Minor League Musings

[CubsWin]

Yeah, Ramos is one hell of a ghost, he managed to stay under the radar for a while because that's the first time I hear about him. Would you have a link to AZ Phil's article? I was a little bit out of the loop last spring (... until September) because I had one hell of a lot of work, and completely missed this guy.

It was in the comment section of an article, I believe in response to a question I had asked him about velocity readings, during spring training or extended spring.

[Regular Show]

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Signed out of Venezuela in 2013, Pereda spent his first four pro seasons in Rookie ball and spent the majority of his time at first base during his introduction to full-season ball in 2017. The Cubs planned on having him repeat low Class A this year, but high Class A Myrtle Beach manager Buddy Bailey lobbied not only to get Pereda but also to make him the Pelicans' regular catcher. He responded by earning Carolina League all-star honors at midseason and outperforming the two other catchers on the Mesa Solar Sox roster during Arizona Fall League play.

 

After totaling five homers with a .625 OPS during his first five years as a pro, Pereda smacked eight homers with a .710 OPS in 2018. He controls the strike zone better than most hitters in Chicago's system and projects to hit for a decent average with more than his share of walks. He also has the strength to provide double-digit home run totals on an annual basis.

 

Pereda's best pure tool is his plus arm strength, which enabled him to throw out 38 percent of basestealers this year. He needs to improve his receiving and framing skills but has made progress in both areas. He moves better than most catchers and doesn't clog up the bases.

 

Not a super exciting profile. His best tool is his arm and apparently scouts aren't impressed with his bat.

[Thunderbolt_47]

It was in the comment section of an article, I believe in response to a question I had asked him about velocity readings, during spring training or extended spring.

 

Okay, thanks, I'll try to google it, but at least I got the key idea.

[Bull]

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Signed out of Venezuela in 2013, Pereda spent his first four pro seasons in Rookie ball and spent the majority of his time at first base during his introduction to full-season ball in 2017. The Cubs planned on having him repeat low Class A this year, but high Class A Myrtle Beach manager Buddy Bailey lobbied not only to get Pereda but also to make him the Pelicans' regular catcher. He responded by earning Carolina League all-star honors at midseason and outperforming the two other catchers on the Mesa Solar Sox roster during Arizona Fall League play.

 

After totaling five homers with a .625 OPS during his first five years as a pro, Pereda smacked eight homers with a .710 OPS in 2018. He controls the strike zone better than most hitters in Chicago's system and projects to hit for a decent average with more than his share of walks. He also has the strength to provide double-digit home run totals on an annual basis.

 

Pereda's best pure tool is his plus arm strength, which enabled him to throw out 38 percent of basestealers this year. He needs to improve his receiving and framing skills but has made progress in both areas. He moves better than most catchers and doesn't clog up the bases.

 

Not a super exciting profile. His best tool is his arm and apparently scouts aren't impressed with his bat.

 

So he's David Ross? Is he also an awful teammate?

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

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Signed out of Venezuela in 2013, Pereda spent his first four pro seasons in Rookie ball and spent the majority of his time at first base during his introduction to full-season ball in 2017. The Cubs planned on having him repeat low Class A this year, but high Class A Myrtle Beach manager Buddy Bailey lobbied not only to get Pereda but also to make him the Pelicans' regular catcher. He responded by earning Carolina League all-star honors at midseason and outperforming the two other catchers on the Mesa Solar Sox roster during Arizona Fall League play.

 

After totaling five homers with a .625 OPS during his first five years as a pro, Pereda smacked eight homers with a .710 OPS in 2018. He controls the strike zone better than most hitters in Chicago's system and projects to hit for a decent average with more than his share of walks. He also has the strength to provide double-digit home run totals on an annual basis.

 

Pereda's best pure tool is his plus arm strength, which enabled him to throw out 38 percent of basestealers this year. He needs to improve his receiving and framing skills but has made progress in both areas. He moves better than most catchers and doesn't clog up the bases.

 

Not a super exciting profile. His best tool is his arm and apparently scouts aren't impressed with his bat.

 

So he's David Ross? Is he also an awful teammate?

I'd rather he was Marmol.

[Hrubes20]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/MinorLeagueBall/status/1068263187680817154[/tweet]

[Cubswin11]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/MinorLeagueBall/status/1068263187680817154[/tweet]

That sucks. Minor League Ball/Sickels was one of my favorite sites for reading up on our minor leaguers and other teams, I really liked the format and was my go to when just searching for a teams top ~20 list to read the write ups. Hopefully someone hires Sickels and he can basically replicate minor league ball on their site.

[Cubswin11]

[JeffH]

Jim Adduci is back?

 

All is right with the world!

[Bear Cub]

Wow, a bunch of minor league signings.

[Post Count Padder]

I remember Zagurski pitching for the Dbacks and Phillies way back. He's also in my 2008 Baseball Mogul (because it was free).

 

He's lasted a long time for someone who has barely pitched in the majors.

[Cubswin11]

I could see Mills ending up being something like a Randy Wells/Jason Hammel type useful starter at some point. Peak year(s) in the 2-3 win range for a few years maybe. He’s not horrible depth as our 7/8/9th starter.

 

[Cubswin11]

After the great Chatwood debacle I’ll never truly trust spin rate meaning much or that we as an org know how to make it work and translate it to on field success like the Astros certainly are. But cool to see with one of our prospects grading so well against big leaguers, I guess.

 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Spin Rate is stolen bases for nerds, a secondary skill that is undeniably positive, but weighted way too highly by enthusiasts

[Cubswin11]

Spin Rate is stolen bases for nerds, a secondary skill that is undeniably positive, but weighted way too highly by enthusiasts

I very much think this is the case too. But like I said, it's still cool to see we have a guy in the system ranked so well in it with a pitch if it gives him even a little bit of a boost or is something that can be worked with to maximize his effectiveness.

[d_money]

Spin Rate is stolen bases for nerds, a secondary skill that is undeniably positive, but weighted way too highly by enthusiasts

I very much think this is the case too. But like I said, it's still cool to see we have a guy in the system ranked so well in it with a pitch if it gives him even a little bit of a boost or is something that can be worked with to maximize his effectiveness.

Spin rate doesn’t necessarily correlate with control, or lack thereof - in Chatwoods case.

[Hrubes20]

After the great Chatwood debacle I’ll never truly trust spin rate meaning much or that we as an org know how to make it work and translate it to on field success like the Astros certainly are. But cool to see with one of our prospects grading so well against big leaguers, I guess.

 

 

Didn't someone on here already throw out a Mike Minor comp for Steele, when talking about his potential impact out of the pen?

[Bear Cub]

Cubs Spring Instructs. started yesterday.

[Hrubes20]

Cubs Spring Instructs. started yesterday.

 

Thanks for the reminder. I had spaced that they pushed back the Instructs a few months this year. Here's hoping we get some glowing reports from AzPhil. I would specifically take one about Richard Gallardo sitting 95+.

[jersey cubs fan]

MLB.com listed the hardest thrower in each system and picked Marquez:

 

Cubs: Brailyn Marquez, LHP, (Cubs No. 4)

Marquez's $600,000 bonus represented the most money given to a left-handed pitcher during the 2015-16 international signing period, and the Dominican has since emerged as one of the Cubs' top pitching prospects. He's not quite the hardest thrower in their system, but his combination of velocity (93-99 mph), running action and command makes him one of the best.

 

I’m still super leery of that command comment, not the first time I’ve seen it. I just don’t believe guys with strong fastball command at his ages and levels of comp are giving up HRs like he has or popping off 5+ ERAs in Rk ball.

 

I’d be happy to be wrong, but obviously suspect I'm not. I expect Richard Gallardo to swiftly pass him as the system’s highest regarded/most ballyhooed upside ceiling potential development arm.

 

Speaking of Gallardo, have I mentioned he’s going to be one of the good ones? No Ryan Kellogg! If you want to see an extremely young guy with fastball command...That hard stuff up and soft stuff down approach is going to translate. I think he ends up somewhere around a well engineered 6’3” 220 of power pitcher.

what?

[Hrubes20]

MLB.com listed the hardest thrower in each system and picked Marquez:

 

Cubs: Brailyn Marquez, LHP, (Cubs No. 4)

Marquez's $600,000 bonus represented the most money given to a left-handed pitcher during the 2015-16 international signing period, and the Dominican has since emerged as one of the Cubs' top pitching prospects. He's not quite the hardest thrower in their system, but his combination of velocity (93-99 mph), running action and command makes him one of the best.

 

I’m still super leery of that command comment, not the first time I’ve seen it. I just don’t believe guys with strong fastball command at his ages and levels of comp are giving up HRs like he has or popping off 5+ ERAs in Rk ball.

 

I’d be happy to be wrong, but obviously suspect I'm not. I expect Richard Gallardo to swiftly pass him as the system’s highest regarded/most ballyhooed upside ceiling potential development arm.

 

Speaking of Gallardo, have I mentioned he’s going to be one of the good ones? No Ryan Kellogg! If you want to see an extremely young guy with fastball command...That hard stuff up and soft stuff down approach is going to translate. I think he ends up somewhere around a well engineered 6’3” 220 of power pitcher.

what?

 

Didn't quite understand that one either. That's MLB.com for you.

[Cubswin11]

MLB.com listed the hardest thrower in each system and picked Marquez:

 

Cubs: Brailyn Marquez, LHP, (Cubs No. 4)

Marquez's $600,000 bonus represented the most money given to a left-handed pitcher during the 2015-16 international signing period, and the Dominican has since emerged as one of the Cubs' top pitching prospects. He's not quite the hardest thrower in their system, but his combination of velocity (93-99 mph), running action and command makes him one of the best.

 

I’m still super leery of that command comment, not the first time I’ve seen it. I just don’t believe guys with strong fastball command at his ages and levels of comp are giving up HRs like he has or popping off 5+ ERAs in Rk ball.

He had a low 3 and sub 3 era in two levels in 2018 that are above RK ball that he was in, in 2017. So idk why RK ball carries more weight when he’s been better more recently at higher levels (he was also 17/18 years old in RK ball). He’s only given up 9 HRs in ~155 minor league innings, idk that doesn’t seem like a red flag number and he’s had a BB/9 around 2.5 +/- at every stop the last 3 years. His command seems to be pretty good and certainly adequate for someone with his velo and age.

[Hrubes20]

https://www.mlb.com/news/2019-top-10-catching-prospects-in-mlb/c-302736382

 

1. Joey Bart, Giants (2021)

2. Francisco Mejia, Padres (2019)

3. Keibert Ruiz, Dodgers (2020)

4. Sean Murphy, A's (2019)

5. Danny Jansen, Blue Jays (2019)

6. Ronaldo Hernandez, Rays (2021)

7. Miguel Amaya, Cubs (2021)

8. Daulton Varsho, D-backs (2020)

9. M.J. Melendez, Royals (2021)

10. Andrew Knizner, Cardinals (2019)

 

I don't know why I forget Joey Bart is a thing. He's gonna be a good one.

[imb]

its really hard to get too excited about the 7th best catching prospect in the minors when there arent even 7 good catchers in the major leagues

[CaliforniaRaisin]

its really hard to get too excited about the 7th best catching prospect in the minors when there arent even 7 good catchers in the major leagues

 

Meh. He’s 19 and was in A-ball so his ranking amongst the best catchers throughout the minors is pretty meaningless. He can easily skyrocket towards the top of the list after anothe season or two with the hope he’s an all-star caliber catcher or he’ll end up being a defense-first backup catcher. Too many variables when you’re that far away at that position to be meaningfully compared to fellow minor leaguers.