Wrigley Bound

Top 5 Cubs Second Base Prospects

Matt Swain posted 5 days, 18 hours ago | 3 comments

This is the third part in a series of position-by-position looks at the Cubs top prospects. Previous entries can be found below:

Top 5 Catchers
Top 5 First Basemen

Listed after each player is their age for the 2010 season and the level at which they ended last season.

1. Logan Watkins, 20, A- Boise

Earlier this season I would have had LeMahieu in this spot, and the change reflects more on me losing some enthusiasm about DJ rather than gaining a great deal about Watkins. More on that in the next section.

In any case, Watkins is a fine prospect himself, packing a great deal of athleticism into a small frame. Currently listed at 5 foot 11 and 170 pounds, Watkins is just a year and a half removed from high school and it shows in his body. He should continue to add muscle as his body matures, which could take him from no power to low power.

Fortunately for Logan, he's got plenty of other abilities to make up for his longball deficiencies. His on-base skills are excellent, and his .407 OBP since turning pro is top notch. Though he's hit .325 in both pro seasons, they were on the back of .426 and .365 BABIPs.

His swing is short and punchy, resulting in a ton of contact and few strikeouts, though it's not necessarily all hard contact. 63% of his hits were groundballs, a rate not even Juan Pierre could match. More concerning was that just 9% were line-drives, and clearly he'll need to alter his swing slightly to sustain his batting averages.

Watkins also brings good speed, perhaps a 55 or 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and it gives him good range in the field that should allow him to play an MLB second base someday. There are a few issues with Logan that keep him from being a top prospect, but infielders who get on base frequently and run well will always have a place in the big leagues.

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Q&A with AOL Fanhouse writer Frankie Piliere

Matt Swain posted 2 weeks ago | no comments

On Monday, AOL Fanhouse baseball writer Frankie Piliere released his top 100 prospect list, which didn't shy away from controversy. 3 Cubs made the list: Starlin Castro at #11, Josh Vitters at #53, and Brett Jackson at #74.

Frankie took some time to answer a few questions for Wrigley Bound about Castro, Vitters, DJ LeMahieu, and more.

WB: Could you give us a quick rundown of how you became involved in player evaluation and your credentials?

FP: I actually started sort of where I am now. I was covering prospects and the draft for Scout.com and FoxSports. I made some very good contacts doing that with scouts and people in scouting departments. So, first I got the opportunity to be an associate scout with the Indians. I helped them out with their Cape Cod League coverage, which of course is a great place to get a start in scouting. From there, I got a shot at a job with Texas. I started out covering Indy ball from there and eventually was promoted to doing pro coverage (scouting minor league affiliates).

Covering the minors, to me, is the most fun a scout can have. Not a knock on amateur scouting but you get the opportunity to see everyone's top talent, and on top of that, you see a lot of interesting minor league towns. But, what I always itched for was to bring a little different perspective to prospect coverage. I'm in a perfect situation now, where during the year I'll be able to go on the road just like when I was scouting to see all these guys. So, it's like I never left scouting. I'm very lucky that I got the chance to scout, but I'm even more glad that I can use that experience now to give people good information.

WB: You had Starlin Castro just outside the top 10 top 100 list. That seems to be on the high end of the rankings he's received. What do you see in him that impressed you so much?

FP: The thing I'm going to be doing differently than I think anyone else, is staying away from groupthink. I've had the luxury that others who make these lists don't have. I've seen the majority of these guys not once, but many times. So I'm going to treat lists like this the same way I treated the preference list I'd keep throughout the year when I was scouting. Most of the input comes from my scouting reports, and I feel very strongly about Castro.

I became fully convinced at the FSL All-Star Game, where, to me, he was clearly the best player on the field. I like guys who show me different dimensions at the plate. Guys who look like they not only have the physical tools to hit, but the feel at the plate. I think Starlin has that. He knows how to let the pitch track deep, he sees the breaking ball well, and his pitch selection within the zone is good. When I see a guy with multiple tools, and he can do things like this that's when I'm impressed. So, when I see that type of thing at the plate I'm going to be extra aggressive with that type of guy. I took some heat for ranking him this high, and the same goes for Michael Stanton at #2 but when it comes down to it, whether these guys make it big or not will hinge on what they do at the plate. And, Castro does things that scream big league star. Couple that with the position he plays and his athleticism and to me he belongs easily where he is ranked.

Baseball Prospectus' Top 11 Cubs Prospects

Matt Swain posted 2 weeks, 2 days ago | 3 comments

With prospect list season in full swing at most baseball publications, another of the major prospect experts, Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein, released his Cubs top 10 list today (plus a few extras).

Goldstein's list can be found here with scouting reports on each one for subscribers. For those of you without subscriptions, the list is below:

1. Josh Vitters (5*)

2. Starlin Castro (5*)

3. Hak-Ju Lee (4*)

4. Brett Jackson (4*)

5. Andrew Cashner (3*)

6. Jay Jackson (3*)

7. Chris Carpenter (3*)

8. Chris Archer (3*)

9. Kyler Burke (3*)

10. Ryan Flaherty (3*)

11. John Gaub (3*)

12. Chris Huseby

13. Logan Watkins

14. Dae-Eun Rhee

15. Darwin Barney

I'm not at all surprised Goldstein gave Vitters the nod for the top spot, as he's always been a huge proponent and a believer in his bat. Couple that with the show he put on in the Midwest League (KG's home turf) and I would have been surprised to see anyone else above him. Goldstein also has better reports on his defense than we've heard in a while, which I suppose is encouraging. It's a good bet Vitters will show better on the BP top 100 prospect list than on most other lists.

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Top 5 Cubs First Base Prospects

Matt Swain posted 3 weeks, 4 days ago | no comments

This is the second in a series of position by position looks at the Cubs top prospects. Previous entries can be found below:

Top 5 Catchers

Listed after each player is their age for the 2010 season and the level at which they ended last season.

1. Rebel Ridling, 24, A Peoria

Drafted in 2008 out of Oklahoma State, Ridling boasts an impressive stature and a mustache that would make Pedro Sanchez proud. In his professional debut, he struggled to adjust to Midwest League pitching, striking out 50 times and walking just 8 on his way to a .200 batting average. He would show some serious power though, homering 10 times in about 180 plate appearances.

Following his struggles and subsequent reassignment to Peoria, Ridling made a shift in his plate approach that yielded dramatic results, specifically leveling out his swing and taking a more patient approach. His strikeout rate fell dramatically from his 2008 performance, including his college numbers, and he was able to maintain a walk rate of nearly 7%, also an improvement on his debut. His power showed a simultaneous drop, and his isolated power fell from .226 to .156 as his home runs turned to doubles.

Ridling hits line drives to all fields with authority, showing an impressive bat that projects to continue to produce high batting averages (.310 in 2009). The main concern is that his performance was a result of a 23 year old college hitter repeating the Midwest League, and he is somewhat behind the typical progression.

He'll need to conquer the Florida State League in Daytona this season (no small feat for a hitter), and move on to AA Tennessee before he can regain the distinction of being "age appropriate". Ridling is a decent prospect with a chance to make a splash in his mid-upper 20's, a la Micah Hoffpauir and Jake Fox, if he continues to hit.

2. Blake Lalli, 27, AA Tennessee

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Cubs hand out 19 non-roster invites to Spring Training

Matt Swain posted 3 weeks, 6 days ago | 1 comment

The Daily Herald reports that the Cubs have announced that 19 players will be invited to Spring Training in addition to the 40 rostered players. Those players are below:

Starting Pitchers

Andrew Cashner

Casey Coleman

Thomas Diamond

Jeff Kennard

J.R. Mathes

Vince Perkins

James Russell

Catchers

Robinson Chirinos

Steve Clevenger

Blake Lalli

Chris Robinson

Top 5 Cubs Catching Prospects

Matt Swain posted 3 weeks, 6 days ago | 1 comment

This post will be the first in a series that I'll be working on going position-by-position through the Cubs system. I'll write up 5 players from each infield position along with 15 OFs, 15 SPs, and 10 RPs, for a grand total of 65 player reports. The project will culminate in a final top 50 prospect list before the season begins.

Next to each player is their age in 2010, as well as the level they finished 2009 at. Be sure to check the end of the post for some pictures of each player mentioned.

1. Steve Clevenger, 24, AAA Iowa

Clevenger had a huge start to the year in Tennessee, posting a .364/.438/.532 line in 89 plate appearances before being promoted. He struggled thereafter while splitting time with Chris Robinson, finishing at a much less impressive .265/.308/.326. I am under the impression that his overall line belies his true talent after watching him hit and listening to scouting reports.

Clevenger has hit for average throughout his minor league career, compiling a .303 BA since going pro. He hits a lot of line drives and uses all fields, rarely expanding his zone and not trying to do too much with pitches. He doesn't have home run power yet, but should at least obtain doubles power as his frame continues to fill out.

Defensively, his receiving skills are good, though unremarkable, and his arm checks in above average as well. He won't win any Gold Gloves, but he's definitely passable at a major league level.

There's certainly room for growth with Clevenger, but even if he stays at his current level, he could be a .290/.340/.380 hitter, and that's pretty valuable for someone who can also squat behind the plate.

2. Welington Castillo, 23, AA Tennessee

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Scouting the Cubs Korean Contingent

Matt Swain posted Jan 4, 2010 | 2 comments

Over the past few years, the Cubs have established a large presence in the Pacific Rim, particularly in Korea, where they have brought over 6 prospects in the past 3 seasons.

Korea historically hasn't produced a ton of major league talent, but after just 2 players emerged in the 1990's, 10 Koreans made major league appearances in the 2000's and that number seems likely to grow even more in the new decade.

The Korean national team has shown well recently in international competition, finishing 2nd and 3rd in the two World Baseball Classics and winning Gold at the Beijing Olympics. Their success has displayed the wealth of talent that has gone largely untapped, and caught the attention of baseball fans and executives alike.

With relatively little known about these players when they are signed, fans tend to learn less about them than they do about the high profile draftees from American high schools and colleges. With that in mind, I've written up scouting reports on each of the 6 players and compiled some pictures of them below.

Jae-Hoon Ha, 19, C- Originally signed as a high school catcher, Ha spent last season in the outfield, but will move back behind the plate in 2010. He plays the game very fluidly, reminding you of what Kosuke Fukudome would have looked like 10 years ago in that regard. Still a teenager, he's very skinny and will likely add a good amount of weight as he grows up, but it's difficult to project what kind of baseball player he's going to be. Last year his strength was his fielding in RF, which was excellent. He showed a great arm (one of the best in the system), good range and moved smoothly. At the plate, he badly needs to develop an identity. Is he a power hitter? A speed guy? He's neither right now, but has potential in both areas based on his athleticism. His upside is likely as a 10 HR/15 SB catcher, although it remains to be seen if his plate discipline will ever come around following a .242/.267/.327 line for Boise last season. With that disappointing performance and a new position on tap for the season, most evaluation of Ha at this point is projection. He'll begin next season in Peoria, attempting to translate his ability into production.

Su-Min Jung, 20, SP- Jung was signed in 2008 for $500,000 out of the same high school as Shin-Soo Choo. The 6 foot 2 righty dealt with some shoulder problems in the early part of 2009, but came back and pitched the last couple months of the year, posting a 4.38 ERA with 17/11 K/BB ratio in 24.2 innings for Boise. It was a small sample size, but the numbers aren't particularly impressive. The scouting reports reflect better on him, as he throws a plus fastball that can reach up to 95, along with a good curveball and an average slider and changeup. His deep repertoire and power stuff offer a lot of promise, and it will be important for him to pitch a full season in 2010. He'll likely begin in Peoria's rotation.