Cubs Minor League Wrap: June 25

by Josh Timmers on Jun 26, 2010 12:14 AM CDT in Minor Leagues

Sometimes I feel off on my own here on BCB. Sure, I'm always welcome to comment on the major league team and I often do, but recently, with all the stuff we've been trying to bring you with minor league coverage, I just haven't had the time to devote to chit-chatting about our Cubs. In fact, because of things going on in my own life, I didn't even have the time to follow today's game. It sometimes gets lonely toiling in the minors.

Then a day like today happens, and I couldn't be happier to have a place to hide. So this is my invite to everyone to forget about the major league team and revel in the hope that these kids provide. I wish I had better news today, but it's been a great minor league season so far.

On to our prospect lists, your choice for the Cubs number four prospect is Jay Jackson. The right-hander was a ninth round pick in 2008 and is looking like the steal of that draft. He's a true starter with four solid pitches: a 92 mph fastball, a mid-80s slider, a high 70s curveball and a changeup that works when he needs it. This season, the Cubs jerked him around between the rotation and the pen. He pitched well out of the pen before the Cubs decided to call up Cashner instead to take over the set-up role. He's struggled a bit since returning to starting, but that's probably just a result of having to re-adjust to starting.

So to take over his spot in the race for the number five prospect is infielder Ryan Flaherty. Flaherty tore up the Midwest League the second half of last season, so the Cubs had him skip Daytona and go straight to Tennessee to start this season. Flaherty struggled there, so he was demoted to Daytona, where he's been getting on base and hitting a ton of doubles. He doesn't really have a defensive position yet, but he gets called a left-handed hitting Mark DeRosa sometimes, so maybe that's not a problem.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs bowed down to the Omaha Royals, 10-7.

Casey Coleman had a rough start tonight, giving up eight runs over five innings. Coleman surrendered nine hits and walked four, which Coleman can't afford to do. He struck out only one.

Shortstop Darwin Barney was 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI. Third baseman Matt Camp was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

First baseman Micah Hoffpauir hit a sixth-inning solo shot, his ninth of the year. Hoffpauir was 1 for 4 with a walk. Four batters later, catcher Welington Castillo hit a three-run home run. It was his eighth of the season. Castillo was also 1 for 4 with a walk.

I might be the only one who cares about this, but Jason Dubois got one home run closer to the all-time Iowa record with a ninth-inning solo home run. Dubois now has 10 home runs this year and 76 all-time for the I-Cubs. The record is 90, held by Joe Hicks.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies lost their first game of the second half, 11-4 to the Carolina Mudcats.

Starter Chris Carpenter didn't pitch poorly, but ended up with the loss after allowing three runs on four hits over five innings. Carpenter walked one and struck out five.

Third baseman Josh Vitters hit his third AA home run tonight in the eight inning with a man on. Vitters went 2 for 4 with a double and the home run. Vitters just had the one run scored and the two RBI.

Second baseman Tony Thomas also homered tonight, a solo shot that was his fifth on the season. Thomas was 2 for 5 overall.

First baseman Russell Canzler went 3 for 5 with a double and a run scored.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were done in by the Dunedin Blue Jays, 9-3.

Starter Dae-Eun Rhee got whacked for seven runs, five earned, in five plus innings. Most of the damage was done after he started the sixth inning. Rhee gave up nine hits and issued one walk as his record fell to 2-7. Rhee fanned three.

Shortstop Junior Lake hit a two-run home run in a 1 for 3 night. Lake also walked once. It was his first homer on the year.

DH Ryan Flaherty was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Catcher Mark Reed was 2 for 4 with a double.

Center fielder Brett Jackson left the game after being hit by a pitch in the second inning. Jackson was 1 for 1 with a run scored before leaving the game.

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs got the second half off right with a 4-2 detasseling of the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Starter Ryan Searle got the win, giving up only one run over five innings. He gave up six hits, but didn't walk anyone. Searle struck out four.

Frank Batista pitched the ninth and got his first save. Batista allowed one hit but no runs. He didn't walk anyone and struck out one.

First baseman Justin Bour hit home run number seven tonight, a third-inning solo blast. Bour was 1 for 4.

Shortstop Hak-Ju Lee was 2 for 4 with two RBI. Right fielder Jae-Hoon Ha went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Ha scored once.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks got blasted by the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, 5-1.

Starting pitcher Joseph Zellar didn't make it out of the second inning. He allowed four runs on four hits over 1.2 innings. In his defense, only one of the four runs was earned. Zellar didn't walk anyone and struck out two.

Third baseman Brandon May went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Giants, 7-6.

Cubs 13th Round pick, shortstop Pierre LePage, was 5 for 5 with two steals and two runs scored.

Poll

Who's the Cubs' Number Five prospect?

Chris Archer

22 votes

Ryan Flaherty

15 votes

Hak-Ju Lee

175 votes

Trey McNutt

34 votes

Hayden Simpson

5 votes

251 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I always get the tweets about the Smokies sent to my phone...

so when I got when saying Vitters had homered it made me happy. Hope BJack injury isn’t serious. He’s doing really well. Hak- Ju continues to do well..I actually voted for him to be the 4th prospect, but I wasn’t in the majority. I also have a question.. I really like Bour and seems to be the only true Cubs 1B prospect, but I have yet to see anyone mention him as a good prospect..why is that?
Note: If that was LePage’s debut..that was a heck of a debut.

by Ryno G on Jun 26, 2010 12:53 AM CDT reply actions

It was LePage's second game

he was 2 for 5 in the first one.

Bour is doing well this season, but he’s a first baseman, and the standards for first basemen are pretty high. For a first baseman to be considered a top prospect, he’s got to be one of the best hitters in the system, since the first baseman is almost always among the best two or three hitters on a major league team. He’s been good in April and he’s been really good in June with five home runs. He was pretty lousy in May.

He’s really doing about as well this year in Peoria as Rebel Ridling did there last season (although Ridling was a year older at that level). And since Bour was a 25th round pick, he doesn’t come in with a reputation that carries over into his early pro career. Last season at Boise he was distinctly mediocre. He’s going to have to keep producing to show that this season isn’t a fluke. If he keeps hitting through August, he’ll scratch the bottom of the prospect lists. If he keeps it up next season in Daytona, then he’ll climb. But right now, two good months aren’t going to put him on my prospect lists.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Vitters is going to be a first baseman sooner rather than later.

by Josh Timmers on Jun 26, 2010 1:27 AM CDT up reply actions

Bour

has a good approach at the plate, and physically, there is some raw power. There have been critiques on the fact that he may be too patient at the plate and might not aggressively challenge and attack pitches.

by toonsterwu on Jun 26, 2010 8:13 AM CDT up reply actions

LePage got bumped up to Boise today along with Aaron Kurcz and Eric Jokisch

Link

Fleita said three more players from the Cubs’ 2010 draft will join the Hawks in Eugene today. Right-handers Eric Jokisch and Aaron Kurcz and second baseman Pierre LePage, who all recently signed with Chicago. Kurcz was drafted in the 10th round out of College of Southern Nevada. Jokisch was an 11th-round draft pick out of Northwestern, and LePage was a 13th-rounder out of Connecticut.

by Outshined_One on Jun 26, 2010 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Went Lee

Even though I had Lee at 6 in my Cubs top 15 I decided to change here. Lee offers the upside of Elvis Andrus imho. WHile I’m very encouraged w/ McNutt and Archers success and Simpson is a very intriguing prospect all 3 come w/ ?s that will need to be answered. As it its sit’s right now I think all 3 are pretty interchangable at this point.

I also may even be leaning twoard Archer over Mcnutt now. While I give the edge in pure stuff to McNutt Archer has relaly shown improved command, ability to attack hitters this year, and trusting his CU. Toons and Josh have kinda swayed me. This is why I like guys like them and some others because you bring informed opions I value that I can sit back and think on and bebate in my own head.

Thanks for all this work Josh and Toons keep posting as well as many others.

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-cubs-wrigley-bound/

by cubsfan1 on Jun 26, 2010 6:03 AM CDT reply actions

feels like it's going to be a runaway with lee

that said, my vote was archer. I have high hopes for Lee, and he certainly fits in that 4-6 range, and based on upside, would be a deserving nod here. That said, his bat, particularly at this stage of his career, will always be somewhat fringy in regards to the fact that it’ll be partly dependent on the opposing defense and some level of luck. If he adds some punch to it, that may change things. Certainly, at the position, you don’t need exceptional offense to be a solid player.

That said, Archer is simply on too solid of a roll for me. This isn’t a junk, end of the rotation type. He’s got solid stuff to at least project to mid-rotation, if the development goes well, and he’s simply dominated the last 2 months, and arguably, should be in AA right now. His floor feels fairly solid – feels like he could at least become a setup type. He’s improved his arsenal and improved his control, the two biggest issues he had to address this year.

by toonsterwu on Jun 26, 2010 6:23 AM CDT reply actions

I had Lee ahead of Jackson

personally

I think the value of a top of the order slick fielding defender at SS is significantly higher than a mid rotation starter which Jay looks like to me

I think Archer and McNutt are the next two guys and by a pretty wide margin

follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com

by DartmouthCubsFan on Jun 26, 2010 8:14 AM CDT up reply actions

certainly

if lee becomes a plus defender who is a top of the order terror, then I can buy that (now, if I’m a small market team, or have financial limitations, the money for pitching is so great that I think there’s a case that, in certain situations, 6 years of a cost-controlled mid-rotation starter might make more sense, but I digress).

Everyone judges differently, but for me, particularly in the case of Jay Jackson, the readiness difference/the risk is too great for me to vote Lee ahead. For all the hope that we have for Lee, there’s an equally good chance that perhaps

a) His body fills out differently from what we expect, which impacts his speed and range.
b) His bat never develops and stays as the fringy, slap hitting, occasional gap shot type bat.

With Jay Jackson, I feel pretty safe that he will be in the bigs at some point in a fairly meaningful pitching role (that is, more than an end of the rotation or middle relief arm).

I almost feel bad for dumping on Chris Carpenter a bit. Feel like he deserves some notice. The stuff isn’t that far off from McNutt’s or Archer’s. There’s every chance McNutt becomes what Carpenter is right now in a couple years.

Anyhow, if I were putting our prospects in tiers, right now, I’d go

Tier 1

1. Brett Jackson – In a class of his own in our system. In the tough FSL, the power is coming on and he’s scorching with the bat right now.

Tier 2

2. Jay Jackson – Noted previously. Ready arm that I feel confident can be in a meaningful role. For a guy in AAA, there’s still a chance of some growth.
3. Josh Vitters – Sure, he has more upside than Jay, but there’s so many questions.

Tier 3 – I think there’s a case for ordering these guys in any order you want them, although this is my preferred order.

4. Chris Archer – Too dominant right now. Has been one of the best arms in the entire minors for the last 2 months.
5. Hak-ju Lee – see above.
6. Kenneth “Trey” McNutt – more development needed than I think is being acknowledged.
7. Chris Carpenter
8. Hayden Simpson – I think there’s a case for Simpson at 4.

Then we drop off a bit, although right now, for me, Flaherty is a clear 9. I’d probably go Rusin at 10 right now.

by toonsterwu on Jun 26, 2010 8:34 AM CDT up reply actions

good stuff as always

I’m surprised the love Simpons is getting after everyone went nuts after the selection. I’m hesitant to throw him too high until we actually see some results at the minor league level

I do think Carpenter has gotten lost in the mix just due to the slow start but I think that actually speaks pretty highly of the development we’ve gotten from Archer and McNutt this year, so that’s a good thing overall

follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com

by DartmouthCubsFan on Jun 26, 2010 8:42 AM CDT up reply actions

I was stunned with the Simpson pick

and certainly, I preferred a bat over an arm, but that was more a reflection on what I felt our system needed. That said, if we weren’t going to go HS, I simply didn’t care enough for the college bats in that range, and between the college arms, well, I don’t see why Simpson is that different from say, a Alex Wimmers, in all honesty. Wimmers might move a bit faster, but I wonder if Simpson has better upside. Multiple reports have suggested that what the Cubs say was legit in that, at some point this past season, Simpson really did have a mid-upper 90’s fb, coupled with a good slider and good curve, and a decent-solid change. Certainly, size is an issue, and along with the that is the fact that he was worn down a bit mid-season, so only time will tell.

As a side note, really, if we look at guys in the system before this draft, after Carpenter at 7 for me, there’s a huge gap since Flaherty struggled early and Rusin’s ceiling is considered limited. I think Dolis is a pen arm, and Raley has been off and on. Alberto Cabrera struggled badly when he got to AA, Burke hasn’t done much, LeMahieu’s offense looked very, very … boring, for a stretch (it’s marginally better now). Castillo is more a backup backstop type, there isn’t a strong catching prospect, and so forth. I guess my point is, for better or worse, I think Simpson fits real well there, either from a talent perspective, or from the perspective that our system does drop a bit after those top 7 guys (for me)

by toonsterwu on Jun 26, 2010 8:48 AM CDT up reply actions

makes sense

i was referring more to moving Simpson ahead of guys like McNutt/Archer who have already shown the ability to get professional hitters out

wanted to get your take on a few guys and where they fit into this back-end

Hung Chen Wen
Jae Hoon Ha

and then at what point do we consider Diamond back on the list? I know he’s 27 and kind of past the age for “prospects” but the AAA numbers are pretty promising

follow me on twitter for fantasy sports analysis @http://twitter.com/DrewDinkmeyer or get the full analysis at www.fantistics.com

by DartmouthCubsFan on Jun 26, 2010 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions

I've got Diamond in that 11-15 range right now

Considering his former status, his performance does give some hope that maybe he’s finally tapped into something.

Chen’s best case scenario seems more of a rubber arm type. In terms of a rankings location, I don’t have him on my top 30. Could he still be an end of the rotation arm? Perhaps. Could he be a solid middle reliever? Perhaps.

Ha is intriguing, and I’m not sure where to put him in all honesty. Last list I did out to 50 had him a bit lower, but that was before the bump to Peoria. There’s some intriguing offensive potential there, with some pop, and he’s got a strong arm. If the bat develops, could be an intriguing OF prospect.

by toonsterwu on Jun 26, 2010 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Perhaps someone can

explain why Hak-Ju Lee is rated so highly. His OPS is only .682 and his splits vs LHP are very low. But worst of all, he’s committed 67 errors in his minor league career of only 123 games.

If a quality pitching start is 3 runs and 6 innings, then a quality hitting day is 1 for 4.

by tharr on Jun 26, 2010 6:32 AM CDT reply actions

well

first, we should start off with two facts

a) The standards for shortstops, in regards to offense, is fairly low.
b) Errors in the minors, particularly the low minors, aren’t as big a deal, as most of the times, we’re talking about kids still developing.

Overall, he’s an exceptional athlete that still has plus to plus-plus speed. His lateral range is excellent, and despite some mild concerns on his arm strength at the end of last year, the majority of reports I’ve seen are positive in that regards for now. Considering his age and athletic ability, most expect him to be a plus defender as he matures.

Offensively, there’s some hope that he’ll add some gap pop to his bat, although I find that be quite questionable (although he will add some simply from physical maturation, but I am unsure if he will add a significant amount to change the complexion of his offensive game). The hope is that you get a plus defender that is a top of the order terror, and considering the position, that individual could be considered a top talent.

by toonsterwu on Jun 26, 2010 8:11 AM CDT up reply actions

Sounds like an Elvis Andrus to me

by rlpete on Jun 26, 2010 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions

I don't follow the minor league closely but...

I enjoy taking a look at your recaps because I like to see how you describe the teams’ wins and losses. “Batter the Biscuits,” “Blasted by the Volcanoes,” etc..

"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"--The Brain

by brook on Jun 26, 2010 7:54 AM CDT reply actions