Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-21-12

[Outshined_One]

Box Scores

 

Iowa lost 12-7 Box Score

 

Tennessee won 4-2 Box Score

 

Daytona won 13-2 BoX Score

 

Peoria lost 2-1 Box Score

 

OVERALL: 2-2

[ctcf]

Random Question: Where is Kyler Burke these days?

[Little Slide Rooter]

Random Question: Where is Kyler Burke these days?

 

He's in Peoria doing quite well for himself. 11 IP, 1 BB 9 K 0.971 WHIP.

[ctcf]

Random Question: Where is Kyler Burke these days?

 

He's in Peoria doing quite well for himself. 11 IP, 1 BB 9 K 0.971 WHIP.

 

Nice! and thanks!

[Guest]

Random Question: Where is Kyler Burke these days?

 

He's in Peoria doing quite well for himself. 11 IP, 1 BB 9 K 0.971 WHIP.

 

Nice! and thanks!

 

Look for him on days Ben Wells starts, he piggybacks with him.

[Guest]

Probable Starters

 

Iowa: RHP Casey Coleman (2-1, 4.11 ERA, 15.1 IP, 11 K, 6 BB)

Tennessee: RHP Nick Struck (1-1, 2.65 ERA, 17 IP, 16 K, 7 BB)

Daytona: LHP Eric Jokisch (0-2, 5.00 ERA, 18 IP, 15 K, 7 BB)

Peoria: RHP Michael Jensen (3-0, 2.12 ERA, 17 IP, 12 K, 4 BB)

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Was Jensen a HS draftee or a CC draftee? What did he do that has him in front of other 2011 draftees?

 

Also, is Taylor Scott another XST guy? MIGHT be my favorite combo of tools, athleticism, and mechanics/skill of the arms we took last year, but then again have barely seen any of them.

[ctcf]

I wonder who replaces Campana in AAA...

[Guest]

Was Jensen a HS draftee or a CC draftee? What did he do that has him in front of other 2011 draftees?

 

Also, is Taylor Scott another XST guy? MIGHT be my favorite combo of tools, athleticism, and mechanics/skill of the arms we took last year, but then again have barely seen any of them.

 

Jensen was drafted out of a CC near Monterey, CA. He works in the low 90s and tops out at 95 and has a good curve.

 

Yeah, Tayler Scott is in extended spring training.

[toonsterwu]

AzPhil had this to say about Taylor Scott over at TCR: http://www.thecubreporter.com/2012/04/20/cubs-rally-avoid-double-dip-sweep-fitch-park#new

BRENT: Tayler Scott throws a 91 MPH four-seamer and a mid-80's two-seamer. A scout (from another organization) I talked to last year said that the 5-6 MPH velocity disparity betwen Scott's four-seamer and two-seamer is unusual, so that the two-seamer almost functions like a change-up, though it's not.

 

He also has an OK curve ball (needs work). I don't know if he is trying to throw a straight-change.

 

He projects as a starting pitcher, although he is on a slower track than some of the other 2011 draft picks.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I wonder who replaces Campana in AAA...

 

My guess is Ty Wright just to fill the spot. There's really nobody in Tennessee on track. Burgess and Watkins have cooled down and nobody else has done much of anything.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

AzPhil had this to say about Taylor Scott over at TCR: http://www.thecubreporter.com/2012/04/20/cubs-rally-avoid-double-dip-sweep-fitch-park#new

BRENT: Tayler Scott throws a 91 MPH four-seamer and a mid-80's two-seamer. A scout (from another organization) I talked to last year said that the 5-6 MPH velocity disparity betwen Scott's four-seamer and two-seamer is unusual, so that the two-seamer almost functions like a change-up, though it's not.

 

He also has an OK curve ball (needs work). I don't know if he is trying to throw a straight-change.

 

He projects as a starting pitcher, although he is on a slower track than some of the other 2011 draft picks.

 

I've heard he hit as high as 94 and that his curveball in the long run can maybe become a plus pitch.

 

Definitely agree that he might take longer in the early going...After all he's from

South Africa and IIRC he has played more soccer than baseball. Really athletic though...more than anything that's what I remember taking in.

 

Not sure if he also played American football (QB).

[Little Slide Rooter]

AzPhil had this to say about Taylor Scott over at TCR: http://www.thecubreporter.com/2012/04/20/cubs-rally-avoid-double-dip-sweep-fitch-park#new

BRENT: Tayler Scott throws a 91 MPH four-seamer and a mid-80's two-seamer. A scout (from another organization) I talked to last year said that the 5-6 MPH velocity disparity betwen Scott's four-seamer and two-seamer is unusual, so that the two-seamer almost functions like a change-up, though it's not.

 

He also has an OK curve ball (needs work). I don't know if he is trying to throw a straight-change.

 

He projects as a starting pitcher, although he is on a slower track than some of the other 2011 draft picks.

 

I've heard he hit as high as 94 and that his curveball in the long run can maybe become a plus pitch.

 

Definitely agree that he might take longer in the early going...After all he's from

South Africa and IIRC he has played more soccer than baseball. Really athletic though...more than anything that's what I remember taking in.

 

Not sure if he also played American football (QB).

 

American Football? Don't tell me you're one of those people who think that "real football" is the game where they kick around the black and white ball and score once in a great while.

[Guest]

Maybe we could know that if he used the word soccer in that very post.

[toonsterwu]

Tough luck for Jensen. Superb start (so far, 7ip, 2 h, 1 bb, 6 K's, 2 unearned, 12:4 GO/FO, I think he's done now), but he was matched by Jarret Martin (hits around 94/95 on the fastball and 2 solid, but not plus, secondary options, off the top curve and a change). Considering how the Peoria lineup has struggled at times, not surprised that a guy armed with that sort of stuff could put up a strong 11 K outing when his control was on.

 

Here's hoping the P-Chiefs rally.

[Guest]

Terrific outing for Jensen: 7 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 6/1 K/BB, 0 HR 12-4 GO-FO

[ctcf]

Damn, Jensen. Really liking what he's done in Peoria so far.

[davell]

What is Jensen's repertoire at this point and what's his velo sitting at?

[toonsterwu]

What is Jensen's repertoire at this point and what's his velo sitting at?

 

I haven't been following all that closely, but there hasn't been anything to suggest that the reports of a 4-seamer that tops out around 93/94, a 2-seamer that comes in a tick or so below speed wise, and a good curve is off, so that's what I'm assuming right now. He was working on a slider and change-up, but haven't heard much of them yet.

 

One could make the case that in full-season ball right now, Jensen has one of the higher ceilings for Cubs starters, which is partly the benefit of the unknown/being further away. But he probably has to figure out a change-up to really stick as a starter.

[Guest]

What is Jensen's repertoire at this point and what's his velo sitting at?

 

I haven't been following all that closely, but there hasn't been anything to suggest that the reports of a 4-seamer that tops out around 93/94, a 2-seamer that comes in a tick or so below speed wise, and a good curve is off, so that's what I'm assuming right now. He was working on a slider and change-up, but haven't heard much of them yet.

 

One could make the case that in full-season ball right now, Jensen has one of the higher ceilings for Cubs starters, which is partly the benefit of the unknown/being further away. But he probably has to figure out a change-up to really stick as a starter.

 

Yeah, I haven't heard anything since the draft reports. Would like to get a report this year in Peoria.

[davell]

Thanks Toonster. I knew you were pretty high on him when we drafted him and we threw a pretty solid overslot at him. My guess is he'll spend a good bit of this season at Daytona, if he keeps this up obviously. He's considered more of a pen arm, than a long-term starter, isn't he? Or I had thought that to be the case, for some reason?

[toonsterwu]

I guess it'll really come down to if that change-up develops. Hard to see him making it up the ladder with 4seam/2seam/curve/slider as his arsenal.

 

Considering he's working a full workload (avg 6 ip per outing), if he keeps this up, hard to not see him hit Daytona at some point this summer.

 

As a side note, I'm pretty certain the fastball numbers are basically what he's hitting this year (he might be topping out a tick higher on the 4-seam, but it could be a gun location issue as well). I just don't know about the quality of his breaking balls and the development of his change-up.

 

______

 

As a total side note, I was as big on Marco Hernandez as anyone, and my intrigue hasn't died down, but BABIP can only go so far to explain his early struggles. He's striking out at twice the rate that he did in rookie ball. A jump was expected, and 50-60 AB's (too lazy to check the exact number) is a very SSS, but it is a troubling note to keep track of.

[ctcf]

Baez has been slumping a bit down in EXST. 0-5 with 3 K's today. Penelaver had a nice afternoon at 3-5

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Good to see some semblance of possibly upside starting pitching in the system. Jensen seems interesting-ish, though I seriously doubt he's got anything more than the upside of a 3 starter. Right off the bat he's a short RH who isn't an uber athlete...OTOH if he crisps up that curveball and firms up his fastball...Yeaaaah, maybe I should just let these guys develop.

 

Speaking of Tayler Scott:

 

Tayler Scott: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 29 pitches (18 strikes), 6/1 GO/FO

 

Again, I have to say he was my favorite of the arms drafted last year. Here's some video that was thrown up on Youtube of him here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEaht3Aeruw

 

Who is Jin-Young Kim and should I care? I smell bonus baby but no clue on age, stuff, or what hype he came in with. Also, I have yet to see the OTHER Baez in XST in a box score this year. Does he just suck or something?

[toonsterwu]

Jin-Yeong Kim was a high bonus South Korean kid (in Raisin's sticky, it lists 850K, for some reason, I thought it was higher). The talk, when we signed him, was that he was a polished arm with 4 pitches and good control. The flip side was that, I don't recall any report suggesting he had plus stuff, and there wasn't much expectation that he would get significantly bigger.

 

I've never been that big on Kim, and I believe AzPhil has said that Kim has never impressed him in XST work, and that he felt Yao-lin Wang, who doesn't have a huge ceiling, was a better pitcher, or something like that.