Nelson Velazquez shows willingness to adjust

Amidst all the upheaval in the Cubs organization, quarterback Nelson Velazquez is the type of player who could have weathered the cracks without the first pedigree or benefited from a minor season in 2020.

While the Cubs understand that rebuilding won’t be a completely smooth process, they also know that developments in player development can go either way. Velazquez took the leap this year by performing at High-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Tennessee.

An MVP performance in the Arizona Fall League — he leads the league with nine home runs and 1,191 OPS — locked in place 23-year-old Velazquez on the 40-man roster at the roster deadline. reserve on November 19.

Velazquez signed a contract for more than US$400,000 as a 2017 5th batch graduate in Puerto Rico. At the time, the Cubs were the defending World Series champions and had plenty of young players.

Velazquez doesn’t have the best right-handed spin, but Cubs scouts have a keen eye for his hand-eye coordination, batman speed, running ability, and desire to compete. .

However, Velazquez remained largely out of reach of potential customers until this year. As the Cubs experimented with new ideas in player development and tried to make up for lost time, Velazquez showed a willingness to adjust, find ways to build power and cut attacks.

In 103 regular-season games, he hit .270 / .333 / .496 with 20 home runs and 17 stolen facilities. A Cubs front office looking for building blocks certainly noticed that power production and AFL dominance followed.

“He was amazing,” said Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer. “This is a continuation of a really excellent season. I am very proud of him.

“Overall, Fall League is a difficult place to judge. The boys are doing a lot of different things. It’s a great place to hit. It’s a difficult place to pitch. So you have to be careful a bit. bit of overestimating Fall League fixtures . . .

“But I think what he’s doing is interesting to watch.”

CUBBYHOLE

– catcher Miguel Amaya Scheduled surgery for Tommy John and the start of a rehabilitation program in December, further delaying the development of a top catch-up lead who has been on the 40 list since November 2019.

The 22-year-old spent the 2020 season at the club’s alternate training site and played 23 games for Double-A Tennessee in 2021 before taking a break with a right elbow/forearm injury. If healthy, Amaya is likely to make his MLB debut at some point in 2021 and give the Cubs more information as they figure out how to proceed in one of the most important slots.

– Tom Myers, a longtime scout who covered Southern California for the Cubs, leaves the organization to join the Dodgers. Myers, who used to manage Kyle Hendricks in the Cape Cod League, will work as an area scout for the Dodgers and also take on some responsibilities as a cross-checker and player development, using his coaching background for a franchise is considered the industry’s gold standard for player development.

Cubs Prospect Nelson Velazquez Continues Arizona Fall Tears

The harsh autumn weather has helped Velazquez cool down very little. If anything, he’s getting hotter.