BP's Top 10 Cubs Prospects

[imb]

who the [expletive] is scott frazier

[bukie]

who the [expletive] is scott frazier

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=frazie001sco

[davell]

who the [expletive] is scott frazier

6th round pick out of Pepperdine this year. Large frame, excellent stuff, hasn't gotten control yet. More of a thrower than a pitcher. Had first round ability, just not the results.

[Guest]

I really like Scott Frazier (I posted something to the effect that I hope they'd pick him seconds before he was drafted) but that's way too rich for me. He has a higher ceiling than Skulina but I can't see him being rated higher right now.

 

Would love to hear the logic on Black at 9 and no Villanueva.

[Cubswin11]

I think Law has been on record for not liking Villanueva, the reasons I don't remember. But we all know how Law is once he makes a declaration on a guy.

 

Also the Black thing is interesting, he talks about how minor leaguers that are going to be relievers have little value and uses it on guys like CJ for not rating him as high. I wonder if he thinks Black can be a starter or if he thinks he's going to be that good of a relief pitcher? Or he just really like Black at some point in the past and isn't backing down now.

[jersey cubs fan]

Corey Black is an interesting case, built like a reliever, aggressive like one as well, but he'll at least show four pitches, two of them plus, and I would at least let him start a little longer before conceding the point.

[KingCubsFan]

I really like Scott Frazier (I posted something to the effect that I hope they'd pick him seconds before he was drafted) but that's way too rich for me. He has a higher ceiling than Skulina but I can't see him being rated higher right now.

 

Would love to hear the logic on Black at 9 and no Villanueva.

Looks like he thinks Black can still be a starter. Has four pitches, the only question is the durability. I agree with Law. Keep Black in the rotation as long as he continues to show plus stuff. The guy at Bleachernation had an interesting piece the other day on Black's change of approach after coming over to the Cubs.

[jersey cubs fan]

I really like Scott Frazier (I posted something to the effect that I hope they'd pick him seconds before he was drafted) but that's way too rich for me. He has a higher ceiling than Skulina but I can't see him being rated higher right now.

 

Would love to hear the logic on Black at 9 and no Villanueva.

Looks like he thinks Black can still be a starter. Has four pitches, the only question is the durability. I agree with Law. Keep Black in the rotation as long as he continues to show plus stuff. The guy at Bleachernation had an interesting piece the other day on Black's change of approach after coming over to the Cubs.

http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/01/28/prospects-progress-corey-black/

 

This addresses the theory that the Cubs are acquiring undervalued pitching prospects because of their size. I wonder if part of that theory is the front office isn't necessarily looking for a guy who can throw 220 innings for 15 years, but would be quite happy to get guys who can throw 190 innings for 5 years. If you can get that sort of performance out of undersized pitchers, you will essentially use up all of their cost effective years, and then let the doctors, pitcher and/or another team figure out how he'll make due during his late 20s/early 30s.

[davell]

I really like Scott Frazier (I posted something to the effect that I hope they'd pick him seconds before he was drafted) but that's way too rich for me. He has a higher ceiling than Skulina but I can't see him being rated higher right now.

 

Would love to hear the logic on Black at 9 and no Villanueva.

Looks like he thinks Black can still be a starter. Has four pitches, the only question is the durability. I agree with Law. Keep Black in the rotation as long as he continues to show plus stuff. The guy at Bleachernation had an interesting piece the other day on Black's change of approach after coming over to the Cubs.

http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/01/28/prospects-progress-corey-black/

 

This addresses the theory that the Cubs are acquiring undervalued pitching prospects because of their size. I wonder if part of that theory is the front office isn't necessarily looking for a guy who can throw 220 innings for 15 years, but would be quite happy to get guys who can throw 190 innings for 5 years. If you can get that sort of performance out of undersized pitchers, you will essentially use up all of their cost effective years, and then let the doctors, pitcher and/or another team figure out how he'll make due during his late 20s/early 30s.

 

I like the idea, but isn't it kind of a "needle in a haystack" thing, trying to find undersized starters to begin with? Or are there more out there than I'm thinking? RHP's, not lefties, as it does seem to me they may be a bit more abundant anyway.....

[Guest]

It's getting harder to find undervalued assets. But as long as they are cheap, there isn necessarily anything wrong with the needle in a hay stack approach.

[Guest]

I really like Scott Frazier (I posted something to the effect that I hope they'd pick him seconds before he was drafted) but that's way too rich for me. He has a higher ceiling than Skulina but I can't see him being rated higher right now.

 

Would love to hear the logic on Black at 9 and no Villanueva.

Looks like he thinks Black can still be a starter. Has four pitches, the only question is the durability. I agree with Law. Keep Black in the rotation as long as he continues to show plus stuff. The guy at Bleachernation had an interesting piece the other day on Black's change of approach after coming over to the Cubs.

http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/01/28/prospects-progress-corey-black/

 

This addresses the theory that the Cubs are acquiring undervalued pitching prospects because of their size. I wonder if part of that theory is the front office isn't necessarily looking for a guy who can throw 220 innings for 15 years, but would be quite happy to get guys who can throw 190 innings for 5 years. If you can get that sort of performance out of undersized pitchers, you will essentially use up all of their cost effective years, and then let the doctors, pitcher and/or another team figure out how he'll make due during his late 20s/early 30s.

 

I like the idea, but isn't it kind of a "needle in a haystack" thing, trying to find undersized starters to begin with? Or are there more out there than I'm thinking? RHP's, not lefties, as it does seem to me they may be a bit more abundant anyway.....

 

You're already limiting the field by saying "undersized starters" since a lot of guys that maybe could start (like Black and, to a lesser extent, Edwards) are being labeled relievers because of their size.

[jersey cubs fan]

I like the idea, but isn't it kind of a "needle in a haystack" thing, trying to find undersized starters to begin with? Or are there more out there than I'm thinking? RHP's, not lefties, as it does seem to me they may be a bit more abundant anyway.....

 

I don't think I'd characterize it as a needle in a haystack. I don't think it is any harder to find guys who can start and be effective for a couple years than it would be to find guys who can start and be effective for 15. Most teams are probably either ignoring those guys or have already slated them for the bullpen. It seems to me that a lot of the sentiment against the midgets is just that they won't be prototypical aces with a shot at the hall of fame. Every scout wants Clemens, but I think certain front offices, including this one, would be happy to get 5-6 years of Rich Harden, pay him $10-15m and then let him walk or trade him.

[Guest]

Fan Graphs top 100: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2014-top-100-prospects/#49

 

4. Javier Baez

6. Kris Bryant

21. Albert Almora

49. Jorge Soler

52. Arismendy Alcantara

77. Pierce Johnson

78. CJ Edwards

 

The guys who ranked ahead of Baez and Bryant:

 

1. Byron Buxton

2. Xander Bogaerts

3. Oscar Taveras

5. Archie Bradley

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

77. Pierce Johnson

78. CJ Edwards

 

Interesting.

[sneakypower]

just stumbled on this- pretty cool and for the most part i like the order:

 

2014 Chicago Cubs Consensus Top 51 Prospects

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2014/2/17/5415638/2014-chicago-cubs-top-prospects-consensus

[Guest]

BP has Baez with the best Power tool in the Minors

 

Top Power in the Minor Leagues: Javier Baez (Chicago Cubs)

Among the prospects in the game with elite raw power, Baez takes the cake because of his ability to translate that power to game situations. Despite being an ultra-aggressive hitter, Baez’s ability to consistently make contact allows him to tap into his raw power and could lead to him dropping 35-40 bombs a year in the majors. Elite raw power is rare, but the ability to bring that type of raw from batting practice into games is even rarer. Of the players considered for this list, Baez is clearly the best bet to actualize his top-of-the-scale raw power, and he could begin doing that as soon as this summer.

 

Other Players Considered: Kris Bryant (Chicago Cubs), Joey Gallo (Texas Rangers), Steven Moya (Detroit Tigers), Miguel Sano (Minnesota Twins), Oscar Taveras (St. Louis Cardinals)

Each player considered behind Baez offers at least plus-plus raw power, with players like Gallo, Moya, and Sano bringing elite raw to the table. While all three players can put on jaw-dropping displays in batting practice, and both Gallo and Sano have shown some ability to bring that power into games, the trio lacks projection in the hit tool. It's easy to dream on the raw power and imagine 35 home runs a year, but all three players will likely come up short of that projection. Bryant’s raw power rests a half grade behind the others, but he should bring a significant portion of his raw pop into games, allowing him to hit 30-plus home runs a season. Taveras is the only player considered for this list who lacks true or near elite raw power, but his unbelievable feel for hitting allows every ounce of his plus-plus raw power to show up in games.

[Guest]

And the next name mentioned was Kris Bryant. Aww yeeesssss.

 

Says he's behind those others in raw power but I wonder how they rank them in terms of game power.

[Guest]

I think the Others section is alphabetical, but yeah, he does mention that Bryant's power plays in games very well.

[imb]

plus, plus-plus, elite, elite-raw, elite-plus, [expletive] off

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I didn't get that far into the article. I sat down and cried after I read the massive, Pujolsian beej they gave to Oscar Tavares.

[KingCubsFan]

I didn't get that far into the article. I sat down and cried after I read the massive, Pujolsian beej they gave to Oscar Tavares.

Yeah, I know. It's too depressing to think that, even with our amazing farm system, the Cardinals will probably still have the best hitter in the division for the next 10+ years.

[bukie]

plus, plus-plus, elite, elite-raw, elite-plus, [expletive] off

They grade on the A+++ to A- scale.

[Guest]

If Baez and Bryant reach into even the 70th percentile of their projection the Cubs are going to have a pretty potent offense for a long time. It's so exciting. If Soler makes it to the 70th the offense could be in the 29 Yankees level good.