NEWSLETTER
It’s time for the second month of the Cublogoverse Chicago Cubs Prospect Poll. With the help of some of your favorite other Cubs blogs, we’ve put together a poll – not unlike a college football or college basketball poll – ranking the top Chicago Cubs prospects. With several blogs in tow for the poll, it is likely to be a more distilled – and more accurate – ranking of the Cubs prospects than the rankings you see in the various prospect services.
And without further back-patting, here is the second installment, and first in-season version, of the poll (player, position, current level, and rank in the pre-season poll):
- Josh Vitters, 3B, A (1)
- Jeff Samardzija, SP, AAA/MLB (2)
- Ryan Flaherty, SS, A (5)
- Andrew Cashner, SP/RP, High A (3)
- Welington Castillo, C, AA (4)
- Tyler Colvin, OF, High A – temporary (9)
- Hak Ju-Lee, SS, AZ Instructional, (7)
- Jake Fox, 1B, AAA (NR)
- Jay Jackson, SP, AA (6)
- Tony Thomas, 2B, AA (NR)
- Starlin Castro, SS, High A (12)
- Jose Ascanio, RP, AAA (NR)
- Micah Hoffpauir, 1B, AAA/MLB (8)
- Dae-Eun Rhee, SP, Extended ST (10)
- Esmailin Caridad, SP, AAA (13)
Others receiving votes: Marcus Mateo, Jeff Stevens, Mitch Atkins, Brandon Guyer, Casey Coleman, Alex Maestri, Steven Clevenger, Darwin Barney, Aaron Shafer, Jovan Rosa, Kevin Hart, and others with a teeny tiny vote here or there.
The two biggest movers upwards who were already in the poll are shortstop Ryan Flaherty and outfielder Tyler Colvin. I can’t help but think their ascent has more to with guys falling off in front of them than their accomplishments – Flaherty is playing decently in A ball but will turn 23 this summer, and Colvin is rehabbing from Tommy John in High A, and is hitting “ok.”
The big drops come from Jay Jackson, Micah Hoffpauir, and Dae-Eun Rhee. Jackson has struggled mightily this year, but Hoffpauir’s slide may have more to do with his ever-decreasing “prospect” status. He and Samardzjiza may have seen their last time on the poll for that reason.
Jake Fox explodes into the rankings, and understandably so, after becoming the greatest AAA hitter in the universe. Tony Thomas likewise makes a solid debut.
Thanks to Another Cubs Blog, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Chicago Cubs Online, Cubs f/x, View from the Bleachers, Cubscast, and The Cub Reporter for participating. And a huge thanks to Tim Souers at Cubby-Blue for the ridiculously awesome logo for the poll.
