Florida State League Top 20 List

[davell]

I'm sure we'll get Archer and Brett Jackson on here, McNutt as well, assuming he pitched enough innings to qualify. Maybe a slight hope for Junior Lake? I doubt it, but I guess there's a chance anyway.

[davell]

Archer comes in at number TWO. :D Ahead of Jacob Turner. Brett Jackson is at 7. McNutt missed the list by one start. No other Cubs make it.

[Guest]

Archer #2, Jackson #7. No McNutt.

[Guest]

2. Chris Archer, rhp, Daytona Cubs

Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 180. Drafted: HS—Clayton (N.C.), '06 (5/Indians).

Archer was a pretty intriguing prospect in 2009, when he showed a 91-93 mph fastball and a hard breaking ball. When his stuff took a big step forward this year, he became a dominating pitcher. He went 15-3, 2.34 between Daytona and Double-A Tennessee, with his fastball running up to 97, his slider becoming a second plus pitch and his changeup showing promise.

 

Archer's control and command have improved, but they're still not where he needs to be. He gives up too many walks and misses within the strike zone too often. His changeup has good sink and enough separation in velocity from his fastball, but it lacks consistency.

 

7. Brett Jackson, of, Daytona Cubs

Age: 22. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 210. Drafted: California, '09 (1).

Jackson showed power potential and all-around athleticism in college, but teams worried about his ability to make consistent contact, so he lasted until the No. 31 pick in the 2009 draft. He has shown a more patient approach in pro ball, which allowed him to handle FSL and Double-A pitching in his first full pro season.

 

With his bat speed, loft in his swing and plus speed, Jackson could be a 20-20 man in the big leagues. He does strike out, but he also draws walks and scouts and managers said he could hit .300 in the majors. He gets good jumps in center field and has a solid, accurate arm.

 

"He's not a superstar," Lakeland manager Andy Barkett said, "but there aren't many weaknesses in his game."

 

And:

 

Fort Myers' Kyle Gibson, Bradenton's Bryan Morris, Daytona's Trey McNutt and Tampa's Manny Banuelos and Hector Noesi all came within one start of qualifying for and making the list.

[fromthestretch]

With his bat speed, loft in his swing and plus speed, Jackson could be a 20-20 man in the big leagues. He does strike out, but he also draws walks and scouts and managers said he could hit .300 in the majors. He gets good jumps in center field and has a solid, accurate arm.

 

Sounds similar to Shin-Soo Choo, which isn't exactly a bad thing.

[scarey]

Sorry, not sure how I missed this thread.

 

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE

TOP 20 PROSPECTS

1. Matt Moore, lhp, Charlotte Stone Crabs (Rays)

2. Chris Archer, rhp, Daytona Cubs

3. Jacob Turner, rhp, Lakeland Flying Tigers

4. Dellin Betances, rhp, Tampa Yankees

5. Travis D'Arnaud, c, Dunedin Blue Jays

6. Tony Sanchez, c, Bradenton Pirates

7. Brett Jackson, of, Daytona Cubs

8. Anthony Gose, of, Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)/Dunedin Blue Jays

9. Trevor May, rhp, Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)

10. Wilmer Flores, ss, St. Lucie Mets

11. Adieny Hechavarria, ss, Dunedin Blue Jays

12. Henderson Alvarez, rhp, Dunedin Blue Jays

13. Adam Warren, rhp, Tampa Yankees

14. Liam Hendriks, rhp, Fort Myers Miracle (Twins)

15. Joe Cruz, rhp, Charlotte Stone Crabs (Rays)

16. Diego Moreno, rhp, Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)

17. Francisco Martinez, 3b, Lakeland Tigers

18. Jhan Marinez, rhp, Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins)

19. Melky Mesa, of, Tampa Yankees

20. Andrew Brackman, rhp, Tampa Yankees

[Outshined_One]

With his bat speed, loft in his swing and plus speed, Jackson could be a 20-20 man in the big leagues. He does strike out, but he also draws walks and scouts and managers said he could hit .300 in the majors. He gets good jumps in center field and has a solid, accurate arm.

 

Sounds similar to Shin-Soo Choo, which isn't exactly a bad thing.

 

Considering Choo posted a 5.7 WAR this past season, that's actually a really good thing.

[Guest]

JAYPERS (IL): Hi, JJ. Thanks for the chat. Had they qualified, where would Gibson, Banuelos, McNutt, Noesi and Morris have ranked on this list, approximately?

 

J.J. Cooper: Hey everyone. Let's get started. As usual, Jaypers is first in the queue. I never really got done to figuring out exactly where they would have ranked, but Gibson, McNutt, Morris and possibly Manuelos could have made the top 10.

 

Ben (Leland Grove): Obviously his numbers suffered as a result of being promoted to AA, but did Josh Vitters' impressive campaign in the FSL get him consideration for this list?

 

J.J. Cooper: With 118 plate appearances, Vitters didn't qualify. If he had I could have seen him making the back end of the list. He's a pretty tough prospect to peg. His aggressiveness seems to get him in trouble whenever he moves up to the next level (his struggles in Double-A this year aren't dissimilar to his .238-.260-.344 line in the FSL last year). To his credit he seems better in his second try at a league. It's fair to wonder though if his ability to make contact sometimes works against him--he ends up hitting pitcher's pitches instead of working counts to get pitches he could drive.

 

Dan (D.C): How much seperation is there between Moore, Archer and Turner? Are there pretty clear distinctions, or are they close enough that they could have come out in any order.

 

J.J. Cooper: Moore and Archer are a notch ahead of Turner in my book, mainly because their stuff is just better. Turner has very solid stuff, but Archer and Moore's stuff compares with anyone in the minors. That being said, Moore was a pretty clear No. 1 with Archer as a clear No. 2 partly because Moore is a lefty.

 

Don (Louisiana): Did DJ LeMahieu's name come up as a top 20 prospect? He had a solid (yet unspectacular) year but seems to have a decent chance to grow into a solid MLB player. Does he lack big upside from your opinion or is he someone to keep an eye on at this point?

 

J.J. Cooper: LeMahieu's lack of power is what kept coming up when I asked about him. Scouts saw him as a third baseman, but didn't think his power was enough to profile at the position. Keep an eye on him, but at this point he seems more like a utilityman than an everyday starter.

 

Dan (Chicago): I expected to see Brett Jackson higher than #7 on the list, does this speak to the depth of the list or concerns with Jackson?

 

J.J. Cooper: It speaks to the lack of top-end ceiling for Jackson. There are guys in the office who like Jackson more than me, so let me preface by saying that. Guys really liked Jackson, and he had a very good stint in the FSL, but everyone seemed to think he would be a solid big leaguer and not a star. That's not a bad thing, that's very valuable, but the six guys who ranked above him have a higher ceiling.

 

Danny V (Boston): Hi JJ, thanks for the chat. It looked like Junior Lake might be turning a corner when he blasted 7 HR in July for Daytona (after going deep just once from April to June), but the power surge didn't last into August, and he hit just one more HR the rest of the way. Was there any discussion around the league of Lake's odd season and what it tells us about his future as a prospect?

 

J.J. Cooper: Guys liked his defense, but there are still significant questions about his bat.

 

Jon (Peoria): What happened to Kyler Burke this year? Does this mean that his year in the MWL in '09 might have been a fluke since it took him three years to get out of that league?

 

J.J. Cooper: Maybe it's time to move to the mound. When you're talking about a fifth-year pro who's had four bad years in the past five, the four bad years speak louder than the one good one.

 

Miller (Vegas): Long term...Archer or McNutt? Which one has higher upside and which one is the safer bet to be a solid big league starter?

 

J.J. Cooper: Archer, but both are pretty impressive. I'd put Archer as higher upside and safer bet, largely because he's already shown he can do it at Double-A, something McNutt will have to prove in 2011.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

With his bat speed, loft in his swing and plus speed, Jackson could be a 20-20 man in the big leagues. He does strike out, but he also draws walks and scouts and managers said he could hit .300 in the majors. He gets good jumps in center field and has a solid, accurate arm.

 

Sounds similar to Shin-Soo Choo, which isn't exactly a bad thing.

 

Considering Choo posted a 5.7 WAR this past season, that's actually a really good thing.

 

Sign me up for a solid defensive .300/.380/.480 out of centerfield for 2012 and beyond.

[davell]

JAYPERS (IL): Hi, JJ. Thanks for the chat. Had they qualified, where would Gibson, Banuelos, McNutt, Noesi and Morris have ranked on this list, approximately?

 

J.J. Cooper: Hey everyone. Let's get started. As usual, Jaypers is first in the queue. I never really got done to figuring out exactly where they would have ranked, but Gibson, McNutt, Morris and possibly Manuelos could have made the top 10.

 

Ben (Leland Grove): Obviously his numbers suffered as a result of being promoted to AA, but did Josh Vitters' impressive campaign in the FSL get him consideration for this list?

 

J.J. Cooper: With 118 plate appearances, Vitters didn't qualify. If he had I could have seen him making the back end of the list. He's a pretty tough prospect to peg. His aggressiveness seems to get him in trouble whenever he moves up to the next level (his struggles in Double-A this year aren't dissimilar to his .238-.260-.344 line in the FSL last year). To his credit he seems better in his second try at a league. It's fair to wonder though if his ability to make contact sometimes works against him--he ends up hitting pitcher's pitches instead of working counts to get pitches he could drive.

 

Dan (D.C): How much seperation is there between Moore, Archer and Turner? Are there pretty clear distinctions, or are they close enough that they could have come out in any order.

 

J.J. Cooper: Moore and Archer are a notch ahead of Turner in my book, mainly because their stuff is just better. Turner has very solid stuff, but Archer and Moore's stuff compares with anyone in the minors. That being said, Moore was a pretty clear No. 1 with Archer as a clear No. 2 partly because Moore is a lefty.

 

Don (Louisiana): Did DJ LeMahieu's name come up as a top 20 prospect? He had a solid (yet unspectacular) year but seems to have a decent chance to grow into a solid MLB player. Does he lack big upside from your opinion or is he someone to keep an eye on at this point?

 

J.J. Cooper: LeMahieu's lack of power is what kept coming up when I asked about him. Scouts saw him as a third baseman, but didn't think his power was enough to profile at the position. Keep an eye on him, but at this point he seems more like a utilityman than an everyday starter.

 

Dan (Chicago): I expected to see Brett Jackson higher than #7 on the list, does this speak to the depth of the list or concerns with Jackson?

 

J.J. Cooper: It speaks to the lack of top-end ceiling for Jackson. There are guys in the office who like Jackson more than me, so let me preface by saying that. Guys really liked Jackson, and he had a very good stint in the FSL, but everyone seemed to think he would be a solid big leaguer and not a star. That's not a bad thing, that's very valuable, but the six guys who ranked above him have a higher ceiling.

 

Danny V (Boston): Hi JJ, thanks for the chat. It looked like Junior Lake might be turning a corner when he blasted 7 HR in July for Daytona (after going deep just once from April to June), but the power surge didn't last into August, and he hit just one more HR the rest of the way. Was there any discussion around the league of Lake's odd season and what it tells us about his future as a prospect?

 

J.J. Cooper: Guys liked his defense, but there are still significant questions about his bat.

 

Jon (Peoria): What happened to Kyler Burke this year? Does this mean that his year in the MWL in '09 might have been a fluke since it took him three years to get out of that league?

 

J.J. Cooper: Maybe it's time to move to the mound. When you're talking about a fifth-year pro who's had four bad years in the past five, the four bad years speak louder than the one good one.

 

Miller (Vegas): Long term...Archer or McNutt? Which one has higher upside and which one is the safer bet to be a solid big league starter?

 

J.J. Cooper: Archer, but both are pretty impressive. I'd put Archer as higher upside and safer bet, largely because he's already shown he can do it at Double-A, something McNutt will have to prove in 2011.

 

Wow, I can't believe that many Cub questions were answered. Plus, I think this definitely answers who our #1 prospect from BA is. I'm starting to think BA will have Archer in their top 25, with Brett Jackson and McNutt somewhere around 50 or so. With no one else making the list.

[SouthSideRyan]

With his bat speed, loft in his swing and plus speed, Jackson could be a 20-20 man in the big leagues. He does strike out, but he also draws walks and scouts and managers said he could hit .300 in the majors. He gets good jumps in center field and has a solid, accurate arm.

 

Sounds similar to Shin-Soo Choo, which isn't exactly a bad thing.

 

Considering Choo posted a 5.7 WAR this past season, that's actually a really good thing.

 

Sign me up for a solid defensive .300/.380/.480 out of centerfield for 2012 and beyond.

 

I'm not sure Brett will fit in with the South Korean military

[NCCubFan]

19. Melky Mesa, of, Tampa Yankees

The Yankees need another Melky since they traded Cabrera.