Bleed Cubbie Blue - 2021 Cubs Prospect PerspectivesA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2022-01-20T13:00:00-06:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/225361532022-01-20T13:00:00-06:002022-01-20T13:00:00-06:00Cubs Prospect Perspective: Chase Strumpf
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<figcaption>Chase Strumpf bats for the Cubs in a Spring Training game last March | Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Will he finally be healthy in 2022?</p> <p id="S8dUsm">Sometimes, I look at Arizona Phil’s depth chart as a reminder of a few names I ought to do an article on. Chase Strumpf’s name wasn’t the first I saw, but he leaves about three really good angles to touch on. Since I wasn’t very quick at deciding, I’ll look at all three of them. Perhaps Strumpf isn’t the epicenter for any of the three, but all three ought to be mentioned more often than they are. And, it’s my article. Here is my look Strumpf.</p>
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<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=strump000cha">Chase Strumpf</a>, infield </h3>
<p id="50Uauc">Born March 8, 1998, Atlanta, Georgia<br>Cubs second-round pick in 2019 out of UCLA</p>
<p id="zp8kcY">Point 1: Numbers lie. Strumpf was rather good in his sophomore college season. His OPS tumbled over 200 points as a junior. If all that matters is numbers, you’d think he had suddenly turned from a good college player to a bad one. Upon reaching the Cubs as a pro in his fractional year, he missed time due to injury.</p>
<p id="HbOmP8">Huh?</p>
<p id="qN5rkW">Maybe he was injured as a junior at UCLA. </p>
<p id="k26SVv">Similarly, the ball doesn’t carry very well at the UCLA facility. In a facility where the ball doesn’t carry, sometimes numbers are less important than what doesn’t specifically show up in the numbers. At sea level on the UCLA campus, players who might have strength up the gaps at age 26, might not have fully developed such power, yet, at 21. Scouting is about assessing the future, as well as the present and obvious.</p>
<p id="10UZ9d">Point 2: Injuries suck. In 2020, Strumpf had suffered another injury, and might have missed some time, COVID or not. In 2021, he started slowly in Double-A. Around the beginning of August, Strumpf started to figure out Double-A pitching, but his season went kaput on August 24 with a COVID shutdown of Smokies activities. Strumpf might be in Double-A Tennessee or Triple-A Iowa when minor league festivities resume. </p>
<p id="ujidn8">Will he remain healthy enough to do so? Are his numbers through July more indicative of who he is, or does his August hot streak more represent 2024 and beyond Strumpf? Why? I have no idea. I report what happened, and plan to in 2022, as well.</p>
<p id="ay0WAo">Point 3: Will Strumpf develop well enough to be worthy of a full-time MLB roster spot? There’s the important thing. Unless you’re willing to surrender something of huge importance to you if you’re wrong, either way, your opinion is of muted interest to me. We might as well admit we don’t know regarding specific players, and hope the the Cubs are “at or above” on player development practices on the pitching and hitting sides. </p>
<p id="70Yqzf">Player development for 2022 and beyond is about current practices. Not Cubs practices eight years ago, 18 years ago, or 80 years ago. Discern between information that matters and that doesn’t matter, and try to be supportive. Unless you have a specific reason not to. Here’s to a healthy 2022 for Strumpf, finally.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2022/1/20/22831098/cubs-prospect-perspective-chase-strumpfTim Huwe2022-01-19T13:00:00-06:002022-01-19T13:00:00-06:00Cubs Prospect Perspective: Kevin Alcántara
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<figcaption>The flag of the Dominican Republic, Kevin Alcantara’s native country | Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>He should get time at Myrtle Beach this summer.</p> <p id="att8AY">With nothing going on in MLB due to the lockout, I can either race after absurd trade rumors, or spend more time with following Tottenham, my newly chosen Premier League side. What I'm finding is that fans are fans regardless the sport or level of play. Each fan has their own road map to success, and promoting said road map is often considered more important than assessing credibility of past hunches. Looking at the "January transfer window" in the Premier League series is a backdrop for assessing outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara.</p>
<p id="0Cp7QX">The January transfer window loosely serves as the trade deadline in European soccer. The season is roughly halfway done. Teams are where they are, either pushing for a top-of-the-ladder finish, avoiding relegation, or caught somewhere in the middle. The premise of "making the post-season" is largely an American invention, for better or worse. The best team in the standings wins, in soccer, though there are benefits regarding scheduling the next season for doing well.</p>
<p id="eM2S9H">Trading a quality player for three or four prospects isn't unheard of, but it's less regular. In soccer, teams aren't rewarded for being terrible. Quite the opposite. MLB ownership creates the structure they want, and MLB owners prefer an environment where they reap profits, win or lose.</p>
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<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=alcant000kev">Kevin Alcántara</a>, center field</h3>
<p id="q3qi9O">Born July 12, 2002, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic<br>International signing by the Yankees<br>Acquired by the Cubs in the Anthony Rizzo trade</p>
<p id="5dbVWs">Being tall isn't normally considered a primary attribute for a center fielder. Alcántara, at 6'6", is tall, if nothing else. He's also very athletic, and has developing power. He performed well in both 2021 Complex Leagues, with the better numbers in low humidity in Arizona. Unless you've traveled to watch him specifically, you've neither seen nor heard a game of his. Any opinion you have on him is likely an interpretation of a hunch.</p>
<p id="3jxeQf">Which is what I read on potential January transfer additions in the Premier League. Players with rather obvious flaws and upsides mashed together in whatever sized packages. The player that finishes well might be bad on defense, and the one that moves the ball upfield well might not have any ability to score. More so, the people recommending this move or that don't have a history on display of how accurate they are. Which seems important. If you're wrong 70 percent of the time, why are your two cents worth heeding?</p>
<p id="VqUTcq">Fangraphs buys Alcántara as similar to Owen Caissie, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Reggie Preciado, though all have differing strengths. Alcantara is more speed/defense with developing pop than the others. As I don't encourage wagering on future results from prospects, I get to decide on whether I buy into one source of analysis better or worse than another. Fangraphs tends to be my go-to, but quite a bit can go wrong between Complex Ball and MLB. </p>
<p id="foOi2E">In my parallel universe, what would be handy is a useful "assess the assessor" tool, so I know how accurate people are at assessing potential January acquisitions. If someone is good at projecting six to 18 months in the future, their guess might be credible. If they're proven to be unreliable, disregard them.</p>
<p id="pLyvO9">For Alcántara, he should play regularly in a loaded Myrtle Beach outfield whether Pete Crow-Armstrong is present or not. If the lockout is in play in April, don't fear sampling a Pelicans game. Which could lead to you familiarizing yourself with some players. Which is a very fun part of baseball for me.</p>
<p id="v6Kxpr">Here’s some Alcántara video from last summer:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cubs</a> Kevin Alcántara at it again. HR's in back to back games. Since joining Cubs, his BA:.370, OBP:.438, SLG:.630, OPS:1.067 <a href="https://t.co/mXMdix02Cp">pic.twitter.com/mXMdix02Cp</a></p>— John Antonoff (@baseballinfocus) <a href="https://twitter.com/baseballinfocus/status/1425580178659438593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2021</a>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2022/1/19/22805999/cubs-prospect-perspective-kevin-alcantaraTim Huwe2022-01-18T13:00:00-06:002022-01-18T13:00:00-06:00Cubs Prospect Perspective: Nicholas Padilla
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<figcaption><a class="ql-link" href="https://twitter.com/CubsZone" target="_blank">Cubs Zone</a></figcaption>
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<p>He’s 24 and throws hard, but hasn’t pitched much since 2019.</p> <p id="UxqDHa">Today's subject is a relatively obscure prospect. Nicholas Padilla has pitched in as many off-season internationally as he has "games in the Cubs pipeline", with two. As little as I enjoy the 190 player off-season limit, Padilla's existence in the current Cubs pipeline weaves with new changes in development for an article.</p>
<p id="hJHERA">Before I go much further, I'm not sure how many more of these I have in me. Many of my tales have already been told for this off-season. Soon, college games resume, and I'll be about finding "in progress" games to follow. Since Tottenham games rarely interfere with college schedules, I'm generally conflict-free like that. I probably have eight or ten more articles left, but we'll see.</p>
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<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=padill002nic">Nicholas Padilla</a>, right-handed pitcher</h3>
<p id="5WqSxx">Born December 24, 1996, Bronx, New York<br>2015 13th Round Draft pick (Rays) from Grayson College (Dennison, Texas)<br>Acquired by the Cubs in December 2020 in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft</p>
<p id="2DWbY0">Tampa Bay has been fantastic in player development, recently. They lean toward very volatile pitchers, accepting that a few will get injured along the way. It's part of their cost of doing business. </p>
<p id="d7cysL">A bit over a year ago, the Cubs took Padilla in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Not only wasn't he on the Rays’ 40-man roster, he also wasn't on their 38-man minor-league protection list. The Cubs selected him for a low-five-figures fee, and plugged him in. </p>
<p id="WwBlCm">He pitched in two games in June, and after that, his season was complete. <a href="https://www.milb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-kernels/2021/06/18/644365#game_state=final,game_tab=,game=644365">This was his final outing.</a> </p>
<p id="xwsQLC">While I don't know the extent of the injury, for this series, one factoid matters. He hasn't been released. Teams used to be able to retain however many players they wanted. Now the limit is 190 in the off-season. I imagine the Cubs are somewhat close to the limit, but <a href="https://www.thecubreporter.com/cubs-organizational-depth-chart">anyone on the depth chart</a> is on it for a reason. As Padilla is.</p>
<p id="gjhppH">If any of the players listed on the depth chart linked above were zero percent chance types, they'd be gone. After all, every prospect will have housing covered this season. There's no point in springing for a room and monthly rate if they're hopeless.</p>
<p id="7w8BEU">Rays pitchers usually throw hard, and sometimes do so from odd release points. The Bronx Texan figures to get a look in Myrtle Beach or a South Bend in 2022, and if he's getting outs, he might move quickly. It's how Tampa does it, and they're the team everyone is happy copying these days.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2022/1/18/22879355/cubs-prospect-perspective-nicholas-padillaTim Huwe2022-01-14T14:30:00-06:002022-01-14T14:30:00-06:00Cubs Prospect Perspective: Luke Little
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<figcaption>Courtesy San Jacinto College</figcaption>
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<p>He threw 105 miles per hour in a pre-draft workout.</p> <p id="8mcaRI">Internet Superstar. Just a few days ago, Bob Saget passed away. The argument could be made that Saget, with his home video TV program, launched the idea of “internet superstar” before YouTube or Twitter were sprung. Today's subject is Luke Little, and he became an internet superstar for a day. For his second-day selection in a five-round draft to be justified, Little would have to do more than one pitch in one practice.</p>
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<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=little000luk">Luke Little</a>, left-handed pitcher</h3>
<p id="5m9uMk">Born August 30, 2000, Charlotte, North Carolina<br>Cubs 4th Round Pick (2020) from San Jacinto Junior College, Houston, Texas.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Newly drafted Cubs prospect 6'8" lefty Luke Little was clocked throwing a 105 mph heater <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PitchingNinja</a>)<a href="https://t.co/5TfCeUqceY">pic.twitter.com/5TfCeUqceY</a></p>— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) <a href="https://twitter.com/BRWalkoff/status/1271260120303972352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2020</a>
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<p id="k9hI10">I start with the legend. Parlor trick? Broken radar gun? Bob Saget would have enjoyed it, probably. However, in a draft with only five names, getting a realistic return from as many as possible would help. As it happens, Little did reasonably well in 2021. He managed 11 innings in a season where far too many pitchers were well under that. Walks remain a concern, but velocity isn't a problem.</p>
<p id="F5Prtf">As usual, I default to Arizona Phil, who watches practices in Mesa. Little pencils in as a potential starting option.in Myrtle Beach. Innings would be monitored, and he's likely a longer-term reliever. However, "starter for now" profiles better than "reliever already."</p>
<p id="EvOdBm">With spring training for MLB in question more by the day, how a team should best address developing arms like Little's ought to be in discussion already. If the shop is open, Mesa works as well or better than Houston or Charlotte.</p>
<p id="VLuWY5">To talk about Little without mentioning his parents would be absurd. They were flying to the College World Series this summer, and had a plane switch in a Phoenix airport. When their son was playing baseball in Mesa. Space and time didn't accommodate a meet-up, but Bob Saget would have probably enjoyed it.</p>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2022/1/14/22879694/cubs-prospect-perspective-luke-littleTim Huwe2022-01-13T13:00:00-06:002022-01-13T13:00:00-06:00Cubs Prospect Perspective: Liam Spence
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<figcaption>Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletic Communications</figcaption>
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<p>He’s got an unusual background. From Australia, but also played D1 college baseball in the USA, and his brother has played in MLB.</p> <p id="sfntuF">As much as people "wait, then harangue" regarding free agent signings, few bother to put up goal posts for draft classes. Probably because people don't feel like waiting seven or eight years. However, if a team is first or second in their division in draft productivity in eight or so of 10 years, that’s certainly a positive. Minding a draft pool's value is a starting point for assessing Liam Spence.</p>
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<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=spence000lia">Liam Spence</a>, infield</h3>
<p id="XGuUeR">Born April 9, 1998, Geelong, Victoria, Australia<br>2021 Cubs 5th Round pick from the University of Tennessee</p>
<p id="cX3RQs">If a player is First Team All-Conference in the Southeastern Conference, he is probably pretty good, regardless the sport or position. This includes a shortstop from the other hemisphere. Spence, whose <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/spencjo01.shtml">older brother Josh Spence</a> played in MLB in 2011 and 2012, was an offensive sparkplug for the Volunteers. He led off, hitting .336 and walking more than he struck out. Midway through the season, he had a hamstring tweak that I'm not convinced ever healed. </p>
<p id="mGotEH">Upon reaching pro ball, Spence had a three at-bat cameo in Mesa. While the normal promotion would have been to Low-A Myrtle Beach, the Pelicans’ middle infield was muddled. Spence moved to Advanced-A South Bend, and struggled. With the I-Cubs having the last games in the pipeline, Spence ended the 2021 season there.</p>
<p id="WYfVq0">To look at a Draft Class, the goal ought to be maximizing long-term value. After Jordan Wicks signed for first round slot, James Triantos went for overslot in the second. After prep lefty Drew Gray went third, many of the rest of the picks were college choices. They don't necessarily have high ceilings, but they are experienced against college competition. Getting a First Team SEC shortstop on the cheap has little "negative blow-up" potential. Perhaps he'll figure it out, or not. Grabbing good talent at low rates is generally a good idea. We'll see if it cashes.</p>
<p id="aqu51t">If Spence provides a bit of versatility and depth on top of the bigger names up the ladder, complaints should be minimal.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">An absolute blast! Liam Spence puts Central Arizona up by 5! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NJCAABaseball?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NJCAABaseball</a> <a href="https://t.co/hKIbDkhROp">pic.twitter.com/hKIbDkhROp</a></p>— NJCAA Network (@NJCAANetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/NJCAANetwork/status/1135023368585895936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2019</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Liam Spence again!!! GONE!!!! <a href="https://t.co/fQ1lUQl5Nt">pic.twitter.com/fQ1lUQl5Nt</a></p>— CHANNEL TN (@CHANNEL_TN_) <a href="https://twitter.com/CHANNEL_TN_/status/1401306451864399872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2021</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Liam Spence gets his first hit at South bend and it turns out to be a seeing eye single RBI <a href="https://t.co/DdzqTyWlNe">pic.twitter.com/DdzqTyWlNe</a></p>— Todd ⚾️ (@CubsCentral08) <a href="https://twitter.com/CubsCentral08/status/1425614886109917185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2022/1/13/22875966/cubs-prospect-perspective-liam-spenceTim Huwe2022-01-12T13:00:00-06:002022-01-12T13:00:00-06:00Cubs Prospect Perspective: Reggie Preciado
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<figcaption>Reggie Preciado (7) playing second base for Panama vs. the USA in 2018 | Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We don’t have much information yet on him. What’s there appears to be good and hopefully he will improve in 2022.</p> <p id="GStPvW">“I’ve only heard of one of these five guys, and I don’t like him, very much.” I don’t know for certain, but for a few of you, that was probably the perception of the return the Cubs received for Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini in December 2020. At that point, it boils to trust. Did you, I ask rhetorically, trust Jed Hoyer to do an adequate job in trading two known pieces of the Cubs’ 2020 success? You had one or two data points, depending on if you included non-tendering Kyle Schwarber. Having a record to go by is important in baseball.</p>
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<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=precia000reg">Reggie Preciado</a>, infield</h3>
<p id="fvJYSX">Born May 16, 2003, Boqueron, Panama <br>Signed internationally by the Padres<br>Acquired by the Cubs in the Yu Darvish/Victor Caratini trade</p>
<p id="6iP8Qn">When I look at my preference list for the Cubs’ choices at this summer’s seventh pick, six of the twelve names are preps. I’m not more interested in preps than college players, necessarily, for partially the same reason some were unimpressed with the Darvish trade. There is no bit of a film clip that will convince me that a prep is better prepared for pro success than plugging into a college player’s success in a weekend series would. If a college outfielder crushes Vanderbilt pitching over a weekend, the hitter impresses me. One of the hitters on my list (outfielder Gavin Cross from Virginia Tech) went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts against three pitchers in a game against Clemson. That is my primary bit of data points for Cross, and I still need to be convinced, but he’s on my list.</p>
<p id="DG1F2e">Opening weekend of the D1 season offers James Madison at Florida State. The Seminoles usually provide quality pitching, and this year is likely no exception. The Dukes counter with Chase DeLauter, who is on my list of twelve names. Hearing the FSU/JMU games, including quality pitchers, will give me a much better baseline. For both the pitchers and DeLauter. The more realistic information, the better the assessment process.</p>
<p id="w4wPqZ">Regarding Preciado, I have no realistic information on him, still. His season in 2021 was in the Arizona Complex League. I watched none of those games, nor did I listen to them. He played in 34 games and hit .333/.383/.511. Those are good numbers... but it’s the ACL.</p>
<p id="V1yOPD">Under no logical justification could I split the difference on Preciado, outfielder Kevin Alcantara, or shortstop Cristian Hernandez. Of that trio, along with Owen Caissie and outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, I’ve only listened to games where Caissie played. For the same reason my assessments of DeLauter can be dismissed as ill-informed, the same applies for the other four Cubs teenage prospects.</p>
<p id="GBG5uN">That doesn’t mean they’ll be good. That doesn’t mean they’ll be terrible. It does mean I’m 97-plus percent reliant on other people’s opinions of them as I craft my own opinions. It’s not very logical for me to aggressively put any hefty weighting on what I haven’t seen or heard in a game. Once players in the Cubs pipeline begin to play games with announcers, it’s much easier for me to trust my opinions on them. </p>
<p id="vBVS88">I really appreciate that Preciado is a switch hitter. While that guarantees nothing, most switch-hitters can have an edge on the pitcher if they’re capable from both sides of the plate. Preciado had three triples and three homers in 154 plate appearances in his pro debut season. Expecting him to play a bit of shortstop and a bit of third base for the 2022 Myrtle Beach Pelicans doesn’t seem unreasonable. If that happens, I can start filling you in on what I hear in those games.</p>
<p id="MrHjx1">Learning from those games seems far more likely than learning something from a game from Wrigley. Learning is the aspect that moves the needle for me, not cheering or being near people. I look forward to baseball games that teach me more about players in the Cubs pipeline, or those trying to join said group through this summer’s Draft.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reggie Preciado swinging it. <a href="https://t.co/5ZBoi6VgBe">pic.twitter.com/5ZBoi6VgBe</a></p>— Brad (@ballskwok) <a href="https://twitter.com/ballskwok/status/1398666501872406531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2021</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reggie Preciado’s first professional hit.<br><br>Reggie Preciado’s first professional home run.<br><br>( : Reggie Preciado’s IG) <a href="https://t.co/LSvkqkEGRO">pic.twitter.com/LSvkqkEGRO</a></p>— Cubs Prospects - Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) <a href="https://twitter.com/cubprospects/status/1409952261506207752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2021</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s some Reggie Preciado footage. These were probably linked in the Cubs’ top prospect list and I just missed it. <a href="https://t.co/TTDpaDwJrQ">https://t.co/TTDpaDwJrQ</a></p>— Brad (@ballskwok) <a href="https://twitter.com/ballskwok/status/1479599102103109634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2022/1/12/22853537/cubs-prospect-perspective-reggie-preciadoTim Huwe2022-01-11T13:00:00-06:002022-01-11T13:00:00-06:00Cubs Prospect Perspective: Riley Thompson
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<img alt="Riley Thompson" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nfxyRL2HMgLyC6kcY_mEtsCDvsI=/783x894:5442x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70375353/DSC_0203.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Riley Thompson | Clinton Cole</figcaption>
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<p>We don’t have a lot of information on him as he hasn’t pitched since 2019. What’s best for him going forward — starting or relieving?</p> <p id="bzbrpU">Recenly, I was rototilling an idea. A strand of said idea sent me off on a fun new tangent. It might not be entirely popular. Unsurprisingly, it takes a non-baseball veer, and mocks popular thought. Your assessments are welcomed, because some ideas are skanky enough to deserve criticism, regardless. Hopefully, in the process, you learn a bit about the subject, Riley Thompson.</p>
<p id="yPkQHw">With little or no reason to contemplate major league baseball (thanks Rob Manfred and the league’s owners), I’m spending time elsewhere. Much of that is upgrading my knowledge on Premier League action. One of my recent thoughts involved a potential managerial discussion in elite league soccer. Teams usually have around 27 players on their list (roster), and they choose eleven starters and eight or so potential reserves for each match (game).</p>
<p id="6qr9uR">Some players are healthy. Others are dinged, actually injured, out with COVID, suspended, or bad. Imagine the soccer boss has to decide on a final midfielder for his starting eleven. One is their 18th best player (by statistics and analytics), and the other is his 22nd. If statistics and analytics (used interchangeably, with analytics being Edgertronic-, Hawkeye-, and Rapsodo-type numbers we’ll likely never see) are predictive, the 18th player should get the call most of the time. If statistics aren't predictive, health, recent form, days without an off-day, age, and prospect status might matter more.</p>
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<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=thomps000ril">Riley Thompson</a>, right-handed pitcher</h3>
<p id="uqPvKY">Born July 9, 1996. Evansville, Indiana<br>2018 Cubs 11th Round pick from the University of Louisville</p>
<p id="jTRD2K">Drafted previously by the Reds and Yankees, Thompson agreed to terms with the Cubs in 2018. He pitched for short-season Eugene in 2018, and then Low-A South Bend in 2019. With South Bend, he averaged less than five innings per in his 21 starts. Here is the point where I have two options. Most of you would prefer I would rush into the backlog of reports on Thompson’s velocity and repertoire from 2019, when he last pitched.</p>
<p id="LCsBOn">However.</p>
<p id="p2U5V2">As I don’t believe information that will be 30 months old when he pitches in his next game will be of any realistic value, what would be of value is the Cubs internal flight plan for Thompson. Is he a 20 pitch per outing guy? Maybe 30? Perhaps 40? That, and how he does in games in 2022, matters. Alas, I have not read his personal flight plan. He averaged over eight strikeouts per nine innings in South Bend as a starting pitcher. A move to the bullpen, if that’s the call, could up his velocity to... what would it be after missing two entire seasons of game action.</p>
<p id="S1ukrM">I’m amused by writers putting 50s and 60s (on the 20/80 scale) on pitchers’ deliveries after rarely watching them pitch. (Gotta represent knowledge, whether you have it or not.) If Thompson is healthy in April, he’ll be assigned... somewhere. Then, and only then, will we add knowledge to our collective memories on the 2018 third day draft selection. Feigning importance of data that no longer applies seems a bit absurd. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Best raw stuff the Cubs drafted in 2018 belongs to 11th rd’er Riley Thompson, who pitched just 48.2 IP in 2 years at Louisville.<br><br>Assigned to Eugene, Thompson was nasty in last 4 GS: 15.2 IP, 11 H, 1.72 ERA, 7 BB, 21 K. FB up to 97.<br><br>Here are 10 of those K’s. <a href="https://t.co/5FISwcioc9">pic.twitter.com/5FISwcioc9</a></p>— Cubs Prospects - Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) <a href="https://twitter.com/cubprospects/status/1090598001830187008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2019</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cubs</a> Prospect Thread: SP/RP Riley Thompson<br>After TJS led to an inconsistent college career, the Cubs gambled on the upside of Thompson's live arm, and from all early indications it appears the organization made a wise investment. <br>1/ <a href="https://t.co/OtFnga1jK7">pic.twitter.com/OtFnga1jK7</a></p>— Michael Ernst (@mj_ernst) <a href="https://twitter.com/mj_ernst/status/1223759996632076288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2020</a>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2022/1/11/22871402/cubs-prospect-profile-riley-thompsonTim Huwe2022-01-10T13:00:00-06:002022-01-10T13:00:00-06:00Cubs Prospect Perspective: Yonathan Perlaza
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<img alt="Yonathan Perlaza" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mKEpa0Ny7GMtU_O3G_dWm5tZ94w=/1212x624:4688x2941/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70370693/IMG_0560.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Max Thoma/South Bend Cubs</figcaption>
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<p>He finished the 2021 season on a hot streak. He’s 23. What’s next for him?</p> <p id="b3hp3O">My prospect profiles usually fall into two sometimes unevenly split halves. One discusses the player. The other half provides the inspiration for the article. As much as I want to inform you of the player’s history, I am somewhat muted in wanting to prognosticate his future, which hasn’t been written yet. Sometimes, a player ended his season on a hot streak, or in a bitter slump. Guessing whether the one or the other is indicative of the future, necessarily, is beyond my realm of knowledge. However, something in their past, or presumed future, segues into a bigger story that applies, whether success looms, or not. Today’s look provides a quality backstory, a curious 2021, and something to assess for 2022, complete with cobinations and permutations. Here is my look at Yonathan Perlaza</p>
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<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=perlaz000yon">Yonathan Perlaza</a>, right field</h3>
<p id="RKfYno">Born November 10, 1998, Paramo Tucani, Venezuela<br>Signed by the Cubs as an international free agent</p>
<p id="lgsVRN">Whether it is drilled into your psyche yet, or not, the Cubs enjoy selecting “up the middle” talent, and love selecting shortstops. Perlaza was one of them, signed for a <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2015/7/2/8887205/cubs-sign-6-on-opening-of-international-signing-period">$1.3 million bonus in July 2015</a>. As the years progressed, Perlaza was less and less likely to be a useful professional shortstop. He had a penchant for bad defensive stretches, and tended to take those bad defensive plays into the batters’ box with him, which wasn’t a good mix. By 2021, Perlaza had become an outfielder. </p>
<p id="58IL61">On July 14, 2021, Perlaza was 0-for-3 on the day. His batting average fell to .222, and his OPS staggered to .677. Not terrible, but certainly not brag-worthy. For the rest of the High-A Central season, very few hitters would be better than Perlaza. For whatever reason, the lightbulb started to go on. He would have a hit in his next 13 games, and was much more likely to have two or more hits in a game than none the rest of the way, batting .345/.399/.601 with nine home runs in 47 games. For awhile, I considered him on my potential 40-man roster list, until talked out of it. Perlaza was now a thing, again.</p>
<p id="OcMfz7">This winter, he has hit reasonably well for Zulia in the Venezuelan League, despite being far younger than most of the league’s pitchers. Since the MLB Rule 5 Draft won’t take place until after the lockout is solved, a question is begged. How aggressive should teams be regarding professionally scouting minor league ball, if the minor leagues resume before the lockout is concluded? The Cubs will have the seventh selection. Their deadline to decide is usually the second Thursday in December. This time, the decision day will be far later.</p>
<p id="ZrpqBH">Baseball blogs are at a difficult spot. While most want to read uplifting stuff about popular players, or potential moves, most transactions of interest are off-limits. Hawking articles of “mutual interest between the Cubs and Carlos Correa” are all good, but no moves are permitted until after the lockout concludes. The actual decisions that matter are cloudier and murkier than major league trades or signings, which can’t happen right now. What can happen is a team deciding how to locate scouts to properly assess players that might be playing in actual games before the lockout concludes.</p>
<p id="HX20Yg">Are there players the Cubs ought to be laser-focusing on, in other organizations? Should other teams look at options like Perlaza, Andy Weber, and other Cubs Rule 5-eligibles? Know thine rival.</p>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2022/1/10/22851619/cubs-prospect-perspective-yonathan-perlazaTim Huwe