Chicago Cubs Prospect Profile: Ty Wright

The Chicago Cubs drafted Ty Wright in 2007 out of Oklahoma State in the seventh round. The 25-year old outfielder has been an RBI machine so far this year ... 42 RBI in 43 games. Wright has eight home runs, 14 doubles and scored 34 runs. Wright has shown a little patience at the plate with 10 walks but he has struck out only 18 times. Wright's line so far for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies: .291/.337/.509/.845.

Wright has demonstrated the ability to hit lefties throughout his minor league career. This year against southpaws, Wright is hitting .347/.414/.673/1.087 and he's not doing that bad against right-handed pitching either ... .270/.303/.444/.747. Wright has been the definition of clutch this year. With runners on base he is hitting .338/.398/.623/1.021. Wright has hit for a decent average versus right-handed pitchers to this point ... but with less power and a much lower on base percentage. Wright continues to show improvement, here is link to his page at minor league baseball splits.

Ty Wright has moved slowly through the system. Despite putting up solid numbers last year at Tennessee (AA), the Cubs started him in Double-A this season.
Wright is just two home runs shy of his career-high in longballs (10) and may be developing the power that he has been lacking. A promotion to Iowa could be in his future but with players such as Brad Snyder, Micah Hoffpauir, Bryan LaHair, Matt Camp, Sam Fuld, Jason Dubois and James Adduci already on Ryne Sandberg's roster, he would be better staying in Double-A and playing everyday. On a side note, the days of Micah Hoffpauir and Jason Dubois being considered prospects are gone. Like many of the teams around the league, the Cubs use the Triple-A level for position players that could possibly help in a pinch. Many position players are promoted from Double-A. With that said, Triple-A is a very good way to evaluate pitching prospects ... such as Andrew Cashner and Jay Jackson.

Wright has played all three outfield spots, but predominantly in left field ... just a combined 15 games in center and right. With Alfonso Soriano manning left through 2014, Wright has little chance to make it to the majors with the Cubs as a left fielder. If Wright can carry his success against southpaws over from the minor to the majors he might be able to find a big league job as a right-handed bat off the bench ... basically a fourth or fifth outfielder on a Major League roster. Not only must Ty continue to develop offensively, he must show he can play average to above average defense in all three outfield positions. The Cubs have a plethora of left-handed bats in the system and that may end up separating Wright from the rest of the pack.

Full Name: Ty Jonathan Wright
Age: 25 (February 26, 1985)
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 200
Bats/Throws: R/R
Position: Outfield

Ty Wright's Minor League Stats

CCO Prospect Profiles:

jw

Nice to see AA and AAA doing well. This can only help at the big club level as I am sure that for those that do not have no trade clauses they are aware of the talent competing for their spots

Jim C (Tinley Park, Illinois)

Patrick S:

Nice job.

I never heard of this guy until you wrote about him.

Patrick S.

Thanks, Jim

Keith Moreland

Nice profile, I didn't know much about Wright until this write-up. He could be a spare part at some point.

How about some prospect updates? Can you comment?

VITTERS: Average at AA is plumetting, and he has yet to draw a walk. Too young to give up on, but IMO, his stock is falling.

CASTILLO: Just went on DL, but until that was showing good power and strong arm behind plate. Legit ML C prospect? Certainly as a backup, I think

BRETT JACKSON: No pop, but showing good bat control, which is what you look for early in a career

HAK-JU LEE: Average starting to climb; gets a pass because he is so young, but would be nice if he finished the year strong, and started at Daytona or even AA. Still a teenager!

I would like to see more help from position players; we appear to have a couple pitchers close to ML-Ready, CASHNER and JACKSON, plus some middle-relief types that might help.

Neil

Keith, I have seen Castillo play. He is very good. I think they are projecting him more than just a backup. If he can hit look out.

As I have mentioned, the Cubs compare him to Yadier Molina and from what I have seen that is accurate.

Patrick S.

Vitters--His stock may be falling a little but keep in mind he has only played 15 games at AA he can easily pull his average back up with a couple good games. Between daytona and tennessee he is hitting .283. What is more concerning I feel his fielding he has 10 errors in 35 games this year. Some feel he may have to make the move to first base which would drop his stock drastically IMO. Vitters is only 20 years old so he is definitely way way to young to give up on.

Castillo strikes out alot and like Vitters doesn't have a ton of patience at the plate but he is still pretty young and is doing pretty good for his age. He has great power potential.

Brett Jackson- is having a great year he has 8 doubles 4- triples and only one home run. but he is also sporting an OBP of .418 great eye at the plate. He has great speed. The power is there he might hit 15-20 home runs a year. You can bet though even if he only hits 10 hr a year he will make up for it in stolen bases, Doubles and triples, and runs scored and on base percentage.

Hak-Ju Lee is pretty Raw matierial but he has a very high ceiling and a ton of speed and talent.

I don't see any position players that are ready for the bigs below AAA and the guys at AAA that could contribute IMO I think would be mainly as backups. Sam Fuld, James Adducci, Matt Camp, Darwin Barney. Bryan LaHair. OH YEAH! CHAD TRACY he could start versus righties.