I posted eight articles here at Out Of The Vines this past week. It was the most I have written at OOTV in a long, long time and it generated more traffic than I had ever had. I saw more views last week than I had seen in any year-long effort since going live here in 2016.
Because of your interest in what’s going on in the farm system, now seems like as good a time as any to push out some more content. I’ll admit, it is sometimes difficult to do so. Between weekly episodes of the Growing Cubs Podcast and my Weekly Farm Report at Cubs Insider, I spend over six hours a week “prospecting.” And that doesn’t even include the stats and analysis I post over on my Twitter account.
So I figured the best way to bring you more content would be to 1) set a scheduled post for each week and 2) put together something more light-hearted that I wouldn’t necessarily post over at CI.
Each Friday I will be releasing my new series: Friday Five. I will select five prospects in the Cubs’ system that fit into any wide range of categories. From more serious topics like Biggest Power Bats to fun things like Best Names, I will cover the guys you need to know about in the system.
This week, I am going to start with something that falls in the middle of the seriousness scale – Eye Catching Prospects. Of course you are going to tune in to watch the top prospects in the system to get a little glimpse at Chicago’s future. But what if you just want to watch the sport you love and be entertained by fun baseball players?
These five guys catch my eye because of their style of play, particular talents, and flash on both sides of the ball.
Delvin Zinn | UT, South Bend
It’s only appropriate to lead off this list with the guy that spurred the idea to begin with. Tuning in each night to watch Zinn play is an absolute joy. He plays the game with a smile on his face, seems to be every player’s favorite teammate, every fan’s favorite player, and is spoken highly of by media everywhere.
In previous seasons, Zinn played all over the diamond, lining up at three different infield spots in addition to his outfield work. This year he took over the primary shortstop responsibilities and has shown off terrific range in addition to his smooth actions.
At the plate, he strikes out at better than league average rates (120 K%+) and his ability to put the ball in play allows him to showcase his elite speed. Speaking of speed, he has plenty to burn. He is aggressive, yet incredibly smart and oh, by the way, leads the world in stolen bases this year with 37. Credit the High-A Central League’s new pickoff rules all you want, but the guy simply knows how to swipe a bag.
Cole Roederer | OF, South Bend
The California Kid got only 84 plate appearances in this year before going down with an arm injury requiring Tommy John surgery, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the show he puts on when he takes the field. Roederer has the most beautiful swing in the system and his nickname is aggressively appropriate given his personality. The word “cool” gets used far too often these days because it takes away from Cole’s epitomization of the word.
On the diamond, he is wildly athletic. He bat flips with the best of ‘em, makes diving catches in centerfield, and steals his fair share of bases for good measure. Like Javy Baez, Cole Roederer is your favorite player’s favorite player.
DJ Herz | LHP, Myrtle Beach
Davidjohn gets the distinction of being the lone pitcher on this week’s version of Friday Five. The reason he gets the feature comes down to one very simple reason – when he pitches, it is appointment television. In just his first taste of full-season ball, he has soared up prospect lists thanks to his absurd 41.3% strikeout rate as a lefty starting pitcher. He is the front-runner for Cubs MiLB Pitcher of the Year, but he catches my eye for more reasons that just the stats he puts up.
Herz is Rob Manfred’s favorite player, working fast as hell on the mound. He often finds himself staring down the batter, waiting for him to get in the box so the umpire can allow him to throw the ball. That exciting, yet intimidating, approach makes him entertaining as all get-out to watch every five days. Heck, I think he deserves a spot on this list just based on the fact that he has a whole day named after him. Be sure you tune in for each Herzday, y’all.
Tyler Durna | 1B, South Bend
Typically, first basemen catch your eye for hitting moonshots and maybe doing something out of the ordinary as they circle the bases. But Durna cracks this list because of his grinding plate appearances and his defensive chops.
At the dish, I’m pretty sure every one of his plate appearances runs to at least a three-ball count. His contact-oriented approach has led to the fourth lowest strikeout rate in the system (min. 100 PA) and he is one of only three hitters in the system with numbers at least league average in OPS+, K%+, and BB%+.
His glove is constantly bailing out his fellow infielders from throwing errors and while his frame (6-0, 205 lbs) doesn’t shout that of a first baseman, he has a very strong arm when he gets the chance to use it and has the best range of a true first baseman I’ve seen in the Cubs’ system in years. First basemen can be fun, too.
Christopher Morel | UT, Tennessee
I mean, you guys had to know this was coming, right? I have long said that the way Morel plays the game reminds me a ton of one Ednel Javier Baez. It’s his incredibly fast hands and big swing, ability to get to ground balls destined to be gobbled up by the hole, and the cannon strapped to his right arm. Every time he takes the field, he makes you say “WOW!”
And this year’s version of Morel is proving to be an even more well-rounded player than we have seen in the past.
His 11 home runs rank second in the system. His seven stolen bases rank eighth. He is both striking out and walking at better than league average rates. He has played five different positions (2B, 3B, SS, CF, RF) and even recorded an outfield assist from right field.
You simply never know what Christopher Morel is going to do on a baseball field on any given day, so you better tune in so you don’t miss out!
Out of the Vines 