Fangraphs/BP/BA Cubs Top Prospects List

[Transmogrified Tiger]

This is worth its own thread: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/evaluating-the-prospects-chicago-cubs/

[Sammy Sofa]

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me9pu71FSK1qjjr39o1_500.gif

[Guest]

The Cubs rebuild has methodical, but it’s almost over. After spending the last few years collecting prospects and building up an internal base of talent, the Cubs are on the verge of being one of the best teams in baseball. Sequencing aside, they played like a .500 team this year, and there’s some serious talent that will contribute in 2015 that should only make the team better. If the Cubs make a few notable Major League acquisitions, as is expected, they could very easily be legitimate contenders for the NL Central next year, and if their group prospects develop at a normal rate, they will probably be the favorites for the title in 2016. And perhaps for quite a while after that. The Cubs are going to be really good, and it might happen as early as next year.

 

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[Guest]

Things that stood out to me:

 

- "Bryant’s raw power is anywhere from a 70 to 80 for scouts and he creates it with strength, bat speed, long levers and a high finish without having to create length to his bat path like many other sluggers."

 

- Another data point that Russell's best position may be 3B, this time with some concerns about his throwing mechanics.

 

- Pierce Johnson: potential closer got my attention

 

- Wat (first I've heard of this): "Stinnett had a freak accident in Arizona on a funky hop from a fungo during PFP (pitcher fielding practice) hit him in the nuts; he needed surgery and nearly lost his testicle but I’m told he has a good sense of humor about the episode."

 

- "Candelario is solid at third with a plus arm"

 

- Another data point with Sands rated higher than Steele, even though the Steele mention is kind/optimistic to his velocity

 

- I thought Zagunis was considered a pretty solid defensive prospect, but more and more he sounds like a work in progress just like Caratini

[Hairyducked Idiot]

#$#@$ there's just no reason this team shouldn't be good next year. So much talent.

[Guest]

#$#@$ there's just no reason this team shouldn't be good next year. So much talent.

 

what's scary is that that's just next year

[Sammy Sofa]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m07magDNqN1qagxjco1_500.png

[Guest]

hahaha perfect

[Guest]

Lousy Smarch weather.

 

And oh man, Jake Stinnett's nut.

[Guest]

minor gripe here, but it seems kylie missed that schwarber did, indeed, catch a bit professionally this year.

[Gilby]

minor gripe here, but it seems kylie missed that schwarber did, indeed, catch a bit professionally this year.

 

I also thought that last paragraph about Bryant was kind of weird. Castro or Russell can't just move to 3B apparently.

[Guest]

minor gripe here, but it seems kylie missed that schwarber did, indeed, catch a bit professionally this year.

 

I also thought that last paragraph about Bryant was kind of weird. Castro or Russell can't just move to 3B apparently.

 

Especially since in literally the next writeup he talks about Russell filling an organizational hole at 3B because Bryant may not stick there.

[mul21]

I like the fact that the guy who just OPSed .903 in the majors is #3 on his prospect list.

[bukie]

36 names on that list, and it doesn't include Rizzo, Castro, Castillo, Arrieta, Straily, Strop, Turner, Rondon or Grimm .

[Guest]

36 names on that list, and it doesn't include Rizzo, Castro, Castillo, Arrieta, Straily, Strop, Turner, Rondon or Grimm .

 

stop before i have to start using NWS gifs

[TruffleShuffle]

i forgot that kiley mcdaniel was doing fangraphs' prospect stuff now, and as i was reading i was thinking "jeez this is way more insightful than fangraphs' usual prospect stuff."

[Sammy Sofa]

36 names on that list, and it doesn't include Rizzo, Castro, Castillo, Arrieta, Straily, Strop, Turner, Rondon or Grimm .

 

stop before i have to start using NWS gifs

 

No need to be a creep.

 

http://netdna.tvovermind.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/andy-dwyer-gifs-10.gif

[davell]

We can shut it down. No one else will come close to that much insight in a review of our prospects. Not that we didn't know it, but exciting to read it anyway.

 

Man, I think BP is alone in their love for Tseng.

[SouthSideRyan]

We can shut it down. No one else will come close to that much insight in a review of our prospects. Not that we didn't know it, but exciting to read it anyway.

 

Man, I think BP is alone in their love for Tseng.

 

#bleachernation

[toonsterwu]

That was a good read, and probably better than some of the paid stuff I've seen in the past.

 

- I really am fascinated with Caratini (in retrospect, I might've been too giddy at the trade deadline, as looking back at my post then, I don't know if I love him that much). Fascinated that Kiley put him 13th ... and yet ... says there won't even be average power (and I don't know projections that put him as a high average hitter). IIRC, there were some power projections out of college ... and I believe that while with Atlanta last year, his away line actually showed a decent ISOP. I actually don't know if I would have such a big gap between Caratini and Zagunis/Contreras, as Kiley seems to have a big gap there. Awful nice to see some interesting hitting prospects, and I'll be curious if Caratini's bat can take a step forward in, what I presume to be, Myrtle Beach next year.

 

- Vogelbach at 11 sort of has me a bit surprised. Not ... shocked ... but while I haven't pondered the system in a long time, wasn't certain I would think of him as top 11.

 

- I sort of found it interesting that Mejia and Tseng were ranked back to back - a huge upside arm vs. a high floor pitchability guy. His velocities on Tseng seem a bit better than what BA had, off the top, and those numbers ... you can sort of see a fringe mid-rotation arm if things fall right.

 

- Curious about the massive differences in Zastryzny's reported velocities. IIRC (and I might be off), didn't he start slow and finish sort of ... okay/solid?

 

- So can someone tell me if Trey Martin's swing is still a slap-happy, flat-ish swing, as that was what I recalled of him. If he's made some swing changes, I'll be fascinated how the offense plays. Curious if he goes to South Bend or bumps up to Myrtle.

 

- I really didn't know Perakslis hit 97 late in the year. Kept wondering what kept him interesting enough to get innings and work ... and that sounds interesting.

 

- On a personal curiosity note, I would be very curious what type of trade value Kiley thinks Marco Hernandez has (more, what Kiley means by it). I was really fascinated with him, and the few reports I've seen of late seem to still suggest he has what made me intrigued with him (solid to good defensively, and a bat with some potential), but it's really hard for me to imagine him as a key piece to ... anything ... unless he breaks out at some point.

 

Good read. Wonder how Kiley being at fangraphs will end up impacting the other services and their reports (guessing not much, as they have established brands, but still, they could parcel out a bit more stuff for free without really denting things. I recall when they used to give a couple top prospect reports at BA a long time ago ... the Angel Guzman one comes to mind).

[Guest]

BP will release their Cubs top 10 tomorrow. BA's list goes live January 5th.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

who's in charge of BP now?

[Guest]

who's in charge of BP now?

 

Nick Faleris is doing the Cubs list. It appears they're going with a strategy similar to BA's with different staff doing different teams' lists.

[Guest]

Craig Goldstein ‏@cdgoldstein 1m1 minute ago

The Cubs Top 10 comes out at BP tomorrow and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at where Junior Lake lands (hint, it's a single digit)

[SouthSideRyan]

Craig Goldstein ‏@cdgoldstein 1m1 minute ago

The Cubs Top 10 comes out at BP tomorrow and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at where Junior Lake lands (hint, it's a single digit)

 

And that was the last time anyone followed BP on twitter