A couple of weeks into the off-season and with no major league baseball action until Wednesday , I thought it was time to look at how Cub players were doing in the various winter leagues.
The complete stats for Cub players in the various winter leagues can be found here. (And thanks to MLB for putting this all in one convenient location.) Those stats do not included that day's games.
Arizona Fall League
All the Cubs in the AFL play for the Mesa Solar Sox, who are managed by the Peoria Chiefs manager Casey Kopitzke.
Josh Vitters
Josh Vitters is hitting .229 with two doubles and a home run in nine games after missing the entire second half of the season with a broken finger. The good news is that he's drawn a walk in three of the past four games. The bad news is that he's 0 for 9 in those games otherwise. ESPN.com analyst Keith Law is reporting his defense at third base has been solid.
Ryan Flaherty
Flaherty is hitting .303 with a .410 OBP in 11 games. He has two doubles, but has not homered. With the exception of one game at second base, Flaherty has played exclusively in left field and at first base. That's probably because Mesa has several other third basemen and shortstops on the roster.
Brett Jackson
Jackson missed the start of the AFL playing for Team USA in the Pan-American Games qualifying tournament. In two games he's 2 for 5 with a walk and a double.
Jake Muyco
Muyco got rocked for seven runs in 2.2 innings this afternoon. So far in three starts, he's 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA.
Kyle Smit
Smit is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in four relief appearances. He's struck out five in 6.1 innings. Unfortunately, he's also walked six.
Chris Carpenter
Carpenter has been pitching out of relief in the AFL. He's 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four appearances. He's struck out six and walked three in 6.2 innings.
David Cales
Cales has also made four relief appearances in the AFL, going 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA. He's walked one and struck out two in 4.2 innings. He's also induced three double plays.
Venezuelan Winter League
Brandon Guyer
Guyer has been tearing up the VWL with a line of .378/.472/.489 over 12 games.
Marwin Gonzalez
Gonzalez is hitting .279/.354/.349 in his native country.
Austin Bibens-Dirkx
ABD has made three starts for Aguilas de Zulia and has pitched well with a 2.70 ERA in 13.1 innings. He's struck out ten and walked three. His teammates haven't supported him though, as he has an 0-2 record.
Other Cubs in Venezuela this off-season are Marquez Smith, Tony Campana, Jason Dubois and Craig Muscko, as well as native Venezuelans Eduardo Figueroa and Carlos E. Rojas. None of them are doing particularly well.
Dominican Winter League
Only one Cub has played so far in the Dominican Republic this off-season, native Dominican and Mike Quade favorite Welington Castillo. The Dominican League just started three days ago, and Castillo is 1 for 7 in two games for Licey.
Mexican Pacific League
Two native Mexicans are playing here, Marco Carrillo and Oswaldo Martinez. Carrillo has made two starts for Yaquis de Obregon, and is 0-2 with a 9.72 ERA. He has struck out nine and walked four in 8.1 innings. Martinez has made five relief appearances for the same team. He's posted a 5.40 ERA, also in 8.1 innings. Martinez has struck out eight and walked two.