I am loving the love that second base prospect, and 2019 Chicago Cubs second rounder Chase Strumpf has been receiving this offseason after he impressed at instructs.
Add another layer to the praise, as Strumpf comes in as the 7th ranked second base prospect in baseball:
This year's list of #MLB's Top 10 second-base prospects has a much stronger pedigree than usual: https://t.co/oP9uSlFmyl pic.twitter.com/deEffZ4Wvp
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 25, 2021
Keep in mind, a lot of big league second basemen were still shortstop prospects when they were involved in these kinds of rankings, which is why you typically see only a couple true minor league second basement show up on top 100 lists. If you’re already locked into second base when you’re in the minors, your upside is a little limited, and the bat is really going to have to carry the day.
Strumpf, the 64th overall pick in 2019, didn’t get much of a chance to show what he could be in the pros after the draft because of the short window for games after signing and some minor injury issues. Then you had the shut down last year, and that was pretty much that. But the eyes-on reports from Arizona this fall were strong, and there remains the reality that Strumpf was viewed as a first-round-caliber bat after his sophomore season at UCLA, falling into the mid-second only after his power took a step back his junior season.
It seems probable that Strumpf will begin the 2021 season at High-A South Bend, with a chance to reach AA later in the year if he’s not being challenged. It’s tough to project a college-drafted bat who is almost two years out, but has so little pro experience. He still gets the love, though, and I dig that. Strumpf figures to be a top ten prospect in the Cubs’ system when most of the lists are out, though he’ll likely be in the 8-10 range.