Ednel Javier Baez was drafted by the Cubs in the 2011 draft with the 9th pick. History is going to look at that draft as an incredible one. Here's a sampling of players taken in that round: 1.1 Gerrit Cole (ace potential) 1.3 Trevor Bauer (20 makeup, but #2 potential) 1.4 Dylan Bundy (pre-TJS, was consensus #1 prospect, ace potential) 1.6 …
2013 Cubs Prospects in Review: Pierce Johnson
Pierce Johnson is a 6-3, 170 pound right-handed starting pitcher. He was born May 10, 1991 and was drafted out of Missouri State in the 1st round (43) of the 2012 Draft. After Picking Albert Almora the Cubs picked pitcher after pitcher in the first 10 rounds because the organization lacked impact starting pitchers. Johnson entered the season as arguably …
Assume the Position in Review: C
I thought it would be neat to review my critiques at each position that I made before the season. Let's see how wrong I was! MLB Beef Castle is the definite starter next year. He's projected by BJ to have a wOBA of .318. I like him a pretty good deal: his minor league numbers indicate that he is ascending, he improved …
2013 Cubs Prospects in Review: Jake Arrieta
With 409 professional innings under his belt, Jake Arrieta isn't a prospect. As one of the major acquisitions over the past 12 months, however, and as someone who remains more potential than performance at this point, we felt it was worth it to take a look at his 2013 and try to get a sense of what he may or …
Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (66-93) at St. Louis Cardinals (94-65)
As long and tedious as this disappointing season has been, I'm still kind of surprised that it's now ending. Given that I haven't written a post in over a month (other than a quick aside about Marvin Miller's legacy on Labor Day), it's safe to say that I haven't been paying much attention to watching the Cubs circle the drain. I …
2013 Cubs Prospects in Review: Kyle Hendricks
Kyle Hendricks is a 6-3, 190 pound right-handed starting pitcher. He turns 24 on December 7th and was drafted 8th round of the 2011 Draft out of Dartmouth College. Here's what Baseball America wrote at the time of the draft. An economics major at Dartmouth, Hendricks brings a heady presence to the mound. He does more than just outsmart hitters, …
2013 Cubs Prospects in Review: Mike Olt
The Cubs acquired Mike Olt from the Rangers on July 22nd. Along with Olt, the Cubs acquired CJ Edwards, Justin Grimm and Neil Ramirez (PTBNL). Olt is 6-2, weighs 210 lbs., bats and throws right-handed. The 3rd baseman was the 22nd ranked prospect in baseball entering 2013 by both mlb.com and Baseball America. He was drafted in the 1st supplemental …
2013 Cubs Prospects In Review: Christian Villanueva
Christian Villanueva came to the Cubs in the Ryan Dempster deal at the 2012 trade deadline. A J2 signing by the rangers in 2008, Villanueva cuts a less than imposing figure, standing 5'11-160. His 2011 campaign hinted at the potential for surprising pop, however, as he ISO'd .186 for the Rangers' Low-A Hickory affiliate. Combined with his sterling glovework at third, Villanueva's …
2013 Cubs Prospects in Review: Neil Ramirez
Neil Ramirez was drafted in the supplemental first round of the 2007 Draft (44th overall). He turned 24 at the end of May so he's not exactly young. He's 6-4 and weighs 190 pounds and is a right-handed starting pitcher. The Cubs acquired him, along with Mike Olt, Justin Grimm and CJ Edwards for Matt Garza on July 22nd of …
2013 Cubs Prospects in Review: Rob Zastryzny
I believe this rounds out the prospect reviews as far as 2013 draftees go. Rob Zastryzny, a 6'3, 193 lb, 21 year old lefty drafted 41st overall out of Mizzou, was something of a surprise pick in the early 2nd round, as he was ranked 76th on the BA 500, and Jonathan Mayo admitted on draft night that he didn't …