Don't forget to check out the OV Bunt Tournament Contest if you haven't already entered.
The Baseball America top 100 prospects are out today and Javier Baez is the highest ranked Cub, at 18. Albert Almora is 33rd and Jorge Soler 34th. Arodys Vizcaino is the final Cub in the top 100 at 83.
This is an improvement over last year's top 100. Last year, Brett Jackson was the highest ranked at 32nd. Anthony Rizzo was ranked 47th and then two other Cubs, Javier Baez (61) and Matt Szczur (64), were ranked in the top 100.
Though it is an improvement, the Cubs still have just 4 in the top 100, but they do now have 3 in the top 50 as opposed to 2. A negative person might tell you that last year they had 4 in the top 70 and they only have 3 in the top 80 this year, but negaitive I am not.
A negative person might say that the Cardinals have 2 prospects ranked 6th or higher in Oscar Taveras (3rd) and Shelby Miller (6th). The Cardinals also have Carlos Martinez ranked 38th and Trevor Rosenthal ranked 39th. He might go on to tell you that the Cardinals' Michael Wacha is also ranked 76th.
But I won't tell you that. I won't tell you that the Cubs biggest rival has the best farm system in all of baseball. And a better MLB team than the Cubs. Nope. Not saying it.
He'd also tell you that the Reds have 4 players in the top 100. He'd probably tell you that the Pirates have 2 ranked in the top 20 and 5 in the top 100 (78 or higher).
I'm not going to tell you any of that because it show the Cubs minor league system may not even be average in their own division. I keep things positive so that information will not be posted here.
(dying laughing)
I forgot that Sczczcawrur was thought of so highly going into last year.
There’s way too much baseball talk happening on this NFL Draft blog…
from the trib article on the 7th inning stretch:
anyone know who this was?
Man, the Cubs are so good! This division is as good as ours
So what ARE you telling me? (dying laughing)
@ Myles:
What kind of sucks about the Cubs improved farm system is that the rest of the division is pretty good. The Cardinals have the best system in baseball and I’m pretty sure the Pirates have been ranked higher (they should be anyway). The Brewers are on the only team that is clearly worse.
dmick89 wrote:
Blovated like a true Yankees fan.
MB, I’m glad that you turned a new leaf. Optimism is a good color on you.
@ WaLi:
I’m not really sure…
@ WaLi:
I like to think that I haven’t really changed and it’s just that people are starting to see the real me. (dying laughing)
Rizzo graduated out of last year’s Top 100 into a 3 WAR major leaguer. So that’s something.
Sickels had the Cubs as the third best farm in the division, IIRC. Ahead of Cincy.
He might get away with playing at that weight in college, but NFL teams will probably make him lose a few pounds.
@ Ryno:
(dying laughing)
Ryno, what do you think the impact Ogletree’s DUI will have on his draft status?
@ Mucker:
Normally a DUI is a sign of relatively minor character concerns. A DUI within a week of the combine is a sign of serious stupidity issues…and relatively minor character concerns. During the time between the Senior Bowl and the draft, these guys should eat, sleep, shit and jack off football. Nothing else.
Unless he literally had someone pointing a gun at his head and forcing him to drink and drive at that moment, the DUI (factoring when it happened) would drop him at least a round for me. It wouldn’t shock me if some teams dropped him off their board completely for that, and I’m not kidding.
@ Ryno:
I figured it would drop him some. Didn’t think it would drop him off entirely but I know some teams value character more than others so it wouldn’t surprise me.
@ Mucker:
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2013/02/georgia-alec-ogletree-steelers-draft-board-dui-arrest/
I think you’d be surprised how many players are dropped off teams’ boards every year. Big-time players.
Percy Harvin was off DAL’s for marijuana use. Dez Bryant was off of several for being a general idiot. Mike Adams was off PIT’s (weed, I think), but then he was back on after interviews. Marshawn Lynch for an alleged sexual assault issue. Janoris Jenkins. And these are just the ones reported.
It only takes one team, though, and someone with a major need at LB will fall in love with his upside
@ Mucker:
I know Percy Harvin was off at least DAL’s board for weed.
Mike Adams was off PIT’s for weed, but then back on after interviews.
Marshawn Lynch was off a few boards for allegedly putting sex to someone who didn’t want it.
Randy Moss was off a few for various incidents.
And those are just a few of the documented ones. I’m sure there are tons every year.
In Ogletree’s case, it’s more about when it happened than the fact that it happened.
http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2013/2/17/3999224/alec-ogletree-off-field-issues-have-stock-dropping-off-oakland-raiders-draft
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2013/02/georgia-alec-ogletree-steelers-draft-board-dui-arrest/
What the fuck is going on?
Edit: I posted comments twice that never showed up. I’ll try again…
Players are dropped off boards for weed (Percy Harvin).
They’re dropped for a history if idiocy (Dez Bryant, Randy Moss).
Marshawn Lynch was dropped for allegedly trying to put sex to someone who didn’t want it.
In Ogletree’s case, it’s more about when he DUIed than the fact that he did.
http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2013/2/17/3999224/alec-ogletree-off-field-issues-have-stock-dropping-off-oakland-raiders-draft
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2013/02/georgia-alec-ogletree-steelers-draft-board-dui-arrest/
Players are dropped off boards for weed (Percy Harvin).
They’re dropped for a history if idiocy (Dez Bryant, Randy Moss).
Marshawn Lynch was dropped for allegedly trying to put sex to someone who didn’t want it.
In Ogletree’s case, it’s more about when he DUIed than the fact that he did.
It seems the links did it.
Off OAK’s
Off PIT’s
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2013/02/georgia-alec-ogletree-steelers-draft-board-dui-arrest/
Seems I can’t post links, which seems fair given my history.
Search Ogletree and you’ll see he’s reportedly off OAK’s and PIT’s boards.
Ryno wrote:
(dying laughing)
Jose Canseco is smart: http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/02/19/jose-canseco-twitter-gravity/1929591/
I still can’t believe that the Cubs got two credible pitchers under the age of 20 for Tony Campana. It’s probably the best move Thoyer have made so far (dying laughing)
What the hell is wrong with this planet…
Rice Cube wrote:
A radical left-wing homosapien agenda, that’s what.
@ Ryno:
Not sure why those were marked as spam, but I fixes that. Let us know if that happens again.
@ Berselius:
I was thinking the same thing. It’s not that I expect much from either of them. I don’t because, after all, they were traded for Tony Campana, but it’s still an impressive haul for someone like him. The fact the players are under 23 or 24 A ballers is enough to make me really like the deal.
@ Ryno:
Yeah, same thing with Randy Moss and Warren Sapp. I remember them falling in the draft because of weed.
@ Mucker:
Wouldn’t it be something if football team officials paid guys to sell weed to potential draftees just for this purpose…
@ Rice Cube:
That would be pretty ingenious. A tactical draft status manipulation that causes top tier prospects to fall in the draft? Very ingenious.
@ Mucker:
Didn’t the Red Sox (or was it the Blue Jays?) pay Jason Grimsley to write ARod’s name in the log book at this Miami PED clinic?
http://tangotiger.com/index.php/site/comments/non-uniform-playing-area-dimensions
@ dmick89:
Good read. Thanks.
@ Rice Cube:
Have you heard about how MIA started rumors that Dan Marino regularly used cocaine before the 1983 draft?
I bet that kind of thing happens more than you think.
@ Ryno:
Or that certain players may be of questionable health.
By my count, and I could be wrong, there are 18 players on that Top 100 list that are older than Starlin “529 career hits already” Castro.
@ Myles:
That’s crazy.
@ Ryno:
I did not know this.
new shit: http://www.obstructedview.net/projections/2013-cubs-projections-ian-stewart-and-luis-valbuena.html
@ dmick89:
That too. I’m sure the FO guys have learned to trust their own vetting.