Random Cubs Musings: Minor League Edition

[Thed Hoyerstein]

He has quickly learned the biggest difference between being a Cubs prospect and an A's prospect. Russell had around 6,500 Twitter followers on Friday night before the trade. By Monday night it had grown to more than 14,000.

 

"As far as Twitter goes, their fan base is awesome," he said. "They're DMing me and tweeting at me and stuff. It's awesome. It's something I'd like to learn about the Chicago Cubs. Their fans are really, really great and the atmosphere seems great too."

 

I feel like he's asking Kyle to stalk him.

 

addison nooooooooooooooo

[Little Slide Rooter]

Do we have more pitching depth then we think?

 

AAA (until tomorrow) Hendricks

AA: Edwards, Johnson, Black, Pineyero

A: Tseng, Blackburn, Torrez, Paniagua, Underwood

 

Still hope for: Maples, McNeil, Conway

 

No sure things, but a lot of cathedral ceilings.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

Pineyro might be damaged goods and Black and Johnson can't stop walking people. No, we're still pretty thin on pitching. But who cares because hitters4eva.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

He has quickly learned the biggest difference between being a Cubs prospect and an A's prospect. Russell had around 6,500 Twitter followers on Friday night before the trade. By Monday night it had grown to more than 14,000.

 

"As far as Twitter goes, their fan base is awesome," he said. "They're DMing me and tweeting at me and stuff. It's awesome. It's something I'd like to learn about the Chicago Cubs. Their fans are really, really great and the atmosphere seems great too."

 

I feel like he's asking Kyle to stalk him.

 

I don't think I've ever messaged a player besides maybe taunting Ian Stewart once or twice.

[Vinestal]

He has quickly learned the biggest difference between being a Cubs prospect and an A's prospect. Russell had around 6,500 Twitter followers on Friday night before the trade. By Monday night it had grown to more than 14,000.

 

"As far as Twitter goes, their fan base is awesome," he said. "They're DMing me and tweeting at me and stuff. It's awesome. It's something I'd like to learn about the Chicago Cubs. Their fans are really, really great and the atmosphere seems great too."

 

I feel like he's asking Kyle to stalk him.

 

I don't think I've ever messaged a player besides maybe taunting Ian Stewart once or twice.

 

And really who didn't do that?

[imb]

People make me laugh

 

Amy (Seattle)

Who says no to a Henry Owens-Kris Bryant swap, and why? Ditto Owens + 1 (anyone but boegarts) for Tulo

Klaw

(4:21 PM)

Cubs, and Rockies.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Amy should stick to things she knows something about, which going by that question, is not much.

[ScrubMD]

Is it just me or is Parks saying that the Cubs might not have the best farm system because eventually all their awesome prospects will graduate?

 

TL: In your opinion does the Russell addition to the stable now make the Cubs the premier system in all of baseball?

 

JP: I think it gives them the system with the most impact potential on the offensive side of the ball. The depth of the Cubs farm is getting better and more impressive, but they are still building and haven’t caught up to some organizations when it comes to depth. Depth is vital because it keeps a system strong after the top horses graduate from the ranks.

 

When the Cubs lose Bryant, Baez, Russell and Alcantara in the coming years, the system will still be quite strong, but I doubt they can remain in the discussion for top system after those promotions, unlike some other teams like the Twins, Pirates and Astros –just to name a few—that have a bounty of depth at every level, from both the amateur draft and international markets, that will keep their farm systems strong and sustainable.

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-insider/2014/07/cubs-prospects-qa-with-baseball-prospectus-jason-parks-cubs-could-field-baseball-porn/

 

That just seems like the kind of analysis you hear from Joe Buck and Joe Morgan. "If all their best prospects graduate and they don't have new awesome prospects by then, they won't have as many awesome prospects."

[jersey cubs fan]

Is it just me or is Parks saying that the Cubs might not have the best farm system because eventually all their awesome prospects will graduate?

 

TL: In your opinion does the Russell addition to the stable now make the Cubs the premier system in all of baseball?

 

JP: I think it gives them the system with the most impact potential on the offensive side of the ball. The depth of the Cubs farm is getting better and more impressive, but they are still building and haven’t caught up to some organizations when it comes to depth. Depth is vital because it keeps a system strong after the top horses graduate from the ranks.

 

When the Cubs lose Bryant, Baez, Russell and Alcantara in the coming years, the system will still be quite strong, but I doubt they can remain in the discussion for top system after those promotions, unlike some other teams like the Twins, Pirates and Astros –just to name a few—that have a bounty of depth at every level, from both the amateur draft and international markets, that will keep their farm systems strong and sustainable.

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-insider/2014/07/cubs-prospects-qa-with-baseball-prospectus-jason-parks-cubs-could-field-baseball-porn/

 

That just seems like the kind of analysis you hear from Joe Buck and Joe Morgan. "If all their best prospects graduate and they don't have new awesome prospects by then, they won't have as many awesome prospects."

 

I guess you could look at it that way but he seems to be suggesting that all the depth is clustered in soon to be graduated players, which in turn means their depth isn't as deep as other teams' depth.

[SouthSideRyan]

Which is dumb. Having depth doesn't mean having equally distributed talents. Having 10 studs at AAA is a deeper farm system than 1 on every club.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The fact that he's right -- the Cubs system will plummet in the rankings soon because all their best players are going to be MLB regulars soon -- is exactly why farm system rankings are terrible.

[ScrubMD]

The Cubs will have plenty of top prospects in the minors this year and next year (especially with a top pick next June), and it's pointless to try to predict where systems will be 2 years from now. And the fact that the majority of the Cubs' top prospects will be up by some point next year isn't a reason to question whether they're the top system right now.

[jersey cubs fan]

And the fact that the majority of the Cubs' top prospects will be up by some point next year isn't a reason to question whether they're the top system right now.

 

I don't think he did that, he just pointed out they may not be in that discussion in a couple years.

[ScrubMD]

Maybe I'm interpreting it unfairly. I could see it either way, but since the question was about right now, that's how I took it.

[EhDubya]

Yeah, the question was about having the best system, and while we currently have the best prospects, that doesn't give us a system edge over Atlanta, St Louis, Boston, etc., currently or in future. At least that's my interpretation.

[Guest]

Mauricio Rubio, contributor to BP, with a good run down on the current Cubs starting pitchers. He covers the big leaguers but if you scroll down a bit, he also covers prospects/minor leaguers such as Dallas Beeler, Tsuyoshi Wada, Kyle Hendricks, Dan Straily, Chris Rusin, Jen-Ho Tseng, CJ Edwards, Pierce Johnson, Duane Underwood, Paul Blackburn, Corey Black, Daury Torrez, Tyler Skulina, Rob Zastryzny and Jake Stinnett.

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2014/07/pitch/

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

On Daury Torrez:

The fastball flashed some nice fade and it work well in tandem with the fastball.

[Guest]

Mauricio Rubio, contributor to BP, with a good run down on the current Cubs starting pitchers. He covers the big leaguers but if you scroll down a bit, he also covers prospects/minor leaguers such as Dallas Beeler, Tsuyoshi Wada, Kyle Hendricks, Dan Straily, Chris Rusin, Jen-Ho Tseng, CJ Edwards, Pierce Johnson, Duane Underwood, Paul Blackburn, Corey Black, Daury Torrez, Tyler Skulina, Rob Zastryzny and Jake Stinnett.

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2014/07/pitch/

 

He compared Straily's repertoire, with his 88mph fastball, to Arrieta who throws 95? I don't care what the rest of it looks like, that's enough to say they're not comparable.

[davell]

Hasn't Skulina been battling a lower body injury all season or did I imagine reading that?

[Guest]

Hasn't Skulina been battling a lower body injury all season or did I imagine reading that?

 

I know I read that about someone recently...and I believe you're right in that it's Skulina.

[Guest]

Hasn't Skulina been battling a lower body injury all season or did I imagine reading that?

 

Yeah, knee tendonitis. Hopefully that is the reason his velocity is down and once his knee heals, it ticks back.

[Brian]

Today is the 1 year anniversary of Kris Bryant signing. What an insane year.

[weis21]

Today is the 1 year anniversary of Kris Bryant signing. What an insane year.

Holy [expletive]. I mean I guess I knew it had only been a year, but it seems so crazy when you think he wasn't even a part of this organization 366 days ago.

[abohnhoff]

Today is the 1 year anniversary of Kris Bryant signing. What an insane year.

Holy [expletive]. I mean I guess I knew it had only been a year, but it seems so crazy when you think he wasn't even a part of this organization 366 days ago.

 

40 HR's in 128 games over the calendar year.

 

 

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[Clem Fandango]

Today is the 1 year anniversary of Kris Bryant signing. What an insane year.

Holy [expletive]. I mean I guess I knew it had only been a year, but it seems so crazy when you think he wasn't even a part of this organization 366 days ago.

 

40 HR's in 128 games over the calendar year.

 

That's good stuff, roughly the equivalent of a full minor league season. Full stats:

 

http://i.imgur.com/8ZMNzXe.jpg

 

So in a full season's worth of stats 51.5% of his base hits have been for extra bases. That's insane.