Baseball America’s Top 30 Cubs Prospects, Part 2:  21-30

We already covered Baseball America?s Tools and Draft Analysis in the first part. Now we?ll begin looking at the top 30 prospects. Everything below comes from Baseball America?s 2009 Prospect Handbook. 30. Su-Min Jung, RHP Born: April 1, 1990, Bats and throws: right, 6?2?, 190 lbs. Signed out of Korea in 2008 by Paul Weaver and Steve Wilson, signing bonus: $510,000 Jung is a product of Busan High, which also spawned big leaguers Shin Soo Choo and Cha Seung Baek. Jung opened the season as Busan?s number 3 pitcher, with Tae Kyeong Ahn (signed with the Rangers) the ace. While Ahn outperformed him, Jung surpassed him as a prospect. He was pitching at 82-84 mph in March, but boosted his fastball to the upper 80s and touched the low 90s by the end of the summer. He has a clean arm action and the room to add strength, so he may have more velocity in him. Jung spins the ball better than most international pitchers and has the makings of a power curveball. He also started to make some progress with a changeup during instructional league. other clubs considered Jung the equivalent of a 2nd or 3rd rounder and the Cubs paid him like one. They?ll unveil him the Arizona League in June. 29. Alex Maestri, RHP born: June 1, 1985. Bats and throws: right. 6?0?, 185 lbs. Sighed out of Italy in 2006 by Bill Holmberg He?s a legitimate prospect, not just a curiousity, with surprising stuff and pitchability given his background. Maestri showed a lot of promise as a reliever in 2007, but didn?t fare as well when he moved to the rotation in 2008. The Cubs made the move because he has a deep enough repertoire, but the result was diminished stuff, not to mention a tender shoulder that caused him to be shut down in July. his fastball went from 87-90 mph when he signed to 90-94 he came out of the bullpen in 2007, but it dropped back down to the upper 80s last year. His slider, which is one of the best in the system and devastates right handers, also wasn?t as sharp. Maestri has the potential for an average changeup, and needs and offspeed pitch to keep hitters honest. He?s athletic and repeats his delivery well allowing him to throw strikes. Chicago will return Maestri to the bullpen this year and it?s not inconceivable that he could climb from Double-A to the majors this year. 28. Logan Watkins, 2B Born: August 29, 1989. Bats left, throws right. 5?11?, 170 lbs. Drafted: HS?Goddard, KS, 2008 (21st round). Signed by Brandon Mozley. A gifted athlete, he was an all-state quarterback and defensive back for his Kansas high school football team. He swings the bat well and has a disciplined, contact-oriented approach, though he?ll need to get much stronger to hit with any authority. Speed is Watkins? most obvious tool, and he might cover more ground at shortstop than Arizona League teammate Starlin Castro and Junior Lake. He played 2nd base, however, while they shared shortstop. Watkins? has the range for center field and has a solid arm. The Cubs still haven?t figured out what to do with all of their young shortstops and where to play Watkins. 27. Matt Cerda, C Born: June 20, 1990. Bats left, throws right. 5?9?, 165 lbs. Drafted: HS?Oceanside, Californian, 2008 (4th round). Signed by Denny Henderson. Cerda?s hitting ability has been evident since he starred at the 2001 Little League World Series as an 11-year old. Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn watched him in action and on television and said, ?That?s the sweetest swing I?ve ever seen from a kid that age.? Though Cerda continued to produce at the plate in high school and at showcases, his future defensive home was less obvious because of his below average size and speed. The Cubs?made him a catcher. Cerda gave up 7 passed balls and 16 steals in 13 pro games, but Chicago was pleased with the progress he made in a short time behind the plate. Focusing on catching responsibilities took away from his hitting in his pro debut, but he did rip a double off Giants prospect Tim Alderson during Instructional League. The Cubs believe Cerda is strong enough mentally and as a hitter to possibly handle a jump to low Class A for his first full season. They may also give him some time at 2nd base when he?s not behind the plate. 26. Blake Parker, RHP Born: June 19, 1985. Bats and throws right. 6?3?, 235 lbs. Drafted: Arkansas, 2006 (16th round). Signed by Brian Milner. The Cubs signed him for $30,000 as a 16th round pitch in 2006, and after he hit .224/.325/.367 in his first pro summer, they too his bat away. In two years on the mound, Parker has put together a 2.20 ERA, conquered high Class A and put together a nice three-pitch mix. He has a low-90s sinker that touches 95 mph and often seems to disappear at the plate. He picked up a changeup from Dae-Uun Rhee who owns the best in the system. Parker?s changeup shows the makings of becoming a reliable pitch, and his slider is improving as well. Parker has developed rapidly and might get a big league look at the end of 2009, which he?ll begin in Double-A. 25. Ty Wright, OF Born: Feb 26, 1985. bats and throws right. 6?0?, 185 lbs. Drafted: Oklahoma State, 2007 (7th round). Signed by Brian Milner. A four-year starter at Oklahoma State, Wright led the Big 12 in hitting (.405) and set a league record with a 35-game hitting streak as a senior in 2007. Signed for $42,00 as a seventh-round pick, draws comparisons to Reed Johnson, a fellow gamer who solidified the Cubs? outfield last year. Wright showed his grit by playing through a sports hernia for the final two months of the 2008 season. He has a gift for putting the barrel of the bat on the ball, making steady line-drive contact. He has gap power and slightly above average speed, a package that could deliver 25-30 doubles, 12-15 homers and 20 steals per year. Wright has good instincts on the bases and in the outfield, and he?s capable of playing all three spots. He stuck mostly in left field last year while slowed by the hernia. Wright?s arm strength merits only a 35 on the 20-80 scouting scale, but he gets rid of the ball quickly and runner challenge him at their own risk. He racked up 13 assists in just 90 games last season. One of the most mentally tough players int he system, Wright refuses to let himself fail. He?s continue to get chances to prove himself, and the next step will be Double-A. 24. Jake Fox, 1B/OF Born: July 20, 1982. Bats and throws right. 6?0?, 210 lbs. Drafted: Michigan, 2003 (3rd round). Signed by Stan Zielinski. There are scouts who swear that Fox?s plus power would produce 25 homers if he got the chance to play every day in the majors. The problem is that those longballs would come with a low batting average, plenty of strikeouts and absolutely no defensive ability, Fox has accumulated 14 big league at-bats in his six seasons in the organization, and he hurt his cause by not performing in Triple-A to start 2008. That led to a demotion in early May, after which he led the Souther league in slugging (.580). Fox can crush any fastball out of the park, in part because he sits on fastballs and sells out for power every time. He can?t handle breaking balls, won?t work counts, and rarely listens to his batting coaches. Power is Fox?s only tool, and one scout described his defense as ?a notch above horrific.? Drafted as a catcher, he?s now a first baseman/corner outfielder with substandard speed, range, hands and arm strength. The best-case scenario is for Fox to have a career similar to that of Ryan Garko. 23. Tony Thomas, 2B Born: July 10, 1986. Bats and throws right. 5?10?, 185 lbs. Drafted: Florida State, 2007 (3rd round). Signed by Rolando Pino. The Cubs made Thomas a third-round pick in 2007 after he batted .430 at Florida State and led NCAA Division I in runs (91), doubles (33) and total bases (189). He entered pro ball with a good-hit, no-field reputation and lived up to it in his debut. Some club officials considered him a better pure hitter than No. 3 overall pick Josh Vitters. But after skipping a level and jumping to high Class A in 2008, Thomas did an about-face. He got off to a good start when pitchers busted him inside and he started to turn on balls, but he didn?t adjust well when they started pitching him on the outer half. On the other hand, he worked hard on his defense, showed improved range and arm strength and led Florida State league second basemen with a .989 fielding percentage. The Cubs wondered whether he focused too much on his glove that it took away from his bat. Thomas righted himself in the postseason, batting a league-best .483 to win MVP honors as Daytona won the FLS title. He has quick hands, good enough for his size and an aggressive swing. If he can tighten his strike zone and use the opposite field more, he can get back to hitting for a high average with a healthy amount of doubles. He?s an average runner who can steal bases thanks to his savvy. Chicago wants to promote Thomas and double play partner Darwin Barney as a tandem, so they?ll move up to Double-A together this year. 22. Esmalin Caridad, RHP born: October 28, 1985. Bats and throws right. 5?10?, 193 lbs. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2007. Signed by Jose Serra Caridad has a quick arm and one of the better fastballs in the system, a low-90s heater that tops out at 96 mph. It induces more groundouts than strikeouts because it flattens out at times and he lacks deception in his delivery. On the other hand, his smooth mechanics give him terrific control. The rest of Caridad?s arsenal is ordinary; an average three-quarters breaking ball and a fringy changeup with some splitter action. Some Cubs officials project Caridad as a starter, but it?s more likely his ultimate role will be as a reliever or swingman. After a strong Arizona Fall League, he?s ready for Triple-A and could get his first of big league action in 2009. 21. Mitch Atkins, RHP Born: October 1, 1985. Bats and throws right. 6?3?, 225 lbs. Drafted: HS?McLeansville,NC, 2004 (7th round). Signed by Billy Swoope. Atkins makeup is more impressive than his arsenal, but that didn?t stop him from winning 17 games?one off the minor league lead?and the cubs? minor league pitcher of the year award in 2008. His best pitch is an 89-92 mph fastball with average sink; the fastball is more notable for Atkins? ability to locate it. Atkins commands his entire repertoire, which also consists of a cutter, curveball and changeup. His curve has a change to develop into a solid-average pitch. Atkins has an innate feel for pitching and isn?t afraid to let the hitters put the ball in play. He has little margin for error and gave up 25 homers last season, but he doesn?t let anything faze him. A case in point August 3rd against Salt Lake. Three of the first four batters hit rockets off Atkins who then adjusted so well that he retired the final 16 batters he faced, 11 via strikeouts. Strong and durable, has yet to miss a minor league start. Chicago added him to its 40-man roster over the winter and Atkins will audition for a middle relief job in big league camp. It wouldn?t surprise the Cubs if he eventually carved out a larger role for himself.