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       #Post#: 529387--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: Chris27
       Date: July 13, 2026, 8:28 am
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       --- Quote from: Dave23 link ---
       >
       >
  HTML https://x.com/NateRoper_/status/2076028708566061453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2076028708566061453%7Ctwgr%5E08784ea77c230f1953c2996d7b5ba333f5c8e74a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnorthsidebaseball.com%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcoremodule%3Dsystemcontroller%3Dembedurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FNateRoper_%2Fstatus%2F2076028708566061453
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Violent looking motion to me. And odd. His right leg and hip
       swing up at the finish. If I didn't know better, I'd swear he
       was a closer.
       #Post#: 529388--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: davep
       Date: July 13, 2026, 9:39 am
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       --- Quote from: chgojhawk link ---
       >
       > Journeyman Daniel Vogelbach.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Vogelbach was the one I had in mind when I said the last 15
       years or so.  He was drafted in 2011, and had absolutely no
       likelihood of playing any of the so-called skill positions.  It
       was first base, or an extremely small chance at left field.
       They also took a similar guy who ended up as a pitcher for the
       White Sox for a while.  His name escapes me, probably because he
       once hit a home run that defeated the Cubs in a late innng home
       run.  He was one of the earlier two way players, but as I
       recall, not as good at it as Ohtani.
       #Post#: 529390--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: Dave23
       Date: July 13, 2026, 9:48 am
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       Brooks Kieshnick (sp?)
       #Post#: 529391--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: davep
       Date: July 13, 2026, 9:59 am
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       Right.  Ended up with Milwaukee for a couple of seasons.
       Drafted in 1993, when I was just a kid.
       #Post#: 529399--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: craig
       Date: July 13, 2026, 2:54 pm
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  HTML https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2026/07/13/the-full-2026-chicago-cubs-draft-and-some-thoughts-on-the-approach/
       pretty good compilation of scouting evals
       #Post#: 529400--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: CUBluejays
       Date: July 13, 2026, 3:39 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: craig link ---
       >
       > Kantro last week said:  "“We’ve done a lot of work to figure
       out which pitchers are going to have the most success in our
       system. Everybody’s development approach is somewhat unique, and
       ours is no different. When you look at the pitchers who thrive
       in our system, the underlying pillars end up being velocity and
       spin. Those are two good places to start – they’re probably
       foundational.”  He didn't mention command.
       >
       > His comments seem to fit what you're saying, BlueJay, "lean
       into whatever they are good at developing and find guys that
       need that skill."
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Not really in the way I meant it.  They are taking guys that
       have velocity and spin and building out from there.  The way I
       meant it would be taking guys without velocity and spin and
       adding that on their existing other skills.  I all kinda gets to
       the same point eventually though.  Maybe there skill is refining
       breaking balls, which is kinda lame, but still useful.
       #Post#: 529404--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: craig
       Date: July 13, 2026, 4:37 pm
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       I'm a blind optimist for sure.  And I respect the challenge of
       improving command. But I'm pretty optimistic that Kantro and
       Zombro (and Hottovy at the top level) are a smart combination.
       I'm not sure I want them to have some unique specialized skill,
       while leaving other teams to be ahead of them on perhaps less
       unique specialty skills?
       I don't know what Kantro means by "which are going to have
       success in our system."  I don't know what's unique about our
       development approach.  Maybe a good appreciation for guys with
       lower arm slots?  Cut-ride?  Gadget deliveries?  Maybe he thinks
       they have a unique system for fixing command?  Beats me.  But he
       does seem to think they have something variably unique, and are
       seeming to perhaps match players that fit?
       Marioneaux, he referred to Cubs having "targetted" him.  Marion
       was not routinely listed as a 4th-round type guy.  Media thing
       noted that 5th-round HS kid, some other scouts hadn't seen him
       as worthy of that round/superslot-level.  So maybe they do have
       some specialty view.  Everybody is going to like velo-spin guys,
       who wouldn't?  So that isn't exactly the "our system" specialty.
       
       Maybe there is a confidence that they can optimize individualize
       spin and shape better than competition?  Maybe that they can
       help velo-spin guys optimize command?
       Draft, to me reflects a level of self-confidence.  A lot of
       college velo/spin guys with high walk rates and high ERA's.
       Self-confidence to think you can help guys optimize pitch shapes
       and develop big-league levels of command/consistency/execution.
       #Post#: 529405--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: Bluebufoon
       Date: July 13, 2026, 5:28 pm
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       I am pretty sure Keith Law said on Thursday or Friday, his
       biggest surprise (or worst) draft pick ever was Hayden Simpson,
       which obviously turned out terribly. He said he had never heard
       of Simpson before the Cubs selected him.
       No surprise I guess. This Guy seems very negative on the podcast
       I listened too.
       #Post#: 529406--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: Reb
       Date: July 13, 2026, 5:46 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Bluebufoon link ---
       >
       > I am pretty sure Keith Law said on Thursday or Friday, his
       biggest surprise (or worst) draft pick ever was Hayden Simpson,
       which obviously turned out terribly. He said he had never heard
       of Simpson before the Cubs selected him.
       >
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Jim Callis was doing the live broadcast draft analysis that
       year. When Cubs selected Hayden Simpson and it was up to Callis
       to comment, the look on his face was…..let’s say, quizzical.
       Didn’t want to say “never heard of this guy” but tried to side
       step. Very funny. What a pick!
       #Post#: 529408--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Cubs Draft 2026
   DIR By: Reb
       Date: July 13, 2026, 6:11 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       BA on 6th rounder Isaac Morton:
       Listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Morton creates an extremely
       low release height by dropping into a full sidearm slot. It is
       not an especially clean operation. He kicks his lead leg toward
       the plate in a straight, locked position and pitches with
       effort, but the delivery creates difficult angles and allows his
       elite spin capacity to manifest across the arsenal.
       His sinking fastball sits around 94 mph and touches 97, while
       his low-90s cutter gives hitters a harder look moving in the
       opposite direction. Morton’s best pitch is a mid-80s sweeper
       with spin rates above 3,000 rpm and overwhelming horizontal
       action from his release point. It is a present plus offering and
       his most dependable source of swings and misses. The cutter can
       also approach 3,000 rpm, and Morton occasionally folds in an
       upper-80s changeup.
       The injury history, abbreviated resume and effort in his
       delivery create substantial risk, especially now that he must
       complete a Tommy John rehabilitation. Still, Morton offers an
       uncommon combination of velocity, release height and elite spin,
       with a no-doubt plus breaking ball already in place. His healthy
       2026 stretch showed more strikes and a viable starter’s mix,
       though the mechanics and medical history may ultimately push him
       toward a bullpen role.
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