Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 4-27-17

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa won 9-7 Box Score

 

CF I. Happ 1/2, R, HR (8), 5 RBI, 2 BB, K

RF-1B C. Young 0/4, 2 K

2B T. La Stella 1/4, RBI

3B-1B J. Candelario 0/2, BB, HBP

C V. Caratini 0/4, 2 K

LF M. Zagunis 1/3, R, HR (5), RBI, BB

RF B. Rademacher 1/1, 2 R, 3B (1), 2 RBI, BB

SP J. Buchanan 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 6-3 GO-FO, 87-54 pitches-strikes

RP J. Rosario 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 22 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 2-0 GO-FO

RP R. Williams 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2-0 GO-FO

RP F. Peña 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2-0 GO-FO

 

Tennessee lost 4-2 (10 innings) Box Score

 

LF C. Burks 2/5, R, RBI, SB (6)

CF J. Hannemann 0/3, 2 BB, K, SB (2), CS (1)

2B D. Bote 0/4, BB, K

RF Je. Baez 0/3, outfield assist at third base

SS C. Penalver 2/4, R

SP T. Clifton 5.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 8-3 GO-FO, 91-58 pitches-strikes

RP B. Markey 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 3-2 GO-FO

RP D. Berg 1+ IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 1-2 GO-FO

 

Myrtle Beach won 4-0 Box Score

 

2B B. Flete 1/3, 2B (2), 1 RBI, BB

DH PJ Higgins 2/4, R

1B T. Alamo 1/4

3B J. Hodges 1/3, R, HR (3), RBI

SP A. Alzolay 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 8-6 GO-FO, 87-61 pitches-strikes

RP D. Maples 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 1-1 GO-FO

RP C. Brooks 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GO-FO

 

South Bend won 5-1 Box Score

 

DH Z. Short 0/3, R, BB, SB (4)

2B Y. Peguero 1/4, 2 K, CS (3)

SS I. Paredes 0/2, 2 BB, K

3B W. Galindo 1/1 - left game after 3 innings

RF C. Pieters 2/3, 2 R, HR (2), 2 RBI, K, HBP

LF K. Mitchell 1/4, R, 2 K

1B J. Pereda 1/4, K

CF DJ Wilson 0/4, 3 K

SP T. Miller 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 2-3 GO-FO, 75-44 pitches-strikes

RP P. Silverio 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 2-2 GO-FO

RP C. Hockin 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1-0 GO-FO

[ctcf]

FOLKS, this is the first year in a while where I look at the lineups and recognize maybe half the names there. It's a strange sensation to be sure.

 

What are some relative newcomers you like/are dreaming on?

[davell]

About time you showed back up here man!

 

In Iowa, Chesny Young has turned himself into a likely ML player. Bench bat for us, but a possible La Stella type. Not sure you'd have caught that, even if you know the name.....

 

For Tennessee, Trevor Clifton(borderline top 100 guy) is our best hope as far as becoming our first starting pitcher to be drafted by Theo. Maybe a Hammel type career?

 

Figure you know the upper levels a bit better, so a few more players for MB and SB....

 

Myrtle Beach

 

Adbert Alzolay- smallish SP, good velocity, future pen arm.

Thomas Hatch- top pick last year, pushed to high A already, which says we obviously like the guy

Oscar De La Cruz- big guy, big velo, solid upside. Borderline top 100 guy currently.

Carlos Sepulveda- Small MI, great contact skills, solid defender, young for the level.

 

South Bend

 

Dylan Cease- you know him. He's finally in full season ball and throwing darts, but has a blindfold on at times.

Dakota Mekkes- giant eighty, low slotted delivery is VERY deceptive. Future ML reliever. Just gave up 1st HIT of year, after 11 hitless innings.

Wladimir Galindo- Has power and learning discipline. Defense on a corner infield split seems iffy.

Isaac Paredes- only 18 and in full season ball. Very advanced, evaluators question if his body is kind of maxed out, meaning early bloomer. Too early to say, but he's looked like a steal so far. Easy to be excited on him.

 

Plenty more guys in EXST, but these are guys I'd say have turned heads. Not bringing up the Eloys and Happs, or even the Zagunis or Candelario types, because I know you know them.

 

Solid system currently and back on the upswing. Eloy and Happ are top 10 and top 50 guys respectively. Cease is top 100. De La Cruz, Clifton, and Candelario each made a top 100 list over the off season. Have some exciting guys in EXST, Jose Albertos(pitcher) and maybe Aramis Ademan(SS). Development going normal this year, the addition of 2 1st round picks, its probably 50/50 the system moves from middle of the pack back to top 10.

[ctcf]

Thanks davell! I've been super bad about visiting this year. Just got out of the habit, I suppose.

 

I'm happy to say I recognize all the names on that list, which certainly makes me feel better. I've been a little disappointed with Hatch's performance at MB, but otherwise it's been a decent season for those listed.

[Donzo]

About time you showed back up here man!

 

Myrtle Beach

 

Adbert Alzolay- smallish SP, good velocity, future pen arm.

Thomas Hatch- top pick last year, pushed to high A already, which says we obviously like the guy

Oscar De La Cruz- big guy, big velo, solid upside. Borderline top 100 guy currently.

Carlos Sepulveda- Small MI, great contact skills, solid defender, young for the level.

 

South Bend

 

Dylan Cease- you know him. He's finally in full season ball and throwing darts, but has a blindfold on at times.

Dakota Mekkes- giant eighty, low slotted delivery is VERY deceptive. Future ML reliever. Just gave up 1st HIT of year, after 11 hitless innings.

Wladimir Galindo- Has power and learning discipline. Defense on a corner infield split seems iffy.

Isaac Paredes- only 18 and in full season ball. Very advanced, evaluators question if his body is kind of maxed out, meaning early bloomer. Too early to say, but he's looked like a steal so far. Easy to be excited on him.

 

Plenty more guys in EXST, but these are guys I'd say have turned heads. Not bringing up the Eloys and Happs, or even the Zagunis or Candelario types, because I know you know them.

 

Solid system currently and back on the upswing. Eloy and Happ are top 10 and top 50 guys respectively. Cease is top 100. De La Cruz, Clifton, and Candelario each made a top 100 list over the off season. Have some exciting guys in EXST, Jose Albertos(pitcher) and maybe Aramis Ademan(SS). Development going normal this year, the addition of 2 1st round picks, its probably 50/50 the system moves from middle of the pack back to top 10.

 

Nice go to checklist.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Chesny Young is a homeless man's version of La Stella, if that homeless man was wheelchair bound too.

[davell]

Chesny Young is a homeless man's version of La Stella, if that homeless man was wheelchair bound too.

 

?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Chesny Young is a non-prospect. La Stella can hit and hit with some pop, Young can not.

[davell]

Chesny Young is a non-prospect. La Stella can hit and hit with some pop, Young can not.

 

A non prospect? So, you think he's never making the majors......Or you don't know what NP implies.(and I know you do)

[David]

Chesny Young is a non-prospect. La Stella can hit and hit with some pop, Young can not.

 

A non prospect? So, you think he's never making the majors......Or you don't know what NP implies.(and I know you do)

 

If someone is a replacement level major leaguer at best who might one day get a call from AAA for an injury or something, you're saying that's a prospect?

[davell]

La Stella isn't nearly good enough to even have less than a poor mans version of. And I used the words "possible" and "type".

 

Can Young put up a .750 OPS in the majors? Doubtful. .700? I'd say yeah, but it'll be more BA and OBP driven than SLG. I think that's close enough to be a "type" of La Stella, since Young can move around a bit on the dirt, has a good eye, and makes good contact-just as Seal Boy.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Chesny Young is a non-prospect. La Stella can hit and hit with some pop, Young can not.

 

A non prospect? So, you think he's never making the majors......Or you don't know what NP implies.(and I know you do)

 

Young will not play in the majors in any meaningful capacity. I'm not going to say he never spends a day on an MLB roster through some circumstance, but he's not someone who is at all a consideration for roster construction.

 

La Stella isn't nearly good enough to even have less than a poor mans version of. And I used the words "possible" and "type".

 

Can Young put up a .750 OPS in the majors? Doubtful. .700? I'd say yeah, but it'll be more BA and OBP driven than SLG. I think that's close enough to be a "type" of La Stella, since Young can move around a bit on the dirt, has a good eye, and makes good contact-just as Seal Boy.

 

La Stella hit .320/.402/.467/.869 as a minor leaguer. Young hasn't gotten past AAA yet and is at .307/.375/.379/.755(very similar, if slightly worse, than La Stella's combined AAA line). When your only talent is your hit tool, you still need enough pop to force high level pitchers to take you seriously or else your walk rate plummets too. Maybe Young has another adjustment in him, but you're seeing this already with him at Iowa, .244 average and sub-5% walk rate thus far.

[davell]

Chesny Young is a non-prospect. La Stella can hit and hit with some pop, Young can not.

 

A non prospect? So, you think he's never making the majors......Or you don't know what NP implies.(and I know you do)

 

If someone is a replacement level major leaguer at best who might one day get a call from AAA for an injury or something, you're saying that's a prospect?

 

 

Young is the 16th rated guy in our system by BA. I'm far from sure Young is just a replacement level guy and I'm fairly sure he'll have more of a ML career than what you're saying. Doubt its with us, but he's a major leaguer.

[davell]

TT, I'm not concerned about a sub-100 PA sample size. If he's not over .750 in Iowa at the end of the year, I'll likely hedge my bets somewhat here.....But, he's been a year younger than TLS at each level too. Again, I don't think he's got Seal Boys pop. But, I do believe in the hit tool. He's going to have an actual ML career.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

But the slash line TT cited isn't a small sample, it's the entirety of his minor league career. His small sample size results in AAA are considerably worse.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

TT, I'm not concerned about a sub-100 PA sample size. If he's not over .750 in Iowa at the end of the year, I'll likely hedge my bets somewhat here.....But, he's been a year younger than TLS at each level too. Again, I don't think he's got Seal Boys pop. But, I do believe in the hit tool. He's going to have an actual ML career.

 

.750 is what he barely managed at AA. Using La Stella as a guide, this type of profile has descending production as they ascend levels.

 

I'd expect something like a .280/.333/.350 line at Iowa for Young. Is that enough to buy him a summer or two as some non-contender's last man on the bench? Maybe. But no one would plan on that, even as a cost saving measure, and his inability to play a MLB SS hurts those prospects a lot too. Think of the trouble that La Stella has had staying on an MLB roster with a far superior bat and left handedness, Young is a guy who has zero hope of being an MLB regular, can't play SS at the MLB level, and isn't going to hit any better than a reserve C/SS/CF at best. He's cannon fodder.

[jersey cubs fan]

I love that we don't have to talk about nobodies in the minor leagues anymore since the big league team is so good..., oh wait. Nevermind.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I love that we don't have to talk about nobodies in the minor leagues anymore since the big league team is so good..., oh wait. Nevermind.

 

It's okay to like both the awesome big league team and have an interest in all the mostly hopeless weirdness that following the minor league system entails. It's also easy to avoid if you have no interest in the latter.

[jersey cubs fan]

I love that we don't have to talk about nobodies in the minor leagues anymore since the big league team is so good..., oh wait. Nevermind.

 

It's okay to like both the awesome big league team and have an interest in all the mostly hopeless weirdness that following the minor league system entails. It's also easy to avoid if you have no interest in the latter.

I'm all for maintaining interest in the prospects, just expressing my joy that debates about Kenny Chesney's little cousin aren't the most important thing around here anymore.

[Regular Show]

I think we're being a little bit too harsh towards C. Young. Is he a prospect? Absolutely. Is he a super valuable prospect that other teams covet and ask for in trades? No, probably not. Is he just a fringe prospect who might not even have a notable career beyond a cup-o'coffee? Yeah, that's possible.

 

All I know is that the hit tool is pretty special and most opinions say he'll be a decent bench bat and utility player. I mean it would help if he batted lefthanded for sure. Maddon spoke highly of him in ST, but Maddon speaks highly of a lot of our prospects, maybe to a hyperbolic degree.

 

I don't think C. Young is a good fit for this Cubs team, but maybe to a rebuilding team like the Padres or A's. It kinda sucks that they didn't expand rosters with this latest CBA because ML benches are so short and it's so hard to fit players like this on a big league roster (unless you get struck down with a crazy number of injuries).

 

All that said I hope C. Young makes it and has a D. Barney-like career.

[davell]

Goony, I hate spending time defending Young. I brought him up mainly because I wasn't sure CT remembered him or not. It was kind of a throwaway comment, but I might as well nerd out now that we've got a minor league discussion going about it lol.

 

TT, you're right, he's not a SS, but he has played it. He's played everywhere but C and maybe CF, at some point in the minors. He's a pinch hitter/fill in type that likely spends plenty of time in the majors.

 

MAYBE even for us. We've got guys getting ready to start getting expensive, likely to add another expensive FA too. A guy like Young seems like an excellent cost saving measure as a 12th man type for us.

 

Again, provided he's in the general neighborhood of a .700 OPS, which I personally think he will be.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

I don't like imagining the catastrophic chain of events that would have to occur for Chesny Young to spend plenty of time with the Cubs.

[davell]

I don't like imagining the catastrophic chain of events that would have to occur for Chesny Young to spend plenty of time with the Cubs.

 

You SHOULD. Because it means our youngsters have played well enough to get paid bigly in arb. And it means we've added another big FA too. We'll be wanting a few min salary guys to stay close and dip under the LT some seasons, to avoid huge fines and loss of draft picks.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I don't like imagining the catastrophic chain of events that would have to occur for Chesny Young to spend plenty of time with the Cubs.

 

You SHOULD. Because it means our youngsters have played well enough to get paid bigly in arb. And it means we've added another big FA too. We'll be wanting a few min salary guys to stay close and dip under the LT some seasons, to avoid huge fines and loss of draft picks.

 

The current Iowa roster has at least 3 infielders who are better callup options than Young(4 if you want to stretch and call Caratini a 1B). In the case of needing only a bat where OF are included, that means there's at least 7 better options. If they need someone who can play a decent SS then there's never a shortage of NRI guys to go around so that's not a gap needing to be filled(and poorly in Young's case, given his defense at the position).

 

The idea that the Cubs will need cheap bench players who aren't going to be stars is a fine one, they'll just all be better than Chesny Young.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

No clue why Alec Mills only has 11 IP this year, but I started out a little more optimistic about him than Butler.

 

DL'd with an ankle injury.