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Sunday, January 24, 2010

B-Pro: Cubs Top 11 prospects

Five-Star Prospects
1. Josh Vitters, 3B
2. Starlin Castro, SS
Four-Star Prospects
3. Hak-Ju Lee, SS
4. Brett Jackson, CF
Three-Star Prospects
5. Andrew Cashner, RHP
6. Jay Jackson, RHP
7. Chris Carpenter, RHP
8. Chris Archer, RHP
9. Kyler Burke, OF
10. Ryan Flaherty, INF
11. John Gaub, LHP

Four More:
12. Chris Huseby, RHP: All but written-off, Huseby is a seven-figure signing from the 2006 draft. He shined out of the Low-A Peoria bullpen, showing a big-league quality sinker.
13. Logan Watkins, INF: Watkins is a little second baseman with speed, a line-drive bat, and on-base skills, but zero power.
14. Dae-Eun Rhee, LHP: This Korean import missed nearly all of 2009 recovering from Tommy John surgery, but his upside remains high.
15. Darwin Barney, SS: He’s one of the minors’ best defenders with enough bat to be a nice utility player.

Tripon Posted: January 24, 2010 at 07:23 PM | 20 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: cubs, minor leagues, prospect reports, scouting

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1. Walt Davis Posted: January 24, 2010 at 08:50 PM (#3445377)

Vitters as a top 50 prospect?

And if our Chris Carpenter turns out even half as valuable as the famous one, I'll take it!

OK, so I'm watching a smidge of Euro soccer (not even sure who's playing) and one team has a big Burger King logo on the front of their jersey. Man does that look bad! I know the day is coming but one of the great things about American pro team sports is that the jerseys aren't festooned with sponsor logos.

EDIT: Although I am looking forward to legislators doing so!

2. Crispix Attacks Posted: January 24, 2010 at 08:54 PM (#3445382)

I believe that would be Getafe, Spain's answer to the New Jersey Devils.

3. Tripon Posted: January 24, 2010 at 09:01 PM (#3445385)

If the Cubs are lucky, Vitters, Castro, and Lee are the 3rd, SS, 2nd baseman of the future. If they're unlucky, Hendry trades them all for a veteran reliever.

4. zfan Posted: January 24, 2010 at 09:54 PM (#3445416)

I see Cashner coming up to the majors to fill in for a few starts mid-season, then staying with the club the rest of the year in the bullpen. He can't be stretched out to a full season of starting after spending much of 2009 on a three- to four-inning limit. Jay Jackson will put in a full season at AA/AAA and be the next solid starter to come out of Chicago's system.

It will be interesting to see how fast the Cubs push Lee through the system after jumping Castro so many levels last year.

5. The Keith Law Blog Blah Blah (battlekow) Posted: January 24, 2010 at 10:08 PM (#3445420)

Sure, maybe you say Vitters walks so little because he can hit everything, but he didn't walk any more frequently at Daytona when he wasn't hitting. I don't think you can be a five-star prospect as a non-shortstop, non-catcher when you walk 12 times in 484 plate appearances unless you're hitting for a much higher AVG/SLG than Vitters did. I mean, he hit well at Peoria, especially for a 19-year-old, but .316/.351/.535 is not a mind-boggling line.

6. Dock Ellis on Acid

Posted: January 24, 2010 at 11:28 PM (#3445439)

And if our Chris Carpenter turns out even half as valuable as the famous one, I'll take it!

What if he turns out to be Cris Carpenter?

7. rLr Is King Of The Romans And Above Grammar Posted: January 25, 2010 at 12:03 AM (#3445442)

What if he turns out to be Cris Carpenter?

Cubs fans will take Karen and like it.

8. faketeams Posted: January 25, 2010 at 02:57 AM (#3445481)

Given all the hype Castro has received this off-season and Vitters inability to draw a walk, I was surprised to see the order.

Manchester United has a big AIG on their uniforms.

9. Mike Emeigh

Posted: January 25, 2010 at 03:40 AM (#3445494)

I mean, he hit well at Peoria, especially for a 19-year-old, but .316/.351/.535 is not a mind-boggling line.

That's pretty damned good for the MWL. The downside is that the SLG was almost all HRs; more HR than 2B/3B in the minors is a danger sign.

I'm kind of torn; I'd like to see him get to Tennessee so that I can actually see him play but I don't think his best interests would be served by a promotion. The Cubs have not shown me that they have a clue about prospect development.

-- MWE

10. CW hits the pinata for the candy Posted: January 25, 2010 at 04:41 AM (#3445506)

Not as good as seeing him in person, but I shot some video of Vitters when he was in town last year.

11. rLr Is King Of The Romans And Above Grammar Posted: January 25, 2010 at 04:59 AM (#3445512)

Not as good as seeing him in person, but I shot some video of Vitters when he was in town last year.

Interesting. What did he say about being taped in the mall food court?

12. Andere Richtingen

Posted: January 25, 2010 at 06:16 AM (#3445544)

If the Cubs are lucky, one of Vitters, Castro, and Lee <strike>are the 3rd, SS, 2nd baseman of the future.</strike>will be the first star-quality position prospect out of the Cubs system since Rick Astley was topping the charts.

Fixed that for you.

13. The Keith Law Blog Blah Blah (battlekow) Posted: January 25, 2010 at 06:26 AM (#3445548)

That's pretty damned good for the MWL. The downside is that the SLG was almost all HRs; more HR than 2B/3B in the minors is a danger sign.

It is absolutely pretty damned good. I don't think it's good enough to compensate for utter lack of plate discipline. I'm not saying he's not a gifted hitter or a top prospect, but five stars? Seems like a pretty significant wart to me.

14. Barnaby Jones Posted: January 25, 2010 at 06:32 AM (#3445549)

Not as good as seeing him in person, but I shot some video of Vitters when he was in town last year.

That looks a lot like the stadium featured in Sugar, but I'm too lazy to go look it up and see if that is the case.

15. Tripon Posted: January 25, 2010 at 06:34 AM (#3445550)

5 stars means that Vitters is a top 50 prospect, not that he is a 5 tool player.

16. Crispix Attacks Posted: January 25, 2010 at 06:57 AM (#3445552)

That looks a lot like the stadium featured in Sugar, but I'm too lazy to go look it up and see if that is the case.

Yep, Peoria was playing at Quad Cities that day.

17. The Keith Law Blog Blah Blah (battlekow) Posted: January 25, 2010 at 06:57 AM (#3445553)

5 stars means that Vitters is a top 50 prospect, not that he is a 5 tool player.

You've got this irritating thing where you think you know what people mean but actually don't. Regardless, plate discipline isn't a tool.

18. Foster Posted: January 26, 2010 at 06:00 AM (#3446392)

Plate discipline is a tool if it keeps you from swinging at pitches you can't drive. Some guys can drive a greater range of pitches.

And Sugar was a good movie.

19. Eric J is Financed by a Rich Grandpa Posted: January 26, 2010 at 07:46 AM (#3446413)

Plate discipline is a tool if it keeps you from swinging at pitches you can't drive. Some guys can drive a greater range of pitches.

Obviously plate discipline is a tool. But it's not one of The Five Tools, and therefore its absence would not keep someone from being a Five Tool Player (TM).

20. Barnaby Jones Posted: January 26, 2010 at 09:48 PM (#3447012)

It's not a tool, its a skill.

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B-Pro: Cubs Top 11 prospects

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