What is the deal with Cedar Rapids?

[Trov]

I was looking through our top prospect lists, now that we are 2 months into season.  I was noticing that all our top prospects in Cedar Rapids are not doing well at the plate.  I am wondering is that just a natural progression that the comp they are facing there are more advanced right now, or should the organization have concern about the coaching there?  Maybe it is just the league is getting tougher league.  It used to be FCL was known to be a pitchers league, but maybe it is just high A is more a pitchers league.  When I compare the FCL with the International league, the one CR are in, the offense is better in FCL overall, not a huge jump, but better.  

Fort Myers leads the FCL in OPS, but CR is mid league in OPS, and about 80 points less.  Yes, there are different hitters, but guys that dominated last year, or even earlier this year, in Fort Myers are not doing it nearly as well this year, or since their call ups.  E-Rod was not going to do what he did last year all year prior to his injury.  His k-rate is about the same as other years, but his power is much lower, it could be his core injury he had, which will sap power, or maybe something else.  He is not alone.

Outside of Rosario, who is having a huge breakout year so far, just about everyone is hitting below their expectations.  Is it just how things are lining up for players?  Is it the players themselves, some combo of bad adjustments, injuries, or bad luck?  Is it the coaching?  Is it a combo?  I get the lower level of minors is not about the numbers, but the development, but when you see such poor numbers for who are supposed to be top guys, you being to wonder.  

[Seth Stohs]

I think it's just primarily because the Twins really promoted them quickly. They have (or did a couple of weeks ago), the youngest offense in the Midwest League. Salas, Miller, E-Rod, Urbina... I'm sure I'm missing a couple. 

Salas is one of the ten youngest players in the league. Miller didn't hit last year in the FSL. E-Rod missed 2/3 of last season and almost a month this year. Urbina has struggled. Rosario may have been the one I worried about the most in terms of getting pushed up too quickly, but he's been fantastic. Average age of a pitcher in that league is like 23. Those guys are all 19-20... 

[jorgenswest]

I wondered about Cedar Rapids a few weeks ago. I noticed that the OPs league wide is down compared to last year in a full season. There are only two teams with an OPS over 700 when last most teams were over 700 in a full season.

Could it be more poor early season weather? Has it had an impact on power hitters more? The league wide SLG is down at .359.

Maybe the weather conditions combined with a younger roster with many not used to those conditions has had an impact. I would go there before the coaching.

[Trov]

22 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

I wondered about Cedar Rapids a few weeks ago. I noticed that the OPs league wide is down compared to last year in a full season. There are only two teams with an OPS over 700 when last most teams were over 700 in a full season.

Could it be more poor early season weather? Has it had an impact on power hitters more? The league wide SLG is down at .359.

Maybe the weather conditions combined with a younger roster with many not used to those conditions has had an impact. I would go there before the coaching.

That is what I was getting at.  It could be our age of players that are struggling, but the whole league seems to be down a bit.  Maybe weather, or maybe just on a cycle of young hitters and older pitchers.  It could be many teams progressed up the hitters faster than the pitchers so they are now facing more experienced pitcher than they did last year.  I am not worried about our prospects bottoming out but it was something that kind of struck me that everyone seems to be down compared to last year.