Position Analysis – Low Minor Leagues Pitching Today, the CCO completes its off-season look at the Cubs’ minor league system. After viewing the possible pitching staff for Triple-A Iowa, Double-A Tennessee, High-A Myrtle Beach and Low-A South Bend, it’s time to focus on the pitching prospects in the lower minor leagues. Low Minors Starters and Relievers While he will show up on a lot of top prospect lists, a word of caution is in order when talking about 18-year old Jose Albertos. A product … [Read more...]
Cubs Top Prospect Watch – 09/06/16
Cubs Top Prospect Watch For the final Watch of the season, the Cubs had some spirited play. Chesny Young raised his batting average by 10 points, did not strikeout in 30 at bats and won a batting title. Ian Happ finished with a flourish, clubbing three home runs, while Duane Underwood Jr. dominated in his first start with High-A Myrtle Beach. Dylan Cease saved his best for his last start of the regular season. Cease allowed one hit in five shutout innings with no walks and 10 … [Read more...]
Cubs Top Prospect Watch – 08/30/16
Cubs Top Prospect Watch It was a good week Down on the Farm for a majority of the Cubs top prospects. Things remained rather quiet without any changes made to the Watch this past week, as the minors are set for their last full week of play. Dylan Cease and D.J. Wilson were still burning it up for the Eugene Emeralds, but Ian Happ and Chesny Young had a rough week. And today’s wild card is a real favorite of the CCO readers. Here then, is how the top prospects have fared this season, … [Read more...]
Cubs Top Prospect Watch – 08/16/16
Cubs Top Prospect Watch It’s mid-August and several of the top prospects in the system are looking to finish the regular season healthy and on a positive note. Fresh off the disabled list, Chesny Young returns to the Top Prospect Watch. Despite being out with a leg injury, Young is only six points behind in the race for his second consecutive batting title. Oscar De La Cruz tossed five no-hit innings that earned him Midwest League Pitcher of the Week. And the readers posted a rarity for … [Read more...]
Cubs Top Prospect Watch – 08/09/16
Cubs Top Prospect Watch With injuries and trades depleting the selections in the preseason player poll, the Watch had to reach way down to the Dominican League for shortstop Aramis Ademan to replace Mark Zagunis. D.J. Wilson and Oscar De La Cruz remained the hottest prospects over the past week. Wilson is batting .444 over his last 10 games and De La Cruz is coming off of a nine strikeout performance. Here then, is how the top prospects have fared this season, or since their recent … [Read more...]
The CCO’s Top 20 Cubs Prospects – July Update
A flurry of trades and promotions has thrown the Cubs’ Top 20 Prospect list into a whole other direction. The changes have been so radical two more spots were added in order to accommodate all the deserving players. Here then, is a list on how the current prospects rate. 1) Eloy Jimenez, OF (Low-A South Bend Cubs) The accolades continue to pile up for Eloy Jimenez, who is steaming his way toward organizational Player of the Year. The 19-year old has won his second Midwest League Player of … [Read more...]
Cubs Top Prospect Watch – 08/02/16
Cubs Top Prospect Watch After a busy week, the Watch remained stable over the next seven days. But that does not mean the performances were stagnant as Eloy Jimenez and D.J. Wilson were among the hottest players in minor league baseball. Jimenez batted .441 with two homers and 12 RBI in his last 10 games, while Wilson went .486 with a home run and seven RBI over the same span. Along the way, pitcher Oscar De La Cruz was promoted to Low-A South Bend. Here then, is how the top prospects … [Read more...]
Cubs Top Prospect Watch – 07/26/16
Cubs Top Prospect Watch With the front office making two trades in last seven days to acquire Aroldis Chapman and Mike Montgomery, there was a major shake-up in this week’s Top Prospect Watch. The Cubs traded top prospects Gleyber Torres and Billy McKinney to the Yankees in the Chapman deal. And LHP Carson Sands landed on the disabled list. Catcher Miguel Amaya, pitcher Oscar De La Cruz and outfielder Mark Zagunis take the spots on the Top Prospect Watch previously occupied by Torres, … [Read more...]
Cubs Top Prospect Watch – 07/19/16
Cubs Top Prospect Watch There were not any changes with the Top Prospect Watch this week. Concerns remain about Dylan Cease and Eloy Jimenez as two of the best young players in the system left games with injuries this past week. Gleyber Torres came within a home run of a cycle on Monday night as his stats for the season look better by the day. Torres has performed much better than most realize after a slow start to the season. Torres is hitting .337/.413/.474 with eight doubles, a triple … [Read more...]
Cubs Top Prospect Watch – 07/12/16
Cubs Top Prospect Watch There was a swap of teammates on this week’s Watch, as Jen-Ho Tseng replaced fellow Tennessee Smokie Duane Underwood Jr., who is on the disabled list. Future-Star Eloy Jimenez remains impressive, while Eddy Julio Martinez and Billy McKinney are putting up great numbers. Eloy Jimenez created quite the buzz Sunday with his performance in the Futures Game. Jimenez was 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI. And he turned in an incredible catch. … [Read more...]