Who are the top 10 prospects in the Chicago Cubs organization? Baseball
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1. FELIX PIE, of
Age: 21; Ht-Wt: 6-2, 175; B-T: L-L
Signed: Dominican Republic, 2001
Background: Pie, then 14, had played only street baseball when he stopped by
a tryout in his hometown of La Romana in the Dominican Republic in 1999. Jose
Serra asked Pie to show what he could do, and his skills impressed the Cubs
scout enough that he got Pie involved in more structured baseball and signed him
once he turned 16. Pie came to the United States at 17 and since has blazed a
trail of success throughout the minors. He won championships with each of the
four teams he played with in his first three seasons, and he played in the
Futures Game in 2003-04. Both of those streaks ended in 2005 after he injured
his right ankle when he slid late into a base in mid-June. A bone bruise
initially wasn’t expected to sideline him for more than a few weeks, but he
never returned, forcing him to bow out of the Futures Game and leaving him
unable to contribute to Double-A West Tenn’s playoff run, which ended with a
loss in the Southern League finals. If he hadn’t been hurt, the Cubs say they
would have called Pie up when they shipped Corey Patterson to the minors in
early July.
The Future: Patterson has fallen short of his considerable potential in
part because the Cubs rushed him through the minors without forcing him to
address his shortcomings. Rather than learning from that lesson, they’re
contemplating doing the same with Pie, who still needs to make several
refinements to his game. While he’d be best served with some time at Triple-A
Iowa, he’ll tempt the Cubs to promote him to the majors this spring.
2. MARK PAWELEK, lhp
Age: 19; Ht-Wt: 6-2, 180; B-T: L-L
Drafted: Springville, Utah, 2005, HS (1st round)
Background: When he went 20th overall in June, Pawelek became the
highest-drafted Utah high schooler ever, surpassing Bruce Hurst, the No. 22 pick
in 1976. Pawelek became the first 2005 first-rounder to sign, agreeing to a
$1.75 million bonus. He rated as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Arizona
League.
The Future: The Cubs kept Pawelek on tight pitch counts last summer and
will continue to exercise caution because he’s still a teenager. He’ll move up
to low Class A Peoria in 2006.
3. RONNIE CEDENO, ss
Age: 23; Ht-Wt: 6-0, 180; B-T: R-R
Signed: Venezuela, 1999
Background: Cedeno won the Arizona League batting title with a .350 average
in his U.S. debut in 2001, then hit just .212 the next two seasons as the Cubs
rushed him through Class A. His bat has bounced back, and he spent three months
in the majors in 2005, mostly on the bench. He was just starting to get regular
playing time in September when a Brad Hennessey pitch broke his left hand.
The Future: Though the Cubs re-signed Neifi Perez, they say he’ll be a
backup. Cedeno will get the opportunity to start at second base or shortstop,
depending on further moves the club makes this offseason.
4. ANGEL GUZMAN, rhp
Age: 24; Ht-Wt: 6-3, 190; B-T: R-R
Signed: Venezuela, 1999
Background: Guzman was on a roll in Double-A and bucking for a big league
call-up in mid-2003 when he was diagnosed with a slight tear in his labrum.
Though he required only arthroscopic surgery, he has pitched just 66 innings
since. The Cubs were enthused by reports he was throwing 93-96 mph in the
Arizona Fall League.
The Future: It’s impossible to count on Guzman or to even know what to
expect from him, but he still has one of the highest ceilings in the system. If
all goes well in spring training, he could start 2006 in Double-A and make his
big league debut later in the year.
5. RICH HILL, lhp
Age: 26; Ht-Wt: 6-5, 205; B-T: L-L
Drafted: Michigan, 2002 (4th round)
Background: Hill always had a knockout curveball, but his inability to throw
strikes (6.3 walks per nine innings) held him back in his first three seasons as
a pro. The light turned on in 2005, which he credits to improved mental focus.
Hill led the minors with 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings and made his major
league debut.
The Future: Hill will get a chance to crack Chicago’s rotation in spring
training, and he has the stuff to be a No. 2 starter. His curve is so good that
he should at least become a dynamic lefty specialist.
6. SEAN MARSHALL, lhp
Age: 23; Ht-Wt: 6-6, 195; B-T: L-L
Drafted: Virginia Commonwealth, 2003 (6th round)
Background: Marshall and his twin brother Brian were part of a Virginia
Commonwealth staff that led NCAA Division I with a 2.54 ERA in 2003, when the
Red Sox took Brian in the fifth round and the Cubs selected Sean in the sixth.
Sean has a 2.64 ERA in pro ball, but missed time in 2004 with a ruptured tendon
in his left middle finger and again in 2005 with shoulder soreness.
The Future: The Cubs believe Marshall is on the verge of a breakthrough
season in 2006. He’ll probably open the year in Double-A but isn’t too far from
the majors if he can stay healthy.
7. RICKY NOLASCO, rhp
Age: 23; Ht-Wt: 6-2, 200; B-T: R-R
Drafted: Rialto, Calif., 2001, HS (4th round)
Background: For years, Nolasco had been overshadowed by fellow 2001 Cubs
draftees Mark Prior, Andy Sisco and Sergio Mitre, as well as several other young
pitchers in the system. Nolasco previously was most notable for being included
in a 2003 trade with the Rangers that Rafael Palmeiro vetoed. That all changed
in 2005, when he was named Southern League pitcher of the year after leading the
league in wins and strikeouts.
The Future: After spending most of the last two seasons in Double-A,
Nolasco will get another shot at Triple-A in 2006. If he passes that test, he’ll
get called up later in the year. The Cubs have a number of starting candidates,
so he could wind up in the bullpen.
8. RYAN HARVEY, of
Age: 21; Ht-Wt: 6-5, 225; B-T: R-R
Drafted: Dunedin, Fla., 2003, HS (1st round)
Background: Though he blew out his right knee at a high school showcase the
previous fall, Harvey recovered in time to go sixth overall in the 2003 draft
and sign for $2.4 million. He made his full-season debut in 2005 and was a low
Class A Midwest League all-star, leading the league in homers and losing the RBI
title on the last day of the season.
The Future: It remains to be seen how well Harvey will do against more
advanced pitching, and he’ll probably never hit for a high average. But his
tools excite the Cubs, and they’ll see how he fares at high Class A Daytona in
2006.
9. BRIAN DOPIRAK, 1b
Age: 22; Ht-Wt: 6-4, 235; B-T: R-R
Drafted: Dunedin, Fla., 2002, HS (2nd round)
Background: Dopirak ranked No. 1 on this list a year ago, when he was coming
off a 39-homer season and an MVP award in the Midwest League. The wheels came
off in high Class A in 2005, however, as his average dropped 72 points while he
dipped to 16 homers. He’s a product of Dunedin (Fla). High, as are two other
prominent Cubs — general manager Jim Hendry and Ryan Harvey.
The Future: With Derrek Lee in the majors, Chicago can be patient with
Dopirak. They’ll move him up a level to Double-A in 2006 and hope he can bounce
back.
10. ERIC PATTERSON, 2b
Age: 22; Ht-Wt: 5-11, 170; B-T: L-R
Drafted: Georgia Tech, 2004 (8th round)
Background: Patterson may seize the Cubs’ leadoff job that his brother Corey
has failed to fill. An eighth-round pick who signed for fourth-round money
($300,000), Patterson won the Midwest League batting title and the Cubs’ minor
league player of the year award in his pro debut.
The Future: Patterson will return to Double-A, where he spent the last
week of his first pro season. He has passed Mike Fontentot and Richard Lewis on
the organization depth chart and could be starting for the Cubs at some point in
2007.
Note: Baseball America’s Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a
player’s long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development
personnel. All players who haven’t exceeded the major league rookie standards of
130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible.
Ages are as of April 1, 2006.
