MinorLeagueBall's Top 20+ Cubs Prospects

[Jntg4]

I've taken the liberties of adding the way in which they were acquired, bolding those we've acquired via trade, and adding the highest level in which they played at in 2011 for the 24 ranked players.

A = Elite Prospects, good chance at star or super-star status
B = Good chance at successful careers
C = Has something going, but one or three question marks

1. Brett Jackson OF B+ (1st Round, 2009 Draft) AAA Iowa
2. Anthony Rizzo 1B B+ (Cashner Trade) MLB San Diego
3. Javier Baez SS-3B B (1st Round, 2011 Draft) SS Boise
4. Matt "Scrabble" Szczur OF B- (5th Round, 2010 Draft) A+ Daytona
5. Trey McNutt RHP B- (32nd Round, 2009 Draft) AA Tennessee
6. Dillon Maples RHP B- (14th Round, 2011 Draft) N/A
7. Dan Vogelbach 1B B- (2nd Round, 2011 Draft) R Mesa
8. Junior Lake SS C+ (International Free Agent) AA Tennessee
9. Welington Castillo C C+ (International Free Agent) MLB Chicago NL
10. Dae-Eun Rhee RHP C+ (International Free Agent) A+ Daytona
11. Josh Vitters 3B-1B C+ (1st Round, 2007 Draft) AA Tennessee
12. Jeimer Candelario 3B C+ (International Free Agent) R DSL Cubs2
13. Marco Hernandez SS C+ (International Free Agent) R Mesa
14. Chris Carpenter RHP C+ (3rd Round, 2008 Draft) MLB Chicago NL
15. Rafael Dolis RHP C+ (International Free Agent) MLB Chicago NL
16. Zach Cates RHP C+ (Cashner Trade) A Fort Wayne
17. Ben Wells RHP C+ (7th Round, 2010 Draft) SS Boise
18. Dave Sappelt OF C+ (Marshall Trade) MLB Cincinnati
19. Ronald Torreyes 2B C+ (Marshall Trade) A Dayton
20. Reggie Golden OF C+ (2nd Round, 2010 Draft) SS Boise
21. Gioskar Amaya INF C+ (International Free Agent) A Mesa
22. Tony Zych RHP C+ (4th Round, 2011 Draft) SS Boise
23. Shawon Dunston, Jr. OF C+ (11th Round, 2011 Draft) N/A
24. Aaron Kurcz RHP C+ (11th Round, 2010 Draft) A+ Daytona
Unranked but Mentioned (I'll continue to order them with # in order of mention):
25. Jeffrey Antigua LHP
26. Dallas Beeler RHP
27. Jeff Beliveau LHP
28. Jeff Bianchi INF
29. Lendy Castillo RHP (Rule V Draft)
30. Pin-Chieh Chen OF
31. Zeke DeVoss 2B
32. Jae-Hoon Ha OF
33. Jay Jackson RHP
34. Erik Jokisch LHP
35. Austin Kirk LHP
36. Luis Liria RHP
37. Kevin Rhoderick RHP
38. Jose Rosario RHP
39. Neftali Rosario C
40. Hayden Simpson RHP
41. Nick Struck RHP
42. Yao-Ling Wang RHP
43. Logan Watkins 2B
44. Robert Whitenack RHP

Chicago Cubs Top 20 Prospects for 2012 - Minor League Ball

25-44 was actually alphabetical by last name, not real rankings, still surprised Whitenack wasn't in the Top 24 though, as well as Nick Struck.

 

[Jntg4]

Based on this, we really should trade Garza and get an A-level prospect and maybe another B+, to put a nice topping on this.

 

[X]

I think it's telling how bad our farm system is that a guy who was almost a throw-in in a deal that we already appear to have won (Cashner/Rizzo) is our 16th best prospect.

 

[FirstTimer]

Surprised to see Rizzo behind Jackson.

Rizzo is the top 1B prospect in baseball.

 

[waldo7239117]

He's behind Jackson on everybody's list... Baseball America has him behind Jackson and Baez. Kevin Goldstein does too. I think Rizzo will get a good player, tho, along with Jackson.

Next up... trading Fonzie!

 

[Jntg4]

Surprised to see Rizzo behind Jackson.

Rizzo is the top 1B prospect in baseball.

I think it has to do with the position actually, with CF being weighted higher than 1B.

 

[FirstTimer]

I think it has to do with the position actually, with CF being weighted higher than 1B.

I personally like Rizzo more than Jackson but meh

 

[waldo7239117]

I personally like Rizzo more than Jackson but meh

Yeah it can go either way... I expect both in the majors next year. If your going trough a youngh stage, why not? I like both players.

Bother players could be a May or June call-up... so there their start of arb yera can be pushed back. I think that's why teams do that.

 

[Jntg4]

Yeah it can go either way... I expect both in the majors next year. If your going trough a youngh stage, why not? I like both players.

Bother players could be a May or June call-up... so there their start of arb yera can be pushed back. I think that's why teams do that.

But Rizzo's already has over 100 MLB at-bats, hasn't his clock already started?

 

[FirstTimer]

Yeah it can go either way... I expect both in the majors next year. If your going trough a youngh stage, why not? I like both players.

Bother players could be a May or June call-up... so there their start of arb yera can be pushed back. I think that's why teams do that.

Rizzo's clock already started.

 

[Jntg4]

Hoyer said that Rizzo will start the season in AAA anyway though, but I do expect him up by July.

 

[waldo7239117]

Rizzo's clock already started.

It has... that's what I thought. Give him about a month in the minors and if he does well, call him up. If LaHair plays well too, move him to LF or trade him.

 

[waldo7239117]

Hoyer said that Rizzo will start the season in AAA anyway though, but I do expect him up by July.

Yup he did and maybe the Cubs hope LaHair plays good, so they can trade him. He could come off bench, play OF, play 1B and may help a team.

 

[dabynsky]

Rizzo's clock already started.

I thought it was just service time on the active roster that determined when a player was eligible for arbitration. Therefore, the Cubs could just keep him in the minors longer this season to still deprive him enough time for this year to count as a full year.

I also thought there was something weird with how September callups counting towards service time, but I could be wrong about both of those things.

 

[dabynsky]

Yup he did and maybe the Cubs hope LaHair plays good, so they can trade him. He could come off bench, play OF, play 1B and may help a team.

It would be great if a couple of hot months (presuming LaHair has a couple of hot months to start the season) is enough to convince a team to trade anything of value for LaHair. I am just skeptical that any team would give up anything for a player with LaHair's resume at this point even with a couple of hot months.

 

[waldo7239117]

I just don't want the Cubs to have temptation from LaHair and keep him playing. I would want him gone, so we can see Rizzo play.

 

[Jntg4]

Waldo, I'm pretty sure it will be for more than a month because Hoyer is cautious because he thinks he threw him way off track by calling him up too early last year.

 

[Jntg4]

Now if we could acquire Turner AND Castellanos for Garza, Turner would be our only A prospect and Castellanos would be another B+, tied with Jackson and Rizzo... pretty good system there.

 

[Rice Cube]

Now if we could acquire Turner AND Castellanos for Garza, Turner would be our only A prospect and Castellanos would be another B+, tied with Jackson and Rizzo... pretty good system there.

Here's hoping the Tigers are that desperate then :lol:

 

[Jntg4]

Here's hoping the Tigers are that desperate then :lol:

:yeah: