Chicago Cubs - What is better than a top prospect crushing baseballs in the minors?  Young players doing it in the majors!  The Cubs don’t figure to be all that good in the upcoming season, but should be exciting to watch nonetheless.  New father and newly-turned 23 year old shortstop Starlin Castro‘s “down” season last year was still significantly above average for a player at the position, and he is still third in the major leagues in hits over the past two seasons – his first two full seasons in the majors.  Being asked to adjust his approach mid-season certainly contributed to Castro’s slowdown as he became acclimated with it, but the benefits were obvious by the end of the season.  After drawing just five walks from March through May, he matched the total in June and exceeded it in July alone.  He proceeded to draw twenty more walks from August through October.  Hopefully the improved plate discipline will be obvious beyond the small sample size at the end of last season.  While Castro, just 22 years of age last season, is already entering his fourth season in the major leagues, most prospects take a bit longer to break through and stay in the bigs.  Anthony Rizzo struggled after being called up by San Diego, and was acquired by the Cubs in a trade that sent Andrew Cashner to the Padres.  Rizzo quickly won Cubs fan’s hearts with multiple game winning RBIs in his first weeks with the team and a monstrous July that saw him bat .330 with seven home runs.  Rizzo’s ability to draw walks increased gradually throughout the season as he drew more in each successive month and finished the season with an OBP fifty-seven points higher than his batting average.  Heading into 2013, Rizzo’s biggest area for improvement is to be able to consistently hit left-handed pitching, which he struggled mightily with last year, with an OPS of just .599.  Meanwhile, light-hitting and homegrown second baseman Darwin Barney is coming off a gold glove performance, and a moderate increase in his offensive prowess would go a long way to increasing his value even more.  From the mound, Jeff Samardzija was very impressive in his transition from a reliever to a full-time starter, and has been named the Cubs’ opening day starter and is the de facto ace.  After a 4.71 ERA in the first half of the season – due in large part to a 10.41 ERA in June – Samardzija excelled with a 2.58 mark down the stretch in the second half of the season.

Iowa Cubs - At least to start the season, Iowa is very much a team of “misfits”, or prospects with potential that they may never harness.  Right-handeder Trey McNutt is a prime example, for a pitcher who was once one of the franchise’s top up-and-coming prospects is now a mere relief prospect.  Brett Jackson was considered the top prospect for the team just a year ago, but strikeout problems have caused many to doubt the young outfielder who struggled in Chicago after being called up in August.  A recent injury may keep Jackson from starting the season on the roster, but he will most certainly be to Iowa that he reports when healthy.  Josh Vitters, the Cubs’ first round pick in 2007, third overall, has fallen off the radar of many, especially after struggling in a major league callup, despite a strong showing in Iowa.  The consensus is that Vitters will be able to hit in the majors, but without a defensive position he can play strongly and doubts about his power – though he did hit nineteen homers combined between Iowa and Chicago last season – Vitters has become a fringe prospect.  Junior Lake – after he returns from his spring training injury – also looks to reemerge as a prospect.  Lake has always had pretty significant potential, but has never been able to harness it consistently.  However, hopes are rising for the young infielder after strong showings in both the Dominican Professional Baseball League over the off-season and in spring training.  Logan Watkins also brings a nice skill-set to the table for an Iowa team that has been refurbished with talent after losing Rizzo, Jackson, and Vitters to Chicago by the end of last season.  All of the aforementioned prospects are prime candidates to be called up this year.  McNutt could fill a bullpen role down the stretch, while a strong performance from Brett Jackson and his revamped swing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League could correspond with claiming an outfield spot after an incumbent starter is traded.  Vitters and Lake could each grab the starting job at third base from Luis Valbuena, and Watkins could get time at second base in the case of an injury to either Barney or Castro.  Also expected to join Iowa at some point is Arodys Vizcaino, who hasn’t thrown a pitch in an official game since 2011 and will report to Extended Spring Training after not pitching at all yet this spring.  Vizcaino, if all goes well, could also be a likely September call-up and could crack the major league rotation in 2014.

Tennessee Smokies - The Smokies will host many of the organization’s better known pitching prospects in 2013, including Dae-Eun Rhee, Robert Whitenack, Tony Zych, Kevin Rhoderick, Austin Kirk, Eric Jokisch, Zach Rosscup, Yeiper Castillo, and Barret Loux.  However, the Smokies, like the rest of the organization, are lacking in impact pitching.  The team’s positional stars are Matthew Szczur and Christian Villanueva – former top hundred prospects who have fallen from grace – as well as Cuban import Rubi Silva and Korean outfielder Jae-Hoon Ha.  Szczur, a defense-oriented center fielder was once part of Jim Hendry’s vision for a future outfield also consisting of Brett Jackson and Tyler Colvin, who was recently optioned back to AAA by the Colorado Rockies.  Now, Colvin is no longer in the organization, Jackson is questionable to ever be a major league starter and Szczur may have trouble ever claiming a bench spot.  Szczur still does have potential, but after leaving football to focus on baseball, his development has not progressed as quickly as the Cubs may have liked.  Villanueva, acquired from Texas in the Ryan Dempster trade, is a defense-first third baseman with a little bit of pop.  Neither is a sure-thing major league starter, but both are still definitely worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses.

Daytona Cubs - Daytona is the team that figures to leave Cubs fans drooling over the future, with two of the Cubs top prospects moving up after dominating the Midwest League last year with the Peoria Chiefs.  Both of these slugging youngsters, Javier Baez and Jorge Soler, were acquired within the past season and a half.  Baez was the final first round pick of the Jim Hendry era, while Soler was the prized Cuban free agent outfielder the Cubs acquired after just missing out on Yoenis Cespedes, already an all-star with Oakland.  Baez emerged as one of the very best prospects in the game last season, despite a stay at Extended Spring Training to begin the year, and Soler impressed in about a half season’s worth of action.  It would be interesting to see if Baez switches positions this season or if the Cubs will hold off until next season, as the shortstop is blocked at the position by the incumbent Starlin Castro.  Beyond the two major starts of the team that sit atop the Cubs’ farm system, Daytona also possesses some nice positional prospects such as Arismendy Alcanatara and Ronald Torreyes who played up the middle last season (it will be interesting to see how playing time at shortstop is divided between Baez and Alcantara or if Baez will assume a role at third base), outfielders Nelson Perez, John Andreoli, Anthony Giansanti, and Evan Crawford, and catchers Rafael Lopez and Micah Gibbs.  Depending on how quickly Baez and Soler progress as opposed to Albert Almora of Kane County, it is possible that we could see all of the Cubs’ top three prospects together for at least a brief period of time this season in Daytona.  Stephen Bruno, previously expected in Kane County, has jumped straight from Boise to Daytona to start the year in 2013.

Kane County Cougars - The Cougars replaced the rival Peoria Chiefs as the Cubs’ low-A affiliate for the 2013 season and have inherited a nice foundation of talent from Peoria and short-season A Boise Hawks.  The biggest star prospect for Kane County, located in nearby Geneva, Illinois, is 2012 first-round draft pick Albert Almora, who will unfortunately be out until May with an injury that occurred this spring that required minor surgery to remove his hamate.  Even without Almora, the team is reeking with talent.  Right-handeder Pierce Johnson, one of the Cubs’ two supplemental first-round draft picks in 2012, though not shown on the Cougars’ roster, is most likely to head the Kane County rotation.  Off-season international signing Yao-Lin Wang, 2012 Cuban import Gerardo Concepcion (who had a disastrous season after suffering from mono), Ben Wells, Jeffry Antigua, Jose Rosario, and Michael Jensen also figure into the pitching mix.  Catching figures to be a strength with three competent catchers on the roster in Sergio Burruel, Yaniel Cabezas, and Chadd Krist.  Dan Vogelbach, Jeimer Candelario, Marco Hernandez, and Gioskar Amaya, all figure to be make the roster as well after spending last season in Short-season A Boise.  Vogelbach and Candelario have been cited as potential top hundred candidates, with Vogelbach exhibiting great power, although most likely a DH long-term, and Candelario having a nice all-around game with significant potential.  Vogelbach was drafted with the Cubs’ second pick in the 2012 draft, after only Javier Baez, and Candelario jumped stateside after garnering attention when playing for the Cubs’ second Dominican squad.

Boise Hawks - A short-season squad, Boise will not begin their season until June 14th at the Eugene Emeralds, but opening day for the rest of the organization above them will be a big day for the Hawks too, as they unveil new logos and uniforms on Monday.  Given that the Cubs have the second overall pick and that the deadline changes from the new Collective Bargaining Agreement give more time for draftees to play in their first season, it is likely that whoever the Cubs do select will see time with Boise this season as well.

AZL Cubs - The Cubs’ rookie-level team in Mesa will be composed mostly of players from the draft, and will open up their season at home on June 20th to begin their last season at Fitch before probably moving into the Cubs new spring training field.

DSL Cubs - The Dominican Summer League usually starts in early June, though no schedule has been released yet.  The Cubs’ Dominican squad should be more stacked than in recent years since they are fielding only one team as opposed to two in years prior.  The team may move into the Cubs’ new Dominican facility this season depending on when it is completed.

VSL Cubs - The Cubs entered the Venezuelan Summer League in time for the 2013 season, though MiLB.com still lists both Dominican squads and not the Venezuelan one as the foreign summer leagues usually don’t reveal too much ahead of time.  The VSL is a five-team league (though their have been rumors of the Orioles entering a squad as the sixth team).  Reports out of Venezuela have suggested that the VSL Cubs will feature many players from the Liga Paralela squad Caimanes from 2012.  Though most Liga Paralela teams have loose affiliations, it seems as if the Caimanes were just a test team for the Cubs that didn’t use their name, as many Cubs prospects, even Josh Vitters, spent some time with them this off-season, and no team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League shares that name.

Arizona Instructional League final statistics for top prospects will be posted next week, as our friends at The Cub Reporter have unofficially recorded box scores.

Mesa Solar Sox – Javier Baez and Matthew Szczur are obviously the top prospects participating on the Cubs part, though other great prospects such as Houston’s Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart, and Detroit’s Nick Castellanos are in that same category of Solar Sox stars.  Baez hasn’t been getting on-base at a high clip – his OBP and Average are sitting at an equal .294, though note the 4 game sample size – but has really been raking it up as far as slugging is concerned.  One of the best offensive prospects in the game, Baez has two doubles and two homers to go along with his lone single in seventeen at-bats.  Baez struggled at Advanced-A Daytona this season after being called up from “Low”-A Peoria, but has been getting back into his mid-season form in a league typically described as being between the AA and AAA levels.  In fact, his first at-bat home run was off of an experiences major leaguer, Tyler Chatwood.  Despite his .765 OPS and uber-prospect status, there is one problem when it comes to Baez.  He plays shortstop, and there just happens to be a guy you might have heard of by the name of Starlin Castro occupying that position long-term on the North Side.  Inevitably, the Cubs gave Baez a shot at third base, and it wasn’t pretty, as he committed two errors in the game and almost made another.  Baez has still primarily played shortstop in AFL action, but he could very well be converted to third base full time by next season.  Mesa’s presumed third baseman, Nick Castellanos, was moved to the outfield because Cabrera occupies third in Detroit much like Castro does at short in Chicago.  As for Szczur, he has yet to develop that power the Cubs expected from the then-two-sport prospect when they drafted him, but he has been getting on base at a .421 clip and has stolen three bases.  Szczur was at one time part of a Jim Hendry dream outfield that was also to include Tyler Colvin and Brett Jackson, but now with Almora and Soler in the system and Colvin gone to Colorado, it looks as if only Jackson  may be part of that, while Szczur will have to get going to his potential soon to try to beat him out.  Szczur came into the season on the Top 100 prospects list by Baseball America.  Unfortunately, Szczur fell out of the picture, not even qualifying for the Top 20 prospects list for the Florida State or Southern Leagues alone.

The World Series Dreaming Post-season Top Prospects List

1. SS-3B Javier Baez
2. OF Jorge Soler
3. OF Albert Almora
4. RHP Arodys Vizcaino
5. OF Brett Jackson
6. 3B Christian Villanueva
7. 1B Daniel Vogelbach
8. OF Matthew Szczur
9. 3B Josh Vitters
10. RHP Pierce Johnson
11. 2B Ronald Torreyes
12. SS Arismendy Alcantara
13. RHP Juan Paniagua
14. 2B Gioskar Amaya
15. RHP Dillon Maples
16. 2B Junior Lake
17. RHP Paul Blackburn
18. SS Marco Hernandez
19. 3B Jeimer Candelario
20. RHP Nicholas Struck
21. LHP Gerardo Concepcion

Baez is an easy pick to top the list, as one of the best prospects in baseball.  It has already become quite clear that Albert Almora is favored over Jorge Soler by Baseball America, but I disagree.  I see Almora as a guy that can do it all, but no single aspect of his game – except his instincts – is breathtaking, and I mean that in no way to degrade Almora, because he is as good as he at all things combined, he’s still a likely future star, and a great one at that.  Soler on the other hand, he will do it all, maybe some things not as well as Almora, or perhaps his on-base skills will never be great, but his offensive ceiling is noticeably higher, especially when it comes to power.  Vizcaino is easily our top pitching prospect, while Brett Jackson has lost a bit of stock, but I still see him as higher than Christian Villanueva, who passed Szczur throughout the season and is evidently a better prospect than Vitters.  Vogelbach does not have a spot in the Cubs future unless the NL adds a DH, but his offensive potential is undeniable and he could be quite the trade chip a few years down the line.  Johnson makes it in to round out the Top 10.  10-20 are almost interchangeable.

Nine of the Cubs top 20 prospects (in italics) were acquired during the Epstein-Hoyer regime, a clear sign of the direction the Cubs are going in, and pretty phenomenal for a one-year period.

1. LHP Paul Maholm (Chicago) + OF Reed Johnson (Chicago) + Cash to Atlanta for RHP Arodys Vizcaino (Unassigned) + RHP Jaye Chapman (AAA Gwinnett)
2. C Geovany Soto (Chicago) + Cash to Texas for RHP Jacob Brigham (AA Frisco) + PTNBL (or Cash)
3. RHP Ryan Dempster (Chicago) (+Cash?) to Texas for 3B Christian Villanueva (A+ Myrtle Beach) and RHP Kyle Hendricks (A+ Myrtle Beach)

Alfonso Soriano and Matt Garza were not traded.  Soriano is expected to be traded in August, while Garza will likely be dealt in the off-season.  I was surprised that Shawn Camp was not traded as well.

Coming into the season, Villanueva ranked #9 in the deep Rangers farm system, and #100 in all of baseball by Baseball America.  Hendricks and Brigham both did not rank.  Vizcaino ranked #2 (one spot ahead of Randall Delgado) in the Braves farm system, and #40 in all of baseball.  Chapman did not rank.

The return at the deadline may be less than anticipated as the Cubs failed to trade Matt Garza, but we can be all but assured of one major trade bringing in some new top prospects occurring over the winter, as if he had been traded now, the only player the Cubs could get a strong return for in the offseason would have been Starlin Castro (highly unlikely to be traded).

Major changes have occurred since WSD last published a top prospects list before the draft, as #1 Anthony Rizzo has graduated, many new faces have entered the organization, and #2 Brett Jackson has fallen off while #3 Javier Baez has established himself as one of baseball’s elite prospects.

#1 – Shortstop – Javier Baez – From Toa Baja, Puerto Rico – Age 19 – Peoria Chiefs of A Midwest League

Javier Baez was the Cubs first-round draft in 2011, and came into the season as Baseball America’s 61st best prospect, ranking just three spots ahead of fellow prospect Matthew Szczur.  Since then and a stint in Extended Spring Training, Baez has emerged as the 25th best prospect in baseball on BA’s mid-season rankings, and continues to rise in stock as he dominates A-level Midwest League pitching.  A move the second or third base may be necessary eventually, but that’s alright with the Cubs, who happen to have another young shortstop phenom already in the majors.

2012 Stats: Peoria (A MWL): .332/.385/.597 line for .982 OPS with 9 2B, 5 3B, 11 HR, and 19 SB in 53 games.

#2 – Outfield – Jorge Soler – From La Habana, Cuba – Age 20 – AZL Cubs of R Arizona League

The saga of Jorge Soler was even more lengthy and had even more spikes than that of Ryan Dempster.  Originally in the shadows of Yoenis Cespedes (for whom the Cubs were the runners-up for, as was the case for Yu Darvish), Soler reportedly agreed to a deal with the Cubs in February, which turned into accusations of the Cubs illegally making an agreement with a player not cleared to sign.  The Cubs eventually did get their man, and he has begun play with the Cubs entry in the Rookie-level Arizona League.

2012 Stats: AZL Cubs (R AZL): .296/.345/.556 line for .900 OPS with 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, and 2 SB in 7 games.

#3 – Outfield – Albert Almora – From Hialeah, Florida – Age 18 – AZL Cubs of R Arizona League

The Cubs first-round draft pick in 2012 was deemed the closest High School prospect to reaching the majors, and debuted just a few days after Soler in the Arizona League.  The Cubs reportedly would have selected Almora even if they had the first overall pick.  Almora is a good all-around prospect with a relatively high floor.

2012 Stats: AZL Cubs (R AZL): .190/.190/.429 for .619 OPS with 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, and 1 SB in 5 games.

#4 – Right-handed Pitcher – Arodys Vizcaino – From Yaguate, Dominican Republic – Age 21 – Unassigned

Arodys Vizcaino was ranked as the 40th best prospect in all of baseball by Baseball America before the 2012 season.  Unfortunately, Vizcaino had to undergo Tommy John Surgery in Spring Training, and will not pitch again until 2013.  The Cubs seemingly felt that with medical advancement in Tommy John Surgeries, that the risk was minimal, and picked him up in a deal for Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson, making up for the loss of Randall Delgado, ranked just below him in the Braves organization before the season, in the vetoed Ryan Dempster trade.

2012 Stats: None to Post, you can check out his older stats by clicking on the link on his name at the top of the page.

#5 – Outfielder – Brett Jackson – From Berkeley, California – Age 23 – AAA Iowa Cubs

Brett Jackson was the Cubs first-round draft pick in 2009, and has progressed through the minors well enough, ranked as the 32nd best prospect in baseball heading into the season, but nowhere to be seen on the mid-season Top 50 list.  Jackson was another hot topic in the midst of the trade deadline, with initial rumors suggesting he had been traded to a mystery team with Reed Johnson after being pulled from the Iowa Cubs game.  Eventually, Johnson was of course dealt in a package to the Atlanta Braves, but with Maholm rather than Jackson and call-up rumors circulated.  Those too turned out to be false as Jackson was right back in the Iowa lineup the next morning.

2012 Stats: Iowa Cubs (AAA PCL): .253/.335/.478 for .813 OPS with 20 2B, 11 3B, 15 HR, and 24 SB in 101 games.

#6 – Outfielder – Matthew Szczur – From Cape May, New Jersey – Age 23 – AA Tennessee Smokies

Matthew Szczur was the Cubs fifth-round pick in 2010, but was only taken that low because teams doubted his signability, as he was contemplating a career in the National Football League.  Eventually, the Cubs had to release Szczur and renegotiate a contract to keep him away from the NFL, making him eligible for the Rule V draft, hence he was added to the 40-man roster despite only having reached the AA level within the past week.  Szczur got off to a slow start in Daytona, but rebounded strongly and Jae-Hoon Ha‘s injury suffered in Jacksonville opened up a spot for him in Tennessee.

2012 Stats: Tennessee Smokies (AA SL): .267/.313/.333 for .646 OPS with 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, and 0 SB in 4 games.

2012 Stats: Daytona Cubs (A+ FSL): .295/.394/.407 for .801 OPS with 19 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, and 38 SB in 78 games.

#7 – Third Baseman – Josh Vitters – From Anaheim, California – Age 22 – AAA Iowa Cubs

Josh Vitters was the Cubs first-round pick (3rd overall) in 2007, taken out of High School.  Vitters fell down the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects List every year from 2008-2010 before not even making the cut in 2011.  Many had given up on Vitters simply because he had been in the farm system for so long, despite being rushed under the Hendry regime, but Vitters has produced big time in the Pacific Coast League as a 22 year old, and may be poised to take over the Cubs third base job in 2013, despite a hefty amount of errors (he’d probably take much of the error spotlight away from Starlin Castro).

2012 Stats: Iowa Cubs (AAA PCL): .298/.350/.500 for .850 OPS with 31 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, and 4 SB in 105 games.

#8 – Third Baseman – Christian Villanueva – From Guadalajara, Mexico – Age 21 – A+ Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Christian Villanueva was the main piece of the Ryan Dempster trade.  The combination of Villanueva and Hendricks leaves a lot to be desired, especially after the Randall Delgado non-trade, but at this point, it is hard to be mad at Dempster.  Assuming Vizcaino can rebound from Tommy John Surgery, the return for the Maholm and Johnson package was greater than the potential Dempster return to the same team.  Had Dempster gone to Atlanta, the Cubs would not have been able to acquire Vizcaino.  Delgado would have been a safer return, but with a significantly lower ceiling.  Villanueva came into the season as the 100th best prospect in baseball according to Baseball America, but has not overly impressed in the Advanced-A Carolina League, and Goldstein wasn’t sure if he was better than Vitters at this point.

2012 Stats: Myrtle Beach Pelicans (A+ CARL): .285/.356/.421 for .777 OPS with 19 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, and 9 SB in 100 games.

#9 – First Baseman – Daniel Vogelbach – From North Fort Myers, Florida – Age 19 – SS-A Boise Hawks

Daniel Vogelbach was the Cubs second-round pick in 2011, but he has more value as a designated hitter than as a first baseman, making him a future trade chip rather than someone with a legitimate chance of playing everyday with the Cubs, especially when one considers the fact that he will likely be blocked by Anthony Rizzo.

2012 Stats: Boise Hawks (SS-A NWL): .364/.417/.500 for .917 OPS with 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, and 0 SB in 6 games.

2012 Stats: AZL Cubs (R AZL): .324/.391/.686 for 1.078 OPS with 12 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, and 1 SB in 24 games.

#10 – Third Baseman – Jeimer Candelario – From New York, New York – Age 18 – SS-A Boise Hawks

2012 Stats: Boise Hawks (SS-A NWL): .283/.352/.409 for .761 OPS with 5 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, and 1 SB in 42 games.

Candelario was born in the United States, but is of Dominican heritage and lived there for most of his life, making him eligible to sign at a younger age and partake in the Dominican Summer League, where he emerged as an interesting prospect and caught the eye of many analysts.  Currently, he is probably behind Baez, Vitters, and Villanueva in the Cubs third base plans.

#11 – Right-handed Pitcher – Pierce Johnson – From Arvada, Colorado – Age 21 – Unassigned

Pierce Johnson was a supplemental first-round pick in 2012, and has the potential to be a good starter at the major league level, and has a relatively high floor.

2012 Stats: None, yet to start professional career.

#12 – Right-handed Pitcher – Dillon Maples – From West End, North Carolina – Age 20 – R AZL Cubs

Maples is an interesting prospect, taken in the 14th round of the 2011 draft, despite being a 2nd round talent, as teams feared that they would not be able to sign him.  The Cubs were the first to take the bait, and succeeded in signing him.  With Johnson, he is one of just two Cubs prospects besides Vizcaino that made this list.

2012 Stats: AZL Cubs (R AZL): 9.00 ERA in 1 game and 1.0 IP with 1 R, 1 K, 2 BB, and 0 H.

#13 – Shortstop – Junior Lake – From San Pedro, Dominican Republic – Age 22 – AA Tennessee Smokies

Some are higher on him, other’s aren’t.  His most likely role at the major league level is as a backup infielder.  Being in AA, he is closer to the majors than many of the other picks immediately ahead of him.

2012 Stats: Tennessee Smokies (AA SL): .295/.346/.441 for .787 OPS with 17 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, and 14 SB in 70 games.

The Cubs selected “toolsy” outfielder Albert Almora out of Mater Academy in Hialeah Gardens, Florida with the #6 pick.  Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus was told last week that the Cubs would have taken Almora even if they had the first overall draft pick this year.  Almora can do everything well, but is not elite in any specific category.  The Cubs tweeted about Almora that “Almora hit .603 with 13 doubles, 5 triples, 6 HR, 34 RBI and 24 SB with a 1.164 SLG and .667 OBP in 25 games for Mater Academy last season.”  MLB Network remarked that the Cubs had found their Center Fielder of the future, but they may already have that in Brett Jackson.  The addition of Almora and potential addition of fellow outfielder Jorge Soler may take Matt Szczur out of the team’s future plans and could leave no backup position for Josh Vitters to go to once Javier Baez makes it to the majors.

Baseball America’s Scouting Report:

Albert Almora combines a high school player’s upside with the polish of a college hitter. He’s headed to Chicago after the Cubs selected him sixth overall.

Almora has tools, game instincts and makeup; his lone weakness is his fringe-average speed, which some scouts describe as below-average. Scouts give him 60s across the board otherwise, with some giving him higher grades for his arm strength. His instincts allow him to play center field at a high level; one scout said he was a 40 runner with 80 range and said he played center field like some players do shortstop, being instinctual rather than reactive like almost all outfielders.

UPDATE: The Cubs selected Right-Handed Pitcher Pierce Johnson from Missouri State University with the 43rd overall draft pick (compensation for the loss of Aramis Ramirez to Milwaukee).  The Cubs will also select at #56.

Johnson was ranked as the 34th best draft prospect in Baseball America’s most recent rankings.

Coast2Coast Prospect’s Scouting Report:

Johnson is a name that has risen up draft boards early and often thanks to a strong spring for the Bears. Despite sporting a 2-6 record, Johnson has dominated his competition and potentially pitched his way into the 1st round in June. To date, he has a 2.85 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 74.2 innings pitched. He is not a physically imposing presence on the mound and he can certainly fill out his frame a bit more as he develops.

Health is a concern, as he has been riddled with various, minor injuries throughout his career and as recently as this year. He came back from the most recent injury, a forearm strain, and was throwing in the 91-93 range with both of his off-speed offerings, a hard curveball and a downer changeup, working well. Before the injury he was sitting in the 92-94 range and could crank his fastball up to 96 mph. A potential sleeper thanks to his injury and recent arrival on the scene, Johnson should hear his name called within the first 3 rounds in June.

MLB Comparison: Zach Stewart
Projected Draft Position: Supplemental Round-3rd Round

 

UPDATE: The Cubs selected Paul Blackburn from Heritage High School in Home Oakley, California with the 56th overall pick (compensation for the loss of Carlos Pena to Tampa Bay).

MLB.com’s Scouting Report:

After a big performance at last summer’s Area Code Games, Blackburn has continued pitching well this spring to keep him firmly on the prospect map. The NoCal high schooler has a good fastball that hits 92 mph consistently and will touch a tick or two higher on the radar gun at times. His two secondary offerings – a curve and a changeup – both have the chance to be very effective pitches. He’s generally around the strike zone and thanks to his athleticism and sound delivery, his command should only improve with experience. The Arizona State recruit has some projectability, meaning his already pretty good stuff has room to get even better. That should get him off the board early enough to keep him from heading to Arizona.