2023 Cubs AZ Instructional League Roster

Dolorous Jon Lester 09/28/2023 - 09:54 pm (view)

I hear you on that. I don’t have a ton of faith in the organization in a lot of respects, but I do genuinely believe they make a concerted effort to get players with a good head on their shoulders. MLB has a way of humbling even the most inflated egos, as it’s humbling him now. Given the organizational philosophy, I do think he’s the type to adjust and work on things rather than just continue on with exactly the same thing.

That said, I think he’s a MLB caliber prospect obviously. I think great defense, fast baserunner in the show is his floor. I said earlier I see his floor as Peter Bourjos, nothing I’ve seen has caused me to change that. Bourjos was perfectly fine but I think we’d all be kinda disappointed if that’s what he turns into. He does have a much higher ceiling we can still dream on.

crunch 09/28/2023 - 09:07 am (view)

one thing people aren't too open about is his ego.  it's huge.  hopefully it doesn't get in his way.

that said, i've not heard that his ego has caused any teammate issues and with people that have "strong egos" that's a big deal.  having a big ego isn't necessarily a terrible thing if you're still coachable and it doesn't make your workplace toxic.

i honestly think the PCA we see now is the PCA we're getting...only with less instances of being asked to bunt.  he's a better hitter than his numbers, obviously.  i dunno what he will change with his approach at the plate, though.

hopefully his game will mature, especially learning when to let one fall in front of him and when to not to try to make a miracle throw.  he takes pride in his defense, and he should, but a highlight reel shouldn't be an every-game goal.

Dolorous Jon Lester 09/28/2023 - 09:35 am (view)

I agree. Of course he has the offseason to work on things and he’s super young, but at the moment I don’t see an MLB level player in April 2024. Hopefully he takes this experience and gets more figured out and can come up and contribute sometime next year. There’s a lot of talent there but he doesn’t look ready for this level yet.

Charlie 09/28/2023 - 09:44 am (view)

I'll be curious to see him at a time when the team isn't desperate for every little edge. What would he look like debuting for a team that already sealed their fate for the season? I think he'd still be struggling at the plate, but his other tools might show up.

Dolorous Jon Lester 09/28/2023 - 09:09 am (view)

Yup. Unless he plays a key role in a World Series run or pulls an Addison Russell or something, that Will unfortunately be his lasting Cub memory.

Brant Brown was a solid player. No one remembers how important he was to the ‘98 miracle team.

Dolorous Jon Lester 09/28/2023 - 09:07 am (view)

He looks terribly overmatched at the moment in almost every way.

Charlie 09/28/2023 - 09:55 am (view)

He appears to be playing with desperation at this point.

crunch 09/27/2023 - 09:12 pm (view)

i know this 2023 ATL team is one of the best teams of all time, like easy top 5 by any metric...but these 2 losses stung.

crunch 09/27/2023 - 09:50 pm (view)

PCA with -another- overly aggressive play he didn't make that punishes the team.

crunch 09/27/2023 - 09:38 pm (view)

"here's a helmet that fits." - cubs staff

"naw." - PCA