Cubs 2015 #18 Prospect

[Tim]

Make your choice for the Cubs 2015 #18 prospect.

 

Cast votes for the players you think would be deserving at #18. You can vote for up to two players. This is done because at this point, there will start to be greater diversity in whom people may feel is deserving. Voting for multiple players helps to gain greater resolution in the voting when there are many choices and relatively few voters. Ideally, the votes would be weighted, but that isn't possible with the board software.

 

If you want to have a player added to the list, please say so.

 

#1 Kris Bryant

#2 Addison Russell

#3 Jorge Soler

#4 Kyle Schwarber

#5 CJ Edwards

#6 Billy McKinney

#7 Gleyber Torres

#8 Albert Almora

#9 Pierce Johnson

#10 Duane Underwood

#11 Jen-Ho Tseng

#12 Jake Stinnett

#13 Mark Zagunis

#14 Eloy Jimenez

#15 Dan Vogelbach

#16 Carson Sands

#17 Victor Caratini

[Guest]

I'm gonna be voting for Steele until June, aren't I

[rawaction]

I'm gonna be voting for Rivero until June, aren't I

[Guest]

I'm starting to feel like Kyle with all these votes for Rivero.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Steele. He's only a smidge behind Sands.

[toonsterwu]

I voted (not in any order)

 

a) Candelario - Last vote, I threw him in there as a spur of the moment thing. More I think about it, more I'm comfortable with putting him here. Sure, he may never tap into his offensive potential, and sure, he hasn't exactly shined enough to really get excited about. Still ... most acknowledge that the offensive potential that was clamored about in Rookie ball is still there, and he is only 21 in A+. At a certain point, he has to have the performance to justify being someone of interest. I don't think he's necessarily at that point in his career where potential is less intriguing than performance history, though, and thus, I like the profile here as a mid-teens positional asset.

 

b) Rivero - To be honest, I think I keep finding ways to push him down because he is a pen arm. He's a good pen arm, unless I missed something this spring, and he's ahead of a guy like Corey Black for the pen. He feels like he has solid late inning potential, unlike some other righty arms in the system that feel like guys who would top out as 7th inning types.

 

I keep wondering

 

i) Will Trey Martin ever break out? It looks like he should have a decent shot at PT in SB. It seems like people are still intrigued with him. IIRC, the criticism on his bat was that it was more of a slashing swing that didn't generate much power. I'll be curious until there's no reason to be curious. This is sort of make-or-break for him - all the potential in the world doesn't takeaway the fact that he's 22.

 

ii) Is it fair to put Szczur up there based off the spring? This is my issue with late rankings - we have the spring to look back upon, but prior to the spring ... I'm not sure he would be in the top 20 for most. Look, if this Szczur is real ... he's a top 10-ish guy - the guy Jim Hendry thought he could be, the guy they hope Jacob Hannemann can develop into. I get the votes for him, but I'm sticking with a pre-Spring attitude for the voting.

 

iii) I think Jeffrey Baez will get CF time in SB. I mean, his competition is Martin basically, and they can find a way for them to all get time (and I guess Crawford ... I guess it's possible they just have Crawford/Martin for CF and keep Baez in a corner role, but my guess is they'll give him some time there. Maybe I'm wrong ... and I haven't followed spring news (can't get AzPhil here ... for some reason, TCR blocks me from here). If I thought for one moment Jeffrey Baez could play CF long run, I would love to rank him higher. I think he might be the guy with the most under-appreciated tool in the system. His power, by most accounts, is legit.

[craig]

I wanted to give Raw, Tiger, and Duck all some support for their guys! I voted Rivero and Steele.

 

I think I'm in a pitcher groove for a while. I'll probably be voting for guys like Zastrysny, Cease, and Torrez, maybe Clifton, Norwood, and Skulina too if they start the season strong, before I get around to any position guys like Szczur, Baez, or Candelario.

 

I'm a big believer in the value of good relievers, so no hesitation on Rivero based on his role. I'm a big believer in the value of 4th outfielders and 5th infielders. They play. I admit for Szczur I'm still not feeling like his upside is more than a 5th outfielder. Perhaps I'm underselling him. Maybe I'm just jaded by 116 games of .626 OPS in the hitter-friendly PCL.

[sneakypower]

sneakypower[/url]"]Szczur and Rivero

[Bilbo161]

I voted (not in any order)

 

ii) Is it fair to put Szczur up there based off the spring? This is my issue with late rankings - we have the spring to look back upon, but prior to the spring ... I'm not sure he would be in the top 20 for most. Look, if this Szczur is real ... he's a top 10-ish guy - the guy Jim Hendry thought he could be, the guy they hope Jacob Hannemann can develop into. I get the votes for him, but I'm sticking with a pre-Spring attitude for the voting.

 

You are right, if this Szczur is real he would be in the top ten. That is the reason he is at 17. I think the changes to his swing are real and he is just getting used to the changes and he appears to like it, but am not willing to believe the spring stats mean he is a top 10 guy. He was already a good cfer defensively and a good base-runner, all he needed was a bit more power. I say he found it.

 

I voted Szczur then Rivero, but not really sure one of the starting pitcher candidates shouldn't replace the reliever. If Rivero had a chance to start I would be more comfortable with him.

[Cubswin11]

I went Szczur and Jeimer

[ScrubMD]

Szczur's like 40.

[Guest]

I think Szczur is getting some type of a reverse discrimination sort of thing going on here. A few of those guys ahead of him in the rankings are never going to see a major league roster. He should be in the 11-15 range somewhere.

[Guest]

Matt Szczur is almost 26 and had a .626 OPS in his only time at AAA. I'm hoping the swing changes he's made this spring will make the difference for him, but it's not a bit irrational to not consider him close to the Top 15 in this system.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

but it's not a bit irrational to not consider him not

[Guest]

ugh, words. Fixed.

[treebird]

but it's not a bit irrational to not consider him not

that's the best triple negative i've seen since that time my buddy called his doctor and asked for his hiv status, what the charge of an electron is, and whether she'd go on a date with him

[Post Count Padder]

Black and Rivero. I like Black's upside, but what do I know?

 

I really don't get the sudden Sczcur love. He did have a great ST but he wouldn't even be in discussion right now if not for that. Maybe he can be a decent 4th OF but I think that's his best case scenario.

[CubsWin]

Run off time?

[Guest]

Nah, Rivero won by one.

 

I'll get the next one up in a few hours.