Who would you rather have?

[paul253]

Getting away from all the trade talk for a minute. Watching the Brewers-Cubs tonight has got me thinking. If you could pick one group of players, when they were in their primes as prospects, who would you have taken: Fielder Braun and Weeks or Schwarber, Bryant and Russell? Again you are assuming when you get them they are at the peak of their minor league careers. Which group of prospects would you have taken?

[SRB]

Are we talking prospects, as in Rickie Weeks's ultimate MLB career is irrelevant? I think you clearly go with Fielder/Braun/Weeks in that scenario, even factoring in the potential that Schwarber actually sticks at C, because those three players were simply much better hitters. Then again, I guess you have to factor in the way league-wide offense has changed. I'd still go with Fielder/Braun/Weeks by a wide margin.

 

Of course, the Cubs have the nice advantage that they have this young core and can outspend anybody on free agents on top of that...

[3and2Fastball]

Tough to answer as we know how Fielder-Braun-Weeks turned out. I thought Weeks had Hall of Fame potential and his MiLB stats pointed in somewhat that direction.

 

I think Fielder/Braun vs Schwarber/Bryant is a wash although Bryant looks like he could stick at 3B while Braun couldn't. Russell is an amazing fielder though which is something the other 5 never had..... tough to say but I might lean towards the Cubs' players. Schwarber has a ton of potential. He reminds me of what I imagine Jimmie Foxx was....

[SRB]

Tough to answer as we know how Fielder-Braun-Weeks turned out. I thought Weeks had Hall of Fame potential and his MiLB stats pointed in somewhat that direction.

 

I think Fielder/Braun vs Schwarber/Bryant is a wash although Bryant looks like he could stick at 3B while Braun couldn't. Russell is an amazing fielder though which is something the other 5 never had..... tough to say but I might lean towards the Cubs' players. Schwarber has a ton of potential. He reminds me of what I imagine Jimmie Foxx was....

 

It's tough not to be biased by how they ultimately turned out, but I don't think Schwarber/Bryant are in the same league as Fielder/Braun. Neither one of those guys is likely going to be a .400+ wOBA type hitter. Bryant is obviously the best of the bunch, and he strikes out basically twice as much as Prince Fielder ever has, with less power and a worse hit tool.

 

Comparing Schwarber to Jimmie Foxx is bonkers.

[LouisEly]

I'd take Schwarber, Bryant, and Russell because they play premium positions where it is harder to find those bats. While Fielder, Braun, and Weeks had better hitting potential, we knew that a) they were all below-average defensively at their positions, and/or b) were likely to not stick at their positions.

 

The key is relative value, not absolute value. It's about value relative to others at that position; that is the fundamental principle behind WAR. While WAR has it's warts and actual values debatable, the principle is to compare to replacement level at that particular position. I think that the Cubs trio has a greater relative value/differential at those positions that the Brewers trio had at their positions.

[Ennder]

Brewers bunch as prospects and not even close for me. Knowing the steroids issues and weeks injury issues I'd take the Cubs group over what we got out of the Brewers group though.

[trwi7]

I'd take Schwarber, Bryant, and Russell because they play premium positions where it is harder to find those bats.

 

Same. Schwarber is probably a corner OF but so is Braun. I'll take the 3B and SS over the 1B and 2B.

[3and2Fastball]

Comparing Schwarber to Jimmie Foxx is bonkers.

 

Probably!

[Funketown]

It's often easy to forget in years like the past few where the cupboard has been so dry what a truly overpowering prospect can do in AAA.

 

Weeks at age 22 in Nashville: 249 PA's, .320/.435/.655/1.090

 

Fielder at age 21 in Nashville: 441 PA's, .291/.388/.569/.957

 

Braun at age 23 in Nashville: 134 PA's, .342/.418/.701/1.119

 

I'm just going to enjoy the fact that there are a few guys in the system who make MiLB box-score tracking worthwhile again. Got my MiLB app ready to go this morning.

[paul253]

I think it's a tough call. When you factor in defense I think I might go with the Cubs players.

[3and2Fastball]

It's often easy to forget in years like the past few where the cupboard has been so dry what a truly overpowering prospect can do in AAA.

 

Weeks at age 22 in Nashville: 249 PA's, .320/.435/.655/1.090

 

Fielder at age 21 in Nashville: 441 PA's, .291/.388/.569/.957

 

Braun at age 23 in Nashville: 134 PA's, .342/.418/.701/1.119

.

 

It is also easy to forget how brutally bad all 3 were on defense at level.

[trwi7]

It's often easy to forget in years like the past few where the cupboard has been so dry what a truly overpowering prospect can do in AAA.

 

Weeks at age 22 in Nashville: 249 PA's, .320/.435/.655/1.090

 

Fielder at age 21 in Nashville: 441 PA's, .291/.388/.569/.957

 

Braun at age 23 in Nashville: 134 PA's, .342/.418/.701/1.119

 

I'm just going to enjoy the fact that there are a few guys in the system who make MiLB box-score tracking worthwhile again. Got my MiLB app ready to go this morning.

 

Okay but you can do the same thing with the Cubs. I won't use Russell in AAA because he only had less than 50 at bats there.

 

Russell at 20 in AA .302/.355/.529/.884

 

Schwarber at 22 between AA and AAA .323/.430/.591/1.021

 

Bryant at 22 between AA and AAA .325/.438/.661/1.099

 

It's close on all of them but the defensive value that the Cubs provide push them over the top for me.

[SRB]

It's often easy to forget in years like the past few where the cupboard has been so dry what a truly overpowering prospect can do in AAA.

 

Weeks at age 22 in Nashville: 249 PA's, .320/.435/.655/1.090

 

Fielder at age 21 in Nashville: 441 PA's, .291/.388/.569/.957

 

Braun at age 23 in Nashville: 134 PA's, .342/.418/.701/1.119

 

I'm just going to enjoy the fact that there are a few guys in the system who make MiLB box-score tracking worthwhile again. Got my MiLB app ready to go this morning.

 

Okay but you can do the same thing with the Cubs. I won't use Russell in AAA because he only had less than 50 at bats there.

 

Russell at 20 in AA .302/.355/.529/.884

 

Schwarber at 22 between AA and AAA .323/.430/.591/1.021

 

Bryant at 22 between AA and AAA .325/.438/.661/1.099

 

It's close on all of them but the defensive value that the Cubs provide push them over the top for me.

 

Kris Bryant also struck out 162 times in 492 AB.

[nate82]

 

Okay but you can do the same thing with the Cubs. I won't use Russell in AAA because he only had less than 50 at bats there.

 

Russell at 20 in AA .302/.355/.529/.884

 

Schwarber at 22 between AA and AAA .323/.430/.591/1.021

 

Bryant at 22 between AA and AAA .325/.438/.661/1.099

 

It's close on all of them but the defensive value that the Cubs provide push them over the top for me.

 

To me Russell is the only one clearly above Weeks, Fielder, and Braun defensively. Bryant is only average to below average at 3B which is a lot better than Braun. At some point Bryant will need to be moved to the OF where I believe Braun is actually better than Bryant will be. Schwarber would be a better defender at 1B than Prince but then again it is 1B and defense doesn't really matter there to me.

 

Only Russell really puts the Cubs prospects over the top for me with Bryant and Braun basically being equal and Prince having a slight edge over Schwarber for me. Russell's defense if he is moved to SS really puts it over the top as even with Weeks offensive promise at the time doesn't really make up for it.

[Funketown]

It's close on all of them but the defensive value that the Cubs provide push them over the top for me.

 

Anybody know what the plans are defensively with these three? I'd have to imagine Castro could be supplanted at SS if they feel Russell's talents are better employed there. If Bryant can stick at 3B, even if Schwarber moves to the OF they're well-set defensively.

[nate82]

It's close on all of them but the defensive value that the Cubs provide push them over the top for me.

 

Anybody know what the plans are defensively with these three? I'd have to imagine Castro could be supplanted at SS if they feel Russell's talents are better employed there. If Bryant can stick at 3B, even if Schwarber moves to the OF they're well-set defensively.

 

The Cubs have been trying to trade Castro but not many teams want to give up the players needed because of Castro's contract.

[TheCrew07]

I don't think it's right to just compare the top 3 players from each team. The truth is the Cubs' young core is much deeper and better all the way around than the Brewer core was. We had Hart and Hardy in addition to the previous mentioned 3. The Cubs have Rizzo, Soler, Castro, and Baez who is ready to come back to MLB. There's also more behind them in Torres and McKinney... The Cubs have more than enough depth to cover anyone who might fail like Alcantara and Almora but the kicker is they aren't thinking short term and have the resources to sign impact FA pitching while they wait and/or hope for Underwood and Cease find some health and pitch to their potential.

[brewcrewdue80]

I'll take the Milwaukee trio. HRs. The HR power between the 3 are superior to the Cubs 3. OB seems to be in Milw's favor too. Kyle Schwarber is busting out early so there's a lot of shine on him. Bryant had .864/.879 calendar months to start the year. .805/.639 the following 2. Figured out much? Russell's OPS is .671 to this point. He hasn't even had the early barrage before declining. I'll stick with the Brewers 3. Fielder's power and batting eye, just wins. Best player overall and Braun at #2. then Bryant/Schwarber/Weeks/Russell.