Five more Cubs in second ten of Northwest League top prospects, per BA.
11. Donnie Dewees, of, Eugene (Cubs)
Age: 21. B-T: L-L. Ht: 5-11. Wt: 180. Drafted: North Florida, 2015 (2).
Also a soccer and football player in high school, Dewees is athletic but was unheralded in baseball before his arrival at North Florida. He led NCAA Division I in hits, runs, slugging and total bases in the spring, then grinded his way through a solid pro debut as a Cubs second-rounder.
Dewees has a compact lefthanded swing, good contact skills and a feel for the barrel, with excellent bat control. While he can drive the ball the other way, he projects to have below-average power.
Dewees is a plus runner whose times to first base border on double-plus, and one scout timed him at 3.94 seconds on a bunt. His speed helps him go get the ball in center field as well. He’s an average defender whose well below-average arm strength—combined with a lack of power—would present a challenge if moved out of center field.
12. Justin Steele, lhp, Eugene (Cubs)
Age: 19. B-T: L-L. Ht: 6-2. Wt: 195. Drafted: HS—Lucedale, Miss., 2014 (5).
One of the prep pitchers the Cubs popped in the 2014 draft, Steele signed for $1 million as a fifth-round pick to pass on Southern Mississippi. Like Eugene teammate Carson Sands, Steele is a lefthander with a projectable frame and plus velocity.
Steele’s fastball topped out at 95 mph this season. The lefthander attacks the strike zone, generating nearly a strikeout per inning and plenty of groundballs. Steele has competitive fire and athleticism and works downhill with the fastball and also a curveball that projects as a future plus weapon. He commands his fastball well, keeping it low in the zone and has yet to allow a home run as a pro.
“It’s tough to know how hard a guy is throwing,” one NWL manager said, “but I know hitters are having a hard time against him.”
13. Carson Sands, lhp, Eugene (Cubs)
Age: 20. B-T: L-L. Ht: 6-3. Wt: 205. Drafted: HS—Tallahassee, Fla., 2014 (4). Video
Sands signed for $1.1 million as part of the Cubs’ prep pitching haul in the 2014 draft, a haul that also included Eugene teammate Justin Steele.
Like Hillsboro’s Cody Reed, Sands is another of the NWL’s big-bodied lefthanders with above-average velocity. Sands gets good downhill plane on a fastball that reached 95 mph this season, and he showed solid fastball command and good armside action.
Sands struggles to control his curveball, which flashed plus but had inconsistent shape. His changeup flashes average. If he can refine his control and harness his curveball, Sands has the makings of a mid-rotation starter and has plenty of room to fill out his body.
16. Oscar de la Cruz, rhp, Eugene (Cubs)
Age: 20. B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-4. Wt: 200. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2012.
De la Cruz signed with the Cubs for just $85,000 as a 17-year-old in October 2012. He made giant strides in 2015 in extended spring training, earning a jump to the NWL following two years in the Dominican Summer League.
De la Cruz didn’t just hold his own at Eugene. He ranked second in the NWL with 73 strikeouts and tied for first with a 1.00 WHIP. The projectable de la Cruz appears to stand at least one inch taller than his listed 6-foot-4 height, giving him great natural plane. De la Cruz has room to grow, though he’s already fairly strong, and as he does, his velocity should eclipse its current 92-93 mph range, which is where he sits.
De la Cruz’s secondary offerings are still in development. Of those, his curveball shows the most promise and flashed plus in the second half of the season. He has feel for his changeup, but it has been inconsistent. His delivery is clean and repeatable, thanks to athleticism he possesses.
19. Pedro Araujo, rhp, Eugene (Cubs)
Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht: 6-3. Wt: 214. Signed: Dominican Republic, 2011.
The Cubs signed Araujo, a Dominican righthander, for $100,000 in 2011, but he still has yet to reach full-season ball in five pro seasons—but he has potential. He has a physical, 6-foot-3 frame, a short stride and a low-90s fastball that he throws to set up a solid curveball and a changeup.
Araujo throws a high percentage of strikes and had a nearly 7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the NWL. Thanks to a heavy fastball that is difficult to elevate, he can both miss bats and keep the ball in the park. However, Araujo been used strictly as a reliever since debuting in the U.S. in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2014 following three years in the Dominican Summer League.