LeMahieu

 

But I don't really love my 13-15 right now. I'm open to pondering McNutt ahead of Vitters, because arguably, McNutt has the most upside of any of our arms, and his floor seems higher than Vitters. On the outside looking in right now is Lake, but if he keeps it up the rest of the year, he'd easily slide ahead of LeMahieu for me, probably Flaherty, and maybe Chirinos.

 

In terms of draftees, I think I'd have Simpson and Golden top 10, Gibbs top 20-ish, Wells top 30ish (assuming he signs), Szczur top 50ish.

[Vinestal]

I had mono about 5 years ago, I was back to normal in a week, wasn't really that big of a deal. apparently there must be variations in the degree of severity.

On another note, you can get mono like you get a cold or flu its not just from kissing (a common misnomer). Most people get it when they are very young and its just thought to be a cold or flu and then you don't ever get it again.

[rawaction]

IF Lake keeps hitting like he has post-all star break in the DSL, I guarantee he's top 10. In 113 AB's now, he has a .911 OPS in the most pitcher-friendly league in baseball. He's still one of the younger guys in the league, too.

 

Where the heck did that batting eye come from? Dude walked 18 times in 480 plate appearances last year. This year he's walking once every 10 PAs, which is pretty good.

[Guest]

I have my current top 15 as roughly

 

1. Brett Jackson.

 

2. Hak-ju Lee.

3. Jay Jackson.

4. Chris Archer.

5. Josh Vitters.

6. Kenneth McNutt.

 

7. Chris Carpenter.

8. Hayden Simpson.

 

9. Chris Rusin.

10. Reggie Golden.

11. Dae-Eun Rhee.

12. Rafael Dolis.

13. Robinson Chirinos.

14. Ryan Flaherty.

15. DJ LeMahieu

 

But I don't really love my 13-15 right now. I'm open to pondering McNutt ahead of Vitters, because arguably, McNutt has the most upside of any of our arms, and his floor seems higher than Vitters. On the outside looking in right now is Lake, but if he keeps it up the rest of the year, he'd easily slide ahead of LeMahieu for me, probably Flaherty, and maybe Chirinos.

 

In terms of draftees, I think I'd have Simpson and Golden top 10, Gibbs top 20-ish, Wells top 30ish (assuming he signs), Szczur top 50ish.

I think you have Vitters too low. But it will be a fun discussion again this offseason. :)

[toonsterwu]

well, i intentionally grouped 2-6 together because i could almost see an argument for any ordering of those guys, including McNutt at 2. I can still see a case for Vitters at 2, but I have Jay and Chris ahead because they both have performance and floor on Vitters, IMO. Who knows - maybe Josh finishes the year on a tear and changes my mind about that.

[Guest]

well, i intentionally grouped 2-6 together because i could almost see an argument for any ordering of those guys, including McNutt at 2. I can still see a case for Vitters at 2, but I have Jay and Chris ahead because they both have performance and floor on Vitters, IMO. Who knows - maybe Josh finishes the year on a tear and changes my mind about that.

Here is a contrast of the performance of Vitters and Jackson at Tenn:

 

- Vitters has had the better contact rate (20% vs 25% k-rate)

- Jackson has had far better patience

- Vitters has shown more power

- Jackson has had better luck on BABIP

 

Both guys play a premium position and Vitters is a full year younger. If Vitters would have had even neutral luck on BABIP so far, people would be giving him credit for doing well after being rushed to this point at age 20. Given his contact rate, reasonable demonstrated power and increasing (though still low) patience, I don't think the floor for Vitters is all that low. I certainly wouldn't say his floor is lower than any pitcher, who is always one awkward motion away from being out of baseball.

[Guest]

How has Vitters shown more power?

[Guest]

How has Vitters shown more power?

How many HR has Jackson hit since his second game at Tenn? :)

 

For a non-sarcastic answer:

 

Jackson: 2 HR / 81 at bats = 1 every 40.5 ab

Vitters: 7 HR / 205 at bats = 1 every 29.3 ab

 

I know Jackson has a better doubles rate, but that's not always a function of power.

 

It's certainly not a huge difference, but it's there in the limited sample for each player.