Who's the #11 prospect?

[Tony-OH]

Ok, who just missed cracking our top ten?

[Satyr3206]

I went with Hernandez. Can't vote for Erbe anymore and it's throwing off my crystal ball.

[AgentOrange]

I think it is Bergesen, even though I like Hernandez a lot.

Bergesen had a great season at AA and really turned it on in the second half, I thought he may have been called up at some point in '08.

He is a ground ball pitcher that needs a solid defense behind him and with our current SS situation, I don't think that he would be that effective with that in mind, even though I know we can improve on that this off season.

As far as ceiling, I would have to think Hernandez could be higher given the fact that he is a strike out pitcher.

I like Henson as an athlete, but I am not 100% sold on him being a major league starter.

[TJ Wrangler]

I went with Patton here. This might be a reach considering the injury, but I like his ceiling over the other pitchers, and if Spoone is ranked as high as he is with his injury, I don't think Patton's injury will knock him down too far.

[Frobby]

If Patton had been healthy, he's be a top 5 prospect. So, I went with him at 11, even though his health remains an issue. If that's not the choice, then I think it's a very tough call between Bergesen and Hernandez. I'd probably vote for Bergesen because he consistenly gets deep into games. Hernandez probably has the better shot at staying in the majors in some capacity (i.e., starter or reliever), but Bergesen has a better chance of sticking as a starter.

It's great to be at no. 11 and still have choices like these.

[Three Run Homer]

The view among the OH staff seems to be that Hernandez' stuff is more likely than Bergesen's to translate into being able to get major league hitters out, though probably as a power reliever rather than as a starter. Erbe came in as number 10 as the top late inning relief prospect; I think Hernandez will come in right behind him.

[mikezpen]

I would have put Hernandez before Erbe because of his vast improvement pitching at double-A and the fact that he's simply accomplished more.

[TJ Wrangler]

If Patton had been healthy, he's be a top 5 prospect. So, I went with him at 11, even though his health remains an issue. If that's not the choice, then I think it's a very tough call between Bergesen and Hernandez. I'd probably vote for Bergesen because he consistenly gets deep into games. Hernandez probably has the better shot at staying in the majors in some capacity (i.e., starter or reliever), but Bergesen has a better chance of sticking as a starter.

It's great to be at no. 11 and still have choices like these.

I agree. As recent as last year, Patton was a top guy in the Astros system.

Does anyone notice how recently we seem to get top guys from other systems (Moore and Patton) in trades; these guys being top five or ten guys at the time, only to have them fall out of our top ten the following offseason?

Is that more a tribute to our system or the prospects failing to reach their potential?

[mikezpen]

Moore had a bad year and Patton was injured. That hurt their status.

[Sports Guy]

I had BB one spot ahead of Hernandez and that is still the case here for me.

But i can see DH ahead of him...Could go either way.

[Frobby]

I agree. As recent as last year, Patton was a top guy in the Astros system.

Does anyone notice how recently we seem to get top guys from other systems (Moore and Patton) in trades; these guys being top five or ten guys at the time, only to have them fall out of our top ten the following offseason?

Is that more a tribute to our system or the prospects failing to reach their potential?

Moore was not a top 5-10 guy in the Cubs system.

[Stotle]

I agree. As recent as last year, Patton was a top guy in the Astros system.

Does anyone notice how recently we seem to get top guys from other systems (Moore and Patton) in trades; these guys being top five or ten guys at the time, only to have them fall out of our top ten the following offseason?

Is that more a tribute to our system or the prospects failing to reach their potential?

It's attributable to getting prospects from bad farm systems. Patton was a top 100 BA prospect, and top 3 prospect in the Astros system, but his ceiling was never really higher than a solid #3. BA tends to value refined talent, so a potential #3 close to the majors could outrank a potential #2 in rookie ball.

Don't get me wrong, Patton is very good. Were he healthy, he likely would have lost his prospect status last season due to too many innings in BAL.

[Stotle]

And I go with Hernandez here due to a potentially dominant 2-pitch mix that could play very well in the back-half of a ML bullpen.

Bergesen is a #5 for me. No matter how close he is to the bigs, I can't put him above better arms that aren't too far off, themselves.

[LookinUp]

And I go with Hernandez here due to a potentially dominant 2-pitch mix that could play very well in the back-half of a ML bullpen.

Bergesen is a #5 for me. No matter how close he is to the bigs, I can't put him above better arms that aren't too far off, themselves.

I agree with this, so I went with Hernandez. Really, I'm indifferent here because it really could go in just about any direction with these guys. Personally, if Henson and Mickolio were replaced with Montanez and Hoes, this vote would have been even more difficult for me.

As it was, it came down to Patton or Hernandez. Due to the injury, I can't have a strong opinion on Patton. My only real opinion on him relative to others is that he should be above Bergesen, Berken and the other #5 type starters who may have had good years. His upside is still better.

[Crazysilver03]

Moore was not a top 5-10 guy in the Cubs system.

Actually, according to Baseball America, Scott Moore was the Cubs #7 prospect at the beginning of 2007, below Pie, Veal, Samardjiza, Colvin, Gallagher, and Patterson.

Of course, his 2007 minor league campaign left a lot to the imagination but he could have remained on their top prospect list.