Minor League Musings

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I read something about him on a random site just a few days ago. I guess he was playing in Italy until recently.

 

During Spring Training, MLB prospects played some sort of expo game vs. Team Italy. They liked what they saw from him with the bat and the glove, and inked him.

 

Cool. Thanks for sharing that.

 

I wonder why he was playing in Italy? Much better leagues that pay more with a chance to be seen by scouts. No one scouts baseball players playing in Italy lol.

 

His story is so wild. I'm guessing Europe was the only place he could get paid to play baseball (or best paid for it).

 

He struggled in the minors (was teammates with the likes of Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Tyler Naquin in 2012-13), was cut in 2013, left affiliated ball before being spotted in the Cubs this spring. Glad he found himself on the right side of the 2016 World Series.

[Regular Show]

What could have been...

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[Post Count Padder]

What's Brendan Little's deal? Is he injured? Or is he starting at Eugene? (which would be disappointing).

[texascub]

This is the most recent thing I can find on Little.

 

[wvcbxl]

 

Robel is 26. He probably needs to get the bump to AAA.

 

Huh, I know nothing about Robel Garcia. Is he a real prospect? I went on baseball-reference.com to look up his stats and there's this weird gap from 2013 to the present season. Seems too old to be considered a serious prospect, but he's raking at AA.

I read something about him on a random site just a few days ago. I guess he was playing in Italy until recently.

 

Last year he was with Unipolsai Bologna in the Italian A1 division averaging .281 in 25 games with 3HR. His stats in Italy seem ... average. No idea what the Cubs saw and picked up on.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Brailyn Márquez is the first Cub to make BA’s weekly Prospect Hot Sheets this year: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-mlb-prospects-hot-sheet-52019/?utm_source=BAPR&utm_medium=email

 

7. Brailyn Marquez, LHP, Cubs

Team: Low Class A South Bend (Midwest)

Age: 20

Why He’s Here: 2-0, 1.80, 10 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 12 SO, 3 BB

 

The Scoop: As it turns out, being a lefthander with a mid-90s fastball has its advantages. Marquez, the organization’s top pitching prospect, has whiffed 42 hitters in 30 innings. He has been particularly devastating on lefthanders, whom he’s held to three hits in 9.1 innings while whiffing 16. He still has some control and command issues to iron out, but he holds a ton of promise in his left arm. (JN)

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Christopher Morel made the MLB Pipeline all-prospect team:

 

3B: Christopher Morel, South Bend Cubs (Class A)

(Cubs’ No. 26 prospect)

7 G, .375/.444/.792, 5 R, 3 2B, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 SB

 

The 19-year-old Morel improved his season average from .218 to .252 last week thanks to four multihit performances, including three straight over the weekend. Six of his nine hits went for extra bases, and he tied a bow on his big week on Sunday with a home run, his second in 30 games this season.

 

[Bertz]

 

Good News/Bad News I guess. While Velazquez has hardly been amazing, he's been solid given his age. Similar deal to Morel and Roederer.

 

Really excited to see what Davis can do though, I liked that pick a lot last year.

[CubsWin]

Marquez sitting 96, has touched 97 twice in the early going today.

[CubsWin]

Brennan Davis with an RBI double in his 1st full season at bat.

 

I didn't know that he's the son of Bulls great Reggie Theus.

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https://www.thecubreporter.com/05312019/your-2019-dsl-cubs

 

DSL rosters out...D’Angelo Jimenez and Enrique Wilson are hitting coaches, Jose Lopez is opening there...Is LHP Misael Garcia no longer with the org?...Looks like 2018 IFA LHP Joel Machado is opening his career stateside

Now those are names I haven't heard in awhile. I still think it's wild Enrique Wilson had a .638 career OPS but had a .867 OPS against Pedro during his best years.

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Not Cubs related, but it's funny how Detroit was contemplating taking someone else at #1 in last year's draft like Jarred Kelenic (who is also raking and doing really well). I think Mize is ready to come up right now. The kid has filthy stuff and AA/AAA won't pose a challenge.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Alzolay was second on the BA Hot Sheet this week:

 

2. Adbert Alzolay, RHP, Cubs

Team: Triple-A Iowa (Pacific Coast)

Age: 24

Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.75, 12 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 17 SO, 0 HR

 

The Scoop: Chicago’s No. 6 prospect allowed just one earned run across two starts, completing six innings in back-to-back starts for the first time this season. The righthander was in a groove against Triple-A Round Rock, retiring 16 in a row at one point. He has had good command of his mid-90s fastball, which allowed him to work towards his secondary offerings in order to put hitters away for strikeouts. (JC)

[Bertz]

So with day 1 of the draft in the books, what's the Top 10 look like at this point? Something like this?

 

1. Hoerner

2. Amaya

3. Marquez

4. Alzolay

5. Ademan

6. Davis

7. Roederer

8. Jensen

9. Strumpf

10. T. Miller

 

That's...pretty solid. And there's even a few more guys I tried to find a way to put on the list like Riley Thompson, Cory Abbott, and Nelson Velazquez. It lacks top end talent but I think the farm's finally back to being in decent shape.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA bumped Nico up to 51 in their top 100 prospects today.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[Donzo]

1. Hoerner

2. Alzolay

3. Marquez

4. Amaya

5. Ademan

6. Davis

7. Jensen

8. Roederer

9. Miller

10. Abbott

 

Alzolay gettin' done in AAA is a big plus for me... I pretty much flipped a coin at #10, could have gone a lot of different ways. I still really like Steele, but have to respects Abbott's season so far.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

Guess Tyson Miller can’t win every month. Also felt like Javier Assad was also deserving.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Top 10s?

 

1. Hoerner

2. M. Amaya

3. Márquez

4. Alzolay

5. Ademan

6. B. Davis

7. Miller

8. Roederer

9. Jensen

10. Strumpf

 

Davis obviously is trending way up but it’s still under 50 PA.

[CyHawk_Cub]

Hoerner just needs to keep sitting out and he'll be consensus top 25 before we know it.

[Cubswin11]

Hoerner just needs to keep sitting out and he'll be consensus top 25 before we know it.

Speaking of, is he still not doing any baseball activities or is he down in Arizona or something?

[CyHawk_Cub]

Hoerner just needs to keep sitting out and he'll be consensus top 25 before we know it.

Speaking of, is he still not doing any baseball activities or is he down in Arizona or something?

I haven't seen much news about him since they (finally) determined he had a fracture. I just remain impressed that a guy picked in the 20's w/ not much more than 150 pro PA's is climbing prospect rankings. It's nice to have someone with perhaps some decent perceived trade value in the near future, in case it's needed to make a move.

[We Got The Whole 9]

How long are they gonna leave Brooks in Tennessee for

[Regular Show]

Hoerner just needs to keep sitting out and he'll be consensus top 25 before we know it.

Speaking of, is he still not doing any baseball activities or is he down in Arizona or something?

I haven't seen much news about him since they (finally) determined he had a fracture. I just remain impressed that a guy picked in the 20's w/ not much more than 150 pro PA's is climbing prospect rankings. It's nice to have someone with perhaps some decent perceived trade value in the near future, in case it's needed to make a move.

 

It's not surprising; top prospects at the top of these lists graduate like Vlad Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. and some prospects trend down or underperform. Nico was hitting at AA before he got hurt, reports were excellent in ST and in the AFL and he has real legit tools and great hand-eye coordination. We also have plenty of prospects with "decent perceived trade value" in our system. Teams like Márquez and Amaya and have asked the Cubs about including them in prospective trades.

 

That doesn't mean we have a great farm system (it's slowly improving), but we do have prospects with real trade value.