MLB draft

[CSF77]

He loves to reference the pitching lab and this bullpen, but im not sure how much impact it could've had. The main guys are Chafin, Tepera, Winkler, Kimbrel. They've mainly been on the MLB roster over the last year or two or injured so not sure this pitching lab has an impact on them. The only guys who've made some impact on the pen who may have been helped by this were maybe Thompson and Steele. The FO just managed to piece together the right guys dumpster diving.

@CSF77 manages to always take the Homer stance on anything cubs, which is okay but I've just come to realize I'm not always going to agree with his take

Leeper.
Nance
Brothers
Winkler
Adam (just to show the lack of talent involved)
Mills
Abbott
Megill
Wick (injured)
Weick

We can go on here.

I could say that Chaffin is the exception vs the rule. Even Kimbrel turned it around this year. 2019-20 ugly.

So Homer? Not really. Giving credit to a marked 8mprovement? Yes.

I think that we can agree that this bull pen is cast off.

We can agree that it was ranked #1 (that never happens with the Cubs)

We can agree that 2019 the team restructured.

All the rest is well I'm right you are wrong crap. I've had my fill of that from the Red cap clan that believe their God will go back on his Throne before year end.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

Leeper.
Nance
Brothers
Winkler
Adam (just to show the lack of talent involved)
Mills
Abbott
Megill
Wick (injured)
Weick

We can go on here.

I could say that Chaffin is the exception vs the rule. Even Kimbrel turned it around this year. 2019-20 ugly.

So Homer? Not really. Giving credit to a marked 8mprovement? Yes.

I think that we can agree that this bull pen is cast off.

We can agree that it was ranked #1 (that never happens with the Cubs)

We can agree that 2019 the team restructured.

All the rest is well I'm right you are wrong crap. I've had my fill of that from the Red cap clan that believe their God will go back on his Throne before year end.

A lot of these guys were guys that didn't have much time to develop anything in a pitch lab though. Nance they signed from an independent league and he was in the MLB pretty quick right?

 

[knoxville7]

Many scouts believed Jensen needed to fix overstriding and inconsistent arm slot with his durability which led to flat delivery as a starter which made him target practice, but MLB.com's scouting report believed he could 'quickly move as a bullpen piece playing up his power stuff.'

McAvene was a dominant college closer and 2 plus pitch arsenal that scouts said needed a changeup to have a chance to make it as a starter.

Little had command issues but a plus fastball that hit 97 and a power curve. He was also 21 when he was drafted and played at UNC before transferring to State College of Florida.

I'm fully aware that looking for instant gratification in the MLB draft is for fools. I'm aware some kids need more time in the minors than others, and the 'exceptions to the rules' that do come up quickly rarely have a major, immediate impact.

That being said...Jed (and Theo before he left) doesn't/don't exactly have a good track record at drafting pitching. There's a slew of college arms that have come and gone, being otherwise unremarkable when other teams are getting results when they draft pitching.

I want this kid to be what everybody's excited about. I'm also tempering my expectations.

have they used 1st round picks on pitchers really?

 

[CSF77]

A lot of these guys were guys that didn't have much time to develop anything in a pitch lab though. Nance they signed from an independent league and he was in the MLB pretty quick right?

Just by saying.

Signed from a independent league.

Pitched in major league games.

That is impressive in it self.

With in a year?

So no other team could unwrap the package?

Or they have no clue on evaluation

We can go on.

I believe that MLB personal are competent

I believe that they saw something in Nance that they could work with.

I believe that it worked for a bit but we are talking about a talent limit.


This is the thing. The pitch lab is not a miracle. It can not take nothing and make it something. Like creating matter from nothing. So what they do do is evaluate and judge if there is more there or is his potential talent not high enough.

Just the fact that they took a pitcher in a independent league and made his serviceable is a achievement in itself. All it proves is what they are doing works.
Now give them talent worth a crap. That is on Jed.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

Just by saying.

Signed from a independent league.

Pitched in major league games.

That is impressive in it self.

With in a year?

So no other team could unwrap the package?

Or they have no clue on evaluation

We can go on.

I believe that MLB personal are competent

I believe that they saw something in Nance that they could work with.

I believe that it worked for a bit but we are talking about a talent limit.


This is the thing. The pitch lab is not a miracle. It can not take nothing and make it something. Like creating matter from nothing. So what they do do is evaluate and judge if there is more there or is his potential talent not high enough.

Just the fact that they took a pitcher in a independent league and made his serviceable is a achievement in itself. All it proves is what they are doing works.
Now give them talent worth a crap. That is on Jed.

I guess I wasn't talking about evaluation, I am moreso talking about development in this pitch lab. I don't think most of these guys have had any time to spend working in the pitch lab. I also really have no idea where/what the pitch lab is

 

[CSF77]

I guess I wasn't talking about evaluation, I am moreso talking about development in this pitch lab. I don't think most of these guys have had any time to spend working in the pitch lab. I also really have no idea where/what the pitch lab is

I believe it is on-site in Mesa. If you have been there the east side has their hotel. Park is center the west side is facility. And it is huge. Multiple parks outside and a huge domed area.

My wife and I have been there 3 times during spring and it is a good time.

 

[JP Hochbaum]

The Cubs pitching infrastructure is a legit thing. I wouldn't argue against it.

 

[CSF77]

Triantos, James
James Madison HS

Gray, Drew
IMG Academy


Franklin, Christian
Arkansas

 

[Discus fish salesman]

I believe it is on-site in Mesa. If you have been there the east side has their hotel. Park is center the west side is facility. And it is huge. Multiple parks outside and a huge domed area.

My wife and I have been there 3 times during spring and it is a good time.

I've been to spring training a few times. The new facility is great. I love going to Arizona that time of year aside from baseball too. I need to try to make it down over the next couple years

 

[CSF77]

Definitely a different feel. Draft arm first then go bat deep. When Jason ran it he went bat then flooded arms.

 

[CSF77]

I've been to spring training a few times. The new facility is great. I love going to Arizona that time of year aside from baseball too. I need to try to make it down over the next couple years

I didn't go last year. My first time I went to Goodyear and saw the Cubs at the Reds. Cheaper tix. Also cheaper hotel.

Next year we went to a home game and stayed at the Cubs hotel. Way over priced on the hotel.

But we loved the area. I wouldn't mind retiring there except for the excessive heat.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

I didn't go last year. My first time I went to Goodyear and saw the Cubs at the Reds. Cheaper tix. Also cheaper hotel.

Next year we went to a home game and stayed at the Cubs hotel. Way over priced on the hotel.

But we loved the area. I wouldn't mind retiring there except for the excessive heat.

Check out Sedona for a few days if you get the chance and enjoy hiking. It is pretty amazing there

 

[CSF77]

The Cubs pitching infrastructure is a legit thing. I wouldn't argue against it.

I wouldn't mind them shutting down Adbert for the 2nd half and having him work on his other offerings. It is a lost season so toss guys like Davies and Williams out there. Jake also. Mills seems to be able to handle it.

But Adbert is slider happy and it is killing him.

 

[beckdawg]

Full Report​

Triantos made a silly amount of contact during his pre-draft summer, swinging and missing just six times when seen in 2020. He has a non-traditional swing and is physically mature, but makes the fundamental plays at shortstop and projects as a passable middle infield defender. There's a unique type of risk here, mostly that this player is just visually strange. This type of high school player is becoming more popular as teams lean on data.

 

[beckdawg]

Fangraphs also had him #46 overall

 

[beckdawg]

Full Report​

Gray is an athletic, projectable two-way player. He gets way down the mound and is very balanced over his lead leg as he delivers home with big extension and flat angle. He also has feel for a loopy breaking ball that lefty hitters struggle with because of Gray's length. He has some young Josh Hader traits.

 

[PickSix]

Check out Sedona for a few days if you get the chance and enjoy hiking. It is pretty amazing there

Sedona is awesome for hiking. Sounds goofy, but I recommend some off roading on a pink jeep tour as well. Fun times.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

Sedona is awesome for hiking. Sounds goofy, but I recommend some off roading on a pink jeep tour as well. Fun times.

We actually signed up for that last time there, but weren't able to go because my girlfriend was pregnant at the time

 

[CSF77]

Round 4, 123rd overall: Christian Franklin, OF, Arkansas
Notable skills: According to MLB Pipeline's scouting report on Franklin, the 21-year-old boasted "some of the best all-around tools" in the collegiate class in this Draft. Franklin was ranked No. 52 on Pipeline's Top 250 Draft prospects list and had the makings of a possible first-rounder or second-rounder. Given that the Cubs landed him in the fourth, Callis said it has the potential to be "a steal" for the North Siders. In 61 games this year, Franklin hit .274/.420/.544 with 11 steals, 13 homers, 15 doubles, 44 walks, 54 RBIs and 55 runs scored. There is some swing-and-miss in Franklin's approach, but he uses the whole field as a hitter and could stick as a center fielder.
Fun fact: Dating back to 2015, Arkansas has had three center fielders taken in the first four rounds of the MLB Draft. Franklin joined Andrew Benintendi (first round, 2015) and Dominic Fletcher (second round, 2019) on that list.
Quotable: "There's not too many guys in the Draft where you can just sort of put your stamp on it and say, 'He's a true center fielder.' And we think Christian's that. And then you complement that with a power bat, and it's just like, 'Wow, that's not the type of talent that we see available in that part of the Draft normally.' Needless to say, we were pretty thrilled when he was there." -- Kantrovitz

 

[CSF77]

Round 3, 93rd overall: Drew Gray, LHP, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Notable skills: Gray was a two-way player in high school, but his future appears to rest on the mound. The 6-foot-3 pitcher is a "projectable" lefty with a high-spin fastball and a pair of breaking pitches (slider and curve). While there have been command issues, the tools are there for him to grow into a power arm. The Cubs see Gray as a starting pitcher down the road. In seven appearances this season, Gray struck out 41 of the 80 batters he faced and turned in a tidy 1.88 ERA with a .129 opponents' average. Gray (No. 179 on Pipeline's Top 250 Draft prospects list) is committed to Arkansas, where his older brother, Evan, pitches as well.

Fun fact: While Gray was picked out of IMG, the southpaw is originally from Illinois. Gray attended Belleville East High School in southwest Illinois (an eastern suburb of St. Louis) before transferring to IMG Academy for more exposure.
Quotable: "He's got just natural arm-side run and plus movement on his fastball, and his curveball is a hammer. I mean, it's one that's got late bite. The way that it enters the zone, it's a really tough pitch to pick up, and from kind of that same arm slot and arm path from his fastball. It's a pretty lethal combo." -- Kantrovitz