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In this installment of Cubshub.com Scouting Reports, we will be breaking down outfield prospect, Adam Greenberg.
Up next, lefty pitching prospect Sean Marshall.
Adam Greenberg
Ht: 5'9
Wt: 180 lbs
B/T: L/L
DOB: 2/21/1981
Hometown: Guilford, Connecticut
The Cubs took Greenberg in the 9th round (273rd pick) of the 2002 draft. He was the starting centerfielder and leadoff man for the North Carolina Tarheels for his three years in college. Greenberg has come a long way after growing up in a small close-knit Connecticut community, going to Friday night services regularly, celebrating holidays, getting into the Wednesday and Sunday Hebrew school routine and being bar mitzvahed. He left the comfort of his small community for the University of North Carolina, which was a cultural difference for Adam and his teammates. "There's just not very many Jewish people down there," Greenberg said. "Ninety percent of the team had never met a Jewish person. People would want to talk to me about it. Yes, comments would be made, but uneducated people are going to make uneducated comments. But it was never a detriment."
Greenberg is listed at 5'9 but that might even be a stretch, he's more like 5'7. And it's a stigma that he's had to play with his entire career. There aren't too many major leaguers that are his size or build. But Greenberg hasn't let it get to him. "Either you can play or you can't," Greenberg said. "If you can play, it doesn't matter if you are 4-feet tall or 6-foot-8. That's the great part about this game," he said. "In basketball, you have to be a certain size, in football you have to be a certain build. Baseball is an opportunity for everyone to go out and if you can do it, you can do it."
The Cub's development director Oneri Fleita agrees, "I'm a big guy, but I'm from the school that if you can play, you can play. This game isn't like football or basketball where size matters. "If one looks back through baseball history some of the greatest hitters were smaller guys."
University of North Carolina
As a freshman, he appeared in 61 games going 98 for 254 with 69 runs, 15 doubles, 7 triples, 8 hrs, 39 rbi, 37 bb, 33 k , 28/33 sb, .386 avg, .460 obp, .594 slg. 1.054 ops.
As a sophomore he appeared in 57 games going 65 for 210 with 52 runs, 13 doubles, 3 triples, 2 hrs, 30 rbi, 43 bb, 28 k, 29/34 sb, .310 avg, .444 obp, .429 slg, .873 ops.
As a junior he appeared in 64 games going 90 for 267 with 80 runs, 17 doubles, 7 triples, 17 hrs, 57 rbi, 44 bb, 49 k, 35/42 sb,.337 avg, .440 obp, .644 slg, 1.084 ops
2004 Daytona (high-A)
Appeared in 91 games, going 94 for 323 with 52 runs, 10 doubles, 12 triples, 3 hrs, 28 rbi, 42 bb, 65 k, 16/24 sb, .291 avg, .381 obp, .424 slg, .805 ops.
2004 West Tennessee (AA)
Appeared in 32 games, going 31 for 112 with 22 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 3 hrs, 10 rbi, 14 bb, 30 k, 3/3 sb, .277 avg, .366 obp, .455 slg, .821 ops.
2004 AFL
Appeared in 18 games, going 24 for 75, with 11 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 5 hrs, 5 bb, 14 k, 5/6 sb, .320 avg, .363 obp, .413 slg, .776 ops.
2005 West Tennessee (AA)
Appeared in 95 games, going 82 for 305 with 51 runs, 12 doubles, 9 triples, 4 hrs, 33 rbi, 56 bb, 68 k, 15/19 sb, .269 avg, .386 obp, .407 slg, .793 ops.
2005 Chicago Cubs (MLB)
Appeared in 1 game, with a hit by pitch as his only official at bats.
2005-06 Winter League (Venezuela)
In 43 games, went 34 for 130 with 27 runs, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 hrs, 15 rbi, .262 avg, 19 bb, 34 k, 2/6 sb, .262 avg, .370 obp, .408 slg, .778 ops.
Batting And Power: Greenberg possesses great contact skills and hits the ball well to all fields. His stroke is very level and he takes advantage of his speed by hitting the ball on the ground and tagging line drives. His speed helps him keep his slugging percentage up due to his doubles and triples. But he'll never slug over .500, develop much more power with his frame and stroke. Give Greenberg credit though, he knows "big ball" isn't his style, and he will never develop the little big man complex like Corey Patterson did.
Baserunning And Speed: Greenberg's only natural ability is his speed and he uses it very well. He has good instincts on the basepath, and judges a pitcher's moves to first very well. His stolen base success rate was an impressive 79% (15 for 19) in the Double AA Southern League. Which was a stark improvement over his 70% rate at Daytona (16 for 24) and West Tenn (3 for 3) in 2004. If he can continue to have sb rates around his career aveage of 76% or more he will be an asset to the ballclub.
Defense: Give this kid a gold star in the outfield, he can play all three positions but center is his comfort zone. He takes great routes to balls in the outfield and uses his above average arm to his advantage. So much so that he played most of the season last year in rightfield for the DiamondJaxx. He had a few angle problems but other than that did he a real good job.
Biggest Strengthes: Hustle and Fundamentals
There is not another Cub player that gives more to their team and sacrifices more for the ballclub. Greenberg gives that extra push, he dives for balls, he goes head first, he's an energizer and that endears many, and will make Greenberg a fan favorite when he reaches the majors.
His fundamental skills don't hurt either. Greenberg has a lifetime .384 on base percentage and posted close to that in 2005 (.386) for West Tennesse. He has great command of the plate and a good two strike approach. His skills are ideal for a table settler in the lineup. Adam thinks he has a skill set as a leadoff or second hole hitter that could help fill some of the clubs long standing holes
"They were one of the league leaders in home runs (2nd in the NL), but were near the bottom in on-base percentage (11th in the NL)," said Greenberg, who has a career OBP of .384. "The more people on base and keep hitting home runs, you do the math, you're going to score more runs. If they need a leadoff hitter, that's what I bring to the table. I have to believe that."
Biggest Weaknesses: Size and opportunity
And neither are areas that Greenberg can control. Similiar smaller players like himself have been regulated to playing off the bench. They are often marked lower in organizations or just not taken seriously despite good hitting skills because of their frame and lack of power. Hopefully the Cubs don't think that way because Greenberg has skills that could be very useful if used properly on the major league level.
Greenberg's biggest problem right now doesn't appear to be his size but opportunity in the Cubs organization. He is blocked in any facet of a starting job for the next few years by the likes of Murton, Pie, etc. His best bet to fit in on the MLB club is as a fourth or even fifth outfielder. That isn't going to happen this year as the Cubs have shored up other players that they will likely call upon before Adam in Marquis Grissom, Angel Pagan, and Michael Restovich.
Keys to Success: Keep up OBP
Greenberg's best chance of getting to the big leagues and staying effective is keeping up his on base percentage. His career OBP-AVG differential is .100 which is amazing. If he stays around there or even .080 then he will definately break ground with a major league team at some point. Greenberg said "If the Cubs decide they want or need me, that'd be great. If not, there are 29 other clubs who might be interested." Obviously that wasn't completely true as in he cleared the waiver wire last year as the Cubs took him off their 40 man roster.
MLB Comparison: John Cangelosi
It's no disrespect to Greenberg at all, Cangelosi was a 13 year veteran, he just was never a starter outside of most of the 1986 season. But Cangelosi was one of the most effective fourth outfielders and pinch hitters of his time. The two share an almost idential size and gameplan. Cangelosi had a slightly better discipline, but Greenberg's will get better and he has much better pop than John.
Bob's Bottome Line: Before the Cubs recent acquistion of Angel Pagan, Greenberg had a decent chance of getting called up as the fourth outfielder if Grissom (most likelyt to win 4th OF) got hurt. But Pagan is now on the 40 man roster and becomes the "emergency guy". Which is a shame, because Pagan doesn't have Greenberg's plate skills. Pagan possess' better speed but he is often reckless on the basepaths. It's looking like Greenberg's best chance of reaching the majors soon is getting traded.
Read more Scouting Reports
Up next, lefty pitching prospect Sean Marshall.
Adam Greenberg
Ht: 5'9
Wt: 180 lbs
B/T: L/L
DOB: 2/21/1981
Hometown: Guilford, Connecticut
The Cubs took Greenberg in the 9th round (273rd pick) of the 2002 draft. He was the starting centerfielder and leadoff man for the North Carolina Tarheels for his three years in college. Greenberg has come a long way after growing up in a small close-knit Connecticut community, going to Friday night services regularly, celebrating holidays, getting into the Wednesday and Sunday Hebrew school routine and being bar mitzvahed. He left the comfort of his small community for the University of North Carolina, which was a cultural difference for Adam and his teammates. "There's just not very many Jewish people down there," Greenberg said. "Ninety percent of the team had never met a Jewish person. People would want to talk to me about it. Yes, comments would be made, but uneducated people are going to make uneducated comments. But it was never a detriment."
Greenberg is listed at 5'9 but that might even be a stretch, he's more like 5'7. And it's a stigma that he's had to play with his entire career. There aren't too many major leaguers that are his size or build. But Greenberg hasn't let it get to him. "Either you can play or you can't," Greenberg said. "If you can play, it doesn't matter if you are 4-feet tall or 6-foot-8. That's the great part about this game," he said. "In basketball, you have to be a certain size, in football you have to be a certain build. Baseball is an opportunity for everyone to go out and if you can do it, you can do it."
The Cub's development director Oneri Fleita agrees, "I'm a big guy, but I'm from the school that if you can play, you can play. This game isn't like football or basketball where size matters. "If one looks back through baseball history some of the greatest hitters were smaller guys."
University of North Carolina
As a freshman, he appeared in 61 games going 98 for 254 with 69 runs, 15 doubles, 7 triples, 8 hrs, 39 rbi, 37 bb, 33 k , 28/33 sb, .386 avg, .460 obp, .594 slg. 1.054 ops.
As a sophomore he appeared in 57 games going 65 for 210 with 52 runs, 13 doubles, 3 triples, 2 hrs, 30 rbi, 43 bb, 28 k, 29/34 sb, .310 avg, .444 obp, .429 slg, .873 ops.
As a junior he appeared in 64 games going 90 for 267 with 80 runs, 17 doubles, 7 triples, 17 hrs, 57 rbi, 44 bb, 49 k, 35/42 sb,.337 avg, .440 obp, .644 slg, 1.084 ops
2004 Daytona (high-A)
Appeared in 91 games, going 94 for 323 with 52 runs, 10 doubles, 12 triples, 3 hrs, 28 rbi, 42 bb, 65 k, 16/24 sb, .291 avg, .381 obp, .424 slg, .805 ops.
2004 West Tennessee (AA)
Appeared in 32 games, going 31 for 112 with 22 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 3 hrs, 10 rbi, 14 bb, 30 k, 3/3 sb, .277 avg, .366 obp, .455 slg, .821 ops.
2004 AFL
Appeared in 18 games, going 24 for 75, with 11 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 5 hrs, 5 bb, 14 k, 5/6 sb, .320 avg, .363 obp, .413 slg, .776 ops.
2005 West Tennessee (AA)
Appeared in 95 games, going 82 for 305 with 51 runs, 12 doubles, 9 triples, 4 hrs, 33 rbi, 56 bb, 68 k, 15/19 sb, .269 avg, .386 obp, .407 slg, .793 ops.
2005 Chicago Cubs (MLB)
Appeared in 1 game, with a hit by pitch as his only official at bats.
2005-06 Winter League (Venezuela)
In 43 games, went 34 for 130 with 27 runs, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 hrs, 15 rbi, .262 avg, 19 bb, 34 k, 2/6 sb, .262 avg, .370 obp, .408 slg, .778 ops.
Batting And Power: Greenberg possesses great contact skills and hits the ball well to all fields. His stroke is very level and he takes advantage of his speed by hitting the ball on the ground and tagging line drives. His speed helps him keep his slugging percentage up due to his doubles and triples. But he'll never slug over .500, develop much more power with his frame and stroke. Give Greenberg credit though, he knows "big ball" isn't his style, and he will never develop the little big man complex like Corey Patterson did.
Baserunning And Speed: Greenberg's only natural ability is his speed and he uses it very well. He has good instincts on the basepath, and judges a pitcher's moves to first very well. His stolen base success rate was an impressive 79% (15 for 19) in the Double AA Southern League. Which was a stark improvement over his 70% rate at Daytona (16 for 24) and West Tenn (3 for 3) in 2004. If he can continue to have sb rates around his career aveage of 76% or more he will be an asset to the ballclub.
Defense: Give this kid a gold star in the outfield, he can play all three positions but center is his comfort zone. He takes great routes to balls in the outfield and uses his above average arm to his advantage. So much so that he played most of the season last year in rightfield for the DiamondJaxx. He had a few angle problems but other than that did he a real good job.
Biggest Strengthes: Hustle and Fundamentals
There is not another Cub player that gives more to their team and sacrifices more for the ballclub. Greenberg gives that extra push, he dives for balls, he goes head first, he's an energizer and that endears many, and will make Greenberg a fan favorite when he reaches the majors.
His fundamental skills don't hurt either. Greenberg has a lifetime .384 on base percentage and posted close to that in 2005 (.386) for West Tennesse. He has great command of the plate and a good two strike approach. His skills are ideal for a table settler in the lineup. Adam thinks he has a skill set as a leadoff or second hole hitter that could help fill some of the clubs long standing holes
"They were one of the league leaders in home runs (2nd in the NL), but were near the bottom in on-base percentage (11th in the NL)," said Greenberg, who has a career OBP of .384. "The more people on base and keep hitting home runs, you do the math, you're going to score more runs. If they need a leadoff hitter, that's what I bring to the table. I have to believe that."
Biggest Weaknesses: Size and opportunity
And neither are areas that Greenberg can control. Similiar smaller players like himself have been regulated to playing off the bench. They are often marked lower in organizations or just not taken seriously despite good hitting skills because of their frame and lack of power. Hopefully the Cubs don't think that way because Greenberg has skills that could be very useful if used properly on the major league level.
Greenberg's biggest problem right now doesn't appear to be his size but opportunity in the Cubs organization. He is blocked in any facet of a starting job for the next few years by the likes of Murton, Pie, etc. His best bet to fit in on the MLB club is as a fourth or even fifth outfielder. That isn't going to happen this year as the Cubs have shored up other players that they will likely call upon before Adam in Marquis Grissom, Angel Pagan, and Michael Restovich.
Keys to Success: Keep up OBP
Greenberg's best chance of getting to the big leagues and staying effective is keeping up his on base percentage. His career OBP-AVG differential is .100 which is amazing. If he stays around there or even .080 then he will definately break ground with a major league team at some point. Greenberg said "If the Cubs decide they want or need me, that'd be great. If not, there are 29 other clubs who might be interested." Obviously that wasn't completely true as in he cleared the waiver wire last year as the Cubs took him off their 40 man roster.
MLB Comparison: John Cangelosi
It's no disrespect to Greenberg at all, Cangelosi was a 13 year veteran, he just was never a starter outside of most of the 1986 season. But Cangelosi was one of the most effective fourth outfielders and pinch hitters of his time. The two share an almost idential size and gameplan. Cangelosi had a slightly better discipline, but Greenberg's will get better and he has much better pop than John.
Bob's Bottome Line: Before the Cubs recent acquistion of Angel Pagan, Greenberg had a decent chance of getting called up as the fourth outfielder if Grissom (most likelyt to win 4th OF) got hurt. But Pagan is now on the 40 man roster and becomes the "emergency guy". Which is a shame, because Pagan doesn't have Greenberg's plate skills. Pagan possess' better speed but he is often reckless on the basepaths. It's looking like Greenberg's best chance of reaching the majors soon is getting traded.
Read more Scouting Reports
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