Cubs Top 10 Prospects Review 8/11-8/17

Every Saturday The Big Guy will look at the week that was for the top ten Chicago Cubs prospects. With the Cubs in rebuild mode, we are keeping an eye on the youngsters bound for Wrigley. Our list is based on mlb.com‘s rankings, but adjusted for accuracy.

1. 

   Top prospect Javier Baez.

   Javier Baez, SS, Tennessee–Baez is on fire right now, hitting walk-off home runs in consecutive games for the AA Smokies. In six games, Baez was 10-22 with three doubles, three home runs, seven RBI and three walks. Since getting called up on July 6 he is batting .293/.355/.631 with 14 home runs. Perhaps most importantly he has improved his defense. His fielding percentage is up to .946 from .922 in A+.

2. Kris Bryant, 3B, Daytona–If only every week in the minors could be like Bryant’s. The second pick of this year’s draft started in A- Boise and ended in A+ Daytona. Bryant hit .458 in seven games this week, with two home runs and six RBI. With many of the Cubs prospects at least another year away from the big leagues, Bryant looks to be on the fast track to Wrigley. He will likely be the Opening Day third baseman next season.
3. Albert Almora, CF, Kane County–The 19-year-old first round pick from 2012 has not played since August 4 due to a hamstring issue. He is batting .329/.376/.466 on the year.
4. Jorge Soler, OF, Daytona–Soler has been out for the season since June with a stress fracture in his foot. He batted .280/.342/.464 with eight homers and 35 RBI.
5. Kyle Hendricks, SP, Iowa–This year’s star of the system, Hendricks made his second start in AAA this week. He went 5 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 7 K, 3 BB. The fact that this was one of his worst outings of the year speaks to Hendricks’ dominance. In 138.1 IP this season he owns a 1.95 ERA. Don’t be surprised if Hendricks is the next Cubs prospect to earn a shot in the big leagues.
6. C.J. Edwards, SP, Daytona–Edwards went 5 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 K, 0 BB. The real jewel of the Matt Garza trade, Edwards has been excellent all year. In 108 innings, batters are hitting .175 against him with 142 strikeouts to 39 walks. Projections peg Edwards as a potential number four starter, but he looks capable of more.
7. Pierce Johnson, SP, Daytona–Johnson picked up his tenth win of the season this week when we threw 5.2 innings of shutout ball, scattering four hits and three walks between seven strikeouts. The 22-year-old righty has been masterful in A+ Daytona this year with a 2.16 ERA and 8.9 K/9. Through 111.1 IP this season he has a 2.75 ERA.
8. 

   Big Dan Vogelbach

   Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Daytona–Another talent in Daytona, Vogelbach earned his call-up on Tuesday. In eight games, he batted .346/.433/.500 with one home run and two RBI. He also picked up four walks. At 6’0″, 250 pounds, the round second-round pick from 2011 could be used as trade bait for an AL team in a year or two in exchange for an arm.

9. Mike Olt, 3B, Iowa–Olt was mired in a horrible year before he was sent to the Cubs in the Garza deal. Then things got bad. He went 2-22 this week with six strikeouts. With a .120 average since joining AAA Iowa, it seems like it might be best for Olt to simply shut it down for the rest of the year. Something interesting I just noticed on baseball-reference.com was that Olt had a home run and three RBI in each of his last two games in the Rangers organization. Those two games were against the Iowa Cubs.
10. Arismendy Alcantara, 2B, Tennessee–In five games the only Cub to play in this year’s Future’s Game went 2-17 with four walks. Tough week in a tough month; he is batting .207 without a home run over his last 24 games. Let’s hope this is just a bump in the road of what’s been an impressive season for the 21-year-old.

The Rebirth of Tyler Colvin

The left-handed power bat the Chicago Cubs long wished for finally arrived. The 24-year-old right fielder belted 20 homers his rookie season. His .316 on-base percentage left something to be desired, but power has a way of easing developmental worries.

That was 2010 and Tyler Colvin was full of promise. The 2011 season would be the year the 2006 first-rounder would cement his big league status….oops.

In 206 at-bats, Colvin batted .150. His .204 on-base percentage barely surpassed the Mendoza Line. In 35 at-bats against lefties, he recorded two hits. He found reprieve against righties, posting a .170 batting average. His 58 strikeouts are not shocking, considering the 100 Ks he tallied his rookie year. He hit six home runs, but his anemic batting average left management with no choice but to bench him.

The Colorado Rockies had their own Tyler Colvin. The 10th pick of the 2003 MLB Draft, Ian Stewart never realized the promise Colorado management saw in him as a senior at La Quinta High School in California. In 2009 as a 24-year-old, Stewart blasted 25 home runs while batting .228. In 2010 he improved to .256 with 18 home runs. However, right when things looked good, Stewart collapsed in 2011. He batted .156 in 122 at-bats without a single home run— in Colorado.

Newly named President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein saw two players in need of a location change. On December 8, 2011, the Cubs sent Colvin and second baseman DJ LeMahieu to Colorado for Stewart and pitcher Casey Weathers (another failed first-rounder).

Colorado fit Colvin well. The 26-year-old currently owns a .290/.329/.551 line. Seven of his 14 home runs left road ballparks. In 62 at-bats against leftied, he is batting .274. His 1.3 oWAR matches his 2010 number. His eight triples and seven steals are career-highs. He is on pace to set career-highs in doubles, RBIs and batting average. He is benefiting from playing in Coors Field, but he is a .272 batter on the road this year.

While the trade reinvigorated Colvin’s career, the same cannot be said for Stewart. The Chicago Cubs Opening Day third baseman, Stewart was hitting .201 with five home runs in 55 games before landing on the 60-day disabled list with a wrist injury.

Baseball can be a mental game. Some players find a change of scenery the difference between success and failure. In other cases, the game beats you. The league learns your holes and the ball is always one step ahead, no matter what park you call home.

The Big Guy

Meet Brooks Raley

Don’t get too excited, Cubs fans. Brooks Raley is not the minor league starting pitcher you long for. He is not a  well-kept secret. He is no Dylan Bundy.

The 24-year-old lefty is Travis Wood, at best. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2009 MLB draft, Raley stands 6’3″ and weighs a slim 185 pounds. In 22 starts split between AA and AAA, he owns a solid 3.58 ERA, with 6.8 K/9, 1.332 WHIP and 2.45 K/BB. In his last start he allowed 6 ER in 6 IP to AAA Colorado Springs.

Raley has consistently progressed though the Chicago farm system since entering as a 21-year-old. Raley, who spent time away from the bump in the outfield while playing at Texas A&M University, tops out around 88-90 with his fastball. He throws two breaking pitches, 77-79 slurve and a 74-75 curve. He also throws a 78-80 changeup.

Raley may be a backend major league starter, which would be fine if the Cubs didn’t possess their only pitching depth in that specific, if not underwhelming, category.

Jeff Samardzija flashes signs of becoming a potential #2 or #3, and Garza occasionally shows signs of being a successful #2. But even before the departure of Ryan Dempster, the Cubs lack a legitimate premier starting pitcher.

The lack of quality starting pitching is the Cubs biggest rebuilding concern, and while the acquisition of Dayan Vizcaido helps, the reality is that Theo & Comp. will need to buy one, if not two, big time starting pitchers on the free agent market if the Cubs are going to be competitive in 2-3 years. The bats and gloves in the system seem to be on the right track. Uncertainty surrounds future arms.

Theo admitted that the Cubs lack minor league pitching depth. He said a serious team needs to always have three to four waves of pitching depth at any time. The Cubs, he said, currently possess zero.

Brooks Raley may throw a gem tonight in the cavernous pitchers heaven that is Petco Park, but do not get carried away with hopes of grandeur. Raley is only a stopgap. For now, a more practical endeavor may be to dream of a future free-agent pitcher to be.

The Big Guy

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Good

Brett Jackson

The Chicago Cubs young 24 year old center fielder, Brett Jackson, made his major league debut, and didn’t  let the club down. Jackson went 2-4 including a walk and a strikeout. Jackson was batting .256 with 106 hits, 22 doubles, 12 triples, 15 homers, 47 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases. Jackson was one of two players to be called up for Sunday’s game vs the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Anthony Rizzo

The Chicago Cubs rookie first baseman, Anthony Rizzo had 2 hits in Sunday’s 6-7 loss to the Dodgers. Rizzo went 2-4 with a single and a game tying homer in the 9th inning to make it 6-6 at the time. Rizzo now has 5 homers, 12 hits, and 13 RBIs in his last 10 games. Rizzo is now batting .310 on the year and was named N.L. Rookie of the Month for July.

Neil Walker

In the Pirates 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, Neil Walker contributed with a big blast of his own. Walker went 2-4 with a single and a homer in the 2nd inning to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead, and they never looked back from there. Walker is batting .292 with 12 homers and 58 RBIs on the season for the Pirates.

A.J. Burnett

The Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher, A.J. Burnett, got his 4th win in a row Monday against the Cincinnati Reds. Burnett went 8.2 innings giving up just 2 runs off 3 hits. Burnett is now 14-3 on the season, which ties him for 1st in the N.L. in wins on the season. Burnett has given up just 5 runs over his last 4 starts, including a complete game 1 hit shutout against the Cubs. Burnett is now 8-1 over his last 10 starts and has lowered his ERA from 3.52 to 3.19.

Stephen Strasburg

The Washington Nationals starting pitcher lit it up from both sides of the plate in a 4-1 victory over the Miami Marlins. Strasburg went 6 innings giving up 3 hits while striking out 6. Strasburg also went 1-2 at the plate with 2 RBIs to help himself get his 12th victory of the season. Strasburg is now 12-5 with a 2.97 ERA, and 160 strikeouts, which is first in the N.L.

Hunter Pence

The San Francisco Giants newly acquired right fielder, Hunter Pence, had his first multi-hit game with his new clubs. Pence went 2-5 with 2 doubles, 3 RBI, and 1 run scored. Pence is now batting .267 on the season with 64 RBI.

Yonder Alonso

The San Diego Padres first baseman, Yonder Alonso, continued his hot streak behind the plate Sunday against the New York Mets. Alonso went 2-4 including a double, a homer, 1 run scored, and 1 RBI.  Alonso now has 16 hits over his last 10 games, and has improved his average to .270 on the season.

Kyle Lohse

The St.Louis Cardinals starting pitcher, Kyle Lohse, got his 6th straight start in a row against the Milwaukee Brewers. Lohse went 6 innings giving up no runs off 4 hits while striking out 6. Lohse improved to 12-2 on the season with an ERA of 2.79

The Bad

Ryan Braun

The Brewers left fielder, Ryan Braun, went 0-4 in the Brewers 0-3 loss to the St.Louis Cardinals. Braun is now 0-7 in his last two games with 4 strikeouts. Braun is now batting 3.11 on the season after the small 2 game skid.

Matt Harvey

The New York Mets starting pitcher, Matt Harvey, got his 2nd loss in a row Sunday against the San Diego Padres. Harvey managed just 5 innings while giving up 8 hits and 5 earned runs. Harvey is now 1-2 on the season with a 3.86 ERA.

John Buck

The Miami Marlins catcher, John Buck, continued to struggle behind the plate Sunday against the Washington Nationals. Buck went 0-3 with 3 strikeouts and is now batting just .172 on the season. Over his last 10 games Buck has just 4 hits with 12 strikeouts.

Homer Bailey

The Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher, Homer Bailey, couldn’t keep the Reds hot streak alive. Bailey could manage just 4.2 innings giving up 4 earned runs off 9 hits. Bailey is now 9-7 on the season with a 3.98 ERA

The Ugly

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have now lost 5 games in a row after being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs have given up 29 runs during this 5 game skid.

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros are by far on the worst streak of any team in the MLB this season. The Astros have loss 30 of their last 34 games and are now 36-73 on the season making them the worst team in all of baseball.

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are battling the Houston Astros for the worst record in baseball after losing 30 of their last 43. The Rockies are now 38-68 on the season and are in last place in the N.L. West.

Should the Cubs keep Alfonso Soriano?

The Sunday arrivals of outfielder Brett Jackson and third sacker Josh Vitters infused the already young Cubs with more green than Wrigley’s ivy. The 22-year-old Vitters joins similarly aged shortstop Starlin Castro and first baseman Anthony Rizzo. When Vitters mercifully claims the hot corner from Luis Valbuena and his sub-Mendoza Line bat, the oldest Cubs infielder will be 26-year-old second baseman Darwin Barney.

The Cub behind the dish will either be 25-year-old Welington Castillo or 26-year-old Steve Clevenger. Jackson will make his big league debut as a 24-year-old. With so much youth in the lineup, would the Cubs not benefit from a veteran presence? Perhaps that veteran is not some future free agent, but our very own left fielder.

Alfonso Soriano joined the Cubs with 40-40 expectations. A pulled hammy and a slower bat dampened those hopes. However, as The Big Guy predicted, Soriano has enjoyed a revival this season. His .270 average is his highest since 2008, his defensive WAR of -0.2 is his best since 2007 and he is on pace to play 150 games for the first time since 2006. All this with 19 home runs and 64 RBI.

Soriano is 36 years old and is owed $38 million over the next two seasons. The calls for Theo and Jed to deal Soriano, either through waivers this August or over the offseason, will be loud and continuous. But are they wise?

Cubs fans still hoping for Fonsi to discover the fountain of youth would be better served reading Ponce de Leon’s Wikipedia page. This is not to say Soriano will not continue to produce through 2014. The Dominican is yet to post a sub-20 home run season in his six years in Chicago and the rest of the Cubs roster is light on accomplished MLB power.

If Chicago does trade Soriano, they are not likely to receive much in return. The deal would leave the Cubs with the majority of Soriano’s epic contract, with the other team paying no more than a couple million. Is a few extra million and a couple of minor leaguers really worth it? Exciting prospects like Albert Almora and Jorge Soler are at least two years away— it is not like Soriano is blocking worthy traffic.

So why not hold on to the overpaid Dominican who never fulfilled his lofty expectations? Let him pass his final two seasons with the Cubs knocking some youngsters in from scoring position. If a contender ever makes an offer we can’t refuse, then pull the trigger. But here’s to hoping the Cubs do not let a productive bat sail without something significant in return. And in the more likely case that those offers never materialize, let’s have Dale continue to plug #12 in left.

The Big Guy

Here Come the Kids

Forget about the record. Forget about the standings. The Chicago Cubs are going to suck for a while, but at least they will be interesting while being so.

The Cubs called up outfielder Brett Jackson and third baseman Josh Vitters Sunday. The pair of former first-round picks are the Cubs two most MLB-ready prospects, and both find themselves in situations where they could stay for a while.

The Cubs outfield future does not include Alfonso Soriano. Nor does it include David DeJesus. However, the future very well could include the left-handed hitting Jackson. Baseball America‘s #32 prospect entering this season, Jackson was batting .256 with, 15 home runs, 27 stolen bases and a .338 OBP in AAA Iowa. Jackson’s most troubling statistic was his 158 strikeouts. That is 158 strikeouts in 407 at-bats. That is a strikeout in 39% of his at-bats. Scouts say he has great bat speed, which I translate to “he looks great when he strikes out all the damn time.” Hopes are high for Jackson, but a quicker, less powerful Adam Dunn does not get me very excited.

Vitters, like Jackson, plays a position the Cubs are thin on. The third overall pick of the 2007 draft did not zip through the farm system like many hoped, but you can’t forget that he is only 22 years old. The right-handed hitter was batting .304 in AAA Iowa with 17 home runs and 68 RBI. He only struck out 77 times in 415 at-bats. Vitters’ bat appears major league ready, but he does have one little problem. His glove stinks.

Of the two prospects, I expect more out of Vitters. His bat could help the Cubs and while he is no Ron Santo at the hot corner, he has to be better than Luis Valbuena, right? Jackson will attract more attention because he is a “higher rated” prospect, but there is not getting around all those whiffs. If ya can’t hit the damn ball, you can’t hit the ball. I do not see either of these prospects as long-term solutions due to their major holes.

Theo has does a great job of reloading the farm system, and it is worth remembering that these are not his prospects. Jackson and Vitters are Jim Hendry remnants and I expect them to perform as such.

The Big

Cubs Trade Deadline Haul

The Chicago Cubs made three moves over the last 24 hours. Out went Ryan Dempster, Geovany Soto, Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson. In comes, well, let’s find out…

Ryan Dempster To Texas Haul

Kyle Hendricks, Starting Pitcher

ESPN’s Keith Law calls Hendricks an “organizational starter,” a backhanded compliment best translated to “career minor league player.” Take it easy, Keith. Hendricks’ cut fastball may sit around 88 mph, but look at the stats! Over 130.2 IP in A+ Myrtle Beach, Hendricks owns an amazing 7.47 K/BB. That’s right, 112 Ks to 15 walks. While his 7.7 K/9 in low minor league play tempers expectations, Hendricks is a strike thrower and the 22-year-old right-handed pitcher has a 2.65 lifetime ERA over 166.1 IP. An 8th round pick in 2011, Hendricks could be a sleeper acquisition.

Christian Villanueva, Third Baseman

Villanueva is 21-years old and entered this season as Baseball America’s #100 prospect. The Guadalajara, Mexico native was a teammate of Hendricks’ in Myrtle Beach, where he held a .285/.356/.421 line. At 5’10”, 160 pounds, Villanueva possesses surprising power, with 10 home runs in 375 at-bats. Villanueva has been adding muscle since entering the Rangers farm system as an 18-year-old and hit 17 home runs with 84 RBI in Class A Hickory in 2011. Villanueva went 32-38 in stolen base attempts in 2011 but is down to 9-18 in 2012.

Geovany Soto To Texas Haul

Jacob Brigham, Starting Pitcher

Brigham, 24, currently plays for the AA Frisco RoughRiders where he has a 4.28 ERA over 124 IP. Brigham is a starting pitcher but could become a reliever in the majors, considering his 8.4 K/9. Brigham owns a 1.355 WHIP. Unlike the two form Ranger prospects listed above, the right-hander does appear to be, in Keith Law parlance, an “organizational pitcher.”

Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson to Atlanta Haul

Arodys Vizcaino, Starting Pitcher

Vizcaino is the jewel of the deadline haul. The 21-year-old right-handed pitcher has been clocked at 101 mph. Oh, he is also coming off of Tommy John surgery. Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer addressed the unusual nature of trading for an injured player but said the Cubs medical staff examined Vizcaino’s medical records and felt comfortable acquiring him. Vizcaino has serious stuff and was ranked as the Braves number two prospect entering the season. In 2011 he rocketed from A+ ball to a cup of coffee in the bigs. His 2011 minor league numbers: 97 IP, 3.06 ERA, 100 K, 1.134 WHIP, 3.57 K/BB. Top prospect numbers. In 17 IP for the Braves, the then 20-year-old threw 17.1 IP with 17 K and a 4.67 ERA. Tommy John has become the norm for pitchers. One year off and the kids can throw fire again. Let’s hope this is the case for Vizcaino.

Jaye Chapman, Relief Pitcher

The 25-year-old righty is in his seventh minor league season. Chapman owned a 3.52 ERA over 53.2 IP in AAA Gwinnett before the trade. Chapman throws an major league changeup and averaged 10.1 K/9 last year as well as this year. Chapman is not the prospect that Vizcaino is, but he could be a future member of the Chicago Cubs bullpen.

Overall

The Cubs acquired three starting pitchers, one relief pitcher and one third baseman. Read: they addressed system needs. Vizcaino and Villanueva have the best chances to become Chicago Cubs and Chapman and Hendricks both project as potential bullpen members. The Cubs dealt a catcher hitting below the Mendoza line, a fan favorite outfielder who will be 37-years old before the Cubs seriously contend, an over-performing 35-year-old pitcher and a pretty good left-handed starter. The trades fit the rebuilding process and brought talent into a feeble farm system.

The Big Guy

Look At Me Now!!!

Steve Clevenger

Meet the Chicago Cubs new everyday starting catcher, Steve Clevenger. Clevenger was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 7th round of the 2006 MLB Draft. At the age of 26, Clevenger has made his way through every level of the Cubs minor league system, and now it is time for Clevenger to prove he is ready to be an everyday starter. Clevenger is only batting .246 on the season, but wasn’t able to get consistant playing time until Geovany Soto was traded to the Texas Rangers in the middle of Monday nights game. With Soto gone it is now Clevenger’s time to potential prove he has the same bat he did throughout the minors.

Minor League Batting Avg. By Year.

• 2006: .286, 63 hits, 8 doubles, 2 homers, 21 RBIs, .363 on base percentage with Boise(A-), 63 games

• 2007: .373, 31 hits, 9 doubles, 18 RBIs, .398 on base percentage with Boise(A-), 22 games 
• 2007: .323, 53 hits, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 24 RBIs, .368 on base percentage with Daytona(A+) 43 games

• 2008: .313, 89 hits, 20 doubles, 2 homers, 39 RBIs, .393 on base percentage with Daytona(A+), 84 games
• 2008: .247, 22 hits, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 15 RBI, .314 on base percentage with Tennessee(AA) 27 games

• 2009: .364 28 hits, 4 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer, 10 RBI, .446 on base percentage with Tennessee(AA) 26 games
• 2009: .265 61 hits, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 26 RBI, .309 on base percentage with Iowa(AAA) 68 games

• 2010: .317, 86 hits, 24 doubles, 5 homers, 47 RBIs, .367 on base percentage with Tennessee(AA) 88 games

• 2011: .295, 92 hits, 27 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 39 RBI, .363 on base percentage with Tennessee(AA) 95 games
• 2011: .407, 35 hits, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homers, 15 RBI, .454 on base percentage with Iowa(AAA) 25 games
• 2012: .462, 6 hits, 1 homer, 3 RBI, .533 on base percentage with Iowa(AAA) 5 games.

Overall Clevenger averaged a .309 batting average in his 6 seasons in the minors. With Clevenger being a lefty at the plate, a .309 average from a starting catcher is exactly what the Cubs need. Can Clevenger being the Cubs future starting catcher for years to come? Only time will tell.

This season Clevenger has a .246 avg, 32 hits, 9 doubles, 1 homer, and 15 RBIs in just 44 games this season. Clevenger had been splitting time with Soto, and his longest starting streak of the season was 4 games where he had 4 hits. Look for Clevenger’s bat to heat up as he now can get a continuous 4 at bats every game.

 

 

 

Coach Tom

Cubs Trade Geovany Soto

The Chicago Cubs traded 2008 Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto to the Texas Rangers for 24-year-old right-handed pitcher Jacob Brigham.

Brigham currently plays for the AA Frisco RoughRiders where he has a 4.28 ERA over 124 IP. Brigham is a starting pitcher but could become a reliever in the majors, considering his 8.4 K/9. Brigham owns a 1.355 WHIP.

Soto leaves the Cubs with a .199 batting average. Since his impressive rookie campaign, Soto’s production has fluctuated drastically. He bounced back from a horrendous sophomore season with 17 home runs and a .280 average in 2010. The power numbers remained consistent in 2011, 17 home runs with 54 RBI, but the average dipped to .228.

The biggest winner in this trade? Steve Clevenger. The now starting catcher for your Chicago Cubs is a left-handed hitting 26-year-old. Clevenger entered the game in the sixth inning and promptly threw out Pirates right fielder Alex Presley at second base. Clevenger hit .300 at every level in the minor leagues and it will be interesting to see how he hits as an everyday big leaguer. The knock on Clevenger has been his defense, but if he can continue to throw seeds to second the way he did Monday night, the Cubs will look at this trade as an upgrade behind the dish.

Who know if Brigham will ever throw a pitch at Wrigley? Will it be as a hard-throwing reliever? Will Steve Clevenger catch it?

This is why we love the game.

The Big Guy

Look At Me Now!!!

Meet Anthony Rizzo, the recently brought up young first baseman. The young 22 year old has sparked life in a Cubs teams that once held the lowest record in MLB. Since being brought up from the Cubs AAA Iowa team the Cubs are 17-10.

Drafted in the 6th round of the 2007 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox, Rizzo started his career right out of high school and onto the Red Sox rookie ball team. Rizzo played only 6 games batting .284. Rizzo played in just 21 games in 2008 for the single A team in Greenville, batting .373. Rizzo started the next season with Greenville where in 64 games, Rizzo belted 9 homers, 21 doubles, and batted .298. Rizzo was then called up to the A+ team in Salem, where in 55 games, Rizzo .295 with 15 doubles.

The 2010 year started the 20-year-old in Salem for just 29 games, batting just .248, before being called up to the AA team in Portland. Rizzo would finish the season in Portland playing 107 games stay mediocre behind the plate batting just .268 on the season. In the offseason of 2010 Rizzo would be traded to the San Diego Padres in a deal that would bring Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox.

In 2011, the then newly acquired 21-year-old for the San Diego Padres, would start the season in Tuscan playing for the Padres AAA team. Rizzo played in 93 games batting .331 while belting 26 homers, and 34 doubles. Rizzo would make his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres on June 9th, 2011 going 1-2 with his first career hit being a triple. Rizzo would finish the season with the Padres playing in 49 games where he struggled batting just .141 for the season. At the end season Rizzo would again be traded, this time in a deal that would send him to the Cubs.

The 2012 season began with the 22-year-old first baseman in a new home again. The now Chicago Cub began the year with the Cubs AAA team in Iowa. Rizzo played in 72 games for the Iowa Cubs where he batted .342 with 23 homers and 12 doubles. On June 26,2012 Rizzo again got his 2nd chance at the big leagues when he was called up to the Chicago Cubs. Rizzo went 2-4 in his Cubs debut.

Rizzo has now been with the Cubs for a month, and it seems as though his presence is making a change. The Cubs have started to turn things around since Rizzo’s arrival going 17-10 during this current span. Rizzo is batting .333 on the season with 7 homers, the last homer being a 2-run walk-off in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Cardinals today. Rizzo got slotted into the 3 hole in the lineup the day he became a Cub, and after the first month it looks as thought Starling Castro is not the only 22 year star in Chicago. Rizzo looks like he is here to stay, and at the age of 22 this up and coming star could be the face of a new and rebuilding Chicago Cub team.

Extra Fun Stats.

Rizzo’s top batting avg. in the count balls/strike.

1. .500 when the count is 1-0
2. .500 when the count is 3-1
3. .471 on the first pitch thrown
4. .429 when the count is 1-1
5. .333 when the count is 0-2

Rizzo Avg. by Inning

• 1st- .400
• 2nd- no at bats
• 3rd- .200
• 4th- .250
• 5th- .273
• 6th- .545
• 7th- .400
• 8th- .154
• 9th- .250

Rizzo’s Spray Stats

• Right Outfield- 20%
• Center Outfield- 9%
• Left Outfield- 23%
• Right Infield- 35%
• Center Infield- 5%
• Left Infield- 9%

Coach Tom