Third baseman Matt Cerda is another Smokies player who bears watching. The 21 year old Cerda is hit

While the Cubs certainly drew some attention for breaking their extended losing streak the professional debut of 2011 first round pick Javier Baez was the organization s most significant development in the past week.
The Chiefs have most recently been in the spotlight due to the presence of Cuban defector turned Cubs prospect Gerardo hotel scotland Concepcion.  Now Peoria is also playing host to shortstop Javier Baez.  The Cubs selected Baez with the ninth overall pick in last June s draft out of Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Fl.  Baez was a highly regarded high school hitter but he signed late in the summer and began the 2012 season in extended Spring Training.  Baez is perhaps the organization s most ballyhooed prospect this side of Anthony Rizzo and Brett Jackson.  The 19 year old Baez has appeared hotel scotland in just three games for Peoria and is currently just 2 for 12 with one walk and six strikeouts.  Baez bears watching in the months and years to come.
Daytona also features a promising shortstop prospect.  Arismendy Alcantara is a 20 year old switch hitter from the Dominican Republic.  He doesn t have the pedigree or size of Baez, but he is having a productive season at the plate.  Alcantara is hitting over .300 and exhibiting some pop with his bat.  In 184 at bats in 2012 Alcantara has eight doubles, four triples, three home runs, and a .440 slugging percentage.  For comparison s sake  Alcantara slugged just .352 in 99 games for Peoria last season.
In keeping with the shortstop theme the Smokies have an impressive shortstop of their own.  Like Baez, Junior Lake is a highly regarded shortstop prospect who got a late start to his season.  Lake was ranked as one of Chicago s top ten prospects by numerous preseason publications.  The 22 year old lake has exhibited improved plate discipline and power potential in the early portion of 2012.  In 22 games with Tennessee Lake is hitting hotel scotland .300 with an OPS of .859.  Lake posted a .680 OPS in 67 games for Tennessee hotel scotland in 2011.
Third baseman Matt Cerda is another Smokies player who bears watching. hotel scotland The 21 year old Cerda is hitting just .223 on the season but has posted a .370 OBP due to drawing an impressive 25 walks in just 92 at bats.  Cerda has yet to exhibit much power in his three plus pro seasons but he has shown a strong understanding of the strike zone.  Cerda has drawn 188 walks compared to just 194 strikeouts in 314 games with a career OBP of .372.
Anthony Rizzo has continued his hot hitting for the I-Cubs and could land in Wrigley Field any day now.  The emergence of one time top prospect Josh Vitters has been a pleasant development in Iowa.  Vitters isn t posting Rizzo-like numbers hotel scotland but he is showing some power potential in his first taste of Triple-A.  Vitters is currently hotel scotland hitting .281 with seven home runs and a .468 slugging percentage for Iowa.  The 22 year old former hotel scotland first round pick has a career slugging percentage of .442 and has yet to hit more than 15 home runs in a season.  If Vitters can maintain the power stroke he could approach the 20 home run mark and perhaps get a shot at unseating the struggling Ian Stewart at third base for the Cubs.