Cubs Prospect Notes: Impact Players, Schwarber Catching, Edwards, Sleepers, More

cubs azl spring training logoHappy Friday, friends. Some Cubs prospect notes to get you to the weekend …

  • Keith Law ranks the top impact prospects for 2015, and the two names at the very top: Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler. They are essentially Law’s early 1 and 1A picks for NL Rookie of the Year, too. I think that’s pretty fair, if you’re guessing right now, though there always seems to be a rookie or two that pop up out of nowhere. Plus, you never know what happens with injuries … ok, I guess talking about 2015 ROY awards is kind of silly. But I dig silly.
  • Shortly after they released their top 100, Baseball America’s John Manuel, Ben Badler, and Matt Eddy held a prospects chat that might be worth a look. Among the comments: (1) Manuel is very high on Jorge Soler, but don’t ignore the final couple weeks of the season where it looked like pitchers were figuring him out – he’ll have to adjust; (2) Kyle Schwarber’s bat is going to be too good to wait for him to develop at catcher, according to Manuel (his promotion schedule will probably tell us everything we need to know, as Luke has said – if Schwarber gets bumped to AAA Iowa midseason, it could be a sign that the bat is just too darn good to wait for the additional year or two that his catching skills may need); (3) Eddy says that C.J. Edwards’ fastball control/life combo is really rare, and that’s why BA remains so high on him (don’t ever sleep on the importance of a guy having an exceptionally strong fastball (movement or velocity or both) when it comes to prospecting, because it can carry the day); and (4) Badler says Bryant’s feel and approach is superior to someone like Chris Davis when he debuted (suggesting it won’t take Bryant as long to adjust as Davis did).
  • Speaking of that BA top 100, there’s a look at how it could go wrong for each of the top 10, and a discussion of why you shouldn’t worry. Even when trying, they don’t seem too worried about Bryant and Russell.
  • Cubs pitching prospect C.J. Edwards is writing for ESPN this Spring, and you can read his first entry here. One lesson? If you find Edwards on Playstation live, don’t talk to him about baseball. The guy is trying to relax.
  • Speaking of Edwards:
  • Sounds like it’s a fingernail issue, which is hopefully not serious or particularly time-consuming.
  • Too much good stuff from Jason McLeod on MLBN Radio (transcript here at the CCO) to even narrow it down to just a few bits. The best is either the gushing about Addison Russell, or the scouts from other organizations who are just now seeing Kyle Schwarber catching after his work last year and told McLeod they can’t believe how he looks. I can’t wait to see some Schwarber catching action in MiLB.tv this year. (Among the nerdy sentences thrown around here, that’s up there.)
  • Sahadev Sharma’s fifth installment in his Vine Line series on Cubs prospects offers up some deep sleepers, so to speak, with write-ups on Jeffrey Baez, Charcer Burks, Victor Caratini, Trevor Clifton, and Kevonte Mitchell. That might be a perfect list for those types of low-level, under-the-radar, good-upside prospects.
  • 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

    Now We Know Why Ian Happ Was Removed Mid-game

    In the top of the seventh inning of today's 8-3 win over the Miami Marlins, Alexander Canario trotted out to left field in place of Ian Happ. At first, we thought (or maybe just hoped) that Craig Counsell was giving...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 8, Marlins 3 – April 19, 2024

    And just like that the Chicago Cubs are the first team in the NL Central to reach 12 wins! They're not technically in first place yet because the Brewers (11-6) have played fewer games, but we're talking about a matter...

    Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson with Back-to-Back Slick Defensive Plays

    With a lefty Marlins starter on the mound this afternoon, Nico Hoerner lead off today's game for the Chicago Cubs. And he did it in style, ripping a leadoff double to the left-center field wall, before coming into score a...

    Pre-Gamin’: Marlins at Cubs – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *The Cubs were rained out yesterday, but today? Today, we've got a Friday 1:20 start at Wrigley Field, and that means all is right in the world. Before you take a look at the Cubs lineup against Miami, check out...

    MLBits: The White Sox Might be the Worst Team Ever, What Games I’m Watching this Weekend, More

    Happy Friday! Well, for everyone except for the pilots who were supposed to be manning the Colorado Rockies flight last week but instead allowed a member of the Rockies coaching staff to hop in the pilot's seat for a fun...

    Can I Interest You in a Positive Injury-Update on Justin Steele?

    Justin Steele, arguably the single most irreplaceable player on the Chicago Cubs 2024 roster, went down with a hamstring injury just 4.2 innings into his Opening Day start against the Rangers on March 28. In his place, the Cubs sixth...

    FAA Reportedly Investigating How a Passenger on Colorado Rockies Team Flight Was Seen Accessing the Cockpit

    If you do this job long enough, it's really wild to see the range of topics that can somehow become attached to sports. That is to say, I did not envision myself at some point writing about flight safety, cockpit...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 19, 2024: Kevin Alcántara is Heating Up!

    The Iowa Cubs were rained out, but the rest of the farm was in action, and so was Kevin Alcántara, who picked up four hits and now has seven in his last three games as he breaks out of an...

    It’s Not Kyle Hendricks Last Chance (But…), Ben Brown, Jameson Taillon, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Well, the rain stole one from us yesterday, which is a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, the bullpen gets an extra day of rest (on top of the day Hayden Wesneski bought them). But on the flip...

    The Chicago Cubs Are Not Stealing Bases So Far This Year

    The Chicago Cubs are against theft. Of bases: https://twitter.com/codifybaseball/status/1781046629103231339 The Chicago Cubs this year have stolen just three bases, the fewest in all of baseball. Dansby Swanson has stolen two bases, Nick Madrigal has stolen one. That's it. I don't...

    Latest News

    Diamondbacks vs. Giants: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Saturday at 4:05 PM ET, Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks (9-11) play Michael Conforto and the San Francisco Giants (9-11) at Oracle Park.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know to watch Arizona take...

    How to Watch Dodgers vs. Mets: Live Stream or on TV

    The Los Angeles Dodgers (12-9), who will give the start to Gavin Stone, host the New York Mets (10-8) with Jose Butto on the hill, Saturday at 4:05 PM ET.If you're planning on watching this game, keep reading for TV...

    Cardinals vs. Brewers: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Saturday, Brendan Donovan and the St. Louis Cardinals (9-11) face William Contreras and the Milwaukee Brewers (12-6), with first pitch scheduled for 2:15 PM ET at Busch Stadium.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know...

    How to Watch Cubs vs. Marlins: Live Stream or on TV

    On Saturday, Javier Assad will take the mound for the Chicago Cubs (12-7) against Jesus Luzardo and the Miami Marlins (4-16), with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 PM ET at Wrigley Field.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on...

    Twins vs. Tigers: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Bailey Ober will take the ball for the Minnesota Twins (6-12) when they host starting pitcher Reese Olson and the Detroit Tigers (11-9) on Saturday, with first pitch at 2:10 PM ET.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on...

    How to Watch Yankees vs. Rays: Live Stream or on TV

    On Saturday, Juan Soto and the New York Yankees (14-6) face Isaac Paredes and the Tampa Bay Rays (11-10), with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 PM ET at Yankee Stadium.If you're planning on watching this game, keep reading for TV...

    How to Watch Reds vs. Angels: Live Stream or on TV

    Graham Ashcraft will take the mound for the Cincinnati Reds (10-9) when they host starter Patrick Sandoval and the Los Angeles Angels (9-11) on Saturday, with first pitch at 6:40 PM ET.The article below will provide you with everything you...

    Guardians vs. Athletics: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Logan Allen takes the mound for the Cleveland Guardians (14-6) when they host starter Alex Wood and the Oakland Athletics (8-12) at 6:10 PM ET on Saturday.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and TV options...

    Mariners vs. Rockies: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    In a series opener on Saturday, Luis Castillo will take the mound for the Seattle Mariners (9-10) versus Dakota Hudson and the Colorado Rockies (4-15), with first pitch scheduled for 8:10 PM ET at Coors Field.Keep reading to see how...

    Orioles vs. Royals: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Gunnar Henderson and the Baltimore Orioles (12-7) visit Bobby Witt Jr. and the Kansas City Royals (13-7) on Saturday, with first pitch at 7:10 PM ET.If you're planning on watching this game, keep reading for streaming and TV options for...

    more cubs news