Minor League Musings

[Bertz]

Some context here for some of the higher walk rates at Tenn

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

WTF

 

[CubinNY]

2 hours ago, TomtheBombadil said:

It’s sucks but also has been in the making for a long time. Pretty sure I’ve been calling it since even before the pandemic. The People want Top Prospects, not the nigh unwatchable stuff before that label gets stamped, and Rk ball isn’t where Top Prospects spend much if any time anymore 

One player in the org who may get a boost in perception from this off the top of my head is RHSP Freilyn Silverio. He’ll have started and thrown pro games and innings, maybe more than most same aged peers too, btw 17 and 18 at age appropriate levels. He’ll be the last pitching prospect in the org forever and ever with such an opportunity. Here’s to a solid, healthy, promotable season this year 

What the horsefeathers are you trying to say? 

[CubinNY]

11 hours ago, TomtheBombadil said:

Cool dunk bro, you’ve got hops

Seriously, it makes no sense. How is not having developmental leagues going to help this prospect? What in the world does perception have to do with anything? I don't fully understand the difference between the complex leagues and extended spring training. I'm not sure just playing baseball is that useful for development, so I don't know how I feel about the situation. However, it seems like not a huge cost for owners and may result in a diminished game, and longer development time. 

[Bertz]

 

[CubinNY]

12 minutes ago, Bertz said:

 

Boy, Holliday is off to an incredible start. Baltimore is building a dynasty if the pitching develops. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Details on Márquez, Gray, Ferris, Howard and Hendricks in there.

[Hrubes20]

9 hours ago, CubinNY said:

Boy, Holliday is off to an incredible start. Baltimore is building a dynasty if the pitching develops. 

Just got promoted to High A. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA:

Quote

Jim (Berlin, NJ):

• Strong start of season for Ben Brown. I know SP remains the goal for him but is this the kind of arm that can reinforce the back end of a suspect Cubs bullpen late in 2023?

Geoff Pontes: He could for sure, it's very loud stuff. I hope they follow through on the starting path as he could be a good one. Cubs pitching development has turned a corner.

 

[Bertz]

Brown's probably only good for ~130 innings this year regardless.  So I think coming up in relief in August is probably good from both a development and an MLB-need standpoint

[fromthestretch]

Is Haydn McGeary legit? All the guy does is hit. When do we think he gets a crack at AA?

[Tim]

1 hour ago, grassbass said:

Is Haydn McGeary legit? All the guy does is hit. When do we think he gets a crack at AA?

He was my pick for a surprise breakout this year, so I'm on board. I'll take a guess and say early June for the move up the ladder.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

1 hour ago, grassbass said:

Is Haydn McGeary legit? All the guy does is hit. When do we think he gets a crack at AA?

He's a 1B/DH profile without much pedigree and is 23 so I think the right frame of mind is 'maybe if everything breaks right he's a platoony DH option', but I'm guessing he gets his shot at AA before too much longer.  Tennessee has a combo of people getting that PT that aren't big prospects but aren't complete nobodies(Murray, Ball, Maldonado) so it's a little awkward of a fit, but Murray can fake it at 3B, Maldonado is 26 and already failed AAA, and Ball is playing his way out of the organization to start the year so they'll find room.

[CubinNY]

1 hour ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

He's a 1B/DH profile without much pedigree and is 23 so I think the right frame of mind is 'maybe if everything breaks right he's a platoony DH option', but I'm guessing he gets his shot at AA before too much longer.  Tennessee has a combo of people getting that PT that aren't big prospects but aren't complete nobodies(Murray, Ball, Maldonado) so it's a little awkward of a fit, but Murray can fake it at 3B, Maldonado is 26 and already failed AAA, and Ball is playing his way out of the organization to start the year so they'll find room.

I'm really disappointed about Ball. I was hoping he'd be a Rizzo lite.

[CubinNY]

Ben Brown and Baley Horn promoted to Iowa. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Ronnier Quintero released:

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

This isn’t a FG top prospects list but rather an “imminent big leaguers” list. There’s a lengthy explanation at the start of the link explaining who they talked about:

Quote

Below is an evaluation of the prospects in the Chicago Cubs farm system who readers should consider “imminent big leaguers,” players who might reasonably be expected to play in the majors at some point this year. This includes all prospects on the 40-man roster as well as those who have already established themselves in the upper levels of the minors but aren’t yet rostered. We tend to be more inclusive with pitchers and players at premium positions since their timelines are usually the ones accelerated by injuries and scarcity. Any Top 100 prospects, regardless of their ETA, are also included on this list.

PCA has been pushed down to a 55 FV and Ben Brown has been moved up to a top 100 prospect in FG. 
 

Quote

Lastly, two Top 100 tweaks occur here. First, we’ve slid Pete Crow-Armstrong down an FV grade compared to the offseason Top 100 because of the way his walk rates have progressed as he’s faced more advanced arms. There’s more on that in his blurb. He and Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela are too similar to one another from a tools and warts standpoint to be two full FV tiers apart. PCA hits left-handed and has more present power — enough that there should be a little bit of separation, but not a ton.

Brown, meanwhile, moves into the Top 100. While, like Andrew Abbott, his stuff is the sort that would be aided by the way the tacked ball is enhancing movement in the Southern League, he still has three impact pitches and late-bloomer characteristics that indicate his command might still improve. He was an offseason Pick to Click who has clicked, and he moves toward the back of the 100 next to the host of MLB-ready power arms with long-term relief risk. 

Glad to see Eric Longenhagen getting help again at FG.

[CubinNY]

On 5/5/2023 at 8:00 PM, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Ronnier Quintero released:

 

Was he the big bonus catcher that came in way overweight? 

[Bertz]

I understand what Longenhagen is going for in trying to break the lists into two parts but still feels like he's not going to finish doing every team until after the draft?

[Tim]

10 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

Was he the big bonus catcher that came in way overweight? 

Yep

[CubinNY]

The entire FV stuff is a house of cards and shouldn't be taken as seriously as it is. 

[Hrubes20]

11 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

Was he the big bonus catcher that came in way overweight? 

$2.9 million.  At the time it was the biggest non-Cuban bonus in team history.  

Tough to tell if it was covid-related or not, but that class has been a huge disappointment league-wide. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

10 minutes ago, Hrubes20 said:

$2.9 million.  At the time it was the biggest non-Cuban bonus in team history.  

Tough to tell if it was covid-related or not, but that class has been a huge disappointment league-wide. 

Can’t help when you’re coming to an agreement on 7-figure bonuses with 13-year olds.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Quote

FINWE: Not including rehabbers, the EXST pitcher who looks like he is most-ready for Myrtle Beach is LHP Carlos Garcia. He is stretched out for multiple inning and has been mostly dominating on the mound. 

LHSP Joel Machado is (finally) healthy and has pitched well in EXST games. He is the classic "soft-tossing lefty," with an 86-88 FB, a plus CV, and a decent CH, a mix which should work well against younger hitters in single-A.  

Now that Jackson Ferris has been moved-up to Myrtle Beach, RHSP Luis Rujano (Cubs 2022 13th round pick) is getting stretched out as a SP, and he could possibly get moved-up to the Pelicans at some point this season. 

…

The third position player I will mention is INF Christopher Paciolla, who is leading the team in doubles (my favorite stat at this level). He has a line drive stroke but he also can elevate the ball (he pulled a couple of near-HR in games that curved foul at the last second). He is a smooth / silky defender who almost glides to the ball. As with most all of the non-1B infielders at EXST, the Cubs have been moving Paciolla around between 2B-3B-SS, but I would say his best position is 3B. So if the Cubs do move him up to Myrtle Beach at some point this season, he would probably play mostly 3B there (and maybe occasionally some SS and 2B to promote his defensive versatility).

https://www.thecubreporter.com/comment/275143#comment-275143