Top Ten Emerging Cub Prospects

[CubsWin]

So no guys who were on the radar as prospects heading into the season like Brett Jackson, Trey McNutt, Josh Vitters, DJ LeMaheiu, Ryan Flaherty, Chris Carpenter, Jay Jackson, Rafael Dolis, Hayden Simpson, Matt Szczur, etc.

 

This is about the next wave, the emerging prospects. I'm sure these lists will change once we get more guys up from EXST like Ben Wells, Reggie Golden and Austin Reed, but we are now one month into the season, so, who's caught your eye?

 

1. Robert Whitenack, RHP, 22 (AA) - For those of us who are avid readers of AZPhil, this guy might have been considered an "on the radar" prospect heading into this season. Phil predicted a breakout season for Robert the likes of Trey McNutt the year before, and, so far, he's been dead on. Already promoted to AA after just 4 starts in Daytona, Whitenack is 4-0 with a 1.85 ERA in 6 starts. The 6'5" righty has thrown 34 innings giving up 21 hits, 0 HR, striking out 32 while walking just 3.

 

2. Jae-Hoon Ha, OF, 20 (A+) - If he keeps hitting like this, Ha will find himself laughing all the way to the bank. After somewhat of a breakout season last year in Peoria (.317/.334/.468), Jae-Hoon is truly breaking out in his first month in Daytona. Batting .330, his IsoD (.031) is still poor, but it appears to be improving. Last season he walked once every 29 ABs. This year, it's once every 23. The big improvement has come in Ha's power. He slugged .548 over his first 27 games (115 ABs) with 8 doubles and 5 HRs. He had 7 HRs all of last season in Peoria.

 

3. Austin Kirk, LHP, 20 (A-) - Austin turns 21 in a couple weeks making him age appropriate for the MWL, but if he keeps pitching like this, he'll be in Daytona soon enough. In 29 IP, he's allowed 17 hits with 9 walks and 31 strikeouts for a 2.17 ERA. The 6'1" lefty and 3rd round pick in '09 has held opposing batters to a .163 AVG of the first month of this season.

 

4. Micah Gibbs, C, 22 (A-) - Gibbs, last year's 3rd round pick, was considered a strong hitter for average, with good to average power and solid but not spectacular defensive ability as a receiver. So far, Gibbs has lived up to that. After getting off to a horrid start last year in Boise, he finished very strong at the plate in August and September and that has carried over to this season as Gibbs is tearing up the Midwest League to the tune of .367/.472/.467.

 

5. Kevin Rhoderick, RHP, 22 (AA) - The Cubs 9th round pick last season has seemingly come out of nowhere to dominate hitters in a relief role this season. Again, for those who follow AZPhil over at thecubreporter.com, Rhoderick's success comes as less of a surprise. Phil's reports during fall instructs were glowing at times and he was described as throwing a mid-90s fastball with a killer slider when it was on. Well, it appears to be on a lot this season as Rhoderick has followed Whitenack with a quick promotion to AA. In 19.1 IP, he's given up 9 hits, 8 walks while striking out 27. Some may discount his prospect status because he's not a starter. But with a ceiling of a potentially dominant bullpen arm, I think that's a pretty valuable thing for an organization to produce.

 

6. Justin Bour, 1B, 22 (A+) - Justin will turn 23 in a couple weeks, but he's a college draftee and isn't repeating the level, so he can be considered on schedule. Last year in Peoria, he put up solid numbers going .291/.375/.436 hitting 31 doubles and 12 HRs in 475 ABs. He got off to a slow start this season, perhaps due to adjusting to FSL pitching, but has been red hot of late hitting .371/.452/.714 over his last 10 games raising his season numbers to .269/.358/.519. He's got good plate discipline with an IsoD of .089 and a BB/K ratio of 15/16. That's consistent with last year's IsoD of .084. If he gets the same amount of ABs this year as he did last year, he's on pace for 27 HR and 37 doubles.

 

7. Nick Struck, RHP, 21 (A+) - Nick is 5'11" righty who is holding is own in the FSL so far this season. He's 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA and is averaging over 5 innings per start. Only 1 of his 6 starts this year has been bad. In 31 IP, he's allowed 31 hits, 1 HR, 10 BB and 30 Ks. When you take out the one bad start that reads 27 IP, 24 H, 0 HR, 8 BB and 28 Ks.

 

8. Dallas Beeler, RHP, 21 (A-) - Dallas is a 6'5" former standout wide receiver. Sound familiar? Of course, Beeler was the WR for the two-time Oklahoma State Champion Jenks High School football team, but he was still a standout. Selected in the 41st round because he missed most of Oral Roberts' 2010 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Beeler is the classic under the radar prospect. Due to his frame and the fact that he is now almost 2 years removed from that surgery, Beeler may still gain a few mph on his fastball before it's all said and done, but he already has excellent control. He walked 2 batters in 18.1 innings last year and has walked 3 in 14 innings so far this season. In 32.1 IP between rookie ball and Low-A ball this year, he's yet to give up a HR, allowing 32 hits, striking out 27 while walking 5.

 

9. Brett Wallach, RHP, 22 (A+) - Another 3rd round pick and another 6'5" righty, Wallach started off this year with two bad outings, perhaps as he adjusted to the new level. He has since settled in nicely throwing 3 good starts in a row. Over those 3, he's pitched 14 innings giving up 12 hits, 3 earned runs, striking out 16 while walking just 4. He was a two-sport star in college and only started pitching full-time after being drafted by the Dodgers in '09. His fastball sits at 91-92 and touches 94. He's reportedly got a good change-up, but his breaking pitches need work. He has struckout a batter per inning consistently throughout his pro career. He may wind up as a power reliever, but he's starting for now.

 

10. Frank Batista, RHP, 22 (A+) - Batista was working as a starter the previous two seasons but is now the closer for Daytona and the conversion is paying early dividends. In the first month of the season, he's notched 8 saves. In 13 IP, he's given up 6 hits, striking out 13 while walking 4. Opposing batters are hitting .140 against him.

 

 

Others considered: Su-Min Jung, Cam Greathouse, Arismendy Alcantara, Graham Hicks and Robinson Lopez.

Edited May 8, 2011 by CubsWin

[Little Slide Rooter]

Ruby Silva and Nelson Perez are both catching my eye. Also although he hasnt played and probably wont this year, Im quite intrigued with A.J. Morris. When you go after a guy like that in a trade, knowing he wont pitch this year he must have a solid upside.

[toonsterwu]

I've been enormously huge on Struck since we nabbed him and am very pleased with what he's done so far.

 

Beeler gaining more velo? The reports last year suggested he was hitting mid-90's fairly consistently (IIRC, he'd sit 92-94 for the most part). I'm not sure I would expect him to be an upper 90's guy as a starter.

 

My question about Bour is how much "real" power he has. Certainly, if he can continue his .250 ISOP, that's more than enough (duh) but I'm curious if that holds up. Same goes for another "breakout" of sorts in Rebel Ridling, but Ridling was always considered a guy with good raw power, whereas, IIRC, Bour was viewed as a strong approach guy with decent power.

 

Love Frank Batista's chance to move fast as a pen arm. With that fastball that can get to 93-94, and a good slider, he'll fit in line with the Marcos Mateo's/Alberto Cabrera's of the system. I don't know if he has closing potential, but I wouldn't rule it out.

 

Wallach as a power reliever? I'm not sure he has the juice to be a power reliever, but then again, may be an issue of definition.

 

Curious about your statement on Gibbs. Unless memory is slipping me, he was viewed as the top defensive catcher in the draft, and there were big concerns about his bat. I'm fairly pleased with the defensive ability, and I think if he can hit enough, he has a shot to be a backup backstop type (granted, this system has been littered with those in recent years).

[CubsWin]

I've been enormously huge on Struck since we nabbed him and am very pleased with what he's done so far.

 

Beeler gaining more velo? The reports last year suggested he was hitting mid-90's fairly consistently (IIRC, he'd sit 92-94 for the most part). I'm not sure I would expect him to be an upper 90's guy as a starter.

 

My question about Bour is how much "real" power he has. Certainly, if he can continue his .250 ISOP, that's more than enough (duh) but I'm curious if that holds up. Same goes for another "breakout" of sorts in Rebel Ridling, but Ridling was always considered a guy with good raw power, whereas, IIRC, Bour was viewed as a strong approach guy with decent power.

 

Love Frank Batista's chance to move fast as a pen arm. With that fastball that can get to 93-94, and a good slider, he'll fit in line with the Marcos Mateo's/Alberto Cabrera's of the system. I don't know if he has closing potential, but I wouldn't rule it out.

 

Wallach as a power reliever? I'm not sure he has the juice to be a power reliever, but then again, may be an issue of definition.

 

Curious about your statement on Gibbs. Unless memory is slipping me, he was viewed as the top defensive catcher in the draft, and there were big concerns about his bat. I'm fairly pleased with the defensive ability, and I think if he can hit enough, he has a shot to be a backup backstop type (granted, this system has been littered with those in recent years).

I had heard Beeler was 90-92 with his fastball, so I guess if he's sitting at 92-94 and touching higher, he's already done it. That's great news. If he can locate a consistent low-to-mid 90s fastball, he can succeed at the upper levels.

 

As far as Gibbs is concerned, baseball beginnings had him graded as a 30 hit ability, 40 raw power and 40 in power production when he was drafted but had projected 50/70/60 in those 3 categories in the future. Whereas his defense was solid at the time of his drafting and wasn't projected to make huge gains from there. Baseball Beginnings So that's where I got my sense of him. I'm sure there were differing opinions and reports on him going around at the time.

 

Wallach as a power reliever was something I had read at thecubreporter.com after the Lilly trade. They had posted the following quote from Baseball Prospectus on Wallach.

He has struck out 92 batters in just 84 2/3 innings at Low-A Great Lakes this year, but that's mitigated by the fact that he turns 22 in December. Still, he was a two-sport star in college and is pitching full-time for the first time in his career, and he's a physical righty with power stuff. Sitting at 91-92 mph with his fastball and touching 94 with it, Wallach complements that heater with a fine changeup, although his slurvy breaking ball needs considerable work, and he has a disturbing tendency to elevate his pitches. Because of his size, stamina, and good mechanics, he'll continue to develop as a starter for now, but his long-term future might be as a power reliever.

 

As far as the use of the "power" to describe Wallach as a reliever, that is certainly an issue of definition. I'm with you if BP is thinking that a bullpen arm with a 92-94 mph fastball as a "power reliever". Maybe they're thinking he would gain a few ticks after moving to the pen.

[CubsWin]

My question about Bour is how much "real" power he has. Certainly, if he can continue his .250 ISOP, that's more than enough (duh) but I'm curious if that holds up. Same goes for another "breakout" of sorts in Rebel Ridling, but Ridling was always considered a guy with good raw power, whereas, IIRC, Bour was viewed as a strong approach guy with decent power.

That was my question, too. He's got the frame for it at 6'4" and 250 lbs. We can only go off of results at this point and considering he just hit his 7th HR of the season today, so far, so good.

[toonsterwu]

I think that one big positive for this minor league campaign so far is that there hasn't been many negative performances that were unexpected. Vitters struggles, I put that under the expected category. Certainly, this speaks to some weaknesses in the system as well (the lack of top talent to actually flounder), but it's a plus. I think the biggest negative story line so far, for me, has to be Raley's huge struggles in AA. Marquez Smith's struggles in AAA stand out a bit due to the position. Cabrera's struggles have been disappointing, but I sort of expected that one, despite being high on him. Let's see, I can't think of much else. Ebinger's struggles are disappointing. Alcantara's recent offensive collapse ranks up there.

 

That's certainly a glass half full look at things. As noted, some weakness in the system probably lowered my expectations somewhat. Although, it's been nice to see so many of the young arms in the A ball ranks do fairly well.

[craig]

...Beeler gaining more velo? The reports last year suggested he was hitting mid-90's fairly consistently (IIRC, he'd sit 92-94 for the most part). I'm not sure I would expect him to be an upper 90's guy as a starter.

 

....

I had heard Beeler was 90-92 with his fastball, so I guess if he's sitting at 92-94 and touching higher, he's already done it. That's great news. If he can locate a consistent low-to-mid 90s fastball, he can succeed at the upper levels.

 

....

 

Do you guys know what the nature and extent of Beeler's current injury is? Pulled after 3 perfect innings a couple weeks ago, and hasn't pitched since.

 

I agree on the Gibbs stuff. He's definitely on my list. My understanding is that he's a good and smart and advanced receiver, but that his arm just isn't really strong. My understanding is that the question had been his hitting, and that's been very promising thus far. I think he has some power potential, too, even if he hasn't shown much of that yet.

[Outshined_One]

I agree on the Gibbs stuff. He's definitely on my list. My understanding is that he's a good and smart and advanced receiver, but that his arm just isn't really strong. My understanding is that the question had been his hitting, and that's been very promising thus far. I think he has some power potential, too, even if he hasn't shown much of that yet.

 

He was a switch hitter when the Cubs drafted him last year and kept doing it in the NWL. As a result, he had some really drastic splits that made me wonder whether he should have just given it up. I'm curious if he's still switch hitting in Peoria.

[CubsWin]

I agree on the Gibbs stuff. He's definitely on my list. My understanding is that he's a good and smart and advanced receiver, but that his arm just isn't really strong. My understanding is that the question had been his hitting, and that's been very promising thus far. I think he has some power potential, too, even if he hasn't shown much of that yet.

 

He was a switch hitter when the Cubs drafted him last year and kept doing it in the NWL. As a result, he had some really drastic splits that made me wonder whether he should have just given it up. I'm curious if he's still switch hitting in Peoria.

His splits from this year show that he is hitting both lefties and righties well so far. And according to this minorleaguebaseball.com article, as of April 23rd, he was still hitting from both sides.

Gibbs went 2-for-3 in his second straight start of a designated hitter for the Chiefs. The switch-hitter singled from the right side and doubled from the left side for his first extra-base hit of the season.

[CubsWin]

Some updates on some of the guys being discussed in this thread...

 

-Robert Whitenack went 6 strong allowing 1 hit and 1 earned run with 12 ground outs against just 1 fly out. He now is 5-0 on the season with a 1.80 ERA. In 40 IP, he's given up 22 hits. Opposing hitters are batting .159 against him.

 

-Jae-Hoon Ha added his 6th HR while raising his batting average to .331. He now has 26 RBI in 28 games.

 

-Justin Bour hit his 7th HR and 1st triple and adding his 16th walk raising his batting average to .275 and his OPS to .925.

[scarey]

Two names I'd like to add to the discussion: Evan Crawford and Pierre LePage. I think both are long shots to be productive major leaguers, but their numbers this year are encouraging. Especially Crawford who has a .933 OPS and is 8-0 SBs to CSs raising his success to 82% in his minor league career.

[CubsWin]

Two names I'd like to add to the discussion: Evan Crawford and Pierre LePage. I think both are long shots to be productive major leaguers, but their numbers this year are encouraging. Especially Crawford who has a .933 OPS and is 8-0 SBs to CSs raising his success to 82% in his minor league career.

Crawford's speed on the base paths is exciting, but the main reason he's such a longshot and thus not much of a prospect right now is his K-to-BB ratio and the sheer numbers of Ks. If you're going to be a speed guy, then you have better be a high OBP guy. Right now, Crawford's OBP is .440 but that is mostly his .370 batting average. He's only walked 4 times this season while striking out 19 times. Last year, in 486 ABs his OBP was .315. He struckout 124 times while walking only 36. If he's striking out that often in High-A, he's really going to struggle at the major league level. Until he shows that he can do that, he doesn't rank as a prospect for me, but it is good to see him hitting and the stolen bases are great, too. The Cubs don't have a lot of that in their organization. If he were to walk more and strikeout less while continuing to hit for a decent average, he would rise through the prospect ranks quickly due to his skill set.

 

LePage reminds a bit of Mike Fontenot without as much power. He can hit and has a good eye at the plate, but his ceiling is a middle infield utility guy which would be great for a 13th round pick. But the guys on that list all have higher ceilings than that of a reserve. He's certainly worth keeping on eye on, though.

[CubsWin]

An update on some the emerging prospects being discussed in this thread.

 

- Justin Bour, a 25th round pick in '09, continues his hot hitting. His line now reads .305/.385/.619 in 118 ABs. He's hit HRs in three consecutive games raising his season total to 9. He hit 12 all of last season in 475 ABs.

 

- Jae-Hoon Ha added a double tonight. He's now slugging .546. He'll be 20 all season and is currently in High-A.

 

- Micah Gibbs is hitting .359/.461/.469 over 64 ABs in Peoria. If he's still producing similar numbers in another 60 at bats or so, I'd like to see him bumped up to Daytona. The color commentator's kid isn't exactly lighting it up.

[CubsWin]

The surprising season for previously unheralded Cubs prospects continues...

 

- Robert Whitenack went 7 scoreless innings allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks against 5 strikeouts on Tuesday. He now stands at 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA on the year. He will be 22 all season long and is in AA.

 

- Jae-Hoon Ha was promoted to AA this week after hitting .311/.344/.523 in 151 ABs for Daytona, and he's still hitting in Tennessee. In his first two games, Ha has gone 3-for-9 including a double and triple. He'll be 20 all season long.

 

- Justin Bour continues his hot hitting for Daytona batting .364 with a .773 SLG in his last 10 games. He has 4 doubles and 4 HRs over that span. Justin turns 23 later this month.

 

- Austin Kirk threw 5.1 innings of 1 hit, scoreless baseball, striking out 3 and walking none. On the season, he's pitched 40.1 IP, allowing just 22 hits, striking out 35 while walking just 9. MWL opponents are hitting just .155 against him. Kirk turns 21 in a few days. I think he's definitely earned a tall, cool one with how he's pitched so far this season.

[craig]

...

- Austin Kirk threw 5.1 innings of 1 hit, scoreless baseball, striking out 3 and walking none. On the season, he's pitched 40.1 IP, allowing just 22 hits, striking out 35 while walking just 9. MWL opponents are hitting just .155 against him. Kirk turns 21 in a few days. I think he's definitely earned a tall, cool one with how he's pitched so far this season.

 

Has anybody seen him or gotten any current scouting info on him? BA's take has been mostly high-80's in past, but I don't think he was ever a guy they had reason to discuss much with scouts, so I question whether their info is even remotely current.

 

I know he's got a curveball, and as we know from Micah Bowie and Marshall and Phil Norton, low-A hitters get carved by a good lefty curve. But I wonder if he hasn't perhaps matured some physically and hasn't grown a little stronger/faster? A good curve with a Bowie/Norton/McNichol fastball is one thing; a good curve with a 91-94 fastball might be quite different. Anybody know at this point?

 

And do we know whether he's got just a fastball fastball, or is he a cutter guy against RHP?

 

I know it's early, his BABIP against is ridiculously lucky low, and curveballers can lock in for a while but it might not last. But a 0.72 WHIP in late May does spark my interest and make me wonder if it's more than just a brief fluke?

[CubsWin]

...

- Austin Kirk threw 5.1 innings of 1 hit, scoreless baseball, striking out 3 and walking none. On the season, he's pitched 40.1 IP, allowing just 22 hits, striking out 35 while walking just 9. MWL opponents are hitting just .155 against him. Kirk turns 21 in a few days. I think he's definitely earned a tall, cool one with how he's pitched so far this season.

 

Has anybody seen him or gotten any current scouting info on him? BA's take has been mostly high-80's in past, but I don't think he was ever a guy they had reason to discuss much with scouts, so I question whether their info is even remotely current.

 

I know he's got a curveball, and as we know from Micah Bowie and Marshall and Phil Norton, low-A hitters get carved by a good lefty curve. But I wonder if he hasn't perhaps matured some physically and hasn't grown a little stronger/faster? A good curve with a Bowie/Norton/McNichol fastball is one thing; a good curve with a 91-94 fastball might be quite different. Anybody know at this point?

 

And do we know whether he's got just a fastball fastball, or is he a cutter guy against RHP?

 

I know it's early, his BABIP against is ridiculously lucky low, and curveballers can lock in for a while but it might not last. But a 0.72 WHIP in late May does spark my interest and make me wonder if it's more than just a brief fluke?

I was wondering the same thing, craig. Unfortunately, I was counting on you to provide that information. You're slippin', man. :wink:

[Donzo1679666396]

Good thread...

 

Bour seems to be the breakout guy so far this year- really like how his numbers get BETTER after promotions... May be a bit premature, but I'd like to see him promoted to Tennessee ASAP...He's 23, so AA is age appropriate & it looks like he has A+ figured out. It would also be nice to see Vitters, Jackson & Bour on the same team.

 

In March I remember some talk form the Cubs about a couple young 3B prospects. Does some one remember who the Cubs were talking about, & how are they doin'?

[Guest]

In March I remember some talk form the Cubs about a couple young 3B prospects. Does some one remember who the Cubs were talking about, & how are they doin'?

 

The story you're referring to was talking about Dustin Geiger and Wes Darvil, both of whom are at extended spring training and will likely head to Boise later this month.

[CubsWin]

The list from a month ago...

 

1. Robert Whitenack, RHP, 22 (AA)

2. Jae-Hoon Ha, OF, 20 (A+)

3. Austin Kirk, LHP, 20 (A-)

4. Micah Gibbs, C, 22 (A-)

5. Kevin Rhoderick, RHP, 22 (AA)

6. Justin Bour, 1B, 22 (A+)

7. Nick Struck, RHP, 21 (A+)

8. Dallas Beeler, RHP, 21 (A-)

9. Brett Wallach, RHP, 22 (A+)

10. Frank Batista, RHP, 22 (A+)

 

...has held up pretty well. Whitenack's season is over due to blowing out his elbow, and Brett Wallach has fallen off a bit, but everyone else is doing well.

 

Order them how you like, but Struck and Beeler are now in AA and performing okay so far. Ha had a cup of coffee in Tennessee and held is own, and is now back in Daytona picking up where he left off. Kirk continues to perform in Peoria and appears next in line for a promotion. Gibbs continues to get on base. Rhoderick is pitching well in AA. Justin Bour is blowing up FSL pitching. Even Batista is doing okay, but others may have passed him on this list. That's 8.

 

Others deserving consideration include:

Dae-Eun Rhee who has struckout 20 while walking 5 in 20 IP, allowing 15 hits and compiling a killer GO/AO ratio over his last 4 starts.

Casey Harman is putting up sick numbers as a reliever in Peoria.

Marcus Hatley is emerging as a power relief arm.

Zach Rosscup, who came over in the Garza deal, has been holding his own in High-A

I don't see how you can ignore any longer what Evan Crawford is doing this season in Daytona.

Matt Cerda deserves to be recognized for what he is doing in the FSL being a year and a half young for his level.

Jeffry Antigua has caught fire after his promotion to Daytona.

And Matt Loosen had a good debut after coming up from EXST.

 

That's 16 names. Who do you have in your top ten of emerging Cub prospects two months into the minor league season?

[Donzo1679666396]

Wow, I was looking for the thread & thought it was gone. I couldn't believe it was on the 2nd page.... At this point & time, I think the strength of the organization is the youthful depth. So I think it's a real good topic.

 

With all the young depth, I have a top 20 & a best of the rest... All the info I have is from posters here & from Skye on a Cubs group. I pretty much straight plagiarized most of it.

 

The ranking is very subjective at this point... By the end of the season the top guys could be off the list & someone I didn't mention could be #1. Just the way it is with the lower levels in the middle of a season.

____________________________________________________________

 

1. Javier Baez, SS/3B, 18( R): 2011 1st round pick, 9th overall.

 

2. Justin Bour, 1B, 23 (A+): He's having pretty much the definition of a breakout seaon... I hope he goes to Tennessee ASAP.

 

3. Austin Kirk, LHP, 20 (A-): The 6'1" lefty and 3rd round pick in '09, how hard does he throw.

 

4. Nick Struck, RHP, 21 (AA): Nick is 5'11" righty who is now doing quite well in Tennessee... Same question as Kirk- how hard does he throw?!?

 

5. Jae-Hoon Ha, OF, 20 (A+): RH CF, good average guy, nice developing power & improving walk rate

 

6. Dallas Beeler, RHP, 21 (AA): A 6'5 RHP... Selected in the 41st round because he missed most of Oral Roberts' 2010 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, may still gain a few mph on his fastball before it's all said and done, but he already has excellent control... Double promoted to Tennessee & still performing at a high level- excellent control

 

7. Micah Gibbs, C, 22 (A-): Gibbs, last year's 3rd round pick, was considered a strong hitter for average, with good to average power and solid but not spectacular defensive ability as a receive... Walking more than he K's

 

8. Kevin Rhoderick, RHP, 22 (AA): 6'1 190lbs. A 2010 9th round pick, AZPhil says he throws a mid-90s fastball with a killer slider when it was on. He's killin' it in AA- his WHIP is less than 1.0 & he strikes out more than 10 per 9IP- really like these numbers.

 

9. Ben Wells, RHP, 18( A-SS): Young draftee from 2010, thick guy at 6'2 220lbs, throws very hard- consistently hitting 95mph... Will start off at Boise.

 

10. Graham Hicks, LHP, 21(A-): Another young 6'5 RHP( like these guys), he's skinny at 170lbs, so he could develop some more mph on his FB... a 4th rounder from 08, came from Wash in the Gorzelanny trade.

 

11. Frank Batista, RHP, 22 (A+): 5'10 175lbs. He was working as a starter the previous two seasons but is now the closer for Daytona

 

12. Casey Harman, RHP, 22(A-): He's putting up sick numbers as a reliever in Peoria... Crazy sick.

 

13. Marcus Hatley, RHP, 23(A+): He's emerging as a power relief arm after missing most of 2009 & 2010 from TJS... 6'5 220lbs with good stuff.

 

14. Zach Rosscup, LHP, 23(A+): Came over in the Garza deal. Good numbers across the board at Daytona. He's the best pitcher on the roster.

 

15. Brett Wallach, RHP, 22 (A+): Another 3rd round( Dodgers, Lilly trade) pick and another 6'5" righty, Wallach started poorly, but has since settled in nicely throwing 3 good starts in a row. He missed a couple starts before his last start.

 

16. Matt Cerda, INF, 21(A+): Just turning 21, so still young for Daytona... Good average, excellent OBP... Seems like he's been around forever.

 

17. Jeffry Antigua, RHR, 21(A+): Just turning 21, he's caught fire after his promotion to Daytona.

 

18. Logan Watkins, 2B/SS, 21(A+): He's hit a wall at Daytona, but looks like he's figuring it out.

 

19. Willson Contreras, 3B/C, 19( A-SS) Big international signee of 2009... Spent two seasons in DSL, playing at Boise this year... Showed nice improvement form 09 to 2010.

 

20. Jeimer Candelario, 3B, 19 (DSL)- 500k bonus baby from 2010, switch hitter, good average & power, great walk rate so far.

 

Other Notables:

 

Robert Whitenack, RHP, 22 (IR) - The 6'5" righty was on track as the #1 breakout prospect for 2011 until the dreaded TJS- ratbastard!

 

Robinson Lopez, RHP, 20: Good arm, having some control problems at Peoria... Young for low-A.

 

Matt Loosen, RHP, 22: 23rd round pick from 2010... Hard throwing pitcher with decent perifials

 

Evan Crawford, CF- Excellent batting average speed at Daytona

 

3B Dustin Geiger & Wes Darvin: Cubs brass mentioned them as breakout guys in the Spring.

 

Bubi Siva OF- $1M bonus baby from Cuba.

 

Gioskar Amays, SS: 2009 Dominican signee... Good athlete & BB IQ.

 

Kim Jin-Yeon, RHP- $850K bonus baby from SK, pitches at 92mph, hits 94mph.

 

Austin Reed, RHP- Sleeper from 2011

 

Alberto Cabrera, RHP: Good arm.

Edited June 19, 2011 by Donzo

[TruffleShuffle]

i'm guessing you just forgot about beliveau, because it doesn't make a ton of sense to have batista and harman on your list for beating up on low A batters while beliveau is dominating AA.

[Guest]

Graham and Rosscup are lefties.

[Donzo1679666396]

i'm guessing you just forgot about beliveau, because it doesn't make a ton of sense to have batista and harman on your list for beating up on low A batters while beliveau is dominating AA.

 

Yeah, I just missed him... I only keep up with the Cubs prospects on a very part time basis.

 

Tell me about him & what is your list?!?

[Donzo1679666396]

Graham and Rosscup are lefties.

 

Thanks!

[TruffleShuffle]

i'm guessing you just forgot about beliveau, because it doesn't make a ton of sense to have batista and harman on your list for beating up on low A batters while beliveau is dominating AA.

 

Yeah, I just missed him... I only keep up with the Cubs prospects on a very part time basis.

 

Tell me about him & what is your list?!?

 

i don't know that much about him except that he's very tough on lefties, strikes out opposing batters at a high rate and allows few hits. all of those things have strong correlation with future success in the majors.

 

i'd have a really hard time coming up with a cubs list right now. obviously brett jackson, mcnutt and baez (assuming he signs) would appear toward the top, but the cubs just have a huge amount of guys who profile as average major league players if they reach their ceilings - generic middle relievers (beliveau, harman), average starters (whitenack, beeler, struck), average hitters (lemahieu, flaherty, etc). then there are young but raw guys throughout short season ball.

 

i'll probably try to throw together a top 20/30 list after the signing period, because i don't feel like ranking someone like maples or dunston and then having them not sign at all. besides baez and vogelbach i'm not sure who would make my top 30... probably zych (like that pick as a guy who has a limited ceiling but could move quickly as a middle reliever).