- 1. Brett Jackson: Jackson is at Boise, has hit .455 in 3 games with the AZL Cubs, .304 in 22 games with the Hawks.
- 2. D.J. LeMahieu: made his pro debut last week with the Mesa Cubs, went 2-4 with a triple and 2 runs scored in the AL Cubs 4-1 win. In his second game D.J. went 3-5, so he's off to a hot start in his pro career.
- 3. Austin Kirk: signed with the Cubs last Tuesday, will attend some Cubs games at Wrigley Field and work with Cubs' staff in the bullpen before reporting to Mesa. The Cubs have already tabbed him for the Instructional League in Arizona this fall.
- 4. Chris Rusin: is now with Boise, did not allow a run in 5 innings with Mesa, but has a 7.71 ERA after 1 game with the Hawks.
- 5. Wes Darvill: With AZL Cubs, is hitting .250 with 6 RBIs in 10 games.
- 6. Brooks Raley: not signed
- 7. Blair Springfield: hitting .245 so far in 17 games with the Mesa Cubs.
- 8. Robert Witenack: at Boise, 0-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 7 games.
- 9. Richard Jones: Hit .319 in 12 games with Mesa beforing being moved up to Bosie where he's hitting just .156.
- 10. Charles Thomas is hitting .289 with 11 RBIs in 23 games with Mesa.
The deadline for signing players drafted is August 17. I'll keep you posted on the Cubs top picks throughout the season!
Austin Kirk is not going to the Arizona Fall League - he is going to the Instructional League in Arizona this fall. It includes approximately 40 low-level Cubs who will work with most of the minor league coaches for a couple weeks. Usually players work on things they have trouble with or learn a new pitch or a new position, etc.
ReplyDeleteBrooks Raley was a draft-eligible sophomore from Texas A&M who did very well last year and has decent stuff. Since he slipped to the 6th round, the Cubs would have to pay over slot (probably near $500,000) in order for Raley to sign rather than play out at least one more year in college. The Cubs are likely negotiating with him, but may not be willing to pay him what he wants.
ReplyDeleteHere's a scouting report on him:
Fastball: Raley's fastball grades out as fringy average. He'll occasionally touch 89 or 90 mph but sits at 86-88 mph.
Fastball movement: His crossfire delivery creates life on the arm side away from right-handed hitters.
Slider: It's a breaking ball that was 77-79 mph with rotation and slurvy break. It works because there's some deception in his delivery.
Curve: He throws this breaking ball 74-75 mph with more of a high three-quarters break. He'll try to back-door it at times. He left it up in the zone a little, but gives him a different look.
Changeup: He throws it 78-80 mph with some arm-side fade. Most of the ones he threw were down in the zone.
Control: He's got average command right now, not plus. It will get better in the future because of his athleticism and should improve once he's focusing on pitching only.
Poise: He's got great intangibles and is very competitive on the mound.
Physical Description: Raley is a very athletic southpaw who gets compared to lefties like Dana Eveland, Aaron Laffey and Dallas Braden in terms of stuff.
Medical Update: Healthy.
Strengths: Four-pitch mix that's usable, at the very least. Strong competitor. Terrific athlete who's got plus speed as an outfielder.
Weaknesses: There's a little restriction and effort in his arm, but he's a good enough athlete and can maintain his delivery. He doesn't have the highest ceiling in the world.
Summary: Raley is one of those "safe bet" college lefties. They won't wow you with their stuff or their ceiling, but you can be pretty sure they'll pitch in the big leagues. Raley is also a speedy outfielder and should get better once he's only a pitcher as a pro, but he probably tops out as a No. 3 starter. His athleticism works to his advantage on the mound and should allow him to improve at the next level. He's not an ace, but name a team that wouldn't be interested in a solid middle or back-of-the-rotation starter in the next couple of years.
Thanks for the good info on Raley, I'm hoping he does sign with the Cubs.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous- I'll fix that, I didn't read the article I was looking at correctly:)
No problem - thanks for your website!
ReplyDelete