Cubs Prospects Notes: Drafting Struggles, Suitor, Thompson, Alzolay, Strumpf, More

There were a bunch of tabs I’ve had open this week on various Cubs prospect/farm system things, and I decided to put them together into a roundup.

Enjoy …

  • A lot of folks wondered whether the Cubs were going to try to convert big-armed first baseman Jerrick Suiter into a pitcher this year after they took him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Sure enough, from a hometown write up of the 26-year-old who is currently raking in Australia, the Cubs do see Suiter as a pitcher long-term. Still, it also sounds like they see some two-way potential in him – a versatile bat and pitcher – so maybe he’ll go both ways for a little while. The minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft is almost never going to net you a future big leaguer thanks to the way rosters can be protected, but finding a hitter with a huge arm and seeing what he can do on the mound in a new organization? That does seem like one plausible path.
  • Baseball America ranked the top ten individual draft classes of the 2010s, and also included eight honorable mentions and eight more “to watch” … not a single one of those 26 draft classes belongs to the Cubs. Given that the Cubs have seen significant contributions at the big league level from many of their top picks, the message is loud and clear: although the Cubs have done reasonably well converting their high picks into useful big leaguers (which is not nothing), the Cubs have been way behind other organizations in finding and developing quality prospects later in the draft.
  • The 2010 Marlins draft was tops overall, as it produced eight future big leaguers, including Christian Yelich and JT Realmuto. It’s interesting that the Cardinals 2012 crop made the list (eight big leaguers, including Michael Wacha, Stephen Piscotty, Carson Kelly, and Rowan Wick, among others). Why is that interesting? Because that draft was led by the Cubs’ new VP of Scouting Dan Kantrovitz, who’ll be taking over those duties for the Cubs going forward.
  • Riley Thompson, 23, was an uncharacteristically risky pick for the Cubs in the 11th round in 2018 thanks to his college role as a reliever and rough performance in his final year at Louisville (historically, the Cubs had taken pretty well-established college players immediately after the bonus pool rounds). It was the kind of bigger-risk, higher-upside scouting play that the organization was trying to make more often in the last few years on the pitching side – indeed, Bryan recently spotlighted Thompson, together with Kohl Franklin, as exemplary of the “new mold” of pitcher the Cubs are trying to draft and develop.
  • Thompson rewarded the Cubs with a really good full-season debut in 2019: 3.06 ERA over 21 starts (94.0 innings) with a 22.3% strikeout rate and 7.9% BB rate. And he was throwing his best by the end of the year:
  • He’ll be among the top 20 or so Cubs prospects head into 2020, and he’s going to be a “riser” to watch. Thompson figures to open the 2020 season at High-A Myrtle Beach.
  • I just thought this was notable:
  • And Prospects Live wound up making Miguel Amaya their top Cubs prospect:
  • Bryan on some of the very low-level, less-discussed infield prospects:
  • A prospect rankings/projection system loves Adbert Alzolay, despite his up and down 2019 season – he’s ranked here (it’s a pure data method) as the 15th best pitching prospect in baseball:
  • We still really like Alzolay as a future big league Cub – the pitches are just too good – but the big question is whether he’s going to succeed (and have the durability) as a starter, or if the Cubs need to decide he’s a reliever sooner rather than later.
  • And more from Bryan:
  • Strumpf, 21, was the Cubs’ second rounder last year, lasting to number 64 overall because of the down year as a junior and also because he’s not expected to be playable higher on the defensive ladder than second base. He didn’t get too much pro experience in his first partial year, but he was not challenged in short-season ball, as you’d expect for a high-round college bat. He’ll likely open up the season at A-ball South Bend, with a chance to move up to Myrtle Beach quickly if it’s clear he’s not being challenged there either.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Steele is Feeling Really Good Overall, Offensive Lull, Pitcher Updates, and Other Cubs Bullets

    The Little Boy has a special ceremony at school today, so the schedule is a little atypical for me. Hopefully the Cubs beat the Braves, take the series, and that'll put a great cap on the day. The 7th inning...

    Cade Horton Continues to Improve at Triple-A Iowa, and His Latest Start Was His Best

    I'd forgotten that, in addition to the talent and experience difference in jumping from Double-A competition to Triple-A competition, there are a couple logistical changes for players. First, there is the automated balls and strikes system (fully automated half the...

    Kyle Hendricks Takes His Bullpen Demotion Like an Absolute Champ

    Is there a more model Major Leaguer or better example-setter than Kyle Hendricks? I really don't think so. Two days ago, the Cubs bounced the veteran right-hander from their starting rotation. It was a true demotion, as his general ineffectiveness...

    At Least Porter Hodge’s Debut Was Incredible

    There's not a whole lot you're gonna want to take away from last night's loss to the Atlanta Braves, outside of the first six innings from Justin Steele, which were actually pretty good (just pretend in your mind that he...

    Enhanced Box Score: Braves 9, Cubs 2 – May 22, 2024

    If you didn't actually watch this game, you might be worried about Justin Steele. After all, how can anyone have been anything other than "really bad" with five earned runs to their name? Well, I'm here to tell you he...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs vs Braves (6:40 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs won their opener against the Braves last night, which means they have a chance at a series win as soon as tonight! And if they manage to win this game, they'll also guarantee themselves...

    Adbert Alzolay Went for a Second Opinion on His Forearm Injury (UPDATE)

    [ankin_law] From a very happy post about the Chicago Cubs' bullpen to a more unhappy one. Adbert Alzolay, placed on the Injured List about 10 days ago because of a forearm issue, is now getting a second opinion from a...

    Cubs Farm Report | May 22, 2024: Trio of Home Runs Not Enough for Iowa on Tuesday

    Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a monster blast, and Matt Mervis and David Bote also added home runs on Tuesday, but it wasn't enough as Iowa fell to Indianapolis. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report | May...

    Jed Hoyer on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Demotion-But-Not-Really-A-Demotion

    Pete Crow-Armstrong, who homered immediately upon being optioned back to Triple-A Iowa, is already putting together another good game as we speak. It would not be a surprise if he continues to hit very well at Iowa, given that he...

    Updated Top-50 Rankings Feature Three Cubs Prospects

    ESPN's Kiley McDaniel updated his top-50 prospect list to account for early season performances and scouting, as well as graduations. For the Chicago Cubs, that means Pete Crow-Armstrong is off the list (graduation), Jordan Wicks is off the list (McDaniel...

    Latest News

    Orioles vs. White Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, May 23, 2024

    The Baltimore Orioles (29-18) stumble into Thursday's matchup with the Chicago White Sox (15-35) looking to break a three-game losing streak. The contest starts at 7:40 PM ET on NBCS-CHI with the Orioles listed as -241 favorites to right the...

    Brooklyn Nets Draft Picks: List of 2024 and Future Draft Selections

    The Nets struggled to a 32-50 record this past season and missed the playoffs after reaching the postseason the previous 5 seasons. Let's look forward and check out the team's 2024 NBA Draft picks, future selections, and more. Brooklyn Nets...

    Celtics vs. Pacers: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics will meet the Indiana Pacers.Last time out, the Celtics bested the Pacers 133-128 in OT on Tuesday. In the Celtics' victory, Jayson Tatum put up 36 points (and added...

    Miami Heat Draft Picks: List of 2024 and Future Draft Selections

    The Miami Heat were knocked out of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs by the Boston Celtics 4-1. Now, they shift their attention to the offseason and draft. Check out their 2024 NBA Draft picks, future selections, and...

    Tigers vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, May 23, 2024

    The Detroit Tigers (23-26) are favored on the moneyline (-111) in Thursday's contest with the Toronto Blue Jays (22-26). Game time is at 6:40 PM ET on BSDET. The Blue Jays, with +152 odds, are favored against the spread (1.5).Detroit's...

    Orioles vs. White Sox Probable Starting Pitchers – May 23

    The Chicago White Sox (15-35) begin a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles (29-18) on Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. First pitch is at 7:40 PM.The Orioles will look to Grayson Rodriguez (4-1) versus the White Sox and Mike Clevinger...

    Milwaukee Bucks Mock Draft: Deer Snag 2 Promising Role Players, Starting with a Massive Center

    In the 2024 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks are in a prime position to strengthen their roster and build for the future with two solid picks at their disposal. This Milwaukee Bucks Mock draft focuses on adding the best player...

    Cade Horton Continues to Improve at Triple-A Iowa, and His Latest Start Was His Best

    I'd forgotten that, in addition to the talent and experience difference in jumping from Double-A competition to Triple-A competition, there are a couple logistical changes for players. First, there is the automated balls and strikes system (fully automated half the...

    Cavaliers Fire Head Coach JB Bickerstaff

    Initial reports stated the Cavs would review JB Bickerstaff's performance after the second-round series loss to the Celtics, and it appears that process has concluded. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported this morning that the Cavaliers are parting ways with head coach...

    Tigers vs. Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitchers – May 23

    The Toronto Blue Jays (22-26) kick off a four-game series on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers (23-26). The matchup starts at 6:40 PM ET at Comerica Park.The Tigers will call on Jack Flaherty (1-3) versus the Blue Jays and Kevin...

    more cubs news