CubsWin

I know. As exciting as the Cubs future line-up already is, Schwarber staying at catcher is somewhat of a game changer. If he stays there, a trade of one of the Cubs top prospects/young core players become much more likely. Add Schwarber, Bryant and Russell (probably the 3 safest prospects to make it) to the existing line-up and someone's got to go. Huh? If he stays there, that would seem to be the least obtrusive to the rest of them. Unless you're including Castillo as a core piece, which, whatever. I'd be fine with him as a backup C. Sorry, left out the "doesn't" before the stay.

I know. As exciting as the Cubs future line-up already is, Schwarber staying at catcher is somewhat of a game changer. If he doesn't stay there, a trade of one of the Cubs top prospects/young core players becomes much more likely. Add Schwarber, Bryant and Russell (probably the 3 safest prospects to make it) to the existing line-up and someone's got to go. Big if, but if Rizzo, Castro, Alcantara, Baez, Soler, Bryant and Russell are all average to above average starters and Schwarber is playing close to what he is now when in AAA, if he's not playing catcher, there's no room for him. .

That would be sweet, and possible but it doesn't seem likely to me given this FO's pattern with high school pitchers. Both Underwood and Blackburn each spent a full season at Boise after spending their first partial season (after being drafted) in Mesa. The same held true for Clifton. There have been exceptions to that rule, however. It still depends on how they perform in minor league spring training. If one of them really impresses, like Tseng did, they could bypass Boise. If no one really blows up next spring, of that group, I can see Stinnett, Clifton and possibly Mejia having the best chance at beginning at KC with an outside shot of Stinnett starting at Daytona. Stinnett's still new enough to pitching though that that seems like a stretch to me. My guess for KC's rotation would be Stinnett, Conway, Clifton and Leal with Norwood, Thorpe (Maples), Mejia, Sands and Steele being considered. Conway could also start at Daytona depending on his spring.

On Schwarber & Caratini from Mark Gonzales at the Trib.

Always excited to see how CJ does. I'd love for him to start in AAA next season. And even though he's struggled of late, I have hopes that Clifton can be something. He's got the stuff. Can he put it all together? Interesting pitching night amongst the usual ridiculousness from the bats in the organization.

There's some truth to that, but I'll wait and see if the Cubs are just letting him focus on his hitting right now and will put him through a catching intensive this year at instructs. How he fares there will tell the Cubs a lot about his future position. The significance of Schwarber being able to stick at catcher is not lost on this front office. Hoyer said he'll be given every chance to stay there, and I believe him. Add in Schwarber's strong desire to play catcher, his work ethic and that he's shown well behind the plate so far this season (better than most experts expected), and I'm not giving up on him yet.

I know. The stated Theo 3-year rebuild plan is right on schedule. It's very exciting.

I still am kind of in disbelief that he's a member of the Cub organization. 11 home runs in a month and a half, as one of the youngest players in a pitcher's league. And he's a shortstop. We have effectively been anesthetized to the pains of any fan who follows a normal minor league organization. It's never been like this before. It may never be like this again. When this wears off, reality is going to hit and hit hard. Maybe not to this extent, but I expect a strong farm system so long as this regime is around. What they're doing now is by necessity, gathering up as many top prospects and former top prospects in hopes of gathering as many cost effective big league pieces as possible. When the phase is over, which I expect will be this winter, then they'll begin behaving like a big market team to fill the remaining holes. While I don't expect any major sell trades, I expect them to continue to operate the draft and international free agency in the same manner they have, as well as acquiring low risk reclamations whenever possible. No, what they're doing now is by divinity. I agree, they'll continue to have an organization in the upper 15 and probably in the top 7 for the next few years even after Bryant, Soler and Russell are gone. But I doubt we will ever see this ever again in our lifetimes. Ever. This is a confluence of great scouting, great development, great IFA signings, great trades, great timing, and great luck. This is from above. And I'm soaking it in. I've been waiting 25 years for this. Actually, no, I was never waiting for THIS. I didn't even know THIS was possible...

I still am kind of in disbelief that he's a member of the Cub organization. 11 home runs in a month and a half, as one of the youngest players in a pitcher's league. And he's a shortstop. We have effectively been anesthetized to the pains of any fan who follows a normal minor league organization. It's never been like this before. It may never be like this again. When this wears off, reality is going to hit and hit hard. But the major league team will be good which will be 10x better. I know. I'm hoping that I spend my time in the Cubs discussion forums and only check in here, but I know that will never happen. I'm hooked on prospects.

I still am kind of in disbelief that he's a member of the Cub organization. 11 home runs in a month and a half, as one of the youngest players in a pitcher's league. And he's a shortstop. We have effectively been anesthetized to the pains of any fan who follows a normal minor league organization. It's never been like this before. It may never be like this again. When this wears off, reality is going to hit and hit hard. I kind of trust the Cubs' scouting and player development system (never thought I would say that) to at least keep them around the middle of the pack, considering that the Red Sox were regularly among the top third of all systems despite usually drafting late in each round. That being said, some of the tools they exploited (spending heavily on amateur talent, piling up compensation picks that other teams undervalued) are no longer available. So my optimism may be unwarranted. I think they're going to continue to do well and find good talent when compared to other front offices, but even that is going to feel hollow and meaningless compared to the ridiculousness that is going on right now.

I still am kind of in disbelief that he's a member of the Cub organization. 11 home runs in a month and a half, as one of the youngest players in a pitcher's league. And he's a shortstop. We have effectively been anesthetized to the pains of any fan who follows a normal minor league organization. It's never been like this before. It may never be like this again. When this wears off, reality is going to hit and hit hard.

Nine days ago, Schwarber started the day hitting .242/.376/.364/.760 in Daytona. He's now hitting .314/.417/.613/.1.030. Nine days.

Player A: 1st season after being taken with a top 5 draft pick. As a 21-year-old, in leagues between Short-Season A & A+ (with 2 warm-up games in Rookie), in 146 PA, he hits .336/.390/.688 with 11 walks (7.5%) and 35 Ks (24%). Player B: 1st season after being taken with a top 5 draft pick. As a 21-year-old, in leagues between Short-Season A & A+, in 275 PA, he is hitting .341/.436/.616 with 38 walks (13.8%) and 51 Ks (18.5%). Pretty comparable numbers between the two players. When you include BB and K rates, Player B might come out on top (just going by the numbers). Player B plays a premium up-the-middle defensive position. Player A plays an important corner infield position. Each player has question marks about their defense coming in, but they also possess excellent work ethics and desire to improve to stay at their current positions. Player A is heralded as his team's top prospect and possible/likely perennial all-star and team "savior". The team's fans are totally geeked that he is in their organization. Their spirits soar at the thought of him. Player B is considered a solid prospect who should be a good major league hitter. The team's fans are excited about him but he ranks about 7th or 8th best on their prospect list. You'd think Player B plays for an organization with a much better and deeper farm system. But they each play for the same organization. The one main difference between the two is that Player A was drafted one year before Player B. So the question is if Kris Bryant had been drafted by the Astros, would Cubs fans be going nuts over Kyle Schwarber as the team's, newest, best hope? Did Bryant's march thru every level of the Cubs minor league system make Schwarber's performance this year seem like, "eh, been there, done that"? I'm not saying Schwarber should be considered just as good as Bryant (scouting reports, Schwarber's defensive question marks are greater than Bryant's show a difference the numbers so far haven't), but I am saying the prospect buzz on Schwarber is much less because of what Bryant did the year before and of his arrival. If Schwarber does what Bryant's done in his 2nd season, I expect that will change...

While Michael Conforto, who Law is in love with, sits in short season A ball with an .831OPS. Here's how Kris Bryant has completely altered the culture of the prospect following Cubs fan. Last year, the Cubs selected the best college hitter in the draft and he hit .336/.390/.688 between Boise and Daytona (with 2 warm up games in Mesa). No one had ever put up numbers like that from the get go before, at least not for the Cubs. We were all going crazy. Kris Bryant's going to be great! Thank God he fell to the Cubs at the 2nd pick! A year later, the Cubs pick arguably the best college hitter with the 4th overall pick. Between Boise, Kane County and Daytona, Schwarber is hitting .341/.436/.616, and everybody's like, "How about that Billy McKinney!"

Cubs scouts are having a banner year. The number of 1st year players that are performing well is unprecedented in my experience. Tseng Schwarber Zagunis Sands Steele Torres Jimenez Mejia Galindo Matos Norwood Mitchell Moreno All entered the organization this past year and all are having successful introductions. That's what I call an influx of talent. Kudos to the Cubs scouting staff and front office. Obviously, many of them will fail as they move up the ranks, but building a great organization is a numbers game, and this year it looks like the numbers broke the Cubs way.

Nice to see Norwood get the promotion and interested to see if Straily can make it 3 in a row. I've been following Cubs prospects for over 25 years now and I can't remember a year in which so many players have shown clear development and so many draft picks/IFA signings have shown early success. My past experience tells me it's not supposed to be like this. I just keep shaking my head in disbelief at the performances of Bryant and Soler, the development of Baez, Alcantara and Underwood, and the success of Tseng, Gleyber Torres, Mejia, Galindo, Matos and practically every player taken in the top 8 rounds. This could just be a lucky streak for the Cubs organization or maybe this is what a team that has a big emphasis on scouting and development looks like...

How is being not yet 20 a risky thing?

They changed the rule because of the Mets situation. Nice!

If we called him and Soler up right now I'm fairly confident we'd play well enough to end up outside of protected pick status. Just 4.5 back of 11th Does that take into account the fact that everyone is pushed down one spot because of the Astros [expletive] over, I mean, not signing Aiken? No. 11th place in the reverse standings, 12th pick. First unprotected pick. I thought the 11th pick, regardless of whether there is a comp pick like the Astros will have next season, is the first unprotected pick. Case in point, the Mets last season.

If we called him and Soler up right now I'm fairly confident we'd play well enough to end up outside of protected pick status. Just 4.5 back of 11th Does that take into account the fact that everyone is pushed down one spot because of the Astros [expletive] over, I mean, not signing Aiken?

Underwood and Tseng at Daytona and McKinney in AA all as 20 year olds next season should be fun. Any chance Tseng skips Daytona as dominant as he's been in KC? I can't see it. I could see him split his season next year evenly between Daytona and Tennessee though. Agreed. It's not like he's got crazy, dominant stuff like Giolito. He's got a slightly above average FB and a good breaking ball, but what he does have is well above average control and youth. To me, that youth means he's ahead of the learning curve as players usually continue to improve into their early 20s. So he's got time to improve and needs to continue to improve if he's going to reach his ceiling of a #2 or #3. I don't think he gains anything in his development by skipping a level.

Underwood and Tseng at Daytona and McKinney in AA all as 20 year olds next season should be fun.

Duane Underwood is really developing into an exciting prospect this year. I probably over value having less than a hit per 9, more than a K per 9 and better than a 3-to-1 K/BB ratio. That's been the profile I've always looked for, that and being league appropriate age or younger and having good stuff. I'm sure there are more advanced stats I should be looking for. But in the 2nd half of this season, he's checking all the boxes, all while having just turned 20 a few weeks ago.

It's going to be just one big [expletive] wave. title wave Heh, get it?

Anyone know what his velocity's been at? Been listening to the game. FB was usually 88 when they said the speed of it.