Minor League Discussion & Boxes 6-28-11

[Outshined_One]

Box Scores

 

Iowa won 10-4 Box Score

 

CF M. Byrd 2/4, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B (1), HR (1)

2B D. Barney 2/3, R, 2B (1), SB (1)

2B J. Mota 2/2, R, 2 RBI, 2 2B (12)

1B T. Colvin 1/5, RBI, 2B (10), K

LF T. Wright 1/4, R, RBI

3B S. Moore 2/5, 2 R, E (9, throw)

RF B. Snyder 2/4, BB, RBI

SS M. Gonzalez 3/4, R, 2 RBI, 2B (1)

C C. Robinson 1/3, 2 BB, R, K

LF F. Perez 0/1, K

SP C. Coleman 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 11-4 GO-FO

RP R. Coello 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1-1 GO-FO

 

Tennessee won 12-11 Box Score

 

CF B. Jackson 1/5, R, 2B (9), 3 K, Assist (Home)

SS J. Lake 2/3, BB, 3 R, RBI, HR (2), K

2B R. Flaherty 3/4, 2 R, 5 RBI, HR (14)

LF R. Ridling 3/4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR (12)

1B S. Clevenger 0/4, K

3B J. Vitters 0/4

RF N. Perez 0/3, BB, R, 2 K

PH N. Samson 0/1, K

PH L. Flores 0/0, BB

SP T. McNutt 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, HR, 1-6 GO-FO

RP R. Searle 3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 3-1 GO-FO

RP K. Smit 2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR, WP, 3-1 GO-FO

RP J. Beliveau 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

 

Daytona lost 3-0 Box Score

 

LF E. Crawford 0/4, 2 K

2B M. Cerda 0/4, K

CF JH Ha 1/4, 3 K

1B J. Bour 1/4, K

RF M. Burgess 1/3, BB, 2B (15)

C M. Brenly 0/3

SS L. Watkins 0/2, BB, K

SP JY Serrano 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, WP, 4-1 GO-FO

RP A. Kurcz 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 3-0 GO-FO

RP J. Latham 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, WP, 1-1 GO-FO

RP C. Harman 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0-2 GO-FO

 

Peoria won 4-1 Box Score

 

CF M. Szczur 1/4, 2 R, 2B (14)

2B P. LePage 2/4, CS (2), E (7, throw)

LF G. Rohan 0/4, RBI, K

1B R. Jones 2/3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (13), HBP

DH E. Soto 1/4

3B B. May 0/4, 2 K, 2 E (4, throw, fielding)

C S. Burruel 0/4

SS A. Alcantara 1/3, K, CS (6)

SP G. Hicks 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 6-3 GO-FO

RP B. Ebinger 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 5-3 GO-FO

RP P. Francescon 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GO-FO

 

Boise won 3-2: Box Score

 

CF PC Chen 1/4, 2B (4), K

SS B. Zapenas 1/5, SB (4)

DH B. Klafczynski 0/3, BB, R, 2 K

1B P. Hoilman 0/4, 3 K

RF R. Golden 1/4, R, 2 RBI, HR (1), K

3B W. Contreras 4/4, R, 2B (1)

2B W. Darvill 0/4, K

C Y. Cabezas 0/3, BB

LF KM Na 1/3, BB, RBI

SP YL Wang 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR, WP, 6-3 GO-FO

RP C. Greathouse 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, WP, 1-0 GO-FO

 

AZL Cubs won 8-3: Box Score

 

CF O. Zapata 2/4, BB, 3 R, SB (5)

2B G. Amaya 3/4, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B (2), SB (1)

SS M. Hernandez 0/3, 2 BB

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

LF E. Gonzalez 1/4, 2 K

RF G. Gonzalez 1/3, R, RBI, HR (1), 2 K, Assist (2B)

SP M. Del Valle 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, Balk, 3-1 GO-FO

RP J. Pugliese 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, WP, 2-2 GO-FO

RP R. Hartman .2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

RP P. Levitt 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, HBP, 2-1 GO-FO

 

DSL Cubs 1 won 7-6 Box Score

 

2B A. Gonzalez 1/4, BB, R, K, 2 SB (8)

CF J. Baez 3/5, 3 R, K, 3 SB (16)

LF/1B X. Batista 0/5, R, 2 K

 

DSL Cubs 2 won 19-6 Box Score

 

SS C. Penalver 3/6, 2 R, 2 RBI, K

3B J. Candelario 3/3, 2 R, RBI, 2B (6)

RF D. Arcila 2/3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B (7), SB (1), E (3, fielding)

C W. Petit 2/5, R, 3 RBI, 2 2B (4)

 

OVERALL: 7-1

[Guest]

Probable Starters

 

Iowa: RHP Casey Coleman (1-1, 3.91 ERA, 23 IP, 19 K, 15 BB)

Tennessee: RHP Trey McNutt (1-3, 3.19 ERA, 36.2 IP, 22 K, 13 BB)

Daytona: RHP Juan Serrano (4-0, 2.45 ERA, 29.1 IP, 18 K, 3 BB; overall: 5-1, 2.40 ERA, 45 IP, 25 K, 5 BB)

Peoria: LHP Graham Hicks (1-3, 4.32 ERA, 50 IP, 34 K, 18 BB)

Boise: RHP Yao-Lin Wang (1-0, 1.00 ERA, 9 IP, 10 K, 3 BB)

AZL Cubs: LHP Frank Del Valle (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 IP, 1 K, 1 BB) & RHP James Pugliese (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 6 K, 0 BB)

[Guest]

Marlon Byrd with a 3-run HR for Iowa.

[jersey cubs fan]

In your face!

[Ding Dong Johnson]

too soon

[Guest]

McNutt: 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, HR, 50-34 pitches-strikes

 

All 4 runs came in the 3rd. 1 of the walks was intentional, his 2 unintentional walks came in the 3rd.

[Guest]

Ryan Flaherty with HR #14.

[iowahawkeyes89]

I feel the Cubs system has absolutely no difference makers right now. A lot of solid every day guys, but no potential stars.

 

Matt Szczur is about the only guy I would put in that category. (and that may be a stretch)

 

I would say that's the biggest weakness in the system right now.

 

Austin Kirk is the perfect example of what I mean, solid statistically, but doesn't have the raw stuff to be anything more than a #5 or 4 starter in my opinion.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Ryan Flaherty with HR #14.

 

Going by this season alone, Flahertys one of our top 3-5 prospects, and thats not really a good thing.

[TruffleShuffle]

Ryan Flaherty with HR #14.

 

Going by this season alone, Flahertys one of our top 3-5 prospects, and thats not really a good thing.

 

that's why people don't evaluate prospects like that.

[Outshined_One]

Ryan Flaherty with HR #14.

 

Going by this season alone, Flahertys one of our top 3-5 prospects, and thats not really a good thing.

 

It's a weak system, but not THAT weak.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Ryan Flaherty with HR #14.

 

Going by this season alone, Flahertys one of our top 3-5 prospects, and thats not really a good thing.

 

that's why people don't evaluate prospects like that.

 

Yes, I know, which is why Brian LaHair isn't our top prospect.

 

As for Flaherty, is it safe to say his ceiling is Mark DeRosa and his floor is Aaron Miles?

[Guest]

Dustin Geiger with HR #2. He hit his 1st of the season last night.

[Guest]

Reggie Golden just hit his first professional HR.

[Outshined_One]

Reggie Golden just hit his first professional HR.

 

The strikeouts and weight are concerns, but otherwise he's doing pretty well for himself in Boise so far.

[ctcf]

Man the farm has been kinda a downer this year.

[toonsterwu]

Ryan Flaherty with HR #14.

 

Going by this season alone, Flahertys one of our top 3-5 prospects, and thats not really a good thing.

 

that's why people don't evaluate prospects like that.

 

Yes, I know, which is why Brian LaHair isn't our top prospect.

 

As for Flaherty, is it safe to say his ceiling is Mark DeRosa and his floor is Aaron Miles?

 

Gotta say, I'm not really seeing the floor side of the equation. As for his ceiling, I think his ceiling might be a bit higher than DeRosa's.

 

Not real sold that Flaherty is definitely in our top 5. Despite their injuries/inconsistencies, Brett Jackson and Trey McNutt are definitely ahead, and so is Matt Szczur. You could probably fit Flaherty into the 4/5 slots, but you could also make a case for say, Vitters, and maybe even LeMahieu (depending on how much you buy the power development, and assuming he maintains rookie eligibility by season's end).

 

All that said, is Flaherty in the 4/5 slot that embarrassing? At the start of the year, sure. Right now, though, he looks to have legit corner power to go with a solid approach. This feels like your upper level, close to ready, good, but not great, Sickels B level prospect. This isn't to say the system is in great shape, as, on paper, pre-key draft signees, this looks like a system a notch below where we were post-Garza trade, but I'm not terribly troubled that Flaherty could be in our top 6. If there's concerns, it's that our top 2 prospects entering the year (Jackson and McNutt) both haven't really improved their standing, and that the 2nd tier, Flaherty level talent, thins out far too fast so that we get into the 3rd tier, high upside, far away talent far too early.

[Guest]

Arizona Phil[/url]"]21-year old Cuban defector LHP Frank Del Valle was masterful, allowing just one-hit (a harmless single) and a walk over his three innings (42 pitches - 26 strikes). He struck out only two, but that's a bit misleading because he got a lot of swings & misses early in the count (and broken bats when D'backs hitters did make contact) with his plus-fastball and filthy slider.

 

Like many Cuban players who have defected, Del Valle is polished and has obviously been well-coached. He is an excellent fielder, and he also has a really neat pick-off move (he picked two runners off 1st base tonight, but one of them got a reprieve when Del Valle was called for a balk). He was a member of the Cuban Junior National Team as a teenager, so he must have been given a lot of time and attention from the Cuban coaches over the years, and it shows. I doubt that Del Valle will remain in Mesa very long, and so it will be up to him to prove that he is more than just spit & polish once he hits the higher levels (Peoria or Daytona or wherever).

 

Del Valle is only 5'11, but his upper body is well-built. He looks like he has spent some serious time in the weight room. Fellow LHP Jeffry Antigua is probably the best comp for a current Cub minor league pitcher most like Del Valle, but at least physically Del Valle reminds me a lot of ex-Cub LHRP Felix Heredia.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Ryan Flaherty with HR #14.

 

Going by this season alone, Flahertys one of our top 3-5 prospects, and thats not really a good thing.

 

that's why people don't evaluate prospects like that.

 

Yes, I know, which is why Brian LaHair isn't our top prospect.

 

As for Flaherty, is it safe to say his ceiling is Mark DeRosa and his floor is Aaron Miles?

 

Gotta say, I'm not really seeing the floor side of the equation. As for his ceiling, I think his ceiling might be a bit higher than DeRosa's.

 

Not real sold that Flaherty is definitely in our top 5. Despite their injuries/inconsistencies, Brett Jackson and Trey McNutt are definitely ahead, and so is Matt Szczur. You could probably fit Flaherty into the 4/5 slots, but you could also make a case for say, Vitters, and maybe even LeMahieu (depending on how much you buy the power development, and assuming he maintains rookie eligibility by season's end).

 

All that said, is Flaherty in the 4/5 slot that embarrassing? At the start of the year, sure. Right now, though, he looks to have legit corner power to go with a solid approach. This feels like your upper level, close to ready, good, but not great, Sickels B level prospect. This isn't to say the system is in great shape, as, on paper, pre-key draft signees, this looks like a system a notch below where we were post-Garza trade, but I'm not terribly troubled that Flaherty could be in our top 6. If there's concerns, it's that our top 2 prospects entering the year (Jackson and McNutt) both haven't really improved their standing, and that the 2nd tier, Flaherty level talent, thins out far too fast so that we get into the 3rd tier, high upside, far away talent far too early.

 

I guess his overall minor league career has been pretty solid aside from his first stint in AA. He can play pretty much anywhere, and that could prove very valuable next year, where we dont know exactly what holes and how many we'll have to fill. Id love to see him give us some solid production at 2B, as Barneys more the type of guy I could see having an 8-10 year career with 4-6 different teams as a utility MI.

[TruffleShuffle]

he never should've been sent down to daytona last year. his very poor tennessee numbers were largely due to a very poor babip in a small sample size (sub .200 babip in 71 AB). the cubs are morons and don't understand sample size or babip, so they sent him down to daytona and left him there for the rest of the year.

[sandbergcubs]

Interesting fact about the AA game, Every pitcher for both teams gave up atleast 1 HR!