Baseball America Reveals its Top 31 Cubs Prospects for 2013

[ABE32]

http://www.bleachernation.com/2013/0...ects-for-2013/


for 2013
Baseball America Reveals its Top 31 Cubs Prospects for 2013
By Brett on January 31, 2013

The annual Baseball America Handbook came out this week, and it is chock-full of prospect-y goodness. I won’t share too many particulars, since it is something you should buy if you want more deets. Among those details, including the Chicago Cubs’ system being ranked 13th in baseball (eh, lower, but still the right range), is the Cubs’ top 31 prospects.

1.Javier Baez, SS
2.Albert Almora, OF
3.Jorge Soler, OF
4.Arodys Vizcaino, RHP
5.Brett Jackson, OF
6.Pierce Johnson, RHP
7.Dan Vogelbach, 1B
8.Jeimer Candelario, 3B
9.Kyuji Fujikawa, RHP
10.Arismendy Alcantara, SS
11.Juan Carlos Paniagua, RHP
12.Christian Villanueva, 3B
13.Alberto Cabrera, RHP
14.Matt Szczur, OF
15.Junior Lake, SS/3B
16.Paul Blackburn, RHP
17.Duane Underwood, RHP
18.Dillon Maples, RHP
19.Logan Watkins, 2B/SS/OF
20.Marco Hernandez, SS
21.Gioskar Amaya, 2B
22.Tony Zych, RHP
23.Robert Whitenack, RHP
24.Trey McNutt, RHP
25.Josh Vitters, 3B
26.Barret Loux, RHP
27.Matt Loosen, RHP
28.Lendy Castillo, RHP
29.Marcus Hatley, RHP
30.Trey Martin, OF
31.Reggie Golden, OF
The Handbook has much, much more detail on each of those prospects, as well as various best tools/skills in the system. So, yeah, check out the Handbook if you want more.

For now, just looking at the list, it’s interesting to see how BA tends to be higher on the Cubs’ more advanced prospects, which is probably understandable. We’ve already seen BA’s Top Ten list for the Cubs, and many of the surprising omissions from that list show up in the 11 to 15 range on this one.

A number of prospects are grouped together with similar types. Blackburn, Underwood and Maples are all young pitching prospects that haven’t had a chance to show much yet, but who have nice upside potential. Zych and McNutt are power relief prospects (I’m making that assumption on McNutt at this point). Loux, Loosen, and Castillo are fringy, older starting prospects who have a chance to establish themselves as legit back-end starter types this year (assuming Castillo remains in the organization after being DFA’d this weekend).

In the top 12, there are just four pitchers – one of whom is Kyuji Fujikawa, who kind of doesn’t count. But in the subsequent 19, there are 11 pitchers. Sounds about right. And not a lefty among them, I should add.



From ME: Stanek Anyone????

[SenorGato]

I feel like I can give you the jist of the scouting report the book will have for the majority of these guys. That said, I'm being cynical so let me just post what I would like to see in the scouting reports:

Paniagua - What profiles as an out pitch besides possibly his fastball? I really can't wait to either catch a game or maybe Baseball Instinct or someone will throw up a video of him early in the year. The scouting report should be alot more detailed a year from now, but considering that BA has known about Paniagua for years maybe they sneak something new in.

Baez - Really I just don't want to have to read Gary Sheffield's name in his scouting reports again. A mention of second base as a possibility would be mighty progressive...

Villanueva - Newman on FanGraphs, a Villanueva fan/follower, said he looked like he put on too much weight too quickly leaving him a little out of shape. Just looking at the video from 2011 to 2012 it is obvious he put on some weight, and I wonder if BA will mention this.

Alcantara - Anything on whatever happened that his season ended short...

[deltaclown]

I've never heard of Hatley or Loosen in my life.

[SenorGato]

I've never heard of Hatley or Loosen in my life.

You'll likely never hear of either again...Well actually both have some real pen potential in a Shawn Camp kind of way.

Only reason I know Loosen exists is because he was putting up good numbers for (possibly) Daytona and someone on NSBB was trying to convince me that he had the upside of a #3 starter.

[ABE32]

I've never heard of Hatley or Loosen in my life.

You know what I said the same thing...but it's good that they are on the list I guess.

[bulldog312]

I think Vitters at 25 is a little ridiculous. It's not like he posted an .869 OPS in his first try at AAA at age 22 or anything

[ABE32]

I think Vitters at 25 is a little ridiculous. It's not like he posted an .869 OPS in his first try at AAA at age 22 or anything

24 but I get your point...He is getting up there.

Oooops I thought you meant his age...ha ha ha ha!!!

[Tryptamine]

Torreyes is just criminally underrated. Just because he's short doesn't mean he can't rake. Altuve and Pedroia seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. After a bit of struggling compounded by getting babip jacked in the first half, Torreyes put up an .811OPS in the second half at age 19 in the notoriously pitcher friendly FSL. Combine that with his above average defense at 2nd, his increasing walk rate, 32BB/29K ratio and borderline elite contact skills and you have a really nice player. There were scouts who compared him positively to Altuve last year and now he's not even top 30 in the system...

[SenorGato]

Both Altuve and Pedroia outhit Torreyes pretty significantly in the minors, and both showed more secondary offensive skills.

Unfortunately for Torreyes the *other half of the season* resulted in a sub-.600 OPS. He also posted a sub-.700 OPS on the road and against RHs if we're playing with halves and therefore splits. I also have never heard anything on his D, though I'm sure he's competent enough.

OTOH, he should definitely be on the list. BA is always big on size and tools, so it's not hard to see why they underrate him. You have to wow with the bat consistently when you're 5'6" with minimal power or patience, and .270 or w/e it was in High A just won't do that to less invested observers.