The Cubs minor league system has been going absolutely crazy lately. Not to say that the White Sox system has been bad, but the Cubs system has seen a ton of players outplaying their current levels. I will bring up the White Sox minor league system in this post, but the majority of the guys who were looking good for them were guys who I feel like are the type that you move up after the season, and I will bring some of them up. The Cubs, however, have many players who are very likely to move up a level before the end of the season, and I will be covering those players first.
Arismendy Alcantara
It's really not a matter of if, but when for Alcantara, who has been absolutely scalding the ball over the last month and a half or so. He did get off to a bit of a slow start this season after being moved up to AAA, but once he made the needed adjustments he became a very good player. After 1 at bat in tonight's game, he's hitting .310 with 10 home runs, 10 triples, 22 doubles, and 20 stolen bases, only being caught 3 times.His .889 OPS is nothing short of outstanding for a middle infielder, and let's remember, he's still 23 years old, so he's young for his league. Well, he'll be young for the big leagues too pretty soon. You just can't pass up on a guy who can play up the middle of the field who can hit like that. The one thing I'll also throw in on him is that from what I've actually watched of him, it's amazing that someone who looks so small can have the pop in their bat that he has. Just a final note, he's done this damage in 310 at bats. If he makes progress, in a couple of years we could see a 20/20/20/20 (home runs, triples, doubles, stolen bases) guy.
Kyle Hendricks/Dallas Beeler
Eventually the Cubs will find themselves down a couple of starting pitchers. One of these two will for sure be up once that happens. Beeler had one start this past Saturday due to the double header. He pitched very well in that game, and this season in the hitter friendly PCL has an ERA of right around 4. It doesn't mean he projects as a superstar, but he can be a nice 4/5 type of guy. Hendricks, on the other hand doesn't have Beeler's 6'5" frame, his being a couple of inches shorter and about 20 pounds lighter, and he doesn't throw with a ton of velocity (lower 90's), but he has very good control and a good repertoire of pitches. His ERA in Iowa this year is in the mid-3's, so if you ask me, he's the better choice. Beeler was brought up earlier due to rotation spot, so I think if it's a straight up promote one guy or the other for most of the rest of the season, it's Hendricks.
Tsuyoshi Wada
While Wada doesn't have some astronomical upside and may best serve the Cubs as a short term replacement for the second half of the season (something the Cubs haven't had in a while), so unless the rest of the lower teams really kick it into high gear without knocking anybody down too far, don't expect a top 3 pick, maybe not even a top 5 pick. The White Sox are even with the Cubs in the loss column and are likely to sell a lot of their team off. Anyway, Wada is another back of the rotation type. He has very little velocity, but he is crafty. He's had an outstanding year at AAA with an ERA of 2.55 this year, and he was fairly recently put on the 40 man roster, so it's pretty obvious that he's a guy the Cubs plan on moving up once Samardzija or Hammels are traded, whoever is traded first.
Ryan Kalish
Kalish was on the team for a large part of the year. He was mostly ineffective, but if a Schierholtz type of trade does take place, expect him to be the guy who comes up from Iowa to fill that role.
Stephen Bruno
Of course if you have 4 or 5 guys going from AAA to the bigs, there has to be guys to replace them from the AA level. Bruno is one of the first guys I can see doing that. He's small, but he can hit from the middle of the infield. I doubt he'll ever be a real good player, but I can easily see him being a utility infielder at the big league level. He's currently at second base, and that's likely going to remain his main position. He's been a very solid, consistent hitter throughout the season, and is a great candidate to fill Alcantara's spot once he's in the bigs.
Charles Cutler
This is tough between Cutler and Kevin Brown, as Kevin Brown is absolutely destroying AA pitching right now, but Brown is doing it over a span of about 16 games, including tonight. Still, over that period a .533 batting average at this point (after 2 at bats tonight) is nothing to scoff at. Anyway, I went with Cutler, first off, because if he plays well at AAA he may very well be able to move up into the backup catcher role by the middle of next season. Also, he's hitting great this year with a .329 average at this very moment. He's not some huge prospect, as he's in his late 20's now, but he may very well be able to help the big league team as a backup within about a year or so, at least more than Baker or Whiteside.
Dae-Eun Rhee
Rhee used to be a top prospect in the Cubs system, but has fizzled out a bit. However, he's starting to remind us why he used to be such a high prospect with a very good year so far in Tennessee. His 3.10 ERA is quite solid, and he's been playing his best as of late. He's 25 years old, so I can see him being moved up to see if he really can be a good big league level pitcher, or at least give us reason to believe he can be at AAA.
Corey Black
Black will likely be the first pitcher moved up if a pitcher at AAA is promoted, but then again, I'm not in the front office and don't claim to know more than anyone in any MLB front office. Black was the return from the Soriano trade last season and the guy that Cashman didn't want to see go. Black is a very intriguing prospect. He's not very big at 5'11" and 175 lbs, but he throws very hard to go along with a solid change. His breaking pitches could use some work, according to a few scouting reports at least, but he has the potential to have a very good set of pitches. The only worries are that his size will force him to wind up in the bullpen and that his control will also force him to the bullpen. Either way, after putting up a 2.83 ERA in 14 starts, it looks like he's ready for the next level.
Gioskar Amaya
Amaya would be very young for AA, at 21 years old, but he has earned a chance to move up. He had some rough stretches this year, but the second baseman has a solid bat that still has room to improve, and he's the best middle infielder on the Daytona squad to move up if middle infielders from both AAA and AA move up. He will likely have his struggles, but should really be able to benefit if he keeps his head in the right place when moving up. This is likely a promotion that will go through the end of this season and have him starting at AA next season.
Albert Almora
Almora is another case where a promotion would likely be to get him to AA to end this season and keep him there to start next season. He started off very hot, but the pitching was able to figure him out. From there he went through a very tough stretch before pulling himself out of it over the last month or so. His average is still a bit low at .266, but that's up from the low .200's around just a month ago. He's also starting to walk more, which is huge, as he's finally realizing that when he's actually faced with competition, something he really hadn't been faced with until this year, that he can't just swing at anything he wants. Due to that improvement, I think he'll get the nod to finish the year at AA.
Michael Jensen
He's probably been the best bullpen pitcher for Daytona this year. The 23 year old is sporting a nice 2.78 ERA, among a pitching staff that has really been rather rough this year. However, Jensen is ready for the next step, as Daytona has seen an influx of talent from the lower levels lately.
Felix Pena
Despite his 3.21 ERA, Pena has been very quiet during what has been a pretty successful year. His record of 1-6 will rub those who overvalue wins the wrong way. He's been very solid throughout the year, and it's time to see him move on up.
Kyle Schwarber
I just can't see the Cubs keeping Schwarber at Kane County too much longer if he continues to hit like this. Jesse Rogers seemed to agree with me in his chat today, as he sees him following the Bryant path, finishing at Daytona his rookie year, moving up to AA, and moving up to AAA halfway through his second year. However, of course Schwarber is going to have to show that he can hit at every level and eventually find a position for himself. I see him being ready to come up along with Almora and Schwarber as far as the bigs go, but that's still about a year and a half off, at very least. Still, Schwarber hasn't really been challenged yet at the plate, and he'll likely move up until he's at a level where there is some challenge.
Jacob Hanneman
Hanneman was seen as somewhat of a reach when he was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2013 draft. He's another player who took some time to find himself in Kane County before going on a tear. His average is still a touch low at .258, but it's been on a steady increase for a little bit now. He also has stolen 28 bases so far, in 74 games, and his 5 home runs show some decent pop, and that power should develop as he reaches his mid 20's, but he'll never be a guy who knocks out 20+ home runs. Still, now that he seems to have figured out the pitching in low A, I think it's time to see what he can do at high A.
Tyler Skulina
Outside of a tough night tonight, Skulina has been very good this year, and is a great candidate to help out with the pitching problems in Daytona.
Juan Carlos Paniagua
JCP has also been outstanding this season, with an ERA at 3.11. He's held hitters to a low average throughout the year. At 24 you really would like to see him move forward. I believe that he is the pitcher that had been in other systems, but was forced to be released due to age/name issues.
Paul Blackburn
Another Kane County pitcher? Well, with the problems that Daytona has had with pitching this year, I expect to see quite a bit of shuffling going on there. Blackburn was selected in the supplementary 1st round of the 2012 draft and is a very high upside pitcher. With an ERA of 2.74 this season, the 20 year old may be ready to take that next step. A lot of his issues seem to be worked out, as his 18 walks in 75.2 innings isn't terrible at all.
Duane Underwood
Underwood was picked soon after Blackburn in the 2012 draft as the Cubs 2nd round pick. He's another arm that has a huge upside. His main problem has been control, and he struggled quite a bit in 2012 and 2013 due to the control problems. However, he's seemed to at least find ways to get out of innings when he does get himself into trouble. His ERA has gone from 4.97 in Boise last year to 2.84 at Kane County this year. You still want to see that control come around, but that is something that can also be worked on as he works his way through the system. However, the 19 year old still has a ton of time to figure it out, and going up a level to Daytona may help him out a lot.
Jen-Ho Tseng
Tseng is another 19 year old guy. He doesn't have the best fastball (low 90's, but does have movement), but has been very solid so far. I was lucky enough to watch him at Kane County, and he looks very crafty, as the old timers would say. He only has 10 starts, which is why I think this promotion is a little bit further off, but he has been solid when he has started with only a couple of bad starts.
Mark Zagunis
Zaguns is at Boise right now, but I have little doubt that they expected to move him up to Kane County by the end of the year. You usually don't draft an upperclassman in the 3rd round just to store them away at short season A ball if they're playing well there. He's only been there a very short time, but has played well so far.
Daniel Canela
Canela has been with Boise for pretty much the whole time the short season league has been going. He was at Kane County earlier, and wasn't especially bad there or anything, but was demoted to Boise. I ca see him making his way back to Kane County before the season ends. I was originally going with Justin Marra here, but I can't see them promoting 2 catchers to Kane County before the end of the season.
Josh Conway
Conway had some injury issues after being a 4th round draft pick in 2012. He's actually getting his first professional experience this season. So far he's looked above the competition at Boise, and with all of the pitching I see leaving Kane County this year, I can see him slipping in and doing just fine up there to finish the year.
Tyler Ihrig
Ihrig was a 23rd round pick in 2013. He's a college arm that will likely be brought up as he shows he's ready. He's started 4 games and has an ERA in the low 3's. He was pushed to Daytona last year and had some trouble there, but I see Kane County as the best place for him to really develop himself as far as competition goes right now.
Now, a bit of a disclaimer before I move forward from here. I really don't see a bunch of guys from the rookie levels outside of Arizona going anywhere, not because I don't think they're good enough, but because you rarely see guys from the DSL or VSL moved up during the season. There are a couple guys from the rookie league in Arizona that can be moved up, and one that I'm almost positive will be. I will still mention guys in the DSL and VSL who have been putting up good numbers so far.
Jorge Soler
This is kind of a, "No shit!" kind of pick here. The only reason he's in Arizona is to help himself recover from more hamstring problems and get used to a few new adjustments that are there to keep those hamstrings safe. Soler, when healthy, has hit everything in sight. I feel like he'll be finishing the season at AA, and very likely may start 2015 at AA, although if he's able to get a good couple of months in Tennessee where he stays healthy and continues like he was before, but with more home runs (rather than stockpiling doubles like he was), and then follows that up with a good showing in spring training next year, then he could start next season in AAA.
Really, Soler is the only Arizona guy I really feel confident at this point in seeing move up. However, there are a few guys that have a solid chance, but the sample size at this point is just too small. Gleyber Torres and Eloy Jimenez have been very good so far, with Torres actually having 32 at bats at this point. He's a middle infielder hitting over .300 with a home run and a couple of steals. Jimenez only has 5 at bats, so his .400 batting average is very un-Ted Williamslike, and no more than a solid game for a major league player. Still, Jimenez is an absolute beast of a human, and along with Torres was tied, according to many sources, as the best international prospect from 2013. Kevonte Mitchell has 4 hits in his 8 at bats, he's another big boy at 6'4" and 185. He's only 18, so you know he'll fill out over the next 4-7 years. Charcer Burks may be one of the more pleasant surprises this year. He was a 9th round pick last year and was decent in his time in Arizona once he signed and got some time, but now he's hitting .429 in his 35 at bats so far with a home run, a triple, and 4 doubles. He's also stolen 4 bases. If anyone is called up to Boise this year, I think it's Burks, although the sample size is still very small due to the season still being very young. Jeferson Mejia has been very good so far. in 9.1 innings he still has yet to give up an earned run while striking out 12 and only walking 2. Pedro Araujo is actually one of those players who made the move from the DSL to Arizona, and he's been solid during his small sample size. Varonex Cuevas, as pointed out at Bleacher Nation, has an incredible name, so despite his numbers not being great, I think he should be promoted.
As for the Dominican team, players I've noticed playing well include Carlos Jimenez, Yohan Matos, Jose Paniagua, Pedro Silverio, Oscar De La Cruz (has a legitimate chance of moving up to Arizona or even Boise soon, .84 ERA in 6 starts), Santiago Rodriguez (see De La Cruz, but a 0 ERA, both have pitched 32 innings), and Andin Diaz. Some of those guys are clearly way above the level of the league, but like I said before, seeing players move from either the DSL or VSL to Arizona isn't very common. Anyway, as for the VSL, Luis Hidalgo has really grabbed my attention, and other guys are Wladimir Galindo, Enrique De Los Rio, Humberto Garcia, Yapson Gomez, Carlos Rodriguez, and Mauro Vides. While I've at least seen actual video to get an idea of the approach on most of the guys playing above rookie level play, I've seen almost no video from anyone in Arizona and absolutely no video from guys in the VSL and DSL. I'm going completely off of the numbers those guys have put up. All of the stats throughout this article come from baseball-reference.com and from milb.com, just so that you know that I don't just telepathically get this information and know that there are very good sites to give you that sort of information out there.
Anyway, I promised some White Sox love on here, and dammit, I'm going to follow through. I'm not going to say that the White Sox will stand pat and not move anyone up, as obviously at least a couple of guys will move up if the White Sox are going to make a lot of trades. In Charlotte, Michael Taylor has been very good so far, but he was promoted fairly recently. Tyler Saladino is also due for a callup, as he's been nice over the course of the season in Charlotte. Don't forget about Carlos Sanchez either. As far as Jordan's old team goes (little note, when I was in college the guy who was in charge of the promotions department for the Barons when Jordan played there came and talked to a promotions management class I was taking, said he'd never had an easier job before in his life), Jared Mitchell is another Christian Villanueva, only Mitchell is 25 years old. He was having trouble in Charlotte, but has been a beast in Alabama. Dan Black has been the same way. However, Rangel Ravelo is hitting over .300 for the Barons, has 5 home runs, and is still only 22. Kevan Smith has been similar, an average just over .300, and 6 home runs, but he's 26 years old. What's scary is that Christian Marrero is almost the same thing as Kevan Smith with a .302 average and 6 home runs, but he's going to be 28 this month.
Still though, the White Sox just began to "re-tool" their lineup (instead of rebuild), so what do they have at their lower levels? It's more encouraging. Tim Anderson was having a very solid year there, nothing very special, but very solid (2013 first round pick) with a .297 average, 6 home runs, 7 triples, 18 doubles, and 10 for 13 in stolen bases. However, the 21 year old just sustained an injury that will almost surely force him to stay in A+ ball the rest of the year. Let's look at pitching though, Tony Bucciferro has been solid, Francellis Montas has been very good, and Mike Recchia is very much worth mentioning. Going to Kannapolis, Danny Hayes is a big boy who may very well see himself in Winston-Salem soon.Trey Michalczewski has been good this year, and if a spot opens, has earned his way up to the high A level. Kannapolis really gets its hope from a trio of pitchers, James Dykstra, Robinson Leyer, and Jake Sanchez. That trio has been absolutely outstanding for them this season.
Since I know so much less about the White Sox farm system, I'm not going to go into the rookie leagues, especially since Rodon hasn't signed still. I was worried about this due to the past that Boras has with the White Sox. Anyway, he'll likely get a couple of starts in the states in either Great Falls or Arizona. After that I see them moving him to high A ball and moving him ahead as they see fit. I'm hoping they don't do with him what they did with Hawkins and try to be too aggressive, but then again, it was aggressive for them to move Hawkins to A+ ball so soon, but Hawkins was also a few years younger. Either way, Hawkins is starting to figure things out and may start next season in AA, although he's not exactly tearing high A ball apart either. Anyway, the White Sox system isn't completely void of talent like it was a year and a half ago, but it's still of the slow moving variety at this point.
Now, before I close this out, I'm going to say that Javier Baez does have a small chance at getting late season call up to the Cubs, although I don't see him getting much time there at all. His chances aren't enough that I'm going to put him on here, as the Cubs may realize that he's figured things out and may want to wait to start his clock, just like what I see them doing with Bryant. This means that both guys may not be up until June of next year, which I hate to say, but is a real possibility. Also, I held off on Pierce Johnson and CJ Edwards, not because of a lack of quality, but because both have missed time with injury this past season. Still, things are trending upwards for the White Sox minor league system, and things are soaring up for the Cubs, both teams fans should be happy.
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