bd811
06-10-2002, 09:12 PM
1. Mark Prior, rhp
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 225. Drafted: Southern California, 2001 (1st round). Signed by: Steve Fuller.
Cubs Top Prospects
1992 Lance Dickson, lhp
1993 Jessie Hollins, rhp
1994 Brooks Kieschnick, of
1995 Brooks Kieschnick, of
1996 Brooks Kieschnick, of
1997 Kerry Wood, rhp
1998 Kerry Wood, rhp
1999 Corey Patterson, of
2000 Corey Patterson, of
2001 Corey Patterson, of
Background: Flirting with a no-hitter against Louisiana State at the 2000 College World Series and starring that summer with Team USA’s college squad positioned Prior as the top pitching prospect for the 2001 draft. By the end of the season, several scouts called him the best college pitching prospect they ever had seen. After going 14-15 in his first two college seasons, Prior went 15-1, 1.69 with a Pacific-10 Conference-record 202 strikeouts and just 18 walks in 139 innings. Baseball America’s College Player of the Year passed Georgia Tech third baseman Mark Teixeira as the consensus best player available. Drafting first overall, the Twins opted for Minnesota high school catcher Joe Mauer. Picking second, the Cubs had determined in March they’d take Prior if they got the chance. Negotiations began in earnest in August, when Prior signed a four-year major league contract with a guaranteed worth of at least $10.5 million, a draft record, including a $4 million bonus.
Strengths: Prior has everything scouts dream about in a pitcher. He throws his fastball at 94-97 mph, and his uncanny command of the pitch may be more impressive than its considerable velocity and life. Scouts say they’ve never seen a 20-year-old pitcher locate his fastball at will like Prior does. He also can overmatch batters with his 12-to-6 curveball, another potential plus-plus pitch. Though he had little reason to give college hitters a fighting chance by throwing a changeup, Southern California coach Mike Gillespie insists Prior has a pretty good one. Prior has a classic pitcher’s body at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds; his mechanics are flawless. He’s intelligent, poised and dedicated to his craft.
Weaknesses: Prior’s main need is experience. The Cubs wish Prior had headed to instructional league or the Arizona Fall League after he signed, but he returned to college to finish his degree. He’ll have to throw more changeups and get acclimated to throwing every fifth day as a pro.
The Future: Prior will be in big league camp and make his pro debut at Double-A West Tenn. A true No. 1 starter, he’s an obvious candidate for a September callup if he hasn’t reached Wrigley Field already. Scouts look at him and see the next Roger Clemens.
2001 Club (Class) W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H BB SO
Did Not Play--Signed 2002 Contract
2. Juan Cruz, rhp
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 155. Signed: Dominican Republic, 1997. Signed by: Jose Serra.
Background: Following a breakout performance in 2000, Cruz was following up with a solid performance as one of the younger pitchers in the Southern League. Desperate for a starter in late August, the Cubs summoned him to the majors. He made an impression on manager Don Baylor with his performance and courage.
Strengths: Cruz’ stuff is just as exciting as Mark Prior’s. Cruz also throws 94-97 mph, with more life but less command than Prior. He also has the best breaking ball (a darting slider) and changeup in the organization. He has been so overpowering since putting it all together in early 2000, the Cubs say they weren’t surprised he was able to get the job done in the majors at age 20.
Weaknesses: Cruz just needs to put finishing touches on his command and pitching savvy. Lefties got to him in the majors, so he’ll have to make some adjustments. Some opposing Southern League managers thought he was immature, but Chicago officials don’t see that.
The Future: Unless the Cubs spend wildly on free agents, Cruz will have a rotation spot awaiting him in spring training. He, Prior and Kerry Wood could form a nasty front three as early as 2003.
2001 Club (Class) W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H BB SO
West Tenn (AA) 9 6 4.01 23 23 0 0 121 107 60 137
Cubs 3 1 3.22 8 8 0 0 45 40 17 39
3. Hee Seop Choi, 1b
Age: 23. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 235. Signed: Korea, 1999. Signed by: Leon Lee.
Background: Signed to a $1.2 million bonus in 1999, Choi slugged his way through the minors in his first two years and led the Arizona Fall League in homers in 2000. Sent to Triple-A Iowa last spring to work on hitting lefthanders, he lost much of the season to an injury in the back of his right hand. He had severe inflammation rather than a tear, but the hand was very slow to heal.
Strengths: Choi is one of the top power hitters in the minors, and he still cranked out homers on a regular basis despite his painful hand problem. He drives the ball to all fields and is more than a slugger. He’s an above-average first baseman who runs well for his size.
Weaknesses: In half a season, Choi batted .286 with a .557 slugging percentage against lefties, so he may have solved that problem. His hand should be fine by spring training. His focus now is to watch his strikeouts and his weight.
The Future: Chicago’s midseason trade for Fred McGriff pushed the timetable for making Choi the everyday first baseman back a year. He’ll begin 2002 in Iowa and could be pushing for a promotion after the all-star break.
2001 Club (Class) AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB
Iowa (AAA) .229 266 38 61 11 0 13 45 34 67 5
4. David Kelton, 3b/of
Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 205. Drafted: HS–LaGrange, Ga., 1998 (2nd round). Signed by: Oneri Fleita.
Background: Kelton seemed like Chicago’s latest best hope to fill the void at third base that has existed since Ron Santo departed in 1973. After he made 15 errors in 54 games at West Tenn, he was set to move to the outfield before he popped something in his left hand on a checked swing, ending his season. He came back to play some outfield in the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .340.
Strengths: The best pure hitter in the system, Kelton was on pace to bat .300-30-100 in Double-A at age 21 when he got hurt. His swing is so pure the Cubs forbade their instructors from tinkering with it. He also has become more patient at the plate. Defensively, his speed and hands are fine.
Weaknesses: Kelton had shoulder surgery in high school, leaving him with modest arm strength. His release point got out of whack this year, resulting in throwing errors. He still needs work in the outfield, though the Cubs believe he can be at least an average defender.
The Future: Ticketed for Triple-A, Kelton will see time at third base and left field. Chicago isn’t ruling him out at the hot corner but wants to get his bat to Wrigley Field in the near future.
2001 Club (Class) AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB
West Tenn (AA) .313 224 33 70 9 4 12 45 24 55 1
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 225. Drafted: Southern California, 2001 (1st round). Signed by: Steve Fuller.
Cubs Top Prospects
1992 Lance Dickson, lhp
1993 Jessie Hollins, rhp
1994 Brooks Kieschnick, of
1995 Brooks Kieschnick, of
1996 Brooks Kieschnick, of
1997 Kerry Wood, rhp
1998 Kerry Wood, rhp
1999 Corey Patterson, of
2000 Corey Patterson, of
2001 Corey Patterson, of
Background: Flirting with a no-hitter against Louisiana State at the 2000 College World Series and starring that summer with Team USA’s college squad positioned Prior as the top pitching prospect for the 2001 draft. By the end of the season, several scouts called him the best college pitching prospect they ever had seen. After going 14-15 in his first two college seasons, Prior went 15-1, 1.69 with a Pacific-10 Conference-record 202 strikeouts and just 18 walks in 139 innings. Baseball America’s College Player of the Year passed Georgia Tech third baseman Mark Teixeira as the consensus best player available. Drafting first overall, the Twins opted for Minnesota high school catcher Joe Mauer. Picking second, the Cubs had determined in March they’d take Prior if they got the chance. Negotiations began in earnest in August, when Prior signed a four-year major league contract with a guaranteed worth of at least $10.5 million, a draft record, including a $4 million bonus.
Strengths: Prior has everything scouts dream about in a pitcher. He throws his fastball at 94-97 mph, and his uncanny command of the pitch may be more impressive than its considerable velocity and life. Scouts say they’ve never seen a 20-year-old pitcher locate his fastball at will like Prior does. He also can overmatch batters with his 12-to-6 curveball, another potential plus-plus pitch. Though he had little reason to give college hitters a fighting chance by throwing a changeup, Southern California coach Mike Gillespie insists Prior has a pretty good one. Prior has a classic pitcher’s body at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds; his mechanics are flawless. He’s intelligent, poised and dedicated to his craft.
Weaknesses: Prior’s main need is experience. The Cubs wish Prior had headed to instructional league or the Arizona Fall League after he signed, but he returned to college to finish his degree. He’ll have to throw more changeups and get acclimated to throwing every fifth day as a pro.
The Future: Prior will be in big league camp and make his pro debut at Double-A West Tenn. A true No. 1 starter, he’s an obvious candidate for a September callup if he hasn’t reached Wrigley Field already. Scouts look at him and see the next Roger Clemens.
2001 Club (Class) W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H BB SO
Did Not Play--Signed 2002 Contract
2. Juan Cruz, rhp
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 155. Signed: Dominican Republic, 1997. Signed by: Jose Serra.
Background: Following a breakout performance in 2000, Cruz was following up with a solid performance as one of the younger pitchers in the Southern League. Desperate for a starter in late August, the Cubs summoned him to the majors. He made an impression on manager Don Baylor with his performance and courage.
Strengths: Cruz’ stuff is just as exciting as Mark Prior’s. Cruz also throws 94-97 mph, with more life but less command than Prior. He also has the best breaking ball (a darting slider) and changeup in the organization. He has been so overpowering since putting it all together in early 2000, the Cubs say they weren’t surprised he was able to get the job done in the majors at age 20.
Weaknesses: Cruz just needs to put finishing touches on his command and pitching savvy. Lefties got to him in the majors, so he’ll have to make some adjustments. Some opposing Southern League managers thought he was immature, but Chicago officials don’t see that.
The Future: Unless the Cubs spend wildly on free agents, Cruz will have a rotation spot awaiting him in spring training. He, Prior and Kerry Wood could form a nasty front three as early as 2003.
2001 Club (Class) W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H BB SO
West Tenn (AA) 9 6 4.01 23 23 0 0 121 107 60 137
Cubs 3 1 3.22 8 8 0 0 45 40 17 39
3. Hee Seop Choi, 1b
Age: 23. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 235. Signed: Korea, 1999. Signed by: Leon Lee.
Background: Signed to a $1.2 million bonus in 1999, Choi slugged his way through the minors in his first two years and led the Arizona Fall League in homers in 2000. Sent to Triple-A Iowa last spring to work on hitting lefthanders, he lost much of the season to an injury in the back of his right hand. He had severe inflammation rather than a tear, but the hand was very slow to heal.
Strengths: Choi is one of the top power hitters in the minors, and he still cranked out homers on a regular basis despite his painful hand problem. He drives the ball to all fields and is more than a slugger. He’s an above-average first baseman who runs well for his size.
Weaknesses: In half a season, Choi batted .286 with a .557 slugging percentage against lefties, so he may have solved that problem. His hand should be fine by spring training. His focus now is to watch his strikeouts and his weight.
The Future: Chicago’s midseason trade for Fred McGriff pushed the timetable for making Choi the everyday first baseman back a year. He’ll begin 2002 in Iowa and could be pushing for a promotion after the all-star break.
2001 Club (Class) AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB
Iowa (AAA) .229 266 38 61 11 0 13 45 34 67 5
4. David Kelton, 3b/of
Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 205. Drafted: HS–LaGrange, Ga., 1998 (2nd round). Signed by: Oneri Fleita.
Background: Kelton seemed like Chicago’s latest best hope to fill the void at third base that has existed since Ron Santo departed in 1973. After he made 15 errors in 54 games at West Tenn, he was set to move to the outfield before he popped something in his left hand on a checked swing, ending his season. He came back to play some outfield in the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .340.
Strengths: The best pure hitter in the system, Kelton was on pace to bat .300-30-100 in Double-A at age 21 when he got hurt. His swing is so pure the Cubs forbade their instructors from tinkering with it. He also has become more patient at the plate. Defensively, his speed and hands are fine.
Weaknesses: Kelton had shoulder surgery in high school, leaving him with modest arm strength. His release point got out of whack this year, resulting in throwing errors. He still needs work in the outfield, though the Cubs believe he can be at least an average defender.
The Future: Ticketed for Triple-A, Kelton will see time at third base and left field. Chicago isn’t ruling him out at the hot corner but wants to get his bat to Wrigley Field in the near future.
2001 Club (Class) AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB
West Tenn (AA) .313 224 33 70 9 4 12 45 24 55 1