A New Wave of Talent

The Cubs called up two of the organization’s strongest farmhands in outfielder Brett Jackson and third baseman Josh Vitters for Sunday afternoon’s matchup in Los Angeles.

Jackson, who many analysts feel was the Cubs’ best prospect prior to the season (Baseball Prospectus rated him the organization’s only five-star talent), was the team’s first-round pick in the 2009 draft. This season in Triple-A Iowa, the projected center fielder was hitting .256/.338/.479. The major hole in the 24-year-old’s game is his 159 strikeouts (34 percent strikeout rate), the most of any player in professional baseball this season.

Vitters is the Cubs’ 2007 first-round draft pick. Baseball Prospectus rated him the organization’s sixth-best prospect prior to the season, and the 22-year-old has impressed with Iowa. His .304 average and .869 OPS is top 25 in the Pacific Coast League. Vitters’ situation is unique because he could get the lion’s share of playing time at third base with no clear-cut corner infielder blocking his path.