We continue unveiling members of our second annual Chicago Cubs’ minor league All-Star team. On Friday, we selected two relief and starting pitchers apiece. In this installment, we will choose our All-Star catcher and first-baseman and also profile a couple of players at each position who merit Honorable mention.
So let’s get to work.
The starting first-baseman on our squad is Dan Vogelbach, who played the entire year at age 21 for Advanced A Daytona of the Florida State League (FSL). A second round selection in the 20111 draft, the burly left-handed hitter tallied 560 plate appearances, making 103 of his 132 appearances at first base and averaging .268.
Among the 68 qualifying hitters in the FSL, Vogelbach tied for seventh with 71 runs scored; ranked fifth with 16 homer runs; tied for third with 76 RBI; was second with 66 walks; was 12th with a .357 OBP; and was sixth with an OBS of .787. His walk rate of 11.8% ranked eighth among qualifiers, as did his WRC+ (Weighted Runs Created adjusted for league) of 126 (any number exceeding 100 is above average).
Vogelbach, who helped Daytona to a second half division crown, also tallied a fielding percentage of .995.
Narrowly edged out by Vogelbach was the Cubs’ 40th round pick of the 2012 draft, the left-handed slugging Jacob Rogers, who was one of the main contributors to a Kane County Cougars’ club that produced a 91-49 record and has advanced to the second of a three round playoffs in the Midwest League.
Rogers, 25, tallied 518 plate appearances and played 127 of his 128 games at first base. He averaged a modest .268 but walloped 16 homers and 27 doubles and produced 67 RBI in addition to collecting 64 walks and scoring 76 runs.
He tied for sixth among 85 Midwest League qualifiers in homers; tied for 15th in doubles; was fifth in walks; and was sixth in runs scored. His OBS of .806 ranked ninth; his .445 slugging percentage 12th; his WRC+ of 132 eighth; and his walk rate of 12.4% 12th.
Rogers also tallied a full-season, personal career-high fielding percentage of .993
Cubs’ All-Star Anthony Rizzo is entrenched at first base at the big-league level, and both Vogelbach and Rogers, neither of whom is considered an above-average defensive first-baseman, are likely limited to just the one position. There is ample discussion in baseball circles about introducing the designated hitter into the National League before or after the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires following the 2016 season. Both Vogelach and Rogers would be viable in-house options to fill any designated hitter void. Otherwise, it is likely the Cubs will eventually trade both of them to help fill others roster needs.
Rafael Lopez was the runaway winner for filling the catching position on our All-Star team. The eleventh round selection in the 2011 draft split this season between the AA Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League (45 games/177 PA) and the AAA Iowa Cubs of the Pacific Coast League (61 games/239 PA). In 416 overall plate appearances, the stocky left-handed hitter averaged .290 with five homers, 17 doubles, 51 RBI and 57 walks.
Among 125 Southern League players with a minimum of 170 plate appearances, Lopez ranked second in walk percentage (17.4); was fifth in OBP (.412) was 9th in OPS (.879) and tied for ninth in WRC+ ( 146). He also threw out a sensational 20 of 21 attempted base stealers.
Lopez struggled for several weeks following his promotion to Iowa. From June 3 when he debuted until July 26, Lopez averaged just .248 with a .282 slugging percentage, .605 OPS, 9.2% walk rate and well-below-average WRC+ of 64.
However, in 108 plate appearances from July 27 until the season concluded on August 31, Lopez averaged .333 with a .389 slugging percentage, .833 OPS, 14% walk rate and well-above-average WRC+ of 130.
Lopez’s late-season surge likely landed him a spot on 40-man roster, protecting him from this Winter’s Rule 5 draft, and a promotion to the big league club for the remainder of the season.
While Cubs’ backup catcher, the left-handed hitting John Baker, is arbitration eligible at season’s end, he will turn 34 before the start of next season and had a feeble slash line of .198/240/.518 entering play Saturday. Whether the Cubs decide to tender Baker at season’s end, Lopez will likely get a long look as starter Welington Castillo’s understudy.
While he played only 20 of his 72 games at catcher, 2014 first round pick Kyle Schwarber deserves Honorable mention as much for his gaudy overall numbers as for the announcement last week that the Cubs will be dedicating time at their Arizona complex this offseason to burnishing the big left-handed hitter’s catching skills and hopefully establishing catcher as his primary position.
In 311 plate appearances between Boise of the short-season Northwest League, Kane County and Daytona, Schwarber batted .344 with a .428 OBP, .634 slugging percentage and 1.061 OPS. He produced a 12.5% walk rate and a WRC+ of 193. He smashed 18 homers and doubles apiece, drew 39 walks and produced 53 RBI. He also showed promise defensively, nailing 34% of attempted base stealers.
If Schwarber’s defense behind the dish can catch up to his offensive prowess, the Cubs will be in an enviable position. Castillo is under club control for three more seasons, and he represents the perfect stopgap until someone from the Cubs’ system, hopefully Schwarber, is prepared to replace him and elevate the production the Cubs have been receiving from the catching position.
One other backstop who merits Honorable mention is Cael Brckmeyer, who played 48 of his 77 games at catcher in an injury-shortened season for Kane County. The 16th round selection in the 2013 draft, the right-handed hitting Brockmeyer, 22, batted .297 with eight homers, 14 doubles and 43 RBI in 292 plate appearances.
Of the 150 Midwest Leaguers who tallied a minimum of 250 plate appearances, Brockmeyer tied for 14th in OBS (.827) and for 13th in WRC+ (137) and ranked tenth in batting average.
Check back later this week as we reveal our All-Star second-baseman, shortstop and third-baseman and also other players at those positions who merit Honorable mention.
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