Chicago Cubs: Three Arizona League prospects fans should come to know

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In what is deemed as a developmental league, the rookie-league AZL allows young players to hone their craft and groom their game. The Chicago Cubs have three guys who impressed in a big way this past season.

One of the fun challenges I have here at Cubbies Crib lies in digging into each level of Minor League Baseball to uncover the potential future talent who could one day be an impact on the major league club.

This time of the year is slow-moving, especially on the prospect side of things, which can be a double-edged sword. For one, it allows me to get into the nitty-gritty of the organization and the young talent. However, it also means that sometimes there is a substantial requirement for digging. Now is one of those times.

The Arizona League Cubs may not be the first choice to unearth potential future stars, which is why it is so much fun when guys are discovered who could turn into something great. In this instance, three guys in particular who had strong seasons and who have put together an impressive resume in their bid to reach the Show.

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Chicago Cubs: Flemin Bautista, 2B/SS, Age – 19

The first guy who falls on this list is a middle infielder who improved dramatically within a season and has not even reached his 20th birthday. It is Flemin Bautista, who is still just 19 years old and has two seasons of professional baseball under his belt.

Bautista joined the Cubs organization as part of their international class in 2018. While the average was stagnant, Bautista did manage an above-average 113 wRC+ and a robust .356 OBP in his first year at rookie ball. At just 18 years old, Bautista saw action in 29 games, accumulating 101 plate appearances.

The switch-hitting utility infielder managed to work a whopping 17.8 percent walk rate and managed to keep his strikeouts somewhat at bay, posting a 23.8 percent strikeout rate. One aspect of Bautista’s game that first year was his impressive speed and the eight bags he swiped.

This past season, Bautista struggled to start the year, strangely in the AZL, before he moved to the Dominican Summer League to finish out the year. He slashed an impressive .289/.399/.533 in his final 37 games, posting a 152 wRC+ with six home runs and double-digit stolen bases. Bautista improved his walk rate from 7.5 percent to 14.1 percent, and the strikeouts dropped dramatically.

At just 5’10, 170 pounds, Bautista carries some great speed and pop. Since joining the organization, Bautista has carried an above-average ISO as well as speed, per Fangraphs metrics, and has displayed a small affinity to drive the ball to the opposite field. It will be fun to see what Bautista can do for an encore in 2020.

Chicago Cubs: Ervis Marchan, 1B, Age – 20

Continuing to keep it in the infield, the next guy on this list may turn into the heir apparent to the throne of Anthony Rizzo. Okay, maybe that’s a bit much, but dreams do come true. Ervis Marchan joined the organization back in 2017 and has improved his game in every sense.

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Spending his first two seasons in the DSL, Marchan rode the struggle bus hard in his first year of professional baseball. He managed to slash a balmy .184/.247/.237 with just a 44 wRC+ in 86 plate appearances.

It did not deter him from improvement. However, the left-handed-hitting first baseman rebounded in a significant way. In 2018, this time with a more sizable sample size of 283 plate appearances, Marchan slashed .275/.355/.377, swiping 16 bags and finishing with a 113 wRC+.

He got even better this last year, slashing .333/.391/.419 in 116 plate appearances in the AZL. His wRC+ climbed to 126, and Marchan managed to strike out at just a 12.1 percent rate. Similar in size to Bautista, Marchan doesn’t possess the same power as Bautista but can get on base at a high rate and sees the ball relatively well.

What is most impressive, too, is Marchan’s ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field as he registered a 37.4 percent Oppo%, per Fangraphs. Marchan still has a long way to go, but he continues to improve on a season-to-season basis, and that is exciting for the future of the Cubs. Marchan does become Rule 5 eligible in December of 2021, so it will be interesting to see where Marchan is at in his development. Hopefully, it’s all systems go for Marchan.

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Chicago Cubs: Raymond Pena, C, Age – 22

Another catcher?! It is the case for Raymond Pena, who is now considered a veteran of sorts in the pipeline, despite being just 22 years old. The right-handed hitting backstop has been with the organization since 2015 and now has five seasons of professional baseball under his wings.

Pena is another guy who has steadily improved over the last few years, having spent his first three years in the DSL before making the jump to the AZL where he has been the past two seasons. Pena began his career by slashing .109/.238/.127 with a 25 wRC+ and a 28.5 percent strikeout rate.

After seeing his numbers steadily rise in the seasons following, Pena went bonkers in the AZL in 2018. Across a 20-game span, Pena slashed .365/.462/.481 with a 167 wRC+ and a colossal 16.9 percent walk rate. This past year, the strikeouts did rise once again. However, Pena still managed a robust .281/.382/.368 line and a 113 wRC+. He also improved his overall speed and, like our other two guys, can drive the ball to all parts of the field.

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It is insane to see the catching talent which exists in the organization as well as the extensive depth at the position. Each week it feels like a new catcher emerges in the system, which should give fans a tremendous amount of relief, especially with the future of Willson Contreras up in the air. Fans should come to know Pena as he looks to continue to improve in 2020 and continues working his way through the pipeline.

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