The minor league season got underway today and both the I-Cubs and the Smokies are raking. 10 runs on the board for Iowa through only 4 innings. Wright has a bomb and Montanez is tearing things up with 3 hits including 2 triples.

In AA, Tennessee has gotten 2 hit performances from both Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters. The guys in AAA don't really project into the future, but both these guys do and its good to see them off to a great start.

In addition, all of the above mentioned players can probably pitch better than the shark.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

I predict both teams will start to struggle since most of their starting rotations will have to pitch for the Cubs for the next month.

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Caridad was shark bad last night allowing 5 runs in relief of Diamond.

Vitters ended up with 3 hits.

Szczur was 1/4 for Peoria.

My new hope for a call up Coello didn't pitch.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Did Vitters walk at all? \Rhetrocial

*Needs citation

I feel like I have heard about Vitters for years, when is he going to be bullied into playing on the major league club?

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When he learns to walk more than 9 times a year

So, never?

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Career in the minors .318 OBP

Maybe if he had a lot of power you could live with that but he doesnt.


3rd overall fucking pick

He is still only 21 and has time to develop. He is also better than the shark.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

So are you.


Patience is hard to devolop. And its not like he's inching up on it and improving year to year.


I hope he ends up good

Vitters is only 21. We got him right out of high school if I remember correctly so there is a bit of a chance for him to develop.

They keep expecting his power and patience to develop a bit more. He's shown flashes in the minors, but always seems to be dealing with some sort of injury.

They are going to have to call him up eventually and just see what happens.

Just feels a lot like another much hyped failed prospect. Hopefully the last of them.

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Team Cutler.

nobody should be surprised..look at the turd doing the drafting..lets look at recent 1st round picks ..and look at players cubs passed on


2005. mark pawelek 20th overall...jacoby elsbury went 23rd...matt garza 25th..colby rasmus 28th


2006. tyler colvin 13th overall... kyle drabek 18th..chris parmelee 20th..ian kennedy 21st

2007. josh vitters 3rd overall...matt wieters 5th..madison bumgarner 10th..jason heyward 14th

2008. andrew cashner 19th overall... christian friedrich 25th..daniel schlereth 26th..casey kelly 30th

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He's in the minors, why not just tell the guy to go up for a couple at bats and not swing at anything? Or give him a take sign on every single pitch you don't want him to swing at. He's not going to develop any type of patience if he just goes up there and starts hacking away.

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It's never good when a prospect especially a top prospect has to repeat a league and this is the second time Vitters is repeating a league. He spent 2 years in high A and now 2 years in double A. A top prospect is supposed to dominate the league and move on. Not saying he won't develop into a good player but this is a disturbing trend.

The optimist in me hopes the constant injuries are preventing him from truly getting comfortable in any league.

He was hitting .303 in his last 10 games in Tennessee last year before he broke his finger.

I think the best thing for him seems to be lowered expectations and staying healthy.

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Team Cutler.

Not really an excuse, but the MLB draft is the biggest crapshoot in all of sports drafts. Pujols was like a 26th round pick. Plus, since players do not need to declare for the draft, there is always the possibility that they won't sign. Plus they don't get paid by draft slot either. So teams look for players that they can sign for not so much money that could develop into the players they want.

Think of him in terms of his age. Keep in mind that freaks like Castro come along once a decade for a team. Vitters would be a senior in College now. If he were drafted in the first round he would probably start out in the advanced rookie league in Boise in the middle of June or early July. If he raked there he would be bumped to Peoria to finish the season. Next year he would start in high A and would probably be promoted to AA Tennessee after the minor league all start break.

Vitters did well in the AZL and in Boise on raw talent alone and probably got promoted without having to improve on some of his weaknesses. Those caught up with him in high A and AA. He has plenty of time to develop. He really isn't that far off pace.

edit: Looking at his stats more closely its not like he is truly repeating any level. He is always seems to get moved up around the middle of the season. He hasn't played more than 78 games at any level. He has only had a few over 200 AB's at AA total.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

You're right. Vitters still has 8 more years until he reaches Micah Hoffpauir talent levels.

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Tim Wilken did not take over until the 2006 draft. Colvin was his first guy. I would be willing to wait until 2016 to see where Wilken takes this organization. I think Cub fans will be pleased.

Let's not play the "look who dem guys could have drafted" game. In any draft, of any sport, you can find more successful players after your teams selection. That's not excusing stunningly bad drafting, but no personnel person finds the number one player in every draft at their slot.

I'm not excited at all with Vitters progress. However, when Bruce Weber started recruiting him at 10, he seemed like a lock. I'll give Vitters until 23, considering 27 is considered prime. I wanted him to be ready at 17. (Bump, set......)

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Take a look at Mike Moustakis and Eric Hosmers (both picked out of high school) minor league numbers. Moustakis was picked 1 spot ahead of Vitters and Hosmer was picked in the same spot a year later. That's how a top prospects dominate leagues and move on. They are both worlds ahead of Vitters.

Let's not confuse things here. I agree Vitters has been a disappointment. But I'm not ready to give up on someone who's 21. I still don't know why this idiot Wilken didn't take Daniel Moskos. He was right there and you gave him to the Pirates!

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From what I understand of Vitters is that he had become a lazy, fat turd that didn't care about defense or anything because he thought his talent could carry him through. After two dissappointing years, he apparently changed his attitude and its paying off. Still can't field a ground ball.

Sounds to me like a Roger Dorn.

Sounds like most of the bad contracts on the major league ballclub.

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When I saw them play in Daytona a few years ago Vitters looked better than Castro. Vitters looks like he'll be lucky to be Josh Fields now.

Yes, every 21 year old will eventually be great, I forgot.

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That's not what IMU said at all?

He's not 25. He has another year or two to really figure it out imo before we should be writing him off. Especially considering the amount of games he's missed due to injury

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Team Cutler.

Im not giving up on him being a decent major leaguer, but its gonna be hard for him to be a real good or great player without learining some patience.


Patience is hard to learn.

There's a reason Baseball Prospectus dropped him from a 5* prospect in 2010 to a 3* prospect in 2011.