Opening day is obviously very exciting at Wrigley Field, but the Cubs aren't the only team we care about that are getting their seasons underway. The minor league affiliates are also kicking off their 2014 campaigns, and since their rosters are composed of the the big leaguers of the future, they deserve some attention. I plan to keep track of my minor leagues closely, so let's take a look at the Opening Day rosters of Chicago's four full season minor league affiliates, the Iowa Cubs (AAA), Tennessee Smokies (AA), Daytona Cubs (A+) and the Kane County Cougars (A).
To give you a feel of each team, I'll go over each one. Here is the first installment, going over the Triple-A Daytona Cubs.
Top Prospects
Arismendy Alcantra, 21, 3B- Alcantra (pictured above) is fast, has a lot of potential. Being promoted all the way to Triple A from Advanced A Daytona, where he had no problem hitting well- .302 in 85 games. He's skipped Double A but scouts have been split on him- some think future stardom, others are saying he's an average regular. Cubs scout Jaron Madison says he's got potential to be a .270 hitter and is strong and mature and will grow into a power hitter. He isn't disciplined at the plate but has plus speed and is a pretty good fielder.
Rafael Dolis, 25, CL- Dolis is projected to be a below-average middle reliever and has passable stuff, but really needs to improve. He has OK movement but a really big struggle of his is that he tends to lose confidence once a few guys knock him around, so he can't keep his head in the game. Really inconsistent. He knows the game well, however, and never shows and lack of effort. Hopefully he can develop in Triple-A as a future closer would be nice for the Cubs.
Junior Lake, 23, 3B- Another third basemen, Lake is an average hitter who projects to a .250/.300/.450 season. He can also grow into a power hitter but struggles on inside pitches and can't draw walks well. A strength of his is definitely his defense, as he already has big-league skills at the third baseman position.
Blake Parker, 27, RP- Parker made seven appearances for the Cubs last year but struggled and was sent back to Triple-A. He projects to be a strong middle reliever, who can change speeds effectively at times and make his stuff hard to hit. However, he lacks movement and isn't deceptive or capable of fooling hitters. He struggles with control in important situations and really has some things to work on.
Others to note: SS Logan Watkins, SP Casey Coleman, RP Hector Rondon
Rotation
RHP Casey Coleman
RHP Barret Loux
LHP Christopher Rusin
RHP Guillermo Moscoso
RHP Yoanner Negrin
Bullpen
Middle Relief
RHP Zach Putnam
RHP Andrew Carpenter
RHP Jensen Lewis
RHP Marcos Mateo
Setup
RHP Hector Rondon
RHP Blake Parker
Closer
Rafael Dolis
Starters
C Dioner Navaroo
1B Justin Bour
2B Jonathon Mota
SS Logan Watkins
3B Arismendy Alcantara
LF Darnell McDonald
CF Ryan Sweeney
RF Brian Bogusevic
DH Josh Vitters
Outlook
The Cubs don't have a lot of power, but they make up for it in contact and speed. Alcantara is being groomed for a spot on the Major League roster, so a midseason call up wouldn't be huge surprise. However, it's unlikely. Not many of these players have shots at cracking the starting lineup in the bigs anytime soon. On a side note, Junior Lake starts the season on the DL for eight weeks.