Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-23-13

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

@jeimer24C: @KCCougars Finally I make the tweeter

 

Day made.

[toonsterwu]

230 or so AB's isn't that much, but it's enough of a sample size to make some judgments off of, and so far, Matt Szczur looks ... intriguing enough. I said it before the year, but I wonder if Szczur will force his way up to the majors at some point this season. Granted, only 80 AB's into the season, and his overall line sucked last year (though BABIP was .250), and with all the OF depth they've added, there's no rush. Still, he's getting on base, he's not striking out a ton to really worry (BB rates and K rates are similar to last year's), and he's driving the ball and showing some pop. Haven't heard anything to think his defense isn't solid in CF.

 

There hasn't been a ton to get excited about, particularly in the upper levels, but I think Szczur's an interesting bright spot in the early going.

[Little Slide Rooter]

pretty disappointing start for the Tennessee pitching staff: Rhee, Zych, McNutt can't get any strikeouts, and Hendricks has lost his control

 

He seems to have found it this evening.

[Little Slide Rooter]

@jeimer24C: @KCCougars Finally I make the tweeter

 

Day made.

 

I did the icky.

[ctcf]

Some observations on the day:

 

Baez hitless, but took a walk.

 

Hendricks finally found his control again. 7IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9K.

 

Zach Rosscup managed to strike out the side in his lone inning of work. Liking his year so far. Still have hope this guy could be a quality reliever.

 

Soler in a bit of a mini slump.

[craig]

..Hendricks finally found his control again. 7IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9K.

 

Zach Rosscup managed to strike out the side in his lone inning of work. Liking his year so far. Still have hope this guy could be a quality reliever.....

 

Rosscup is now 16K/9 IP. In two of his outings, one of them a 2 inning job, he had none. So actually his 16K are in the other 6 innings. 6 innings, 16 out of the 18 outs by K? Pretty funny.

 

Seems like when he's on he's on. I wonder what he gets the outs with?

[imb]

@jeimer24C: @KCCougars Finally I make the tweeter

 

hahahahahahahahaahhahaahahahhahaahaha

[toonsterwu]

Wasn't the report on Rosscup that he got his fastball up to around the mid-90's last year out of the pen with a filthy slider? The issue, I think, was command of his stuff.

[Brickhouse]

Wasn't the report on Rosscup that he got his fastball up to around the mid-90's last year out of the pen with a filthy slider? The issue, I think, was command of his stuff.

When I saw him this spring, I was sitting behind the radar guns. His fastball was 92-93 but he was missing with it. Apparently, he's hitting his spots now. As a lefty, if he can command a 93 mph fastball, he's got a chance if he can stay healthy...

[Brickhouse]

News for AZ Phil is Dillon Maples thru 3.1 innings in an intrasquad game today allowing 1 hit, no runs, no walks and 3 strikeouts. Good to see him throwing, period. It's a bonus that he was effective.

 

Erick Leal and Josh Conway also pitched well against the D-Backs EXST squad.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

I wonder if Maples, Underwood, McNeil, Conway, and Blackburn will be the Boise rotation. That would be pretty cool.

[davell]

I'm very interested to see how Conway is brought about, coming off TJS. The early reports on his stuff though are extremely promising. Maples needs to get moving, hopefully he spends some time in KC this year. Thats hopefully not asking too much.

[Brickhouse]

So many prospects aren't playing real or any games at the moment. It's frustrating. Jackson has the toe injury. Vitters is still out. Paniagua can't get in the country. Lake is out. Vizcaino is still rehabbing. Maples is just getting started throwing. We have to wait until mid-June to see Blackburn, Underwood or McNeil pitch. Ugh.

[ctcf]

So many prospects aren't playing real or any games at the moment. It's frustrating. Jackson has the toe injury. Vitters is still out. Paniagua can't get in the country. Lake is out. Vizcaino is still rehabbing. Maples is just getting started throwing. We have to wait until mid-June to see Blackburn, Underwood or McNeil pitch. Ugh.

 

Yea. I feel you there. I think the Paniagua situation pisses me off the most just because it's only paperwork preventing us from seeing what he can do.

[Cubswin11]

McNeil, Blackburn and Underwood are just in instructs, right? They aren't dealing with injuries, correct?

[Guest]

Wasn't the report on Rosscup that he got his fastball up to around the mid-90's last year out of the pen with a filthy slider? The issue, I think, was command of his stuff.

 

The biggest issue Rosscup has is with injuries.

[Guest]

I wonder if Maples, Underwood, McNeil, Conway, and Blackburn will be the Boise rotation. That would be pretty cool.

 

I'm hoping Conway makes it up to Kane County before the Boise season starts. Otherwise, yeah, that's their likely rotation.

 

McNeil, Blackburn and Underwood are just in instructs, right? They aren't dealing with injuries, correct?

 

Correct.

[Cubswin11]

Thanks Raisin :good: . Boise's rotation will certainly be on the nightly watch list come June. We need at least one of those starters to pan out, to say the least..

[Guest]

you were supposed to be fun this year, daytona

[Guest]

News for AZ Phil is Dillon Maples thru 3.1 innings in an intrasquad game today allowing 1 hit, no runs, no walks and 3 strikeouts. Good to see him throwing, period. It's a bonus that he was effective.

 

Erick Leal and Josh Conway also pitched well against the D-Backs EXST squad.

 

Here's the link: http://www.thecubreporter.com/04232013/cubs-dbacks-split-two-talking-stick

 

Kyler Burke also pitched in the intrasquad game on Monday. Andrew McKirahan did too but walked off the field in pain after 7 pitches.

[craig]

Wasn't the report on Rosscup that he got his fastball up to around the mid-90's last year out of the pen with a filthy slider? The issue, I think, was command of his stuff.

When I saw him this spring, I was sitting behind the radar guns. His fastball was 92-93 but he was missing with it. Apparently, he's hitting his spots now. As a lefty, if he can command a 93 mph fastball, he's got a chance if he can stay healthy...

 

Thanks to both of you. Most K's are on breaking balls, so he must have something pretty sharp But yeah, a lefty at 93 who's got a put away pitch to go with it, that's a guy who can pitch in the majors for a lot of years. Hope he stays healthy.

 

I think even back when we got him, there hadn't been that much info on his stuff, although he hadn't come over with a big-time velocity rep.

 

Does anybody remember what his injury actually was? He was the best pitcher at Daytona for 9 starts 2 years ago, but then he was gone, and pitched only 32 innings last year. Was he a TJ surgery, or something else? His time gone seems possible for TJ, although almost a little short.

 

Here's hoping he works out. Heh, some of the other relievers that I liked for the top-50 list haven't started well (Zych, Morris).

[craig]

I wonder if Maples, Underwood, McNeil, Conway, and Blackburn will be the Boise rotation. That would be pretty cool.

 

I'm hoping Conway makes it up to Kane County before the Boise season starts. Otherwise, yeah, that's their likely rotation....

 

Yes, that should be a very interesting rotation. Thanks for the Mesa info brickhouse and the link, cal. Very encouraging to see Maples throw strikes and have a clean game. Conway continues to sound reasonably effective, and certainly no health concerns.

 

I agree with you, cal, it's two months or close before Boise starts, it would be nice if Conway stays healthy and effective enough to justify a callup to Kane County. Rosario too, although he's sounded pretty ineffective in Mesa.

 

I haven't seen much of Prieto in Phil's game accounts. I wonder if he's relief track, or if he might not make for a 5th Boise guy.

 

I see no urgency on Maples getting to Kane. He's a talented guy, but whatever his age might be, he's not that experienced. I'd love it if he's ready to go to Kane and pitch well there. But given that he turned 19 in high school, and has basically lost the last two summers, developmentally he could just as well be 18 or 19. I don't see any problem with having him pitch at Boise this summer. He'll be no older than some college pick who gets signed and goes to Boise, and younger than most. I think it's about getting his pitching right and his delivery consistent. If he can go to Boise and do well there, I won't be disappointed with that.

[jersey cubs fan]

I kind of like that management, or at least Sveum, is openly mocking Stewart's horribleness. They have to be disgusted with the guy signing that deal and then being "hurt" for the entire spring training.

[GammonsPocketTweets]

I kind of like that management, or at least Sveum, is openly mocking Stewart's horribleness. They have to be disgusted with the guy signing that deal and then being "hurt" for the entire spring training.

 

I'm disgusted with them for signing him in the first place.

[KingCubsFan]

I kind of like that management, or at least Sveum, is openly mocking Stewart's horribleness. They have to be disgusted with the guy signing that deal and then being "hurt" for the entire spring training.

Yeah, it's pretty funny. I'm no medical expert, but I can't take a guy seriously when he misses two months with a "strained quad."