Minor League Discussion & Boxes 6-4-13

[CubsWin]

Lake's most needed spot is SS based on the roster but I tHink that ship has sailed. Goimg to be interesting where he plays with the guys on the 40 man at all his positions other than SS.

 

He'll probably start out at 3B as long as Vitters is on the DL.

What will be interesting is what they do when Vitters comes back. They'll basically have to admit who they see as the better long-term option at 3B. I still think they prefer Lake.

 

Well, Lake played all but one rehab game in CF when he could have played any position they wanted him to. I think they envision him as an OF at this point.

AZ Phil[/url]"]In five Cactus League Extended Spring Training games (26 PA), Lake is hitting 409/500/682 with six doubles, seven runs scored, three RBI, 3/6 BB/K, and 3 SB (1 CS). He has played three of the five EXST games at 3B and two in CF, and he has not commited an error at either position.

[Guest]

Since he played 3B in his last game in Arizona, I wonder if that was a tune up for Iowa with Vitters hurt.

 

Yikes, rough outing for Rivero.

[craig]

Villanueva through 5/8: 119 PA, .204/.271/.296/.567, 28/9 K/BB

Villanueva since 5/8: 100 PA, .333/.390/.633/1.023, 17/6 K/BB

 

Thanks, TT. That's a pretty strong swing.

*The 28K-17K is a big improvement. Villa's been kind of a risky-K guy for a while. If he could be stabilizing at 17%, his chances go way up, IMO.

*He's got 5 HR's now, I'm assuming that at least four of them, perhaps all 5, are in the "good" package? 4 extra HR's per 100PA are worth 40 points BA/OBP and 200 points OPS. I don't expect that he's going to be 4-5 HR/month guy, but those months will always help the stats.

 

Will be interesting to see how things play out. Would be fun if he really could keep elevating, reach .800, and stay there or above. Continuing to find some HR's would make that a lot more likely.

 

April is routinely a bad month for hitters. I do wonder whether part of it is the BB thing. Wouldn't surprise if CV was trying to work the count some in April, but since he's really a hacker and doesn't really have a very good eye at the plate, that was doing more harm than good.

[jersey cubs fan]

Since he played 3B in his last game in Arizona, I wonder if that was a tune up for Iowa with Vitters hurt.

 

Yikes, rough outing for Rivero.

 

 

Paul Sullivan ‏@PWSullivan 11m

Junior Lake to make debut at Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. Will play third and center. Ian Stewart? Still there.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Since he played 3B in his last game in Arizona, I wonder if that was a tune up for Iowa with Vitters hurt.

 

Yikes, rough outing for Rivero.

 

 

Paul Sullivan ‏@PWSullivan 11m

Junior Lake to make debut at Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. Will play third and center. Ian Stewart? Still there.

 

I hope not. For his sake. The need to give this kid his walking paper if he's going to have some shot at a somewhat meaningful season. Surely they can do so in a way which allows both sides to save face. A year or so in Japan shouldn't be out of the question.

[toonsterwu]

Villanueva through 5/8: 119 PA, .204/.271/.296/.567, 28/9 K/BB

Villanueva since 5/8: 100 PA, .333/.390/.633/1.023, 17/6 K/BB

 

Thanks, TT. That's a pretty strong swing.

*The 28K-17K is a big improvement. Villa's been kind of a risky-K guy for a while. If he could be stabilizing at 17%, his chances go way up, IMO.

*He's got 5 HR's now, I'm assuming that at least four of them, perhaps all 5, are in the "good" package? 4 extra HR's per 100PA are worth 40 points BA/OBP and 200 points OPS. I don't expect that he's going to be 4-5 HR/month guy, but those months will always help the stats.

 

Will be interesting to see how things play out. Would be fun if he really could keep elevating, reach .800, and stay there or above. Continuing to find some HR's would make that a lot more likely.

 

April is routinely a bad month for hitters. I do wonder whether part of it is the BB thing. Wouldn't surprise if CV was trying to work the count some in April, but since he's really a hacker and doesn't really have a very good eye at the plate, that was doing more harm than good.

 

Four of his home runs have been after 5/8. Two of them came in mid-May, and he's had 2 home runs in the last few days. It probably doesn't mean much, as Tennessee, if I recall correctly, is a pretty hitter friendly park, but he's had 4 of his home runs on the road this year.

 

It does feel like he's made some improvements, but then again, if we looked at all guys in a hot streak, most of them probably look like they've made some improvements in comparison to their cold spells. I don't know - in May (which does include the first week, but too lazy to break it down by that 5/8 marker right now so firstinning numbers are easier to go with), his strikeout and walk rates were slightly down in comparison to April. firstinning has his May BABIP at .377, vs. an April BABIP at .258, so there's some "Torreyes" dynamics here, perhaps.

 

The plus side is that his strikeout rate is closer in line with what he did at Myrtle Beach last year. After he came over to Daytona, his strikeouts spiked, which was troubling.

[toonsterwu]

Since he played 3B in his last game in Arizona, I wonder if that was a tune up for Iowa with Vitters hurt.

 

Yikes, rough outing for Rivero.

 

 

Paul Sullivan ‏@PWSullivan 11m

Junior Lake to make debut at Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. Will play third and center. Ian Stewart? Still there.

 

I hope not. For his sake. The need to give this kid his walking paper if he's going to have some shot at a somewhat meaningful season. Surely they can do so in a way which allows both sides to save face. A year or so in Japan shouldn't be out of the question.

 

Isn't the issue that if the Cubs give him the "walking papers" (release him), they'd owe him the contract, so instead, they are hoping Stewart gets frustrated enough to walk away from the money?

[jersey cubs fan]

Since he played 3B in his last game in Arizona, I wonder if that was a tune up for Iowa with Vitters hurt.

 

Yikes, rough outing for Rivero.

 

 

Paul Sullivan ‏@PWSullivan 11m

Junior Lake to make debut at Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. Will play third and center. Ian Stewart? Still there.

 

I hope not. For his sake. The need to give this kid his walking paper if he's going to have some shot at a somewhat meaningful season. Surely they can do so in a way which allows both sides to save face. A year or so in Japan shouldn't be out of the question.

 

Isn't the issue that if the Cubs give him the "walking papers" (release him), they'd owe him the contract, so instead, they are hoping Stewart gets frustrated enough to walk away from the money?

 

I highly doubt they are expecting him to walk away from guaranteed money.

[Guest]

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=27746653&topic_id=26562540&sid=t553&tcid=vpp_copy_27746653&v=3

 

Caesar double

[jersey cubs fan]

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=27746653&topic_id=26562540&sid=t553&tcid=vpp_copy_27746653&v=3

 

Caesar double

 

I don't know if it's the camera angles or what but it looks like the distance from hit feet to his head is the same as from his hands to the end of the bat.

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Does anyone else find it hard to be impressed with his numbers there? Dudes almost 24 and in AA

[Guest]

Does anyone else find it hard to be impressed with his numbers there? Dudes almost 24 and in AA

 

I've never really found any of his numbers impressive... but you'll hear the whole it takes football guys longer thing in response to that.

[jersey cubs fan]

Does anyone else find it hard to be impressed with his numbers there? Dudes almost 24 and in AA

 

Szczur's numbers? I find it easy to not be impressed.

[Guest]

They're not numbers that are going to bowl you over, for certain.

 

But he's a guy with plus speed, possibly plus defense, still some hope for power growth based on frame & bp. He takes walks, gets on base and then provides a credible speed threat at the top of the order.

 

IF he can continue that as he moves up the ladder, he'll be a valuable guy. If he can finally tap into some of the power potential (though the hope dims each year), then he becomes something more.

 

In scouting terms, he's got 4 out of 5 tools, with just power missing.

[jersey cubs fan]

They're not numbers that are going to bowl you over, for certain.

 

But he's a guy with plus speed, possibly plus defense, still some hope for power growth based on frame & bp. He takes walks, gets on base and then provides a credible speed threat at the top of the order.

 

IF he can continue that as he moves up the ladder, he'll be a valuable guy. If he can finally tap into some of the power potential (though the hope dims each year), then he becomes something more.

 

In scouting terms, he's got 4 out of 5 tools, with just power missing.

 

If his defense remains in doubt how are you giving him both fielding and throwing as tools?

 

Your description sounds similar to a Theriot/Barney when they were coming up. Without the lockdown defensive excellence of Barney. Such prospects are able to provide value, if they don't have any setbacks and continue to improve on their way up. The problem as I see it is tons of guys fit into that description at one point or another in the minors, you can see them translating their limited minor league production into major league performance, but more often than not, they don't actually get it done. Or if they do, they end up with a 3-4 year window of being of use. They need to pretty much be in the majors by 24 because by 28/29, it's over.

 

So, while that can be useful if everything works out, I find it really hard to be impressed by it.

[Guest]

And I agreed he's more useful than impressive.