Beneath is an analysis of the prospects within the Chicago Cubs farm system who readers ought to contemplate “imminent large leaguers,” gamers who may moderately be anticipated to play within the majors sooner or later this yr. This consists of all prospects on the 40-man roster in addition to those that have already established themselves within the higher ranges of the minors however aren’t but rostered. We are usually extra inclusive with pitchers and gamers at premium defensive positions since their timelines are normally those accelerated by accidents and shortage. Any Prime 100 prospects, no matter their ETA, are additionally included on this checklist. Reviews, instrument grades, and scouting data for all the prospects beneath will also be discovered on The Board.
You could possibly infer that isn’t a top-to-bottom analysis of the Cubs farm system. We like to incorporate what’s occurring in minor league and prolonged spring coaching in our experiences as a lot as attainable, since scouting excessive concentrations of gamers in Arizona and Florida permits us to include real-time, first-person data into the org lists. Nonetheless, this strategy has led to some conditions the place outdated evaluation (or no evaluation in any respect) was all that existed for gamers who had already debuted within the majors. Skimming the approaching large leaguers off the highest of a farm system within the meantime permits time-sensitive data to make its means onto the positioning extra shortly, higher making ready readers for the upcoming season, serving to fantasy gamers as they draft, and constructing web site literature on related prospects to facilitate transaction evaluation within the occasion that trades or accidents foist these gamers into main league roles. There’ll nonetheless be a full Cubs prospect checklist that features Fernando Cruz (whose present grade and report you’ll be able to already entry right here), Jefferson Rojas (an offseason Decide to Click on), Pablo Aliendo and all the different prospects within the system who aren’t Prime 100 guys and in addition seem like not less than one other complete season away. As such, immediately’s checklist consists of no ordinal rankings. Readers are as a substitute inspired to concentrate on the gamers’ Future Worth (FV) grades.
For brand new readers, let’s revisit what FV means earlier than we provide some particular ideas on this org (seasoned vets of the positioning can skip the subsequent couple paragraphs). Future Worth (FV) is a subjective valuation metric derived from the normal 20-80 scouting scale (the place 50 is common and every integer of 10 away from 50 represents one commonplace deviation) that makes use of WAR manufacturing to set the size. For example, a mean common (which means the Fifteenth-best participant at a given place, give or take) usually produces about 2 WAR yearly, so a 50 FV prospect tasks as an on a regular basis participant who will generate about that a lot WAR throughout every of his pre-free company large league seasons.
Why not simply use projected WAR because the valuation metric then? For one, it creates a false sense of precision. This isn’t a mannequin. Whereas quite a lot of information goes into our decision-making course of, quite a lot of subjectivity does too, within the type of our personal visible evaluations, in addition to different data associated to the gamers’ careers and baseball backgrounds. A participant can have a robust analysis (emphasis on the “e”) however is likely to be an excellent distance from the massive leagues, or maybe is damage susceptible or a superlative athlete. Context like that may trigger us to enhance the participant’s valuation (no “e”). Utilizing one thing extra subjective like Future Worth permits us to dial up and down how we’re decoding that context.
There are additionally many priceless part-time gamers who can solely generate a lot WAR resulting from their lack of enjoying time. As such, FV grades beneath 50 have a tendency to explain a task greater than they do a selected WAR output; you’ll be able to glean the projected roles from the gamers’ experiences. Briefly, anybody with a 40+ FV grade or above tasks as an integral large league function participant or higher.
Now some Cubs ideas. Are the Cubs again? It’s been a bit of over three years since they non-tendered Kyle Schwarber and approaching that lengthy since they traded Anthony Rizzo. Throughout that point, the org’s means to develop velocity has improved, they’ve seemingly nailed some draft picks, gotten good particular person items again as a part of plenty of trades, constructed top-of-the-line couple of farm programs in baseball, and now are projected for the second-most wins in a large open NL Central that looks as if it’s there for the taking as of our spring audit of this group. It’s been a reasonably swift rebuild partially as a result of the workforce signed Jameson Taillon and Seiya Suzuki, and hit on a couple of on-the-margin pickups in Mike Tauchman and a short buy-low on Cody Bellinger, which put veteran guys in place amid all these prospects.
For those who recall, the membership’s final window of rivalry was shortened by the Epstein regime’s lack of ability to draft and growing pitching quick sufficient to buttress the Cubs’ core group of place gamers. They’ve acquired extra current and projected depth now than they did at the moment, although lots of the optionable starters within the higher ranges of the org (Ben Brown, Hayden Wesneski, Michael Arias, Porter Hodge, and many others.) have some quantity of reduction threat, or have demonstrated success out of the bullpen however not as a lot out of the rotation. Chicago’s postseason hopes may journey on this group sprucing their command sufficient to bandage any rotation accidents that come up all through the season. This method can be deep sufficient for the North Siders to make a considerable commerce.
Some key issues we’ll be engaged on between now and the total Cubs checklist embrace (hopefully) getting a have a look at big-bonus shortstop Fernando Cruz in Mesa this spring, sifting via the older pitching from final yr’s DSL group throughout minor league and prolonged spring coaching, and watching how teenage infielder Jefferson Rojas responds to promotion.
Cubs Imminent Huge Leaguers and Prime 100 Prospects