Baseball America recently posted stats for each player taken in the first 10 rounds of June’s Draft which begged the question, how did the players taken by the Cubs perform?
The Cubs’ draft did not garner the same attention it had in the previous three years under the current administration with the focus back on the Major League team.
Here are the numbers the Cubs first 10 picks put together during their pro debuts.
OF/2B Ian Happ
OF/2B Ian Happ, the Cubs first round pick in the draft, started his professional career with Short-Season Eugene. In 29 games with the Emeralds, Happ batted .283/.408/.491 with eight doubles, a triple and four home runs for a .898 OPS. Happ walked 23 times with 28 strikeouts in 130 plate appearances.
Happ finished the season with Low-A South Bend where he hit .241/.315/.448 in 38 games with nine doubles, three triples and five home runs for a .763 OPS.
In 67 games between Eugene and South Bend, Ian Happ batted .259/.356/.466 with 17 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and a .822 OPS.
Ian Happ played in the outfield. He played 28 games in center field for Short-Season Eugene and split time in the corner spots with South Bend. Happ lined up 14 times in left and 12 times in right.
The Cubs plan for Happ this year was to let him hit and play in the outfield. The Cubs are going to work with the switch-hitter during fall instructs on his infield defense at second base.
OF Donnie Dewees
Twenty-one year old outfielder Donnie Dewees played out the season with Short-Season Eugene after signing with the Cubs. The second round pick took over in center field for the Emeralds when Happ was promoted and saw time at all three outfield spots (42 in center, 16 in left and one in right).
At the plate, the lefty hitting Dewees batted .266/.306/.376 with 14 doubles, a triple and five home runs for a .682 OPS. Dewees walked only 14 times with 54 strikeouts and swiped 19 bases while being caught seven times.
LHP Bryan Hudson
LHP Bryan Hudson appeared in five games, all as a reliever, in the Rookie League. The Cubs planned to limit Hudson’s innings after he signed due to his workload in his senior year in High School. The 18-year old pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits with two walks, a HBP and five strikeouts for the AZL Cubs in the Rookie League.
OF Darryl (D.J.) Wilson
Speedy, lefty hitting outfield Darryl Wilson was the Cubs’ fourth round pick in the draft. Wilson played in 22 games for the AZL Cubs in the Rookie League where he batted .266/.322/.354/.676 with three doubles and two triples. Wilson had 15 strikeouts and six walks in 89 plate appearances. The 18-year old was 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts.
LHP Ryan Kellogg
Ryan Kellogg, a 6-foot-5 and 225-pound southpaw, made nine starts and appeared in 10 games for Short-Season Eugene. Kellogg allowed 14 runs, 12 earned, on 27 hits with eight walks and 14 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings (4.98 ERA, 1.62 WHIP).
RHP David Berg
RHP David Berg made his way to High-A Myrtle Beach this season. And he picked up the win in game one of the Mills Cup Championship Series. Berg struck out the last two batters he faced Sunday in the 10th inning to end the game. Berg allowed just one runner to score in the ninth after he inherited a bases loaded jam.
Berg appeared in two games for Short-Season Eugene before he was promoted to Myrtle Beach. In 18 games combined, Berg was 2-1 with five saves, a 1.40 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Berg allowed three runs on 18 hits with three walks and 18 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.
RHP Craig Brooks
Craig Brooks started his pro career with the AZL Cubs and made four relief appearances prior to a promotion to Short-Season Eugene. Brooks allowed four runs on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings (10.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP) in the Rookie League. Brooks was 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with Eugene. Brooks appeared in 10 games and gave up six runs, four earned, on seven hits with three walks and 21 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings.
Between Rookie ball and Short-Season Class-A, Brooks was 2-0 with a 5.14 ERA and 1.14 WHIP (10 runs, eight earned, on 12 hits with four walks and 25 strikeouts in 14 innings).
RHP Preston Morrison
Preston Morrison put together an impressive nine games with Short-Season Eugene. Morrison made four starts in the nine appearances and allowed two runs on 15 hits with three walks and 30 strikeouts in 22 1.3 innings. Morrison posted a 1-1 record with a 0.81 ERA and 0.81 WHIP.
LHP Tyler Peitzmeier
It took one game in Rookie Ball for lefty Tyler Peitzmeier before he was bumped up to Short-Season Eugene. Peitzmeier made 12 relief appearances for the Emeralds and allowed 11 runs on 14 hits with five walks and 16 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings. Peitzmeier was 2-3 with a 5.94 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
The 22-year old lefty finished the season with a 2-3 record in 13 games with a 5.60 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.
INF Vimael Machin
Utility infielder Vimael Machin played three of the four infield positions over two levels in the Cubs’ system this season. Machin did not hit much at either Short-Season Eugene (.188/.257/.250) or Low-A South Bend (.177/.271/.212) in 44 games.
Machin played mostly shortstop and third base but saw five games at second. Machin batted .179/.268/.221/.489 in 44 games with six doubles, 16 walks and 26 strikeouts.