End of season prospect voting now open, please vote!

[Brock Beauchamp]

It's prospect voting time again! A rundown of the rules again:

1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It literally requires 60 seconds to create an account.

2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below)

3. Have your prospect list in your dirty little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please).

https://northsidebaseball.com/prospect-voting

4. Voting is super simple, you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no great way to make something like this be as awesome on a phone screen.

5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you wish to mention.

6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp and then select my name when it appears). Mention the prospect you want added and I will do that asap.

7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted!

8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in this forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about.

9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and again tag me, asking to have your vote deleted. I will remove it and you can vote again.

Voting will close at end of day Monday, October 7th!

[Brock Beauchamp]

The only guy coming off the list this time is Miguel Amaya, let me know if I missed anyone else.

[CubinNY]

can't wait to see everyone's vote and Tom's with BJ at #1

[CaliforniaRaisin]

@Brock BeauchampCan you add Christian Franklin, please?

[Tim]

1 hour ago, CubinNY said:

can't wait to see everyone's vote and Tom's with BJ at #1

He's only claimed BJ as a top 10 prospect in the system. He's no Gallardo or Hearn.

[Tim]

3 minutes ago, TomtheBombadil said:

Spoiler: He’ll be 3, possibly even 2!

The Gallardo, Hearn, and now Murray stuff would be most effective if like…literally anyone with cartoonish internet hype was doing big things for the MLB roster? What are we celebrating? Alcantara getting out of the low minors with a 50% GB rate and mostly on the technicality that SB missed the playoffs and Tenn didn’t? Caissie seeming like a developmental/platoon bat with green COF defense off of ‘23? I’m not saying Gallardo, Hearn, and Murray are above being Disney approved eventually, but trying to will a marathon into a sprint for no particular reason hasn’t cut it yet! 

I'll leave most of it alone rather than rehashing previous debates, but you seem to be overlooking the big things Wicks is doing in MLB.

[Tim]

48 minutes ago, TomtheBombadil said:

...would be most effective if like…literally anyone with cartoonish internet hype was doing big things for the MLB roster?

This is what I'm pointing to with the Wicks comment.

[Brock Beauchamp]

14 hours ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

@Brock BeauchampCan you add Christian Franklin, please?

Added!

[Tim]

My vote has been cast. 

If I filled it out again 10 minutes from now...it would probably not be the same.

[CubinNY]

16 hours ago, Tim said:

My vote has been cast. 

If I filled it out again 10 minutes from now...it would probably not be the same.

I was solid on the first 8, but after that, I could have put them in any order. 

[Tim]

1 hour ago, CubinNY said:

I was solid on the first 8, but after that, I could have put them in any order. 

Even on the first eight, at different times I have different weights for:

• The added risk for pitchers vs hitters
• What to make of outstanding performance across limited durations (Shaw)
• Thrill of Ballesteros reaching AA at 19 as a catcher...balanced by knowing he's got to get that body into shape going forward
• The appropriate weight for tools & performance (Alcantara, etc.)
• How much to factor in age relative to level
• Value of present hit tool vs present power vs projections (Triantos)

And more. As scientific as I am about my day job, it bugs me a bit that I've been thinking about all these things for years and still don't have decent answers to how to properly weight those different factors.

[Outshined_One]

1 hour ago, Tim said:

Even on the first eight, at different times I have different weights for:

• The added risk for pitchers vs hitters
• What to make of outstanding performance across limited durations (Shaw)
• Thrill of Ballesteros reaching AA at 19 as a catcher...balanced by knowing he's got to get that body into shape going forward
• The appropriate weight for tools & performance (Alcantara, etc.)
• How much to factor in age relative to level
• Value of present hit tool vs present power vs projections (Triantos)

And more. As scientific as I am about my day job, it bugs me a bit that I've been thinking about all these things for years and still don't have decent answers to how to properly weight those different factors.

I anticipate this being discussed at more length in the main thread once our Top 20s are posted, but one of the factors that weighed heavily on my Top 20 was the notion of what the Cubs are good at developing versus what they historically have issues with developing.  I get that the Cubs overhauled their scouting and development team not too long ago, but I feel like there are certain types of hitter who tend to do better in the Cubs' system than others.

For example, if a guy like Canario were in the Rays' system, I'd feel very good at him being given every opportunity to hit his ceiling in the majors, along with the appropriate coaching and development he needs to attain that success (even if he ultimately doesn't).  However, between how Ross handled him in the majors this season and the Cubs' historic issues with developing guys with big strikeout profiles, I don't feel as good.

On the flip side of that coin, however, I feel really good about the Cubs' pitching prospects for the first time in a very, very long time.

[Tim]

3 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

I anticipate this being discussed at more length in the main thread once our Top 20s are posted, but one of the factors that weighed heavily on my Top 20 was the notion of what the Cubs are good at developing versus what they historically have issues with developing.  I get that the Cubs overhauled their scouting and development team not too long ago, but I feel like there are certain types of hitter who tend to do better in the Cubs' system than others.

For example, if a guy like Canario were in the Rays' system, I'd feel very good at him being given every opportunity to hit his ceiling in the majors, along with the appropriate coaching and development he needs to attain that success (even if he ultimately doesn't).  However, between how Ross handled him in the majors this season and the Cubs' historic issues with developing guys with big strikeout profiles, I don't feel as good.

On the flip side of that coin, however, I feel really good about the Cubs' pitching prospects for the first time in a very, very long time.

Happ was a big strikeout guy himself at one point.

[Outshined_One]

22 minutes ago, Tim said:

Happ was a big strikeout guy himself at one point.

I didn't say the Cubs are incapable of developing those sorts of guys, just that I don't feel really good about their ability to do so.

Additionally, Happ had the advantage of getting called up to a team with a manager and coaching staff who regularly gave playing time to young players, even when those players were struggling at the plate or making boneheaded mistakes.  With Ross and company, I'm not so sure they're a good fit for the crop of guys who will be banging on the door next year.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

4 hours ago, Outshined_One said:

I anticipate this being discussed at more length in the main thread once our Top 20s are posted, but one of the factors that weighed heavily on my Top 20 was the notion of what the Cubs are good at developing versus what they historically have issues with developing.  I get that the Cubs overhauled their scouting and development team not too long ago, but I feel like there are certain types of hitter who tend to do better in the Cubs' system than others.

For example, if a guy like Canario were in the Rays' system, I'd feel very good at him being given every opportunity to hit his ceiling in the majors, along with the appropriate coaching and development he needs to attain that success (even if he ultimately doesn't).  However, between how Ross handled him in the majors this season and the Cubs' historic issues with developing guys with big strikeout profiles, I don't feel as good.

On the flip side of that coin, however, I feel really good about the Cubs' pitching prospects for the first time in a very, very long time.

I don't see how you can say that when the jury is still out on the new development team. Justin Stone was hired as Director of Hitting in fall 2019 and the Cubs haven't had a hitting prospect come up and get regular playing who was primarily in the minors under Stone.