AZL Fall League Thread

[ctcf]

For the Cubs it is:

 

Corey Black

David Garner

Pierce Johnson

Rob Zastryzny

Cael Brockmeyer (Taxi Squad)

Wilson Contreras

Jeimer Candelario

Mark Zagunis

 

Here is the full list:

 

Edited October 29, 2015 by ctcf

[ctcf]

Also of note, Myrtle Beach manager Mark Johnson will be managing the Mesa team this year, per Brett's write-up @ Bleachernation (http://www.bleachernation.com/2015/09/01/arizona-fall-league-rosters-announced-and-whoa-cubs-prospect-blowout/)

[Guest]

i'd love to follow this this year but i'm going to be busy watching playoff baseball

[apete6]

Besides the pitchers (and, really, probably including the pitchers), that's just a list of trade bait, right? Not that some of these guys couldn't be very good MLB players, but I would think that the Cubs hope these guys have great AZL seasons to boost trade value.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Besides the pitchers (and, really, probably including the pitchers), that's just a list of trade bait, right? Not that some of these guys couldn't be very good MLB players, but I would think that the Cubs hope these guys have great AZL seasons to boost trade value.

 

Not really. I mean, sure, they could trade them. But Zagunis, Candelario and Contreras are actual prospects. And they are older prospects that aren't top-flight prospects -- guys that had break-out years. They are definitely guys that we want a longer look at against good competition.

[Guest]

Holy crap...Miami is sending Elliot Soto?!?

[davell]

Candelario is definitely there to increase his trade value. He's blocked at the major league level and it's also iffy if he's a definite 40 man add.

[SouthSideRyan]

David Garner isn't a real person.

[davell]

Candelario is definitely there to increase his trade value. He's blocked at the major league level and it's also iffy if he's a definite 40 man add.

 

They're all there to help increase trade value.

 

Good God. Read the rest of what I said. He's blocked and an iffy addition to the 40 man.

[Guest]

Johnson and Contreras are pretty much shoo-ins for a 40 man spot, and Zastryzny, Brockmyer, Garner, and Zagunis are not Rule 5 eligible yet. Black and Candelario are the only ones truly playing for their Cubs future(or trade value, as it were).

[CubsWin]

Besides the pitchers (and, really, probably including the pitchers), that's just a list of trade bait, right? Not that some of these guys couldn't be very good MLB players, but I would think that the Cubs hope these guys have great AZL seasons to boost trade value.

 

Not really. I mean, sure, they could trade them. But Zagunis, Candelario and Contreras are actual prospects. And they are older prospects that aren't top-flight prospects -- guys that had break-out years. They are definitely guys that we want a longer look at against good competition.

"Older" is a relative term so this could just be semantics, but I wouldn't call Candelario who is 21 and doing quite well in AA an older prospect. He's two years young for the Southern League and putting up a line of .294/.366/.462 with 16 walks against 19 Ks in around 170 PAs. I'd describe him as young, actually. I understand the term applying to Zagunis and Contreras a little more easily, but each of those guys are age appropriate for their level as well.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Besides the pitchers (and, really, probably including the pitchers), that's just a list of trade bait, right? Not that some of these guys couldn't be very good MLB players, but I would think that the Cubs hope these guys have great AZL seasons to boost trade value.

 

Not really. I mean, sure, they could trade them. But Zagunis, Candelario and Contreras are actual prospects. And they are older prospects that aren't top-flight prospects -- guys that had break-out years. They are definitely guys that we want a longer look at against good competition.

"Older" is a relative term so this could just be semantics, but I wouldn't call Candelario who is 21 and doing quite well in AA an older prospect. He's two years young for the Southern League and putting up a line of .294/.366/.462 with 16 walks against 19 Ks in around 170 PAs. I'd describe him as young, actually. I understand the term applying to Zagunis and Contreras a little more easily, but each of those guys are age appropriate for their level as well.

 

Yeah, you're right. I meant "older," as in the sense that they aren't, like, Gleyber or Eloy-type young. And Jeimer is also a "older," in the sense that he has been in the system for such a long time.

[Guest]

If anyone cares, the AFL starts today and Pierce Johnson gets the start.

[Guest]

Also, Contreras is batting third for Mesa.

[JennieGarthAlgar]

Contreras really only 175 lbs?

 

If he made it to the majors next year and caught Edwards, they'd have to set some sort of record for lowest combined battery weight, right?

[davell]

@jnorris427: Also, Willson Contreras is a bad man. Squared 99 from Reyes up the box. Also was popping 1.85 in infield. #Cubs

 

I know Candelario went 3/4 yesterday. Other than that, I'll admit to not keeping up too well so far. Johnson pitched, but I literally saw zero tweets on him, so I'm assuming he didn't look good obviously.

[ctcf]

Wilson Contreras is boring?

[davell]

So Contreras has a 2B and a HR today, which is nice.

 

But not remotely comparable to Candelario having a 1B, 2 2B's, and 2 HR's. Jesus.

[mul21]

Yeah, they were both pretty good today.

 

[craig]

Wow, fun to see Candelario so hot. If you add his fall league numbers to his Myrtle and Tennessee stats for the summer, his 2015 composite would now be over .800 OPS, at age 21. With a batting average up around .288, and good K/BB/HR splits.

 

Normally middle not corner is prototype for utility player. But in the hypothetical that he could become decent at LF/1B, a switch-hitting 3B/1B/LF guy could be pretty useful, if he was a pretty professional hitter from both sides. He's got some pretty inconsistent lefty-righty splits, so not clear if he's got a definitively stronger better side.

[Cubswin11]

I've always liked Jeimer but I'm hoping we can parlay his good finish and AFL into something in the offseason where maybe he's not a center piece but definitely the second best piece for something significant

[davell]

Now that the Theo/Jed/Jason regime has been in place for a few years, I am wondering if yoi have noticed a definitive difference between development of players post-Hendry, and pre-Hendry?

 

Are you seeing things in AZ that just were not done previously that are being stressed now? Larger number of coaches? Different drills? Better pitching direction?

 

It is something I asked a couple years ago, but now there has been enough time settle in that I was curious how things have progressed. Thanks.

 

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E-MAN: The Cubs Player

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sat, 10/17/2015 - 12:22pm Permalink

E-MAN: The Cubs Player Development Program has changed in various ways under the new regime.

 

The Cubs now have a "Player Development Plan" for each minor league pitcher and player, which basically lists and explains (in detail) what each individual pitcher or player is trying to accomplish, and the pitcher's or player's development & instruction history up to that point in time. So when a minor league coach or instructor works one-on-one with a particular pitcher or player during the course of Minor League Camp, Extended Spring Training, the minor league regular season, and/or Instructs, the coach or instructor knows exactly what that player is working on, what problems the pitcher or player may be having, and what instruction the player has received from other coaches & instructors.

 

For example, I can recall vividly pitchers & players at Fitch Park back in the day telling me that one coach would tell the pitcher or player one thing, and then a month later another coach would tell him something different, sometimes exactly the opposite. And then the kid would sometimes ask ME(?) for advice (like "What should I do?" or " Who should I listen to?"). Needless to say, a lot of players would end up either getting totally confused, or would just stop listening to everybody and try to go it alone. The lucky ones might find one particular coach or instructor who would become the player's "guru" (so to speak), and that would work (but just for that player or pitcher).

 

Also, the philosophy of instruction varied from coach to coach. Some coaches would yell at players (sort of like a boot camp drill instructor), while others would be almost passive and wait for the player to approach the coach, and then others would just do bizarre stuff. Like I can recall a particular coach who was serving as game manager at Extended Spring Training one year, and he decided to bench players DURING A GAME (by having the player's slot in the batting order get skipped next time up) if the player got called out on strikes. This was not conducive to getting good results. (When you see a slot in the batting order being skipped in a Minor League Camp, EXST, or instructs game , it's usually because a catcher is needed to warm -up a pitcher in the bullpen, or because a player has finished his work for the day, or to get another player an additional AB, and NOT because the player got called out on strikes in his the previous AB!).

 

In addition, the new regime has implemented a sophisticated video (and audio) operation that records everything that happens on the field during games (including Minor League Camp, Extended Spring Training, and Instructs, as well as intrasquad activity & "sim" games, too, and sometimes even BP, infield practice, PFPs, and bullpen side-sessions), and members of the organization can call-up the videos from anywhere at anytime.

 

Minor League Field Coordinator Tim Cossins has made Instructs (I'm talking about the "basic" version, not advanced instruicts) about instruction and not about playing games against other organizations. Time that formally was spent playing games against other organizations is now spent working on drills and playing "sim" games that can be stopped in mid-inning (if necessary) for a "teaching moment." In fact, the Cubs are the only MLB club in Ariziona that does not play "basic" instructs games against other organizations. Every day is "Camp Day," full of instruction without worrying about stopping a drill so that the team can get BP in before the bus leaves for an AZIL game at another ball park. It works so well for the Cubs, I'm surprised more teams don't stop playing AZIL games and spend that time on instruction. (Again, I''m talking about "basic" instructs, not advanced instructs, which is really more of a "junior AFL").

 

The instruction itself has also changed, with more conventional "teaching" techniques, like what would be essentially a unique "lesson plan" for each day, and making the drills more fun for the players by finding more-interesting ways to present a particular drill and teach a particular skill.

 

Players are allowed to fail and make mistakes or errors without being verbally abused, while at the same having the nistake or error addressed by a coach or instructor immediately (instead of waiting for the next day, as happens when players are playing games most every day against other organizations).

 

The Cubs also make use of the auditorium at the Under Armour Performance Center after field work for what would be essentially "classroom" instruction, with use of multi-media to keep it interesting for the players (remember, a lot of these kids are teenagers!)

 

So with a Player Development Plan for each player (where coaches, instructors, and players are now on the "same page"), a video operation that allows members of the Player Development Department (the director, managers, coaches, and instructors) to actually see (in "real" time if desired ) what each player is actualy doing ON THE FIELD, a heightened emphasis on actual field instruction over playing games against other organizations, and classtroom instruction ("mental skills") that's presented in a fun and interesting way, the Cubs Player Development Department is on the cutting edge of professional baseball instruction.

 

While some might say that therefore the Cubs should develop more big league players, the Player Development Department can only do what it can do to help the player reach hisd potential. The player has to do his part, and the Scouting Department has to provide the players to the Player Development Department who have the talent and potential to become MLB players and pitchers.

[davell]

By all means, read my previous post. It's AZPhil talking about the differences from Hendry's regime to now.

 

I honestly didn't even think it was possible to be THAT bad.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Willson Contreras had 2 doubles and a homer yesterday. Candelario hit another homer on Tuesday and didn't play yesterday.

 

So far in AZL Fall League play:

Candelario is 10/15 with 4 doubles and 3 homers. Contreras is 7/19 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 4 walks. Mark Zagunis is only 1/8, but he also has 7 walks.

[Guest]

Willson Contreras had 2 doubles and a homer yesterday. Candelario hit another homer on Tuesday and didn't play yesterday.

 

So far in AZL Fall League play:

Candelario is 10/15 with 4 doubles and 3 homers. Contreras is 7/19 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 4 walks. Mark Zagunis is only 1/8, but he also has 7 walks.

:shock: :good: :lol: