John Sickels' 2013 Cubs top 20 prospects

[KyleJRM]

Oh, it's definitely improved. And it's on a major upswing. We'll graduate virtually no one of consequence while adding a No. 2 pick in the upcoming season.

In the last 18 months or so, we've:

1) Committed more than $50 million to IFA prospects
2) Traded half a dozen major league players for prospects
3) Had an overdraft binge in the 2011 draft, and that class had a nice first full year as pros
4) Had the No. 6 overall pick and two comp picks in 2012
5) Had a really nice class of latin american teenagers graduate into the American minor leagues

I should darn well hope our farm system has shot up with that kind of resource commitment and fortune.

[Jilly Bohnson]

Baez/Soler/Almora is the best top to a farm system we've had in quite some time IMO. But I think we had better depth a couple years ago. All our depth now is intriguing kids at Boise, while those are nice probably a third of them will be off the radar by this time next year.

[CubbieSteve]

With the upcoming draft, and the (hopeful) strides made by our top guys next season, our farm at this time next year should be pretty potent. Like top 5 ****.

[hjgilber]

I don't know how much of this is accurate.

What Sickels wrote about Vitters in 2010: "Borderline B. A very tough player to grade. I really hate the low walk rate, but the strikeout rate is also low and he's still very young at age 20. I'll cut him some slack as a result."

Cutting him some slack for his age is hardly the level of enthusiasm he seems to have for Baez, Almora, Soler, and Vogelbach this year.

Szczur was still listed under "others" in 2011, Castillo was a C grade coming in at 20th, he'd already slated Cashner for the pen in 2010, and I think the fact that he included a list of nine more C+ prospects outside the top-20 in 2013 when there were C prospects in the top-20 in 2010 and 2011 speaks for the relative depth.

Is there a reason you cut out where he has Vitters as a B+ and took the "borderline B" out of context. The way you set it up is to make Vitters look like he is almost a B-, not the B+ he actually listed him as.

[deltaclown]

Is there a reason you cut out where he has Vitters as a B+ and took the "borderline B" out of context. The way you set it up is to make Vitters look like he is almost a B-, not the B+ he actually listed him as.

Big conspiracy.

[Rynoplasty]

Is there a reason you cut out where he has Vitters as a B+ and took the "borderline B" out of context. The way you set it up is to make Vitters look like he is almost a B-, not the B+ he actually listed him as.

I dunno, I just didn't include the name/grade when I copied and pasted his comments to show how thoroughly unenthusiastic they were.

[OldStyleCubbies]

I know it's off topic but John Sickels follows me on twitter! I'm a legend, he has over 5,000 followers and only follows 200 something.

[SenorGato]

He must like your STYLE or sumthin.

https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profil...39880/chip.jpg

[Tom Emanski]

There have been times that the system has been good, but the Superfriends want it to be consistently good, year in and year out. They want a constant pipeline of talent.

[Tom Emanski]

Perhaps it is just me, but I think Alcantara is the most underrated prospect in the Cubs system.

[gooner]

Baez/Soler/Almora is the best top to a farm system we've had in quite some time IMO.

Those who have been around the boards for as long as I have know that I have not a big believer in Cubs prospects in general. Never believed in Pie. Never thought either Patterson would be worth an ounce of doo doo. Caught lots of flack for that back in the day. Hell, until the second half of this past season, I was pretty certain Starlin Castro was way over valued (I think he still might be).

I think Soler is probably the real deal. I will reserve judgment on Almora and Baez.

However, there are two players that I am really, really high on. I have always been high on Brett Jackson. You can teach many things around hitting. You can't teach how to take a walk (freak show Castro aside). Brett Jackson's ability to take a walk is vastly underrated, imo and we have yet to watch him leverage it. But most importantly, hot damn do I have a huge ****ing hard on for Dan Vogelbach. Dude is gonna be a gigantic masher, and will be our starting 1B by the end of 2014. Rizzo better start learning to play 3B or something.

[JIMBO]

. Rizzo better start learning to play 3B or something.

Rizzo is a lefty.. 3rd base would be real tough

[gooner]

Rizzo is a lefty.. 3rd base would be real tough

Sarcasm is hard online.