Who is the #20 Prospect for the Cubs?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Please vote for the Cubs #20 prospect (serious votes only, please!). Please post your rationale below.

 

If someone convinces you that someone else should be higher, please feel free to change your vote anytime between now and Friday.

 

For this vote, you should select the players you feel should be #20, #21 and #22. If we end up with multiple players having similar vote totals at the end of the voting period, there will be a run-off with just those players.

 

Results so far:

 

#1: Javier Baez

#2: Jorge Soler

#3: Albert Almora

#4: Arodys Vizcaino

#5: Dan Vogelbach

#6: Brett Jackson

#7: Juan Paniagua

#8: Christian Villanueva

#9: Dillon Maples

#10: Josh Vitters

#11: Pierce Johnson

#12: Junior Lake

#13: Jeimer Candelario

#14: Duane Underwood

#15: Matt Szczur

#16: Arismendy Alcantara

#17: Ronald Torreyes

#18/#19: Gioskar Amaya/Marco Hernandez

[davell]

Tough choices again. I went Watkins, Loux, and Cabrera. Think all 3 are up at some point this year. I really think Watkins has a long MLB career personally. I would put Cabrera over Loux IF he had a better track record of starting, but he doesn't currently. Hate leaving Wells off again, but he's probably 4th for me out of whats left. If he's healthy in 2013, he's the guy left at this point that could make the most impactful jump in status. If Peralta had been around, he'd have been my top pick left. I think we'll get him back personally.

[Rob]

20.) Logan Watkins - Solid walk rate. Declining K rate. Good wheels. He's looking like he could be a pretty excellent utility guy, and has some ceiling beyond that.

21.) Alberto Cabrera - The K/BB ratios in the minors were soooo sexy this year. But that control seems to come and go. Ultimately I have doubts he'll develop the consistency to stick in the rotation, but he could be a shut down reliever.

22.) Robert Whitenack - Purely a nod to his first few starts in 2011 and some decent scouting reports as of late.

 

Also in play for me were Tony Zych, Barrett Loux, and Ben Wells. Zych is behind Cabrera solely because of the 10% chance Cabrera has to start. Loux and Wells are behind Whitenack just because I feel more confident in Whitenack's health since he actually had the necessary surgery, rather than trying to rehab through it.

 

Edit:

 

Yeah, it's definitely starting to get difficult now.

 

As an aside, I just bothered to look up Rondon's stats. They were quite impressive before the injury. Anybody got a scouting report?

[toonsterwu]

We're getting into a messy, clumped up area for the system.

 

1. Alberto Cabrera - Potential late inning arm. I don't buy the starting experiment, but his potential to be a late inning arm is enough considering that's he's in the upper level.

 

2. Robert Whitenack - I'd love to go Ben Wells here but ... Whitenack's more developed and polished. I think Wells ceiling is better, but the fact that Whitenack is more developed and that both have injury concerns is enough to tilt things.

 

3. Hector Rondon - The reports seem to be that good out of winter league.

 

4. Ben Wells - If he was healthy, he'd go far higher. Mid-20's seem reasonable for a youngster with a good frame, a plus fastball, showed development on his secondary stuff, had a positive performance this year ... but has that lingering health issue that's gotten everyone's attention.

 

5. Logan Watkins - I'm admittedly not on the Watkins train yet. I just wonder if he's more of a utility guy than a starter.

[davell]

Not that he's on my top 3, or even 4th, but a little surprised Blackburn has gotten zero play so far. Polished, low 90's, solid mix, good control. I think he's the guy that begins the year in Peoria's rotation, out of our youngsters and probably moves quicker. The lower perceived upside is hurting him, but mid rotation is nothing to sneeze at. Testament to how deep of a system we're watching at the beginning stage.

[Rob]

Not that he's on my top 3, or even 4th, but a little surprised Blackburn has gotten zero play so far. Polished, low 90's, solid mix, good control. I think he's the guy that begins the year in Peoria's rotation, out of our youngsters and probably moves quicker. The lower perceived upside is hurting him, but mid rotation is nothing to sneeze at. Testament to how deep of a system we're watching at the beginning stage.

 

If he's starting the year in Peoria I'm not surprised most people are writing him off as a Cubs prospect.

[davell]

Not that he's on my top 3, or even 4th, but a little surprised Blackburn has gotten zero play so far. Polished, low 90's, solid mix, good control. I think he's the guy that begins the year in Peoria's rotation, out of our youngsters and probably moves quicker. The lower perceived upside is hurting him, but mid rotation is nothing to sneeze at. Testament to how deep of a system we're watching at the beginning stage.

 

If he's starting the year in Peoria I'm not surprised most people are writing him off as a Cubs prospect.

Damn, I stared at that for a while before I understood it. Meant Kane County.

[toonsterwu]

Not that he's on my top 3, or even 4th, but a little surprised Blackburn has gotten zero play so far. Polished, low 90's, solid mix, good control. I think he's the guy that begins the year in Peoria's rotation, out of our youngsters and probably moves quicker. The lower perceived upside is hurting him, but mid rotation is nothing to sneeze at. Testament to how deep of a system we're watching at the beginning stage.

 

The difficulty I have with placing him is that his ceiling is admittedly not as high as some others like Paniagua/Maples/Underwood (I mean, would it be that incredulous to argue that a healthy Arturo Maltos-Garcia, that is, the AMG of 2 years ago, has a close ceiling). So your hoping that the reports of him being a polished arm is true and that he moves fast for a young arm. I think he's close, but that's why I haven't given Blackburn any thought yet.

[CubsWin]

For me, it's about upside at this point. That said, I go:

 

1. Cabrera

2. Wells

3. Whitenack

[Cubswin11]

Cabrera

Blackburn

Whitenack

[jumbo]

Loux

Wells

Blackburn

[rawaction]

Cabrera

Whitenack

Wells

[Guest]

I went Cabrera, Watkins and Whitenack in that order. Would have voted Peralta third if he was still in the organization; hope he's returned.

[Guest]

I went with:

 

Watkins

Cabrera

Rondon

 

I may change my vote on Rondon eventually, but the reports coming out of winter ball are promising and if he's healthy and back to what he was, he really should be higher in the list.

 

I can't vote for Whitenack at this point. I just don't have the confidence based on what I've heard that he has his stuff back yet.

[craig]

Rondon

Zych

Whitenack.

 

Rondon's fast, has control at least of his fastball, will already be in the majors this spring, and has plenty of untapped ceiling in terms of developing his slider and his already excellent change.

 

Zych is fast, young, has a sharp slider. Anti-HR guys (only 1 HR allowed) with 64K/19BB appeal a lot. Has plenty of ceiling left. I'll be curious to see if his splitter develops into anything useful.

 

Whitenack was pretty promising. I trust that the team rostered him because he was flashing some real promise in Arizona this fall.

[Bilbo161]

Loux - yet again

Whitenack - if this guy is ignored because the TJS why doesn't the same apply to our number 4 pick? I see a glass half full.

Cabrera - Hope he can keep starting.

[sneakypower]

20) Logan Watkins

21) Barrett Loux

22) Ben Wells

 

let's get Watkins to the PCL, and see if he can have a Jemile Weeks AVG breakout

Edited January 3, 2013 by sneakypower

[Ryno12]

Cabrera

Blackburn

Loux

 

Watkins was right there, too. I would have gone Wells rather than Loux, but I'm still concerned about his arm. I considered Whitenack, but I want more confirmation that his velocity is back before going ahead of any of those listed before.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Cabrera

Golden

Loux

[sneakypower]

it's funny that Sickels didn't even have Golden in his top 42

[Bilbo161]

Finally some love for Loux here. First time I hit all 3 top vote getters.

Though Watkins could still bump into the top 3.

 

Bill

[Hairyducked Idiot]

A guy ZIPS projects to strike out 9.4 per 9 in the major this year is just barely hanging on to his lead for No. 20 in our system.

[pitchcs]

I only voted for Logan Watkins.

 

It's pretty much gotten to the point where I can't differentiate too much between the remaining guys. I know a tad about them all but not enough to fairly rank them in some imaginary order in my head.

 

So I will vote until Watkins has been selected and then watch.