Minor League Discussion & Boxes 6-10-11

[Outshined_One]

Box Scores

 

Iowa lost 7-6 in the 10th Box Score

 

DH R. Johnson 0/3, 2 K, HBP

PH/DH S. Moore 1/2

1B J. Baker 1/4, RBI, 3B (1)

RF F. Perez 0/1

LF/2B B. LaHair 0/2, 3 BB, K

C W. Castillo 1/5, R

2B B. Scales 0/5, K

3B M. Smith 1/4, BB, 2 R

RF/LF T. Wright 1/5, R, 2 RBI, 3B (2), K

SS J. Mota 3/5, R, RBI, SB (1), E (4, throw)

CF M. Camp 3/5, R, RBI, 2B (9)

SP R. Ortiz 6 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR, HBP, 8-4 GO-FO

RP B. Parker 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1-1 GO-FO

RP M. Mateo 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, WP, 2-4 GO-FO

 

Tennessee won a rain-shortened game 2-0 Box Score

 

SS J. Lake 0/3

CF M. Gonzalez 2/3, 2B (14)

2B R. Flaherty 0/3

1B S. Clevenger 0/2

3B J. Vitters 1/2, R, K, SB (2)

RF N. Perez 1/2, RBI, 2B (7), Assist (2B)

C L. Flores 1/2, R, 3B (1), K

SP N. Struck 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 5-3 GO-FO

 

Daytona lost 12-1 Box Score

 

LF E. Crawford 0/5, 3 K

2B M. Cerda 1/4

CF JH Ha 2/4

1B J. Bour 0/3, BB

DH M. Burgess 2/4, R, 2B (12)

C C. Noble 0/3, BB

RF R. Silva 0/4

SS L. Watkins 2/3, K, HBP

SP DE Rhee 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, Balk, 5-2 GO-FO

RP E. Figueroa 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1-3 GO-FO

RP J. Latham .2 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, WP, Balk 1-0 GO-FO

RP J. Antigua .2 perfect, 2-0 GO-FO

 

Peoria won 6-3 Box Score

 

CF M. Szczur 1/5, R, 3 K

2B P. LePage 1/5, R, E (5, fielding)

DH R. Cuneo 1/4, R, RBI, 2B (7)

3B G. Rohan 1/3, BB, R, 2 RBI, 2B (16), 2 K, E (6, fielding)

1B R. Jones 1/4, K

C M. Gibbs 2/3, BB, R

SS A. Alcantara 1/4, E (22, throw)

LF KM Na 2/4, RBI

SP A. Guzman 2 perfect, 2 K, 1-1 GO-FO

RP E. Jokisch 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 9-3 GO-FO

RP L. Suarez 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1-0 GO-FO

 

DSL Cubs 1 lost Game 1 of their DH 7-4 Box Score

 

CF J. Baez 0/4, Assist (3B)

2B F. Sanchez 1/4, K, CS (1)

DH X. Batista 1/4, R, 2B (2)

1B G. Jimenez 0/2

SP G. Abreu 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 2 WP, 3-0 GO-FO

RP J. De La Cruz 2.2 perfect, 3 K, 2-3 GO-FO

 

Game 2 of the DSL Cubs 1 DH PPD

 

DSL Cubs 2 lost 6-2 Box Score

 

SS A. Gonzalez 0/4, BB, CS (4)

2B C. Penalver 0/5, 3 K

3B J. Candelario 0/2, 3 BB, K

RF D. Arcila 1/5, RBI, 2B (3), K

C S. De La Cruz 1/2, BB, R, K

PH/C W. Petit 1/1, RBI

RP D. Torrez 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1-1 GO-FO

 

OVERALL: 2-4

[Guest]

Thursday's suspended Iowa game will start at 5 pm and will then be followed by the regularly scheduled game.

 

Probable Starters

 

Iowa (game two): RHP Ramon Ortiz (4-2, 4.35 ERA, 68.1 IP, 59 K, 16 BB)

Tennessee: RHP Nick Struck (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 12 IP, 6 K, 3 BB; overall: 6-2, 3.34 ERA, 62 IP, 53 K, 19 BB)

Daytona: RHP Dae-Eun Rhee (2-1, 3.67 ERA, 34.1 IP, 31 K, 16 BB)

Peoria: RHP Angel Guzman (2009 with Chicago: 3-3, 2.95 ERA, 61 IP, 47 K, 23 BB)

[bannor10]

Has anyone seen Vitters in person? Is he starting to make some adjustments at AA...His avg is creeping close to .280

[CubColtPacer]

Has anyone seen Vitters in person? Is he starting to make some adjustments at AA...His avg is creeping close to .280

 

I'm not sure if it's adjustments or just BABIP correction. His BABIP is still a little light but in an acceptable range now (.279). A player like him who is on pace to hit between 15-20 home runs in a year and is striking out less than 10% of the time should be hitting at least .280.

 

For Vitters lowering that strikeout percentage has been his major step forward this year. If he only strikes out 10-12 percent of the time he can afford to not walk much, hit for decent power and still be an ok major leaguer. Hopefully he can figure out one of the other two areas (hit for major power or walk a little more) which would give him a greater chance of success.

[thefranchise]

Candelario with 3 more walks.

[Rob]

Candelario with 3 more walks.

 

It's gonna be real hard to get a read on his contact and power if he never swings at the ball... not that I'm complaining about a prospect having a good batting eye or anything.

[Guest]

Guess you can walk off the island.

[CubsWin]

The Gooz with a perfect 2 inning debut at Peoria. 2 Ks and 0 BBs as well.

[toonsterwu]

At some point, if he keeps this up, Nick Struck really deserves some prospect love from general minor league followers. 21 year old with a good fastball, solid control, solid secondary offerings, and a performance track record that's positive.

[Little Slide Rooter]

At some point, if he keeps this up, Nick Struck really deserves some prospect love from general minor league followers. 21 year old with a good fastball, solid control, solid secondary offerings, and a performance track record that's positive.

 

Pitched 5 innings(thats all the game went) and gave up 0 ER 4 H 0 BB and 6 K. Not bad at all. And with a single, VItters made his way past .280. No Brett Jackson yet again.

[Outshined_One]

What's everyone's opinion of Evan Crawford? I feel like he's gotten lost in the shuffle with the number of high-end CF prospects the Cubs have in their system. He's not hitting for any meaningful power, but he's probably the fastest guy in the system, hitting the ball very well, and drawing a good number of walks.

 

I don't think I'd put him in my personal Top 10, but I feel like he has not gotten as much attention as he deserves.

[Guest]

Candelario with 3 more walks.

 

Ben Badler tweets:

 

Three more walks for today's helium watch selection Jeimer Candelario, 17-year-old Cubs 3B whose OBP is now .590 in the DSL

 

how common is his batting line and/or patience in the DSL? @jklein78 Extremely rare for a 17-year-old. Blue Jays catcher Carlos Perez is the last prospect I can think of with similar numbers

 

He does exist RT @jklein78 seems so strange to potentially have a patient hitter in the Cubs minor league system. he's our unicorn.

 

At what point do we go from Candelario has an advanced, patient approach to DSL pitchers have bad control? @RaisinMan101 It's both, but the reports from scouts are that it's an advanced approach

[Outshined_One]

Micah Gibbs' Twitter feed has turned into a [expletive] Cam Greathouse says feed. It's fantastic.

 

Today's #Camism: When asked why he moved the steering wheel he said, "well I can't see the Spinnometer...thermometer...you know what I mean"

 

Today's Cam-ism: While practicing his acting, we told him to do a British accent, so Cam says, "Hey my name's Cam...I'm from British!"

 

Today's Cam-ism: The day after walking 8 people the game before, Cam says, "I've come to the consumption that I have the yips"

 

Today's Cam-ism: we walk into a nice restaurant everyone dressed in business casual Cam proceeds to say, "I'm not dressed for this equation"

[toonsterwu]

I think Crawford's a useful system piece that, if things fell in place, could maybe find a role as a depth OF. That said, for his skillset, he really can't afford to strike out as much as he does. I think he might slip into say, a midseason top 30, but haven't thought that deep. Have high doubts that I could justify squeezing him into the top 20 for me.

[CubsWin]

I mentioned Crawford in the Top Ten Emerging Cub Prospects thread. He's in my top 15 emerging prospects, but I agree with toonster, he strikes out way to much for the type of hitter he is. If he can cut down on the Ks and walk a bit more, he becomes interesting because of his great speed, but he has yet to show many signs of doing that. Maybe somewhere between 20-30 on an overall Cub prospect list right now.

[craig]

If Crawford can sustain the .442 BABIP he's flashed this year, he's got a chance.

 

Not real common for guys with >25% K-rates and 50K/0HR ratios to end up successful. He'd not be close to my top 30.

[Rob]

I think it's about time to do some mid-season prospect lists. We all seem to be itching to talk about our favorite guys and how nobody is giving them enough love.

[Outshined_One]

I think it's about time to do some mid-season prospect lists. We all seem to be itching to talk about our favorite guys and how nobody is giving them enough love.

 

I'm holding off on my next one until after the MLB Draft signing deadline. Baez will definitely crack my Top 10 and Vogelbach might. However, if I'm doing a Top 20 or Top 30, guys like Maples, Jacquez, Dunston, and Zych will get serious consideration if they sign.

[Guancous]

Vitters strikes me as a 3B Markakis. Solid but not a superstar. Let's hope he has a BABIP fueled year ahead of him.

 

Failing that, we could try him as a lefty pitcher.

[Outshined_One]

Thursday's suspended Iowa game will start at 5 pm and will then be followed by the regularly scheduled game.

 

That game has been pushed back to Saturday due to weather concerns.

[craig]

At some point, if he keeps this up, Nick Struck really deserves some prospect love from general minor league followers. 21 year old with a good fastball, solid control, solid secondary offerings, and a performance track record that's positive.

 

How fast is his fastball, what movement does it have, and what is he throwing breaking-ball-wise, and how good is it?

 

Has his mix changed this year?

 

You deserve credit for leading his bandwagon, toonster. I had my doubts about promoting him so soon, and was uncertain that he'd done enough at A+ to deserve any such promotion already. But he's certainly handled the transition smoothly, and has actually been better since the move up.

 

I just don't have a good feel for what he throws and how it projects. Last year a friend saw him and reported on him twice, and pretty much said he was totally fastball-fastball-fastball, that he didn't mix in much offspeed stuff at all. I take it you think that's not a good picture, and that his breaking stuff is coming along favorably?

[CubsWin]

If Crawford can sustain the .442 BABIP he's flashed this year, he's got a chance.

 

Not real common for guys with >25% K-rates and 50K/0HR ratios to end up successful. He'd not be close to my top 30.

I agree completely with you about the strikeouts, and I don't think he's got much of a chance right now to be a major leaguer, but of the guys currently at Peoria on up, I don't know if I can find 30 guys that are clearly better than Crawford is right now. He's still just 22.

[CubsWin]

Okay, the Cubs are deeper than I thought. I can find 30. :oops:

[toonsterwu]

At some point, if he keeps this up, Nick Struck really deserves some prospect love from general minor league followers. 21 year old with a good fastball, solid control, solid secondary offerings, and a performance track record that's positive.

 

How fast is his fastball, what movement does it have, and what is he throwing breaking-ball-wise, and how good is it?

 

Has his mix changed this year?

 

You deserve credit for leading his bandwagon, toonster. I had my doubts about promoting him so soon, and was uncertain that he'd done enough at A+ to deserve any such promotion already. But he's certainly handled the transition smoothly, and has actually been better since the move up.

 

I just don't have a good feel for what he throws and how it projects. Last year a friend saw him and reported on him twice, and pretty much said he was totally fastball-fastball-fastball, that he didn't mix in much offspeed stuff at all. I take it you think that's not a good picture, and that his breaking stuff is coming along favorably?

 

What I have off of this year is based off two games from Daytona, so what he's throwing in Tennessee, as the summer heats up, I don't know. But I was hearing 94 on the fastball as a peak. I know one problem from last year to this year is that the fastball is a bit straight at times, because he'll try to, on occasion, rear back and zip it. I've heard before that when he's loose and easy with it, just sort of letting it flow, there's decent downward movement (don't want to say "sink" as that seams to suggest a good sinker or 2-seamer, and I'm not sure it has that level of quality). Heard both his breaking ball and changeup were looking decent-solid in those two outings that I heard about

 

I've been asking people for follow up reports, and if I hear anything, I'll let you know.

 

I'll be honest, I thought he was rushed. Not as bad as Beeler, but I feel like another month in A+ of adjusting to the hitter's adjustments would've been better for Struck.

[toonsterwu]

Okay, the Cubs are deeper than I thought. I can find 30. :oops:

 

System has decent depth of what Sickels would likely call C+ call guys. I think Crawford would be a borderline C+ for me, though, more of a C (based on Sickels grading scale).