Random Scout's Take on Top 25 Cubs Prospects (2014)

[UMFan83]

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-insider/2014/02/scout-ranks-cubs-top-25-prospects/

 

Interesting read. To preview, about Baez:

 

Baez has the highest ceiling of any of the Cubs prospects. Elite bat speed with elite power. Gets a bad rap on defense at SS, more than capable of handling.

 

Future Hall of Fame type player or .235 hitter that hits 35HR? A lot has to do with how his approach develops from this point on.

[A New Era]

I thought I heard of chicagonow but I can't read any longer. Stopped at Underwood. Seems like a child wrote it. Spelling mistakes and factual mistakes aplenty. Then rather than, than. Duane Underwood forgotten from the 2011 draft?

[Guest]

I thought I heard of chicagonow but I can't read any longer. Stopped at Underwood. Seems like a child wrote it. Spelling mistakes and factual mistakes aplenty. Then rather than, than. Duane Underwood forgotten from the 2011 draft?

 

Chicagonow is just a platform for a bunch of random Chicago related blogs

 

 

This one was written by Tom Loxas.

 

CubsDen is also on chicagonow.

[toonsterwu]

Loxas didn't claim he wrote it. Said a "scout source" wrote it, and I can buy that a "scout source" rushed through things on an email and might not have all his information on the Cubs prospects correct.

 

As for the list, I can buy it. Nothing, at first glance, that I would be significantly against.

 

On a total side note, are we going to get the rankings list re-started?

[Guest]

Loxas didn't claim he wrote it. Said a "scout source" wrote it, and I can buy that a "scout source" rushed through things on an email and might not have all his information on the Cubs prospects correct.

 

As for the list, I can buy it. Nothing, at first glance, that I would be significantly against.

 

On a total side note, are we going to get the rankings list re-started?

The current poll may need to be run again, but I should be able to get everything back online over the next few days.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm shocked a scout would make grammatical and spelling errors.

[imb]

I'm shocked a scout would make grammatical and spelling errors.

 

I only seen a few

[UK1679666180]

Based on the style of writing, I question that it came from a scout.

[craig]

Sounds like a scout's list with scout's comments, written or verbal, written/revised by Loxas.

 

Also sounds like it's coming from somebody inside the cubs. What scouts outside the Cubs would:

1. have any opinions about Trey Martin?

2. have had multiple conversations with scouts about Jen-Ho Tseng?

3. Be so positive about so many of the Cubs prospects?

[craig]

I actually like listings that source from Cub scouts. Because I think the Cubs talk and think and analyze and know stuff about their people more than anybody else does. And because the opinions the Cubs have most dictate the decisions the Cubs make with regard to their prospects.

 

From that angle, I thought it was encouraging that this guy is so up on young pitchers Blackburn, Underwood, Tseng, and Maples. The Tseng as a 96-mph with good slider/curve/change blend sounds pretty good.

 

The bit about Underwood with a plus-plus curve is also interesting. I don't get that, really, or see how it jives with his performance last summer. Wouldn't you think that a guy with a plus-plus curve would be a swing-and-miss pitcher in Boise? A plus-plus curve should be a good wipeout K-pitch; yet Underwood had very low K-rates. Not sure it really makes sense. Maybe his control is so poor that he just never gets to two-strike counts? Or his curve is so sharp that hitters don't even chase with two strikes, so they all just go for balls?

[Guest]

Rather than start another temporary minor league thread, here is BA's top 31 Cubs prospect list:

 

2013 Ranking in Parenthesis – NR – Not Ranked, NA – Not Available

 

BA Grade and Risk Factor in Parenthesis – Click Here for an explanation of Baseball America’s grade and scale and risk factor

Javier Baez, SS (1, 70, Medium)

Kris Bryant, 3B (NA, 70, Medium)

C.J. Edwards, RHP (NA, 65, High)

Albert Almora, OF (2, 60, Medium)

Jorge Soler, OF (3, 65, Extreme)

Pierce Johnson, RHP (6, 55, High)

Arismendy Alcantara, 2B/SS (10, 55, High)

Jeimer Candelario, 3B (8, 50, High)

Dan Vogelbach, 1B (7, 50, High)

Arodys Vizcaino, RHP (4, 55, Extreme)

Kyle Hendricks, RHP (NR, 45, Low)

Paul Blackburn, RHP (16, 50, High)

Christian Villanueva, 3B (12, 45, Medium)

Mike Olt, 3B (NA, 55, Extreme)

Corey Black, RHP (NA, 50, High)

Eloy Jimenez, OF (NA, 55, Extreme)

Jacob Hannemann, OF (NA, 55, Extreme)

Dillon Maples, RHP (18, 55, Extreme)

Tyler Skulina, RHP (NA, 50, High)

Rob Zastryzny, LHP (NA, 50, High)

Ivan Pineyro, RHP (NA, 45, Medium)

Kyuji Fujikawa, RHP (9, 45, Medium)

Gleyber Torres, SS (NA, 55, Extreme)

Dallas Beeler, RHP (NR, 45, High)

Armando Rivero, RHP (NA, 45, High)

Matt Szczur, OF (14, 45, High)

Zach Cates, RHP (NR, 45, High)

Ben Wells, RHP (NR, 45, High)

Rubi Silva, OF (NR, 50, Extreme)

Danny Lockhart, 2B (NR, 45, High)

Dustin Geiger, 1B (NR, 45, High)

 

 

Baseball America released its top 10 list for the Cubs’ system in November. Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, C.J. Edwards, Albert Almora and Jorge Soler comprised the top five and each of the players found their ways on the individual lists of Baseball America’s editors.

Here’s how the Cubs’ young players fared on the individual top 50 lists:

John Manuel – Javier Baez (5), Kris Bryant (6), C.J. Edwards (23), Albert Almora (46)

Matt Eddy – Javier Baez (7), Kris Bryant (11), C.J. Edwards (39)

J.J. Cooper – Javier Baez (4), Kris Bryant (5), C.J. Edwards (27), Albert Almora (32), Jorge Soler (39)

Ben Badler – Javier Baez (5), Jorge Soler (22), Kris Bryant (23), Albert Almora (31), C.J. Edwards (46)

 

http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2014/02/baseball-americas-top-31-cubs-prospects-2014.php#.UvPx8_ldXa8

[Proven Veteran]

Interesting to see how much they like CJ.

[BeerHere]

Rather than start another temporary minor league thread, here is BA's top 31 Cubs prospect list:

 

2013 Ranking in Parenthesis – NR – Not Ranked, NA – Not Available

 

BA Grade and Risk Factor in Parenthesis – Click Here for an explanation of Baseball America’s grade and scale and risk factor

Javier Baez, SS (1, 70, Medium)

Kris Bryant, 3B (NA, 70, Medium)

C.J. Edwards, RHP (NA, 65, High)

Albert Almora, OF (2, 60, Medium)

Jorge Soler, OF (3, 65, Extreme)

Pierce Johnson, RHP (6, 55, High)

Arismendy Alcantara, 2B/SS (10, 55, High)

Jeimer Candelario, 3B (8, 50, High)

Dan Vogelbach, 1B (7, 50, High)

Arodys Vizcaino, RHP (4, 55, Extreme)

Kyle Hendricks, RHP (NR, 45, Low)

Paul Blackburn, RHP (16, 50, High)

Christian Villanueva, 3B (12, 45, Medium)

Mike Olt, 3B (NA, 55, Extreme)

Corey Black, RHP (NA, 50, High)

Eloy Jimenez, OF (NA, 55, Extreme)

Jacob Hannemann, OF (NA, 55, Extreme)

Dillon Maples, RHP (18, 55, Extreme)

Tyler Skulina, RHP (NA, 50, High)

Rob Zastryzny, LHP (NA, 50, High)

Ivan Pineyro, RHP (NA, 45, Medium)

Kyuji Fujikawa, RHP (9, 45, Medium)

Gleyber Torres, SS (NA, 55, Extreme)

Dallas Beeler, RHP (NR, 45, High)

Armando Rivero, RHP (NA, 45, High)

Matt Szczur, OF (14, 45, High)

Zach Cates, RHP (NR, 45, High)

Ben Wells, RHP (NR, 45, High)

Rubi Silva, OF (NR, 50, Extreme)

Danny Lockhart, 2B (NR, 45, High)

Dustin Geiger, 1B (NR, 45, High)

 

 

Why is Fujikawa on that list?

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

WTF is Fujikawa doing on there.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

He hasn't lost rookie eligibility, I presume.

[craig]

Cates, Lockhart, Beeler, some surprises

[Guest]

He hasn't lost rookie eligibility, I presume.

 

That'd be my guess.

[Guest]

WTF is Fujikawa doing on there.

BA only goes on PA and IP, not on service time for eligibility.

[davell]

I wouldn't rank the older Japanese, Korean, or Cuban guys that come over, period.

 

I honestly don't have Lockhart in my top 50. And considering Silva was decent in AA and without injury concerns, I question why he's listed as extreme. High, I can understand, but I probably would have went with medium, considering I can't see him being anything possibly better than a second division utility guy.

[Guest]

I wouldn't rank the older Japanese, Korean, or Cuban guys that come over, period.

 

I honestly don't have Lockhart in my top 50. And considering Silva was decent in AA and without injury concerns, I question why he's listed as extreme. High, I can understand, but I probably would have went with medium, considering I can't see him being anything possibly better than a second division utility guy.

The Silva ranking is listed as extreme because they give him a starter grade of 50 as his ceiling. He's got that ceiling if he ever learns a lick of plate discipline, but that's extremely unlikely.

[Guest]

He hasn't lost rookie eligibility, I presume.

 

That'd be my guess.

 

No, he has. Tim is right.

 

Joe Mauer was their top prospect back in 2002 despite using up his rookie eligibility the season before.

[SouthSideRyan]

I get that everyone hates Vitters but it seems pretty silly to have Lockhart and Geiger on a list over him

[davell]

I get that everyone hates Vitters but it seems pretty silly to have Lockhart and Geiger on a list over him

 

Geiger at 21 put up an .823 OPS in Daytona, Vitters at the same age was at .770 in Tennessee. Without looking back, if I'm comparing them for their age 21 seasons, my guess is Vitters was still ranked top 10ish in the Cubs system? I honestly have no idea, but he was certainly ranked higher than where they've got Geiger now. My guess is they're sold on Vitters not being able to progress any further, while Geiger hasn't definitively proven that yet to them.

 

Looking at their list, my own top 31 has Neil Ramirez, Duane Underwood, Willson Contreras, Gioskar Amaya, and Daury Torrez in it, instead of Fujikawa, Cates, Beeler, Silva, and Wells(who's 32).

[Guest]

I get that everyone hates Vitters but it seems pretty silly to have Lockhart and Geiger on a list over him

 

Not that I'd include Vitters but Geiger and especially Lockhart are weird inclusions on the list.

[craig]

Geiger has a shot to be a serious HR guy. If he was a name guy or played a defensive position, we might look at his numbers pretty favorably, and his progress.

 

But, he's not a name, and defensively he's a 1B, so his odds are slim. As befits a guy at spot 31. Being RH doesn't help with the Cubs, either.

 

Depends on the HR power, I guess. Last year he hit only 17 HR, which is nice but not a ton; the previous year he'd hit 17 in less than 70% as many AB's. Tennessee is a HR-friendly home park, so if Geiger does continue to improve, and perhaps has a little better luck, I'd not be surprised to see him him 25 HR's this summer. So I understand how BA is interested.

 

But Lockwood, that I don't get at all. Hopefully they and the Cubs know something we don't, and he's going to be a really strong OBP guy going forward while playing snappy defense.