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Post by Cubs »

Zagunis on the hot sheet again:

The Scoop: Zagunis’ combination of patience and pop has made him one of the breakout players of the Carolina League this year. He has posted a .431 on-base percentage in his young pro career after topping .400 in each of his three seasons at Virginia Tech. No, he doesn’t catch any more, but if he hits like this he has no problems profiling as an corner outfielder.
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Post by Cubs »

Richie Shaffer on the hot sheet - June 19th.

The Scoop: Shaffer’s first two full seasons after being drafted out of Clemson were subpar, but a light came on toward the end of last year that caused the 24-year-old to redouble his efforts. The results, so far, have been stupendous. He busted out of the Southern League by hitting seven home runs in his first 39 games at Double-A Montgomery, and he has swatted eight more in 20 games since moving to Triple-A. Half of those eight—including three in one game—came in Shaffer’s torrid past seven days.
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Willson Contreras - #2 Cub Prospect from BA.

Background: A signing snafu caused the Cubs to void Contreras’ original 2009 contract. As a result, he has been eligible for the Rule 5 draft every year since 2010, but the Cubs never lost him despite his athleticism and loud tools. Introduced to catching in 2012, he broke through at Double-A Tennessee in 2015, leading the Southern League in batting (.333) and ranking second in on-base percentage (.413).

Scouting Report: Significantly improved focus and sticking to an offensive approach helped Contreras translate his plus tools into performance in 2015. He stopped giving away at-bats by chasing pitchers’ pitches and gained confidence. He always has had natural hand-eye coordination and has grown into more strength, giving him gap power and above-average hitting ability. Formerly a plus runner, he has lost a step catching but still runs well enough to move to the outfield. Contreras toned down a hyper approach defensively, where his above-average arm used to get him in trouble, but he can still be mistake-prone, with inconsistent receiving and blocking skills that need more development. His English-language skills have improved significantly the last two years.

The Future: Because catcher Miguel Montero is signed through 2017, Contreras has a chance to add polish to his defense at Triple-A Iowa in 2016. He’s athletic enough to crack Chicago’s big league roster as a multi-positional reserve, perhaps as soon as 2016.
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Conner Greene - #2 Blue Jay Prospect from BA.

Background: Greene has modeled since childhood and has dabbled in acting, with two brief appearances in “Anger Management,” a sitcom starring fellow Santa Monica High grad Charlie Sheen. Signed for a below-slot $100,000 in 2013, Greene has started growing into his body, adding about 20 pounds to his listed weight, and finished 2015 at Double-A New Hampshire.

Scouting Report: Greene has added strength via offseason gymnastics and surfing but remains loose, athletic and projectable. He adds pitchability and a now-plus fastball. He sat 86-90 mph in high school but has reached 97 as a pro, usually sitting at 92-94. He gets good angle to the plate thanks to his delivery and three-quarters slot, making his fastball tough to square up. His above-average changeup is his best secondary pitch, helping him handle lefthanded hitters (.207) better than righthanders (.307). Greene’s curveball flashes above-average but lacks consistent power and location. He’s working to add some sweep to make it more of a swing-and-miss pitch.

The Future: Greene may spend all of 2016 back in Double-A as he tries to polish his curveball and overall command. He has the pieces to mature into a No. 2 starter.
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Austin Barnes - #8 Dodger Prospect from BA.

Background: Barnes will be 26 in 2016, but catchers often develop later than players at other positions. A Marlins ninth-round pick in 2011, he moved through their system conservatively before being traded to the Dodgers after the 2014 season in the six-player deal that sent Dee Gordon to Miami. Barnes spent most of 2015 at Triple-A Oklahoma City, but made his big league debut in May.

Scouting Report: Barnes has natural rhythm and balance at the plate, with a direct swing that creates whip to the barrel and results in a high contact rate. He can get somewhat pull-oriented, but he generally stays in the middle of the field. He recognizes offspeed pitches and controls the strike zone, which allows him to get on base at a high clip for a catcher. Barnes’ power is mostly to the gaps, though he has enough sock to hit 8-12 home runs. He is an intelligent hitter who understands which pitches he can hit hard, though he can get himself in trouble occasionally when he tries to hit for more power. He has experience at second and third base, but the Dodgers had him focus on catching, which is where he fits best His blocking and receiving are good, and his pitch-framing grades out well, something the front office values highly in catchers. He threw out 27 percent of basestealers at Oklahoma City with an average arm.

The Future: Barnes lacks a standout tool, but he gets on base and does the little things that add to his value. He could back up Yasmani Grandal in 2016 with a chance to eventually emerge as an everyday guy along the lines of Francisco Cervelli.
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Colin Rea - #7 Padre Prospect from BA.

Background: Rea is from tiny Cascade, Iowa–population: 2,159–and while Midwest area scouts were intrigued by his loose arm and projectable body in high school, they felt he was better served going to college. He played his freshman year at Northern Iowa, but budget cuts killed the program. After a year at St. Petersburg (Fla.) JC, Rea reunited with former Panthers coach Rick Heller at Indiana State.

Scouting Report: Rea has a four-pitch mix, and while not one of them grades as plus, he can throw all for strikes. His fastball sits 91-93 mph, and he has a cutter that touches 89. His curveball is average and shows tight spin. The biggest difference for Rea in his breakout 2015 season at Double-A San Antonio was the development of a splitter, which he uses as a changeup. He used the split to neutralize lefthanded batters, who hit just .198 across all levels in 2015. The addition of the splitter allowed him to pitch more aggressively after nibbling too much his first two pro seasons.

The Future: Rea projects as a back-of-the-rotation option for the Padres. His ability to retire lefthanders and limit damage–he allowed just three homers in 102 innings in 2015–portends well for expansive Petco Park. He’ll get a long look in 2016 spring training.
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Post by Cubs »

2016 Top 10 BA Prospects:

Conner Greene - #4, Toronto
Raimel Tapia - #4, Colorado
Frankie Montas - #5, Oakland
Willie Calhoun - #5, LA Dodgers
Mark Zagunis - #6, Cubs
Andrew Moore - #6, Seattle
Steven Brault - #7, Pittsburgh
Eliezer Alvarez - #10, St. Louis
Austin Barnes - #10, LA Dodgers
Garrett Stubbs - #10, Houston

More than usual for me.
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Post by Cardinals »

Baby Birds - you're secretly a Cards fan. Good to know.
12, 14, 15, 17, 22
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Post by Cubs »

Good catch fuck thatðŸ˜￾. It was a remnant of the Toronto days.

Having Eliezer Alvarez on the roster feels dirty. Hopefully, he exceeds expectations like most of the other guys in that system.
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Post by Cardinals »

I'll take him
12, 14, 15, 17, 22
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