Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 5-29-17

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa lost 6-5 Box Score

 

CF J. Andreoli 1/4, R, HR (4), RBI, BB, K

2B C. Young 1/5, K

LF M. Zagunis 0/3, BB, 3 K

1B J. Candelario 0/3, RBI, BB, K

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

PH T. La Stella 0/1

SP W. Perez 2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 4-1 GO-FO, 49-26 pitches-strikes

RP J. Paniagua 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 3-3 GO-FO

RP Z. Rosscup 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 0-1 GO-FO

RP P. Johnson 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO

 

Tennessee had the day off

 

Myrtle Beach won 6-3 Box Score

 

DH B. Flete 2/5, 2 RBI

SS A. Monasterio 1/5, K

RF E. Martinez 0/5, 2 K

1B M. Rose 0/5, R, K

C T. Alamo 2/4, 2 R, HBP

3B J. Hodges 2/3, R, RBI, HBP

CF R. Garcia 1/3, 2 R, HR (2), RBI, BB

SP J. Steele 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 2 HBP, 6-2 GO-FO, 73-48 pitches-strikes

RP M. Rucker 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 0-3 GO-FO

RP D. Maples 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0-3 GO-FO

 

South Bend lost 3-0 Box Score

 

SS Z. Short 0/4, BB, K

2B Y. Peguero 0/2, 2 BB

3B W. Galindo 2/4, 2B (11), K, SB (1)

DH I. Paredes 1/2, BB, K

LF K. Mitchell 0/3, BB, K

C J. Pereda 0/4

SP D. Robinson 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 WP, 8-3 GO-FO, 80-52 pitches-strikes

[davell]

What's going on with Juan Carlos Paniagua? His last 3 outings, since they've stretched him out a bit, have been very solid.....

 

11.2 8 1 1 6 14

 

I've not heard any reports on him for quite a while. But, if his stuff is still good, I'd say he's working his way into being a 40 man add.

[davell]

Justin Steele goes 5 3 2 2 0 7 and was 90-94 with his FB, sitting 93 early on. 6/2 GO/FO too.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Justin Steele goes 5 3 2 2 0 7 and was 90-94 with his FB, sitting 93 early on. 6/2 GO/FO too.

 

That's really good to see. I saw him last year when he was struggling and I think he was sitting in the 80s. Hopefully he can keep stringing together good outings.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Duncan Robinson 7IP 4H 1R 0BB 8K but gave up a homer.

 

Michael Rucker with 6 more strikeouts in 3.1 IP. Now with a 56/3 K/BB in 35.2 IP as a pro.

[CubsWin]

DJ Wilson is on the DL. It's possible they might just be stashing him but he'd likely be in ExST if the Cubs felt he needed the work.

[CubsWin]

What's going on with Juan Carlos Paniagua? His last 3 outings, since they've stretched him out a bit, have been very solid.....

 

11.2 8 1 1 6 14

 

I've not heard any reports on him for quite a while. But, if his stuff is still good, I'd say he's working his way into being a 40 man add.

He's been hitting 95 per Iowa announcers and the breaking stuff has passed the eye test. At least my eye test whatever that's worth...

[CubsWin]

For an 18-year-old, Paredes is doing just fine for his first full go in Low-A. I expect he'll improve as the season goes along.

 

With him, Amaya, Ademan and Albertos, the Cubs have a nice group of 18-year-olds going forward. All are likely in my top 15.

[CubsWin]

Good to see Trey Martin is on mend in his rehab stint in Mesa. He got off to a strong start in AA before the injury.

 

Trey Martin (on AA Tennessee 7-day DL since April 15th) blasted a solo HR, Jonathan Sierra ripped an RBI triple, singled and scored, and stole a base, Rafael Narea singled, walked twice, and stole three bases, and SP Javier Assad hurled three innings of shutout ball with five strikeouts, helping the Cubs defeat the Diamondbacks 6-2 in Memorial Day Cactus League game action Monday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

Delvin Zinn also made his debut after missing time with stress fracture in his right foot.

 

Jonathan Sierra has been heating up of late, and Assad has had some very strong outings as well. Javier is expected to be in the Eugene rotation along with Albertos.

 

AZ Phil also noted Rafael Narea's play of late.

 

Reaching base three times today, 19-year old Rafael Narea has gone 18-40 (.450) over his last 14 games since starting the Cactus League EXST season 0-14. Thanks to his recent hot streak, Narea is now hitting 333/463/429 in 21 Cactus League EXST games (67 PA) with only two strikeouts, a team-leading nine walks (Miguel Amaya is second with eight), and a team-leading ten SB (no other Cubs player has more than three). Hre also has two doubles, a home run, and eight RBI. Signed as a 16-year old IFA in July 2014, Narea is an above-average defender at three infield positions (SS, 2B, and 3B).

[CubsWin]

Braylin Marquez unfortunately struggled again. He's got plenty of time though to develop. No word on his stuff yet. Last heard was working high 80s-low 90s.

 

Brailyn Marquez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1 GIDP, 3/2 GO/AO, 47 pitches (25 strikes)

[CubsWin]

Amaya once again threw out those stupid enough to run on him. 2-for-2 today with caught stealing. Also 1-for-3 at the plate with a single, walk and 2 runs scored.

[davell]

Amaya, Ademan, and Albertos are easily my favorite 3 prospects from the 2015 IFA class. At this exact point, its probably in that order too.

 

Amaya is exciting both offensively AND defensively. He's got a shot at actually becoming an elite prospect, in my eyes. There's not many good catching prospects out there. I'm surprised the bat has come on this quickly, he's going to be exciting to follow.

 

Ademan isn't AS exciting, but I think he's going to be very steady and while not an elite level talent, I think there's a solid chance he becomes a top 100 prospect over the next few years. He's going to do everything fairly well to good.

 

Albertos has not been dominant by the numbers this spring, but the reports are still very solid. It won't shock me, if he's just working on something, and dominates once the season starts. On the other hand, he's obviously super volatile. If the control issues persist, he's going to struggle in Eugene.

 

The rest of that class is interesting, some more than others.....

 

Paredes is doggy paddling his way thru South Bend at this point, but there's reasons for optimism. I think his upside is a Candelario type of prospect, but I think of that as a compliment myself. I'm a bit worried he's going to top out early, but hopefully the bat winds up good enough for 3B.

 

Jonathan Sierra is interesting for sure. But he's still so raw, it kind of has a red shirt type of feel. I'm going to wait until next year to see if he's added some weight. At least in the DSL, he showed loads of plate discipline.

 

The reports on Javier Assad have been very impressive. Added some velo, gained some feel, added some muscle....He was solid last year in Arizona, I think its possible he vaults into our top 20 area once the season gets going in Eugene.

 

Marquez has been lit up in EXST. But, he's got time and we can be patient with him. Gutierrez has some tools, he's still a bit raw too, but there's enough there to pay attention to.

 

I think Carrera is a guy that's advanced and may pitch very well in the low levels. I expect Perlaza will hit well in Arizona. No idea if he can stick at 2B.

 

There's others from that class that got solid bonuses too. They've yet to show much, but odds are one or two of them put themselves on the map somewhat.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Duncan Robinson 7IP 4H 1R 0BB 8K but gave up a homer.

 

Michael Rucker with 6 more strikeouts in 3.1 IP. Now with a 56/3 K/BB in 35.2 IP as a pro.

 

Robinson's May: 27 IP, 17 H, 3 ER, 24/2 K/BB

 

That has my attention.

 

Speaking of Rucker, it's interesting that they're starting to stretch him out a bit more after his promotion, 3.1 IP each of his last 2 appearnaces.

[CubsWin]

Duncan Robinson 7IP 4H 1R 0BB 8K but gave up a homer.

 

Michael Rucker with 6 more strikeouts in 3.1 IP. Now with a 56/3 K/BB in 35.2 IP as a pro.

 

Robinson's May: 27 IP, 17 H, 3 ER, 24/2 K/BB

 

That has my attention.

 

Speaking of Rucker, it's interesting that they're starting to stretch him out a bit more after his promotion, 3.1 IP each of his last 2 appearnaces.

I noticed that, too. Intriguing.

 

Does anyone have any reports on Robinson's and Rucker's stuff? They're numbers are very strong, but they're both 23 going against A-ball hitters...

[CubsWin]

Amaya, Ademan, and Albertos are easily my favorite 3 prospects from the 2015 IFA class. At this exact point, its probably in that order too.

 

Amaya is exciting both offensively AND defensively. He's got a shot at actually becoming an elite prospect, in my eyes. There's not many good catching prospects out there. I'm surprised the bat has come on this quickly, he's going to be exciting to follow.

 

Ademan isn't AS exciting, but I think he's going to be very steady and while not an elite level talent, I think there's a solid chance he becomes a top 100 prospect over the next few years. He's going to do everything fairly well to good.

 

Albertos has not been dominant by the numbers this spring, but the reports are still very solid. It won't shock me, if he's just working on something, and dominates once the season starts. On the other hand, he's obviously super volatile. If the control issues persist, he's going to struggle in Eugene.

 

The rest of that class is interesting, some more than others.....

 

Paredes is doggy paddling his way thru South Bend at this point, but there's reasons for optimism. I think his upside is a Candelario type of prospect, but I think of that as a compliment myself. I'm a bit worried he's going to top out early, but hopefully the bat winds up good enough for 3B.

 

Jonathan Sierra is interesting for sure. But he's still so raw, it kind of has a red shirt type of feel. I'm going to wait until next year to see if he's added some weight. At least in the DSL, he showed loads of plate discipline.

 

The reports on Javier Assad have been very impressive. Added some velo, gained some feel, added some muscle....He was solid last year in Arizona, I think its possible he vaults into our top 20 area once the season gets going in Eugene.

 

Marquez has been lit up in EXST. But, he's got time and we can be patient with him. Gutierrez has some tools, he's still a bit raw too, but there's enough there to pay attention to.

 

I think Carrera is a guy that's advanced and may pitch very well in the low levels. I expect Perlaza will hit well in Arizona. No idea if he can stick at 2B.

 

There's others from that class that got solid bonuses too. They've yet to show much, but odds are one or two of them put themselves on the map somewhat.

The bat is very surprising this early on for Amaya. Those reports boosted him into my current top 10. Very excited.

 

I like the peripherals on Paredes and he's doing it in Low-A as an 18 year old. His improvement from April to May is encouraging.

 

I agree with you on Sierra and a red shirt year. I like his chances because of the Cubs success in developing hitters under this FO. Best case scenario is he follows a development path along the lines of Jimenez but a year behind age per level.

 

The muscle mass added by Assad (per Arguello) is encouraging not just from a velocity/performance improvement stand point but also a professional dedication point of view. I'm interested to see how he fares against NWL competition as 19/20 year old. I like his chances to become a rotation mainstay throughout his minor league career at least until AAA.

[davell]

In college, Rucker threw pretty hard. He'd hit 96-97, going once a week. I think Robinson was low 90's. I do remember some saying he was one of the top senior signs in the entire draft.

[CubsWin]

There were a couple guys - Zamuido and Polanco - that hit for the AZL Cubs last year at 17. I forget if it is one or both that hit, both are corner bats though Polanco might have converted back to C this year.

Polanco is probably the guy you were thinking of. He hit .322/.351/.390 in Mesa last year. He was 19 when the rookie league season started. He'll turn 20 in 2 weeks. He played 8 games at catcher last year, but I think you're right that the Cubs are trying him again there this season. At least at ExST to see how he does.

 

Zamudio hit .237/.291/.421 but showed decent power leading the team in HRs with 4. He was 18 for most of the season, turned 19 in August. He was also tied for the team lead in doubles with 14 and had by far more Ks than anyone else on the roster with 48.

 

AZ Phil has both Polanco and Zamudio currently listed amongst the catchers in ExST on his depth chart.

[davell]

Longenhagen actually has notes on Rucker today, in his prospect notes for 5/30.....

 

Says he's got a mid 90's FB, with terrific command of it, especially glove side. Has 2 slurvy BB's and a change that are fringe to average. Has a deceptive, slingy delivery. His PC's are moving upward and his appearances are further apart since moving to MB, possibly means Cubs are thinking about trying him as a starter. He's 23, after being drafted as a RS Junior last year, so he's a bit old for the level.

 

At any rate, pretty positive stuff.

[craig]

Longenhagen actually has notes on Rucker today, in his prospect notes for 5/30.....

 

Says he's got a mid 90's FB, with terrific command of it, especially glove side. Has 2 slurvy BB's and a change that are fringe to average. Has a deceptive, slingy delivery. His PC's are moving upward and his appearances are further apart since moving to MB, possibly means Cubs are thinking about trying him as a starter. He's 23, after being drafted as a RS Junior last year, so he's a bit old for the level.

 

At any rate, pretty positive stuff.

 

Thanks, Dave, I've been wanting to get a report. I feel a little bipolar on that. Positive, that the fastball is good. Anytime it's a late-round college guy, I always wonder if the fastball isn't really major-league. But a good, deceptive, solid-90's fastball with location, that would seem quite legit.

 

Having everthing else be mediocre/fringy/below-average, that's kinda disappointing. I'd thought that maybe there'd be the solid fastball plus one plus putaway pitch.

 

The scouting report is kind of unexpected. K's normally come on breaking balls. If none of his offspeed is very good, how is he K'ing everybody? Weird.