BA & MLB.com's Cubs Top 10 Prospects

[Guest]

Jim Callis/MLB.com's list: http://www.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/#list=chc

 

1. Javier Baez

2. Kris Bryant

3. Albert Almora

4. CJ Edwards

5. Jorge Soler

6. Arismendy Alcantara

7. Pierce Johnson

8. Arodys Vizcaino

9. Jeimer Candelario

10. Dan Vogelbach

11. Christian Villanueva

12. Eloy Jimenez

13. Neil Ramirez

14. Mike Olt

15. Paul Blackburn

16. Kyle Hendricks

17. Corey Black

18. Jacob Hannemann

19. Tyler Skulina

20. Gleyber Torres

[Guest]

And Callis 21-25: http://jimcallis.mlblogs.com/

 

21. Duane Underwood

22. Ron Zastryzny

23. Dillon Maples

24. Zac Rosscup

25. Alberto Cabrera

Deep sleeper: Daniel Lockhart

[Guest]

So Callis said Corey Black hit 100 in instructs. Also liked reading that Jimenez has an advance grasp of the strike zone for a 17-year old Latin American prospect with good pitch recognition and strike zone discipline.

[SouthSideRyan]

Daniel Lockhart is a deep sleeper in the sense that he puts up numbers like somebody in a coma Edited March 18, 2014 by SouthSideRyan

[Guest]

Daniel Lockhart is a deep sleeper in the sense that he pits up numbers like somebody in a coma

 

uhhh he OPS'd 1.000 in Iowa. I mean, I know PCL and all, but jeez.

[A New Era]

Was nice to see the list, I was waiting for a long time. Would liked to have seen Zystryzny and Tseng make the top 20, but otherwise those are some solid names. A much better put together list than years previous thanks to Callis helping Mayo this year.

[A New Era]

If you had to pick one young guy, that has that ability if everything just breaks right, to be a top 5 across baseball prospect in their prospecty prime (21-23yo). Who in our system could pull that off? Jiminez, Tseng, Blackburn? Maybe Edwards, Almora have a shot next year?

[craig]

So Callis said Corey Black hit 100 in instructs. Also liked reading that Jimenez has an advance grasp of the strike zone for a 17-year old Latin American prospect with good pitch recognition and strike zone discipline.

 

Nice. didn't Parks or somebody report that Black was spotting 94's nicely just a few days ago, as well?

 

Hadn't gotten the favorable bit about Jiminez's recognition and discipline.

[Guest]

If you had to pick one young guy, that has that ability if everything just breaks right, to be a top 5 across baseball prospect in their prospecty prime (21-23yo). Who in our system could pull that off? Jiminez, Tseng, Blackburn? Maybe Edwards, Almora have a shot next year?

 

Besides Baez who is there right now and Bryant, who is on the doorstep? Jimenez and Soler have the highest ceilings outside of Baez so they'd be the easy choice. Maybe Torres if he moves quickly, his bat plays well and sticks at SS.

 

Tseng, Blackburn and Edwards don't have ace ceilings so I can't see it for them; Almora's ceiling is lower than your normal top 5 prospect so I can't see it with him.

[mul21]

If you had to pick one young guy, that has that ability if everything just breaks right, to be a top 5 across baseball prospect in their prospecty prime (21-23yo). Who in our system could pull that off? Jiminez, Tseng, Blackburn? Maybe Edwards, Almora have a shot next year?

 

Jimenez sounds to me like the only guy who is toolsy enough to get that kind of hype. The other guys all have top 20-30 potential, but I don't think any of them really have the Javy Baez it factor.

[craig]

Jose Paulino was ace of the DSL championship team. BA includes him in DSL top-20. I don't think they rank them 1-20, so no idea if he just slipped in or might have been near the top. The writeup reads VERY favorably to my eyes. A 6'2 athletic lefty with some projection who's already 89-92 with sink, control, feel, and some nice-looking off speed stuff? Sign me up.

 

Jose Paulino, lhp, Cubs

 

Age: 18. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 165. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2011.

 

After a solid DSL debut in 2012, Paulino build on that with a better season in 2013, tying for sixth in the league in strikeouts. He has a wiry, athletic body with an 89-92 mph fastball. With the room he has to put on size, more velocity could be coming. He keeps the ball down and can get ground balls or miss bats. He throws two good secondary pitches, including a slider that’s a plus offering at times. He varies the action on his slider, throwing a hard sweeper against lefthanded hitters and more of a downer-type pitch that he uses to bury in on righties. He also has good feel for an average changeup that could become an above-average pitch in the future. Paulino is an aggressive pitcher who throws a lot of strikes and attacks hitters on the inner third of the plate.

[A New Era]

If you had to pick one young guy, that has that ability if everything just breaks right, to be a top 5 across baseball prospect in their prospecty prime (21-23yo). Who in our system could pull that off? Jiminez, Tseng, Blackburn? Maybe Edwards, Almora have a shot next year?

 

Besides Baez who is there right now and Bryant, who is on the doorstep? Jimenez and Soler have the highest ceilings outside of Baez so they'd be the easy choice. Maybe Torres if he moves quickly, his bat plays well and sticks at SS.

 

Tseng, Blackburn and Edwards don't have ace ceilings so I can't see it for them; Almora's ceiling is lower than your normal top 5 prospect so I can't see it with him.

 

Yeah I think t hat about sums it up. Tseng and Blackburn probably have top 50 upside at most. Almora will remain a top 20 type, but I could see Bryant next year if he stays in the minors all year. He is probably the next one up. After that Jiminez is our hope of being the next big thing.

[Guest]

If you had to pick one young guy, that has that ability if everything just breaks right, to be a top 5 across baseball prospect in their prospecty prime (21-23yo). Who in our system could pull that off? Jiminez, Tseng, Blackburn? Maybe Edwards, Almora have a shot next year?

 

Besides Baez who is there right now and Bryant, who is on the doorstep? Jimenez and Soler have the highest ceilings outside of Baez so they'd be the easy choice. Maybe Torres if he moves quickly, his bat plays well and sticks at SS.

 

Tseng, Blackburn and Edwards don't have ace ceilings so I can't see it for them; Almora's ceiling is lower than your normal top 5 prospect so I can't see it with him.

 

I pretty much agree.

 

It did occur to me, on that last point, that Lindor is currently BP's #6 as a similar hitter to Almora but with, from everything I understand, less power...both considered plus fielders at premium positions.

 

But then we all make fun of Lindor's prospect status anyway.

[Guest]

If you had to pick one young guy, that has that ability if everything just breaks right, to be a top 5 across baseball prospect in their prospecty prime (21-23yo). Who in our system could pull that off? Jiminez, Tseng, Blackburn? Maybe Edwards, Almora have a shot next year?

 

Besides Baez who is there right now and Bryant, who is on the doorstep? Jimenez and Soler have the highest ceilings outside of Baez so they'd be the easy choice. Maybe Torres if he moves quickly, his bat plays well and sticks at SS.

 

Tseng, Blackburn and Edwards don't have ace ceilings so I can't see it for them; Almora's ceiling is lower than your normal top 5 prospect so I can't see it with him.

 

Yeah I think t hat about sums it up. Tseng and Blackburn probably have top 50 upside at most. Almora will remain a top 20 type, but I could see Bryant next year if he stays in the minors all year. He is probably the next one up. After that Jiminez is our hope of being the next big thing.

 

SOLER

[Guest]

If you had to pick one young guy, that has that ability if everything just breaks right, to be a top 5 across baseball prospect in their prospecty prime (21-23yo). Who in our system could pull that off? Jiminez, Tseng, Blackburn? Maybe Edwards, Almora have a shot next year?

 

Besides Baez who is there right now and Bryant, who is on the doorstep? Jimenez and Soler have the highest ceilings outside of Baez so they'd be the easy choice. Maybe Torres if he moves quickly, his bat plays well and sticks at SS.

 

Tseng, Blackburn and Edwards don't have ace ceilings so I can't see it for them; Almora's ceiling is lower than your normal top 5 prospect so I can't see it with him.

 

I pretty much agree.

 

It did occur to me, on that last point, that Lindor is currently BP's #6 as a similar hitter to Almora but with, from everything I understand, less power...both considered plus fielders at premium positions.

 

But then we all make fun of Lindor's prospect status anyway.

 

Elite defender at SS is bigger value than elite defender at CF (and Lindor is a better defender at his respective position than Almora) and that's a trump card if their bats were equal. I mean, we are talking top 5 prospect in all of baseball so these sort of minor things will be more important.

[Guest]

Elite defender at SS is bigger value than elite defender at CF (and Lindor is a better defender at his respective position than Almora) and that's a trump card if their bats were equal. I mean, we are talking top 5 prospect in all of baseball so these sort of minor things will be more important.

 

I figured, but I also figured Almora has enough power to overcome that gap.

 

That said, I don't really see Lindor's status as being justified and I don't really see Almora ever being a top 5 guy. Top 15, I can see.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Almora's not going to get faster and it's unlikely his walk rate will rise to the necessary levels. I'd say he could be top 15 if he starts hitting more HR. Best case scenario would be a batting line like Jeter in his prime with GG defense in CF.

[Guest]

If Edwards incinerates AA like he has every other level thus far, he'll certainly be a part of that conversation. Parks' opinion of his ceiling is not the consensus, there's multiple guys who think he has TOR potential, and the results more than match so far.

[Guest]

Almora's not going to get faster and it's unlikely his walk rate will rise to the necessary levels. I'd say he could be top 15 if he starts hitting more HR. Best case scenario would be a batting line like Jeter in his prime with GG defense in CF.

 

It's craziness compared to other lists, but one list from one guy (Kiley McDaniel) who LOOOVVEESSSS him some Almora has him 8th as it is.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Yeah, Kiley loves Almora. I remember him comp'ing him to Carlos Beltran before the draft.

[craig]

Almora's not going to get faster and it's unlikely his walk rate will rise to the necessary levels. I'd say he could be top 15 if he starts hitting more HR. Best case scenario would be a batting line like Jeter in his prime with GG defense in CF.

 

HR's. If he jumps his HR's a bunch, and scouts project that he'll hit a lot future with power combined with pure hitting skill, they'll rank him well. Really good hitters with game-realistic HR potential and excellent CF defense appeal to scouts. But without persuading them on his HR future, his offense won't seem strong enough for top-5 status. Kiley has him high because he anticipates power. If his season reduces Kiley's belief in that, he'll back off too, I'd guess.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Especially in a HR park like Daytona.

[Guest]

BA's organizational rankings. Cubs are #4: http://www.baseballamerica.com/majors/organization-talent-rankings-pirates-pipeline-wont-run-dry-in-2014/

 

4. Chicago Cubs

2013 Rank: 12.

2012 Rank: 14.

How They Got Here: The Cubs have hoarded power bats in the draft with SS Javier Baez and 3B Kris Bryant as well as internationally with $30 million man OF Jorge Soler. The Cubs have added most of their pitching via trades, including RHPs C.J. Edwards, Arodys Vizcaino and Corey Black.

High-Ceiling Sleeper: The Cubs paid RHP Jen-Ho Tseng $1.625 million in July 2013 after an up-and-down amateur career in Taiwan. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound 19-year-old looked healthy and improved in spring training, with a three-pitch mix that should allow him to make a full-season roster.

2014 Rookies: Baez started playing second base in spring training and should hit his way to the North Side in the second half of the season. A year after he was supposed to take over as closer, Japanese import RHP Kyuji Fujikawa was working his way back from Tommy John surgery and should work his way into the bullpen mix if he is back to his previous form.

[Guest]

Lol Fujikawa. BA's stance on international FAs is just so dumb.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Pirates No. 1