Cubs’ Squad the Elite of the Pacific Coast League North

Major League Baseball’s present and future are colliding this season, and that collision is happening in the Pacific Coast League. Kris Bryant, the greatest prospect since Mike Trout battered PCL pitching, will open the season for the Iowa Cubs, although he’ll only be around long enough to punish a few wayward curveballs. Barry Zito, a former Cy Young Award winner, is opening the season in Nashville. The two teams that participated in the World Series last season? Both of their Triple-A teams play in the Pacific Coast League—the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals) won their second straight Triple-A National Championship in 2014, and the Sacramento River Cats (Giants) produced Andrew Susac and Joe Panik, both contributors to the Giants’ Series win on the MLB level.

That and much more is why the PCL is the center of the minor league universe. I’ll discuss the rest of the league in the coming days, but here’s a look at what to expect from the prospects in the PCL American League Northern Division in 2015.

Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals)
The Storm Chasers reflect their parent club in that pitching will be their greatest strength. Christian Binford starts off the year as the ace of the staff after he hung a 2.88 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 8.36 K/BB ratio—yes, you read that correct–in 2015. He may not have overpowering stuff, but he can throw his sinking fastball wherever he desires and should become an effective back-of-the-rotation starter. Brian Flynn looks to recoup after a rough 2014, but he may be destined for a role in a deep Royals bullpen. 

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Even though they aren’t starting the season in Omaha, Kyle Zimmer and Brandon Finnegan will see time there if they pitch well (both are starting in Double-A). Zimmer has dealt with injuries ever since he was drafted but still has the tools to be an effective starter. The Royals sent Finnegan down so he could work on becoming a starter, even though he was stellar out of the bullpen during the Royals’ playoff run.

Oklahoma City Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers)
The Los Angeles Dodgers have an effective but aging middle infield, so the franchise will keep a close eye on the double play combo in OKC. Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena and second baseman Darnell Sweeney could be turning double plays in Dodger stadium as early as next season as both Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick will become free agents this offseason. Arruebarrena is an overall talented player and Sweeney is coming into his own offensively: he is a career .284 AVG/.361 OBP/.453 SLG hitter, his BABIP has held steady at .350 and his strikeout rate (24.6 percent in 2013 to 20 percent in 2014) and walk rate (9.1 percent to 13.1 percent) both showed a dramatic increase in strike zone awareness.

Outfielder Scott Schebler is a sleeper trade candidate. The Dodgers have a crowded outfield and there are multiple players ahead of him on the depth chart for the fourth outfield spot. The Dodgers have major concerns about their bullpen, and lots of teams would love to add Shebler’s 53 home runs and 27 triples over the past two seasons into their minor league ranks.4

Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
Bryant won’t play for the Iowa Cubs long enough to qualify as their most intriguing player. Neither will Javier Baez, because he’s only there long enough to iron out his strikeout problem.

The most interesting players are the ones who aren’t on this team.

C.J. Edwards, owner of a career 1.86 ERA and 11.2 K/9 in the minors, will start the season in Double-A. So will Addison Russell, the Chicago Cubs’ shortstop of the future—or third baseman, assuming a move to left field by Bryant. Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora and Pierce Johnson? Yep, all to Double-A.

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All of these players will see time in Des Moines, barring injuries or significant struggles. Johnson, a pitcher, had a 5.3 BB/9 ratio in 2014, so holding him back to work on his control is a wise choice. Almora, an outfielder, doesn’t draw enough walks (career .322 OBP) to supplement his quality swing and Schwarber has never played above High-A ball, so holding both of them back is wise as well, but expect to see their names in Iowa lineups sooner rather than later.

Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Milwaukee Brewers)
Corey Knebel made eight relief appearances in the majors in 2014, and he should be back in the majors around mid-season. He struck out 63 batters in 45.1 innings in the minors, and the Brewers are going to need a deep bullpen.

Fellow pitcher Taylor Jungmann had a decent season between Double- and Triple-A in 2014, posting a 3.57 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. He more than doubled his K/BB ratio from 1.12 in 2013 to 2.41 in 2014 and his sinker was once again extremely effective as evidenced by his 1.89 groundout-to-flyout ratio.

The rest of the noteworthy prospects are in lower levels of the minors. Some of the names, like shortstop Orlando Arcia and pitcher Tyler Wagner, will appear at some point in 2015, but it’ll be a few seasons before Colorado Springs has multiple high-impact prospects at one time.