Baseball America: A Closer Look at the Chicago Cubs' Top 10 Prospects for 2011
On January 4th, Baseball America released its top 10 prospect rankings for all 30 MLB teams for the upcoming season.
For the Cubs, only four players from last year's list returned to the list in 2011, with Starlin Castro and Andrew Cashner now members of the MLB team.
Not only does the list have a different look, it also has a new No. 1 prospect, and it is someone who did not even crack the top 10 last season.
So here is a little closer look at the Cubs' top 10 prospects for the 2011 season, according to Baseball America.
No. 10: Brandon Guyer, OF
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Age: 25
Acquired: Fifth Round of 2007 Amateur Draft, 157th Overall
2010 Stats (Class-AA): .344 BA, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 30 SB
Guyer is one of the best athletes in the Cubs organization, and he had a fantastic season last year in his first full season above Class-AAA in 2010, which earned him the organization's Minor League Player of the Year award.
He projects not only as a speed threat at the top of the lineup, but his power numbers should also translate well to the next level. Aside from his 13 home runs, he also tallied 39 doubles and six triples.
With Kosuke Fukudome signed through 2011 and Marlon Byrd signed through 2012, Guyer could find himself in the minors for at least a few more seasons, as he is also behind Brett Jackson on the outfield prospect depth chart.
ETA: 2012 as fourth outfielder
No. 9: Rafael Dolis, SP
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Age: 23
Acquired: Signed as Amateur Free Agent 2004
2010 Stats (Class-A and AA): 9-9, 3.42 ERA, 93 Ks, 57 BB, 126.1 IP
Originally signed as a shortstop out of the Dominican Republic, Dolis was converted to the mound in 2006, but his development has been slow, as he missed the entire 2008 season with Tommy John surgery.
Last season, VineLine named his fastball the best in the organization, ahead of even Andrew Cashner, and Dolis can really light up the radar gun. He has a solid slider to complement it, but his lack of a solid third pitch could mean a move to the bullpen down the line.
ETA: 2012 in the bullpen
No. 8: Hayden Simpson, SP
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Age: 22
Acquired: First Round of 2010 Amateur Draft, 16th Overall
2010 Stats (Southern Arkansas): 13-1, 1.81 ERA, 131 Ks, 99.1 IP
The Cubs raised a few eyebrows when they reached for Simpson in the first round, but the same questions were raised when the Cubs reached for Tyler Colvin a few years back, and that seems to have worked out just fine.
Simpson was a big fish in a small pond at Southern Arkansas, but it is hard to argue with the numbers he put up during his senior season in 2010. He didn't see any action after he signed, as the Cubs looked to limit his workload, but he should be ready to go come the start of the season.
ETA: 2013 at the earliest
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No. 7: Matt Szczur, CF
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Age: 21
Acquired: Fifth Round of 2010 Amateur Draft, 160th Overall
2010 Stats (Class-A): .347 BA, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB
How long Szczur remains a member of the Cubs organization will hinge greatly on if and when he is selected in the upcoming NFL draft.
A wide receiver at Villanova, Szczur caught 28 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. However, in running the team's wildcat offense, he also registered 370 rushing yards and two touchdowns, as well as 171 passing yards and two touchdowns. He is also one of the team's primary kick returners. This versatility has him as high as a third-round pick on some draft boards.
He has already stated that he would prefer to play football, at least for now, but if he falls in the draft, he could make the decision to go for the sure money and give up football.
ETA: Headed for NFL
No. 6: Chris Carpenter, SP
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Age: 25
Acquired: Third Round of 2008 Amateur Draft, 97th Overall
2010 Stats (Class-AA and AAA): 8-6, 3.41 ERA, 112 Ks, 57 BB, 134.2 IP
Carpenter, who was a first-round talent coming out of college, fell to the Cubs following a pair of arm surgeries that had some people questioning his durability.
However, after tallying over 130 innings in each of the past two seasons, those concerns are a thing of the past, and he has slowly established himself as one of the organization's best pitching prospects.
He could be in line to compete for a bullpen spot this spring, and if someone in the rotation gets hurt this coming season, he could be in line to make his debut in the rotation this season as well.
ETA: 2011
No. 5: Josh Vitters, 3B
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Age: 21
Acquired: First Round of 2007 Amateur Draft, Third Overall
2010 Stats (Class-A and AA): .247 BA, 10 HR, 39 RBI, 44 Runs
Vitters, despite an unimpressive 2010 season marred by injury and overall ineffectiveness, is still one of the Cubs' top positional prospects, and he still has a tremendous amount of potential.
Drafted third overall in 2007, and as the first high school player taken, expectations have been high for Vitters since he first suited up in Low Class-A at the age of 17. Always among the youngest players in the league at every stop along the way so far, he could be in line for a breakout season in Class-AA this coming year.
ETA: 2012
No. 4: Hak-Ju Lee, SS
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Age: 20
Acquired: Signed as Amateur Free Agent in 2008
2010 Stats (Class-A): .282 BA, 1 HR, 40 RBI, 32 SB
Still very young, Lee has some growing to do into his six-foot, 170-pound frame, but as it is he has tremendous speed and a cannon arm at shortstop.
The Korean-born Lee was among the youngest players in the Futures Game last season, and he could be shifted to second base or could force Starlin Castro to second once he is ready. He is still a few seasons away, but he has exceeded expectations to this point.
ETA: 2013
No. 3: Trey McNutt, SP
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Age: 21
Acquired: 32nd Round of 2009 Amateur Draft, 980th Overall
2010 Stats (Class-A and AA): 10-1, 2.48 ERA, 132 Ks, 37 BB, 116.1 IP
Drafted out of Sheldon State Community College, McNutt didn't lose his first game of the season last year until August, and he has been a pleasant surprise, to say the least.
The Cubs did have an idea what they had when they drafted him, as they gave him a bonus equivalent to that of a sixth-rounder to assure that he signed, and if he continues to impress he could be on the fast track to the big leagues.
ETA: 2012
No. 2: Brett Jackson, CF
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Age: 22
Acquired: First Round of 2009 Amateur Draft, 31st Overall
2010 Stats (High Class-A and AA): .297 BA, 12 HR, 66 RBI, 30 SB
Jackson is the Cubs' top positional prospect, and with good reason, as he has done nothing but back up his first-round selection since the Cubs took him out of the University of California in 2009.
He is well on his way to the starting center field job, and he should be given the position once Marlon Byrd's contract is up following the 2012 season as long as he continues to develop. He could be an All-Star in the making.
ETA: 2011 September Call-Up
No. 1: Chris Archer, SP
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Age: 22
Acquired: Trade with Indians for Mark DeRosa in 2008
2010 Stats (High Class-A and AA): 15-3, 2.34 ERA, 149 Ks, 65 BB, 142.1 IP
Archer, a former fifth-round pick in 2006, could make Cubs fans forget about the much maligned Mark DeRosa trade very soon, as he emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball last season.
He was not only the Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year but was arguably the best pitcher in all of the minor leagues. He will be in the Cubs rotation by 2012 if he continues to impress, and he could be a star.
ETA: Mid-2011
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