Minor League Review: Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs finished with a 72-72 record, 3rd in the 4-team PCL America North division.  The team finished 9th overall in batting average at .271 and was 15th out of 16 teams in HR’s with 86.  They also finished 6th with 125 SB’s and 10th with 658 runs scored.  Overall, pretty unimpressive.

However, their pitching was pretty impressive, finishing second in ERA and K’s at 4.14 and 1043, respectively.  They had the lowest Whip of any team at 1.36 and gave up the fewest runs at 631 (they lost the ERA title as Memphis gave up fewer earned runs).

As with most AAA teams, the roster is filled with major league and minor league veterans to provide depth for the major league squad, so a lot of the best prospects are down at AA.  However, they was still some young talent at Iowa.

Top Hitting Prospects

1. Jake Fox – Although his stay at Iowa was short, Fox was definitely the best hitter on the team, hitting .409 with 17 HR’s in only 164 AB’s.  The man-without-a-position hit well on the major league level also, with a .259 average and 11 HR’s in 216 AB’s.  Lou Piniella was looking for a righthanded power hitter last offseason, perhaps they should have filled the position from within instead of signing malcontent Milton Bradley.
2. Steve Clevenger – a 7th round pick in 2006, Clevenger has impressed with his ability to make contact and hit the ball to all fields.  He hit .364 in 26 games at AA before being promoted to AAA, where he hit .265 in 230 AB’s.  He hasn’t shown a lot of power so far (only 1 HR in 2009), but scouts believe he can hit 10-15 HR’s as he matures and gains more strength.  He’s knocking on the door to the majors and if Geo Soto doesn’t turn things around in 2010, Clevenger could be called upon to provide an offensive spark.
3. Micah Hoffpauir – Although he didn’t hit well in his short stint in AAA (.217 in 86 AB’s), Hoffpauir is still one of the Cubs top prospects.  He was promoted to the majors early in the year when Ramirez went down and showed off his power hitting 10 HR’s in 234 AB’s.  He hit only .239 in the majors, but he hit .362 with 25 HR’s and 100 RBI’s in only 290 AB’s at AAA in 2008, so hitting should not be a problem.  He played mostly in the OF with the Cubs in 2009, but may give the Cubs the option of letting Derek Lee walk when he becomes a free agent after 2010.
4. Chris Robinson – acquired from Detroit in 2006 (for waste of roster space, Neifi Perez), Robinson had his best season in the minors this year, hitting .326 with 9 SB’s in 307 AB’s.  While he probably profiles best as a backup catcher, he won’t hurt you at the plate (career .279 hitter in the minors).
5. Darwin Barney – promoted from AA midseason, Barney continued to hit well at AAA (.264 in 212 AB’s).  You can read more about Barney in my review of AA Tennessee.

Top Pitching Prospects

1. Jeff Samardzija – Jeff was named the Cubs second best prospect  by Baseball America heading into the season and if the Cubs can just figure out what they’re going to do with him once-and-for-all, he may still turn out to be their best pitching prospect.  He has bounced back and forth from the bullpen to the starting rotation, both in the minors and the majors.  Maybe the Cubs have finally made up their mind, as Lou Piniella has said that he wants Samardzija to compete for a rotation spot next year.  With a fastball that touches 98 mph and a splitter and slider that can both be plus pitches, Samardzija can succeed in any role, the point is to pick ONE.
2. John Gaub – also making the list for AA Tennessee, Gaub makes the list here as well, thanks to his 1.72 ERA and 40 K’s in 31.1 IP.  He shows the stuff to be a reliable late inning reliever. 
3. Jeff Stevens – a minor league veteran of 5 years, after being drafted in the 6th round in 2005 (by the Reds), Stevens enjoyed his finest season in the minors in 2009 and finally earned a promotion to the majors.  Pitching solely in relief, Stevens posted a 2.03 ERA with 61 K’s in 57.2 IP.  Although he didn’t fare as well in the majors (7.11 ERA), he should be in the bullpen mix in 2010.
4. Blake Parker – serving as the closer for Tennessee (10 games) and Iowa, Parker had a combined line of 2.70 ERA and 25 saves to go along with 77 K’s in 63.1 IP.  Parker features a sinking fastball that  can reach 96 mph, as well as an improving changeup and slider.  He another to keep an eye on as the Cubs try to fill their bullpen vacancies.
5. Esmailin Caridad – Used as a starter at AAA, Caridad posted a 4.17 ERA with 114 K’s in 131.2 IP.  However, some scouts believe that he is best suited as a reliever, and his 1.40 ERA and 17 K’s in 19.1 IP in relief in the majors supports this theory.  He has a leg up on Gaub, Stevens and Parker in earning a spot in the Cubs bullpen and could possibly start 2010 in the Cubs pen.  However, he will have to keep pitching effectively to hold off the others.

So, there you have it, the last of my minor league team reviews.  I will be compiling my list of the Cubs top 10 overall prospects for posting on Tuesday as well as my list of the top 10 Cubs prospects for 2010 on Thursday.

You can check out the remaining schedule and the links to all of my other reviews HERE.

Tags: Blake Parker, Chicago Cubs, Chris Robinson, Darwin Barney, Esmailin Caridad, Jake Fox, Jeff Samardzija, Jeff Stevens, John Gaub, Micah Hoffpauir, Prospects, Steve Clevenger